ngakan.
/(ə)ŋˈɡɑːkə/, U.S. /(ə)ŋˈɡɑkə/, South African English /(ə)ŋˈɡɑːkə/ South African.
A traditional African healer. Occasionally used of people supposed to possess malign powers.
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the world > the supernatural > the occult > sorcery, witchcraft, or magic > non-European magic (miscellaneous) > [noun] > sorcerer or medicine man > African witch-doctor
witch doctor1817
witchfinder1833
witch doctress1834
ngaka1871
sangoma1893
1871 J. Mackenzie Ten Years North of Orange River xix. 388 There is a certain amount of suspicion connected with the word ‘ngaka’ (doctor, sorcerer); but when the super-human power is..for an evil purpose,..the man is called a ‘moloi’ (wizard).
1932 Man 32 279 Each gun, club, spear or axe was placed in turn by its owner on the lion's footprint, and the ngaka rubbed it with the bulb.
1953 ‘P. Lanham’ & A. S. Mopeli-Paulus Blanket Boy's Moon ii. ii. 99 Such an order could not be disobeyed, save at the risk of the wrath of the ngaka being directed against the disobedient one.
1982 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 18 Apr. 16 The most interesting chapters..describe the stages of his initiation as a ngaka (witch doctor, a common translation, is far too lurid to describe the harmonious wisdom of these Spirit Diviners).
1996 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 17 Mar. vii. 7/1 We are never certain whose world Maine inhabits. He was a ngaka, a herbalist, a curer, and yet we hear little of this.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, September 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1871- in the loop
- in the loose
- in the lord's name
- in the loss of question
- in the love of
- in the love of god
- in the lump
- in the lurch
- in the madhouse
- in the main
- in the mainour
- in the major league
- in the making
- in the manner of
- in the manner to which one is accustomed
- in the market
- in the mass
- in the matter of
- in the maugre
- in the maugre of
- in the mean
- in the mean season
- in the mean space
- in the mean way
- in the mean whiles