Most people are very quick on online platforms to dismiss the word Bantu. Once you use it, they will tell you the word Bantu simply means people.
I don't deny that today when someone says umuntu/abantu they simply mean people. However, once you know that the father of Abantu was called Ntu, you will realize that Abantu cannot mean people.
Abantu - or people who call people -Ntu, -Tho, -Thu, etc whatever prefix they use are a group. They may not know it now but the Bible as our source to decode will make you see that children were called - Ban/Ben. This comes from a Sotho word called Bana
So clearly after Abraham gave birth to Isaac, from there on the children were referred to bana ba'ntu. Meaning children of Ntu.
I suspect with time bana was dropped to just get Ba'Ntu indicating that we are of Ntu. This is an assumption so if you know the real history with reliable reference please share.
The only word as I said that is common in the Bantu people is Ntu (the father of abantu). Whether the person is in the East or North or South or West of Africa if you use Ntu to call a person (however you write it), then you possibly are a generation of Bab'Ntu (Father of Ntus). Unfortunately, with Bantu people being reckless with their history (holy book) lots of people have dismissed the existence of people called abantu. Some claim the name was only given by the Caucasians, but that is far from the truth.
When the boats arrived in shores of South African people living here already called themselves abantu. Even the old government called only black/brown people Bantu.
The term Bantu quickly meant we were beneath or deserved inferior education, etc. That is why they stopped using the term because it was referring to inferior quality of life.
Next time someone says abantu simply means people - ask them about Ntu.
We are Bana Ba'Ntu not just people.
The repackaged Bible however, indicates that the holy people are children of Jacob another mismatch. I believe it was written children of Ntu not Israel.
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