induna

American  

[in-doo-nuh] / ɪnˈdu nə /

noun

1. an official functionary of a king or chief in South African Bantu societies.

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induna British  

/ ɪnˈduːnə /

noun

1. (in South Africa) a Black African overseer in a factory, mine, etc

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Etymology

Origin of induna

Borrowed into English from Zulu around 1870–75

Example Sentences

Consider the March 1942 sinking of the British freighter Induna.

From The Wall Street Journal

“The mad man believed he was on the way ‘to the pub to meet his mates,’” recalls another survivor of the Induna, Jimmy Campbell, who was a 15-year-old steward’s boy when the ship went down.

From The Wall Street Journal

We went straight to the chief induna, or headman.

From Literature

Although we swore this fellow to secrecy, he went straightaway to the induna and revealed our secret.

From Literature

Unfortunately, their friend was Mr. Festile, the induna at the Chamber of Mines who had been present when Justice and I met with Mr. Wellbeloved.

From Literature