Word of the Day – Mganga

Mganga (noun)

m-gan-ga

In East Africa: a doctor whose traditional functions include exorcism, prophecy, and the removal of spells.

Mid 19th century; earliest use found in Richard Burton (1821–1890), explorer and author. From Swahili mganga (plural waganga) doctor, physician from m- class prefix + ganga to bind up, mend, cure.

Example sentences

“As a believer in witchcraft she put great store on the mganga’s advice.”