Shamwari, what does the name mean?

This dates back many years and to my early sailing days.

Today I find the name pops up all over the place, why I wondered?

The story:

This was sent to a good friend who has years of work behind him in the Rhodesian Police Force.

Can you explain the use of the name Shamwari on a cruising yacht please?

The period was circa 1976/7 and the place was the RCYC.

Pat and Dorothy Rodgers were preparing their center cockpit plywood bilge keeled sailing boat to go cruising.

They had built the boat in Rhodesia.

The design was ( i think) a Robert Tucker and when we got to Salavador in Brasil, there was a similar yacht sailed there by a young Rhodesian guy, so that design was popular then?

The couple were in quite senior years compared to most others preparing their yachts. Pat was on a pension of some sort but even then when it was converted to Rands it was not a lot of money.

Can you hazzard a guess as to why they named their boat Shamwari?

There are some links to the name on Google and Rhodesia does get a mention in some of them.

The reply and an answer.

Hi Roy,

Basic interpretation of "Shamwari" , in Swahili,& most African languages to our North, means 'Friend'. 

Various adjectives are often added, like ,'mine'' in Swahili would be 'yungo', in Shona , 'gamina' etc

Hope that sheds some light on the name.

Regards

Athol

My thanks to Athol for giving me the answer!

Roy