Ganguellas

Ganguellas, the collective name of a widespread Bantu people of south-west Africa, whose domain extends from Bihe in Benguela eastwards to the Chobe head-stream of the Zambesi. They comprise five main groups, the Ambuellas, Luimbes, Chibokwes, Luvales, and Ba-Lundas, all speaking closely-related dialects of a distinct Bantu idiom intermediate between the Umbundu of Angola and the Herero of Damaraland. The term Ganguella, meaning "Stammerers," has been applied to them by the A-Bunda people of Angola because of their unintelligible speech, just as the Germans are called Niemce, the "Speechless," by their Slav neighbours. The Lundas, most numerous of all the Ganguellas, constitute a powerful nation about the headwaters of the Liba affluent of the Zambesi. They have long had indirect relations with the Portuguese through the Bihe traders, and most of the beeswax exported from Angola comes from their country. The Lundas are amongst the few African peoples who respect their women, some of whom even rise to the rank of queens. (Serpa Pinto Comment fai trarerse VAfrique, Paris, 1881.)