English

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Etymology

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From Xhosa ama- (plural noun class marker) + -phakathi (council); compare pagati. Attested in English from the 19th century.

Noun

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amapakati (plural amapakatis)

  1. The council or inner circle of advisers of a chief in a Nguni society.
    • 1962, Nelson Mandela, Struggle is my Life:
      Then our people lived peacefully, under the democratic rule of their kings and their amapakati, and moved freely and confidently up and down the country without let or hindrance.
  2. A member of a council; a trusted adviser.
    • 1870, C. Hamilton, Life and Sport in South-East Africa:
      The shrewdness of the Amapakati, or Kaffir advocate.

See also

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References

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