Imana

The creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority; the supreme being.


God help us.
Imana idufashe.



Woto Woto

Often heard in football commentary, woto woto describes relentless attack or punishment. In casual conversations, it’s used to describe someone who’s taking a figurative “beating” in an argument or facing harsh circumstances.


"The strikers gave him woto woto" implies they played aggressively, leaving no room for escape.



Balloon Village

A small village based in Limpopo just outside Tzaneen. It is the only village in Limpopo that has a rich soil when it comes to farming. It is known for having all sorts of scarce fruits and vegetables.


I was born and bred in Balloon village



amatile-tile

Xhosa plural for stratagems. It is actually just amatile. Singular is itile. The ti is pronounced like English tea and le as in French. From the Sanskrit kutila which appear in Xhosa as ukutila.


My car broke down on the way, I had to make amatile-tile to get here.



Snxl

Derived from Xhosa term "Andisenxile" which means I am so drunk. It is mostly used by girls on social to indicate that they've had too much to drink.
Can also be spelled as senxl.


Yho snxl kamnandi mntkbw.



Cav

Cav is a South African slang expression used to say "check it out" or "take a look" or even "understand".


Did you cav that car?
Cav this girl.
Do you cav what I mean?



Gambia

Africa's smallest mainland country along the Gambia River, known for beaches and political transition.


The Gambia is surrounded by Senegal on three sides and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.



Ayisecace

A Xhosa term for "It's so obvious". It is mostly used when someone asks something that is very obvious.


Girl 1: I know it's lockdown, but are you really going to buy a Smirnoff 1818 for R500?

Girl 2: Ayisecace mntase



Umgidi

In Xhosa culture, umgidi is the ceremony that's done to celebrate a boy or boys (mkhwetha) coming back from the mountain (initiation school).


I can't wait to attend umgidi ka Boy



Mzwayi

Plural: Abazwayi
An informal Xhosa term that refers to umkhwetha.


I have to go see abazwayi in December




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