The story
- Proto-Bantu*kɪ̀-
- Kongoki-
- KongoKongo
- Kongo[Term?]
- English todayKikongo
From Kongo ki- + Kongo, the prefix indicating inanimate or abstract nouns, and used to form language names. Attested in English since the late nineteenth century; Kongo appears earlier in the century.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.