nyala, noun

/ˈnjɑːlə/, /ənjɑːlə/
Forms:
Also inyala, with initial capital, and (formerly) inyalla.
Plurals:
unchanged, or nyalas.
Origin:
Tsonga, Venda, IsiZuluShow more Tsonga and Venda nyala, isiZulu inyala.
1. The antelope Tragelaphus angasii of the Bovidae, which inhabits low-lying and thickly-wooded country. Also attributive.
1848 G.F. Angas in Proc. of Zool. Soc. 89This new and brilliant Antelope, the Inyala of the Amazulu.
1853 R.B. Struthers Hunting Jrnl (1991) 32He shot a buck (Inyalla).
1863 W.C. Baldwin Afr. Hunting 92A moment after I beheld a noble buck inyala walking leisurely away.
1891 R. Ward Sportsman’s Handbk 123In Zululand were to be found, a few years ago, Elephants,..Inyalas (Tragelaphus angassi), [etc.].
1899 H.A. Bryden Great & Small Game of Afr. 453The bushbucks, Genus Tragelaphus. The harnessed antelopes, or bushbucks,..may be arranged as follows:– A...1. The Bongo (T. euryceros). 2. The Nyala (T. angasi) [etc.].
1918 H. Moore Land of Good Hope 38Pictures of seven different kinds of wild animals killed in sport; wart-hog, rhinoceros, leopard, nyala [etc.].
c1936 S. & E. Afr. Yr Bk & Guide 1096The Nyala or Inyala Bushbuck or Angas’ Antelope, (tragelaphus angasi). Height about 40 inches; colour of male, dark grey and fawn with white markings, amongst which vertical stripes on sides and white V between the eyes.
1947 J. Stevenson-Hamilton Wild Life in S. Afr. 109Along the Pafuri River in the nyala bush they have become accustomed to motor traffic.
1949 J. Mockford Golden Land 219Farther on, a rarely seen antelope looked at me from between the grass tufts, and then pranced away — a lovely nyala ram, its dark body a-flicker with stripes.
1953 R. Campbell Mamba’s Precipice 49A full-grown Inyala bull was drinking..; behind him, half-way down the bank, were two beautiful ginger-red Inyala cows with brilliant white stripes which flashed electrically in the evening light.
1964 G. Campbell Old Dusty 132The Livingstone antelope, inyala, bongo and puku are as rare as virgins in night-clubs.
1975 Country Life (U.K.) 20 Feb. 444A visit to..these [South African] reserves is always rewarded with views of zebra, nyala, impala, duiker, waterbuck.
1982 Flying Springbok Sept. 88With trophy charges and licence fees, Cape buffalo cost R1 500 a head, nyala R670.
1990 Skinner & Smithers Mammals of Sn Afr. Subregion 693The colloquial name originates from the Zulu name for the species, inxala [sic]. The species was first brought to the notice of European naturalists by Mr. Douglas Angas and was at one time known as Angas’ bushbuck...Nyalas are medium-sized antelopes.
1992 S. Afr. Panorama Mar.–Apr. 120The lordly nyala come down to drink from dense surrounding woods.
2. A small armoured personnel-carrier used by the police.
1993 J. Maker in Sunday Times 17 Oct. 16His partner in crime had already gone down the stairs to the cells below, to be hustled into an SAP Nyala and taken to Death Row.
The antelope Tragelaphus angasii of the Bovidae, which inhabits low-lying and thickly-wooded country. Also attributive.
A small armoured personnel-carrier used by the police.
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nxa, adjectiveadj., interjectionint., & nounn.nyatsi, nounn.
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