"The Nyamwezi, or Wanyamwezi, are one of the Bantu groups of East Africa. They are the second-largest ethnic group in Tanzania. The Nyamwezi people's ancestral homeland is in parts of Tabora Region, Singida Region, Shinyanga Region and Katavi Region. The term Nyamwezi is of Swahili origin, and translates as "people of the moon" on one hand but also means "people of the west" the latter being more meaningful to the context.
Historically, there have been five ethnic groups, all referring to themselves as Wanyamwezi to outsiders: Kimbu, Konongo, Nyamwezi, Sukuma, and Sumbwa, who were never united. All groups normally merged have broadly similar cultures, although it is an oversimplification to view them as a single group. The Nyamwezi have close cultural ties with the Sukuma people and are believed to have been one ethnic group until the Nyamwezi started their forrays to the Coast for long distance trade. The Sukuma would refer to them as the 'Dakama' meaning 'people of the south' while the Dakama would refer to the 'Sukuma' as 'people of the north'. Their homeland is called Unyamwezi, and they speak the language Kinyamwezi, although many also speak Swahili or English." - (en.wikipedia.org 11.08.2021)
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