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Glite Dictionary
🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏿 An ethnic group 🗣️ A Bantu language
Tembu

Tembu

1 9.9
A people in South Africa who speak a Bantu language and keep their own traditions
  • proper noun
: Tembu
  • The Tembu have a rich history of music and storytelling passed down through generations.

Examples

  • Many members of the Tembu community live in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.

  • The Tembu people have a rich cultural heritage.

  • During the festival, the Tembu wear traditional clothing and perform ceremonial dances.

  • Many Tembu traditions are celebrated during festivals.

  • Nelson Rolihlala Mandela was born into the royal Tembu household in the Transkei region of South Africa.

  • As a member of the Tembu ethnic group, Mandela embodied the rich traditions of his culture and community.

  • Mandela's leadership was influenced by his heritage from the Tembu tribe, known for its distinct customs.

Surface Forms

Tembu main

Etymology

Tembu is the name this group uses for themselves in a Bantu language of South Africa, so a helpful way to remember it is as the word they call their own 'people'. That's why Tembu refers to the ethnic group and their shared identity.