Bantu Place Names in South Carolina
Joseph E. Holloway, Ph.D.
California State University Northridge

When Prof. John F. Szwed wrote "Africa lies just off the coast of Georgia," he was referring to the mainland coastal areas and adjacent Sea Islands of Georgia and South Carolina. These are places where the most direct living repository of African culture anywhere in North America exists.

During the slave trade and until 1858, well after the importation of slaves was banned, there was an undetected traffic in illegally transported Africans brought directly from Africa, South America, and the Caribbean to the Sea Islands. In spite of the U.S. Navy patrols sent to enforce the ban against importing slaves, the trade infiltrated the complex watery wilderness off the southern coast of the United States.

Because of the geographic isolation of the Sea Islands, African culture has been retained in almost every element of Sea Island culture, including art, food, folktales, language, and oral tradition. In South Carolina, African naming practices, net making, fishing practices, the right shout, basketry, and burial ceremonies are woven into the local culture.

The Sea Islands begin north of Georgetown, South Carolina, and extend through parts of northern Florida. Approximately 1,000 islands along the coast of South Carolina and Georgia are separated from the mainland by marshes, alluvial streams, and rivers. Some of the islands are bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and are 20 miles or more from the mainland. They range in size from very small and uninhabitable islands, to the second largest island, Johns Islands, South Carolina, in the United States.

South Carolina was settled by a large number of enslaved of Central Africa and as table 1 shows, imported more Africans from Central Africa than any other nation from West Africa. Because of South Carolina’s primary role in the slave trade, it is not surprising to have found 93 African place names of Bantu origin. This search has been aided by a publication of the University of South Carolina, Names in South Carolina, which has provided a wealth of place name materials.

