10 Interesting Facts About The Making Of The Lion King
8. The Character Names Have An Actual Meaning
Storytellers like to slip in some meaningful names even if the audience are completely unaware of them. The Lion King is no exception, and there are plenty of meaningful names dotted throughout the story.
Simba is the most obvious example, as his name literally means “lion” in Swahili. Rafiki, which means “friend”, also comes from Swahili, as does the name Nala, which means “gift” or “beloved”. Pumbaa, meanwhile, is Swahili for “stupid” or “slow-witted”. Timon is one of the few characters who doesn’t follow this pattern. Instead, his name comes from the Greek word for “respect”.
Scar obviously doesn’t have an African name either, but during the early stages of production, he was originally called Taka, meaning “waste” or “garbage” in Swahili. As for the hyenas, Shenzi means “savage”, and Banzai means “skulk”.
Whilst these deeper meanings aren’t a vital part of the story, they’re still a neat piece of trivia for the diehard fans who want to know as much as possible about the movie.