Skip to main content
Namibian

Namibian

1 4.5
A person who comes from Namibia
  • noun
  • /nəˈmɪbiən/
: namibio
  • Older musical traditions and crafts are becoming rarities, often unfamiliar to younger Namibians.
  • Namibians against apartheid
  • needs of Namibians
  • many Namibians

Examples

  • Nearly 14,000 Namibians now work as fishers or in processing plants; none did before independence.

    Academic text (2010)
  • (b) Promoting and reinforcing cultural heritage and cultural expression: Namibians need to learn about and appreciate the diverse cultures indigenous to this country.

    Academic text (2000)
  • We further commit ourselves to cultural actions that will give all Namibians a sense of identity and belief in their own creative talent.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Since independence, however, Namibians have been encouraged to rediscover and celebrate their own cultures.

    Academic text (2000)
  • The practice of the arts forms an integral part of the lives of many Namibians that is rarely verbalized or analyzed.

    Academic text (2000)
  • The Constitution not only guarantees Namibians the more traditional rights protected by any number of the world's constitutions, but also deals with social, cultural, and economic rights.

    Academic text (1991)
  • As of 2003, Namibians held 162 out of the 163 permits to access fisheries.

    Academic text (2010)
  • A policy needs to represent the views, values, realities, and needs of Namibians, avoiding anyone's marginalization and exclusion.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Namibians released from imprisonment in Angola said they had been tortured, and more than 260 Namibians reportedly imprisoned in Angola could not be accounted for.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Many Namibians proudly share their cultural heritage during festivals and celebrations.

Surface Forms

Namibian singular
Namibians plural

Morphology

Namibian = Namibia (transparent) = Namibia + an

Standard demonym formation: the suffix '-an' attached to the country name 'Namibia' yields a person or adjective relating to that country.

Etymology

The word Namibian comes from the country name Namibia, which itself comes from Namib, the name of the desert and a local word often said to mean 'vast place' or 'open land'. The ending -ian is a common English ending like in Canadian that means 'from or belonging to', so a Namibian is a person 'from Namibia'.