Kalahari Desert Name Origin: 'Great Thirst' from the Tswana Language

The name Kalahari derives from the Tswana (Setswana) word Kgalagadi, which has two related meanings:

• “The great thirst” – describing the arid, water-scarce environment.
• “Place of the Kgalagadi people” – the ethnic group inhabiting the region.

The Kalahari is a vast semi-arid sandy savanna covering much of Botswana, parts of Namibia, and South Africa—not a true desert, but its name reflects the perception of extreme dryness.