Bantu Place Names in South Carolina

Place Name	Origin	Meanings
Alcolu	Alakana	hope for; long for; desire exceedingly
Ampezan	Ampeje	let him give to me
Ashepoo	Ashipe	let him kill
Attakulla	Atuakuile	let him intercede for us, speak on our behalf
Becca	Beka	exaggerate; go beyond the bounds
Beetaw	Bita	handcuffs; manacles; shackles used in slavery
Boyano	Mbuy’enu	your friend
Boo-Boo	Mbubu	imbecile; a stupid person
Booshopee	Bushipi	murder; killing
Bossis	Botshisha	be beaten down, trampled upon
Canehoy	Kenahu	he isn’t here
Calwasie	Kaluatshi	short battlefront; line formed for the chase
Caneache	Kenaku	he isn’t here (at this spot)
Cashua Neck	Kashia	river eel
Chachan	Tshiatshiakana	not know what to do, where to turn for help
Chebash	Tshibasu	chieftain’s seat (symbolic block of wood on which chief sits)
Cheeha	Tshipa	make a vow; curse
Chepasbe	Tshipese	any small portion, piece, bit broken off or taken from the whole
Chichessa	Tshitshenza	big doing; important events; happening
Chick	Tshika	guard; keep a secret (imperative)
Chinch Row	Tshinji	bug; insect
Chiahao	Tshiahu	working group, field gang; family that works together
Chiquola	Tshikole	strong; well; grown; mature
Chota	Tshiota	the clan; extended family group
Chukky	Tshuki	don’t answer; don’t replay; be closemouthed (imperative)
Cofitachequi	Kufitshishi	don’t allow to pass over; don’t let cross over to the other side, go over the boundary
Combahee	Kombahu	sweep here (imperative)
Cumbee	Nkumbi	large, wedge-shaped, slit drum beaten on both sides
Coosabo	Kusabo	they shake their heads, say "no"
Coosa	Nkusa	louse, lice
Cooterborough	Nkuda	turtle, terrapin; cooterpaw
Cuakles	Kuakkulas	to talk, converse (slang form)
Cuffee	Kofi	Cuffee Town; Akan day name for male child born on Friday
Cuffie Creek	Kufi	don’t die
Dibidue	Ndubilu	it is quickness, speed
Dongola	Ndongola	I fix, prepare, work on
Eady Town	Idi	they are (common form of verb to be).
Ekoma	Ekoma	finish up, come to an end or a conclusion
Elasie	Elasha	cause to pour, pour out; cause to throw
Flouricane	Mvula ikenya	a storm is threatening
Gall	Ngala	an embankment; raised walk between two flooded fields; a dam constructed in a river or steam for fishing purpose (Horse Gall, Cane Gall, Spring Gall, Dry Gall)
Gippy or Jippy	Tshipi	short; Tshitupa tshipi; in a short time, in a jiffy
Hoot Gap	Huta	drag; drag away something very heavy, such as from a cleared area (imperative)
Jalapa	Shalapa	remain here (imperative)
Kecklico	Kekelaku	ignore, demean, deliberately snub (me) (imperative)
Kissah	Kisa	hate; be cruel, vicious, sadistic (imperative)
Lattakoo	Luataku	get dressed; put on clothes (imperative)
Lobeco	Lobaku	steal; take by stealth; nibble away at (imperative)
Loblolly Bay	Lambulula	distill, extract (turpentine, liquor, etc.)
Lota	Lota	dream (imperative)
Malpus Island	Mapusa	gun wadding
Mazych	Majika	finished, completed
Mepkin	Mapeku	shoulders
Muckawee ‘	Muka wee!	Get out! Get gone! Scram!
Mump Fuss Row	Mumpas!	Give it to me! (slang form)
Oniseca	Anyishaku	! traditional Luba-Kasai greeting
Oshila	Oshila	set fire to, burn up for someone else
Opopome	Apopome	let him be blind
Palachocolas	Palua tshikole	when the strong one comes
Palawana	Palua wanyi	when mine comes
Parachucla	Palua tshikula	when the old one comes
Peedee	Mpidi	dark cloth worn during mourning, during time that all sexual relations are banned
Pinder Town	Mpinda	peanut; a town where enslaved Africans grew peanuts
Pockoy Island	Mpoka	frankness, truth, sincerity
Pooshee	Mpuishe	one who always completes, finishes his tasks
Quocaratchie	Kuokolatshi	to remove a heavy object, such as a log, from the forest
Saluca	Saluka	be in disorder; society all disrupted, upset, in turmoil
Sauta	Saula	weep, cry aloud
Shiminally	Jiminayi	get lost; disappear from sight (imperative)
Teckle-gizzard	Tukulukaji	numbness in limbs from circulation cut off by tight bindings, ropes, chains
Toogoodoo	Tukuta	we are satisfied, filled (with food)
Toobedoo	Tub-etu	our language, our "Kituba"
Tomotely	Tumutele	let us name him, mention his name
Tucapau	Tukupau	we give it to you
Tullifinny	Tula mfinu	pull off, pluck off undeveloped ears of corn; undeveloped peanuts in farming
Una	Unua	drink, drinking
Untsaiyi	Utusadila	serve us, be in servitude to us; wait on us
Wadboo	Wa ndapu	place of joking, teasing, relaxed conduct, indiscretions; African-American community
Wambaw	Wambau	say it
Wampee	Wampe	give to me
Wantoot	Wan tutu	place of the elder brother
Wappoo	Wapu	give it
Wappaoolah	Wapaula	lay waste, pillage, loot (imperative)
Watacoo	Wataku	be naked, without clothing
We Creek	We!	Hey, you!
Weeboo	Weba	chase; put to flight; make a fugitive of someone.
Weetaw	Wetau	ours, our very own!
Wimbee	Muimbi	a singer
Wosa	Wosa	do, make, produce, prepare (general verb for all types of work; imperative)
Yauhaney	Ya uhane	go that you may sell, barter
Yeka	Yika	talk, converse, have conversation with
Yoa	Yowa	be thin, emaciated, weak from hunger;
Zemps	Zemba	come to a halt, be immobile, paralyzed, unable to do or act for oneself

Adapted with permission from "A Reconsideration of the Sources of the Slave Trade to Charleston, S.C.," an unpublished essay by William S. Pollitzer.