induna, noun

/ɪnˈduːnə/
Forms:
entuna, indoonaShow more Also entuna, indoona, intuna, nduna, tuna.
Plurals:
usually indunas, but also (infrequently) isinduna, izinduna, lintuna, zinduna, zintuna.
Origin:
IsiXhosa, isiZuluShow more IsiXhosa and isiZulu (plural izinduna).
1.
a. Especially in traditional Zulu society: a headman, councillor, or officer under a chief, often responsible for overseeing the affairs of a district made up of a number of villages. Cf. letona. See also umnumzana sense 1 a.
1835 A. Smith Diary (1940) II. 79Masalacatzie has two grades amongst his chiefs, viz.: numzan and tuna, the former the highest.
1836 N. Isaacs Trav. (1937) II. 108Our conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the induna, Amastanger, with seven head of cattle, which the king gave to me.
1836 in D.J. Kotze Lett. of American Missionaries (1950) 129Under the king there are a number of officers of different grades, called Zintuna. Intuna is the singular. Every town is directly under the control of some Intuna.
1837 F. Owen Diary (1926) 28A regiment is stationed at each town under several Indoonas or Captains.
1846 R. Moffat Missionary Labours 141He was a man of rank, and what was called an Entuna (an officer,) who wore on his head the usual badge of dignity.
1857 J. Shooter Kafirs of Natal 322The English settlers proceeded with their natives against the kraals of Sotobe and another in-duna, situate between the Mooi River and Tugela.
1887 S.W. Silver & Co.’s Handbk to S. Afr. 418We sent word to the ‘indunas,’ or heads of the principal kraals round us, to assemble their men the next day.
1895 H. Rider Haggard Nada 3Suddenly Chaka was seen stalking through the ranks, followed by his captains, his indunas, and by me.
1898 B. Mitford Induna’s Wife 14The King himself came forward, and making a sign to myself and two or three other izinduna to attend him, sat himself down at the head of the open space.
1907 W.C. Scully By Veldt & Kopje 289A large military kraal..was situated about two days’ journey from the ‘Great Place,’ and was under the command of a favourite induna, or general.
1934 B.I. Buchanan Pioneer Days 120A band of Zulu isinduna (heads of kraals) came down to Maritzburg and begged the Governor to annex their country.
1939 R.F.A. Hoernlé S. Afr. Native Policy 61He happened to be the son of an aristocratic English father and the daughter of a Xhosa Induna.
1958 S. Cloete Mask 143The induna who brought the message was of royal blood.
1971 Time 13 Dec. 23The lead induna, or head man, resplendent in hyena tails and impala, monkey and civet skins.
1979 Bona Apr. 26‘I’m one of the new chief’s indunas,’ he told me, ‘one of his selected warriors and councillors’.
1986 P. Maylam Hist. of Afr. People 28He appointed a large number of izinduna, state officials who performed various administrative functions.
1990 R. Malan My Traitor’s Heart 170He was a figure of great power and influence. He was the chief induna, or prime minister, if you will, of the Thembu tribe.
b. transferred sense A Black foreman, head servant, mine overseer, or policeman. Also attributive, and comb. induna-clerk. Cf. boss-boy.
1857 J. Shooter Kafirs of Natal 93A man’s head-servant is called his in-duna — a name applied to the principal officers of a chief.
1887 J.W. Matthews Incwadi Yami 494I was especially fortunate in my induna (head man and guide), who was a tall, fine, strapping Swazi and knew every inch of the country.
1946 Tribal Natives & Trade Unionism (Tvl Chamber of Mines) 6The tribal pattern is the Chief, the Induna, the headman and the kraal head.
1946 P. Abrahams Mine Boy (1954) 55In front of the long column marched an induna, a mine policeman, whose duty it was to keep order among the boys...The indunas all carried knob-kerries and assagais.
1953 P. Lanham Blanket Boy’s Moon 116A big factory, where he had obtained the job of Induna or head-boy.
1962 A.P. Cartwright Gold Miners 221There are, too, the indunas who act as liaison officers between the compound manager and the tribal groups.
1971 Sunday Tribune 14 Nov. 6We loaded sacks of mielies on to a lorry. The induna..kicked and hit us all the time.
1972 Star 24 Mar. 27Mr Makwena is an ‘induna’ train marshaller — one of the first Africans to be trained at Elsburg shunting yards.
1978 Voice 13 Dec. 9His father was an induna at the Modder East mine.
1980 E. Prov. Herald 29 Aug. 9Mr Godlo..worked at Jaggersfontein mines (today’s Welkom), as induna-clerk from the age of 20.
1980 M. Lipton in Optima Vol.29 No.2, 166There have..been reports of homosexuality within the compounds, said to be widespread among the long-serving and influential indunas who use their position to demand favours from younger men.
1984 L. Mshengu in Staffrider Vol.6 No.1, 26Indunas are workers but they do not go along with the workers’ struggle. They..tend to side very much with the employers.
1986 J. Conyngham Arrowing of Cane 11A black induna, dressed in a navy blue overall and not in the hessian shift of a cutter, walks towards me as I near the labourers.
1987 S. Nyaka in Weekly Mail 13 Mar. 2The South African Railway and Harbour Workers’ Union (Sarhwu) has vowed to destroy the compound housing system, migrant labour and the induna system.
1990 G. Slovo Ties of Blood 30The indunas — black overseers who did the white man’s dirty work, their knobkerries and assegais always at hand.
1990 [see boss-boy].
2. figurative. One in authority, a leader.
1897 F.W. Sykes With Plumer in Matabeleland 6‘We no sooner get to know the big white induna than he goes away.’ Thus said the native.
1941 Bantu World 25 Jan. 12Mr J.S. Hardy..Headman or Induna of Pelindaba to receive all the complaints of the inhabitants.
1970 News/Check 4 Sept. 9The attack on the Press by rugby induna Dr Danie Craven for blowing up the incidents of rough play in the second Test.
1979 C. Endfield Zulu Dawn 282Disraeli, Chief in Duna of the white Queen of the whole world.
1982 Voice 18 July 4Nafcoc’s nduna Sam Mutsuenyane had some pertinent things to say about Black/White business partnership at Nafcoc’s annual indaba last week.
a headman, councillor, or officer under a chief, often responsible for overseeing the affairs of a district made up of a number of villages.
A Black foreman, head servant, mine overseer, or policeman. Also attributive, and comb. induna-clerk.
One in authority, a leader.
Derivatives:
Hence indunaship  noun, the office or dignity of an induna.
1955 in M. Gluckman Judicial Process among Barotse 87This is indunaship — this is ruling.
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18351990

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indunaship

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induku, nounn.indwe, nounn.
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