nagana

N1A1G2A1N1A1

noun

A disease of vertebrates in southern Africa, characterised by swelling and lethargy and caused by trypanosomes transmitted by tsetse flies.

OriginZulu ulunakane →
First used 19th c.Scrabble 7
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Meanings

nounnagana (uncountable)

alternative ngana

  1. uncountablebiologyA disease of vertebrates in southern Africa, characterised by swelling and lethargy and caused by trypanosomes transmitted by tsetse flies.First known use 19th c.

    In 1894 Major David Bruce was sent to Zululand to investigate the cattle disease nagana.

    1997, Roy Porter, The Greatest Benefit to Mankind, Folio Society, published 2016, page 460

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
animal trypanosomiasis

Origin

  1. Zuluulunakane
  2. Englishnagana

Borrowed from Zulu ulunakane, unakane.

More words from Zulu

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish nagana
  • naganadisease of vertebrates
Italian nagana, n'gana
  • naganadisease of vertebrates
  • n'ganadisease of vertebrates
Spanish nagana
  • naganadisease of vertebrates

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

AnaangAngana
Cite this entry
APA

nagana. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nagana

MLA

“nagana.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nagana. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nagana,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nagana.

Source: nagana on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.