amapakati

Definition

The council or inner circle of advisers of a chief in a Nguni society.

Etymology

From Xhosa ama- (plural noun class marker) + -phakathi (“council”); compare pagati. Attested in English from the 19th century.

Example Sentences

• "Then our people lived peacefully, under the democratic rule of their kings and their amapakati, and moved freely and confidently up and down the country without let or hindrance."
• "The shrewdness of the Amapakati, or Kaffir advocate."

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