F.E. Williams   reports that the "[a]n interpreter suggests that by some misunderstanding the name had its origin in the despair of an early missionary, who, finding the natives turned a deaf ear to his teaching, dubbed them all 'Namau'."
ˈɛf.ˈiː. wˈɪljəmz ɹᵻpˈoːɹts ðætðə "ɐ ˈɛn ɪntˈɜːpɹɪɾɚ sədʒˈɛsts ðæt baɪ sˌʌm mɪsˌʌndɚstˈændɪŋ ðə nˈeɪm hæd ɪts ˈɔːɹɪdʒˌɪn ɪnðə dᵻspˈɛɹ əvən ˈɜːli mˈɪʃənˌɛɹi, hˈuː, fˈaɪndɪŋ ðə nˈeɪɾɪvz tˈɜːnd ɐ dˈɛf ˈɪɹ tə hɪz tˈiːtʃɪŋ, dˈʌbd ðˌɛm ˈɔːl nˈæmaʊ."