Information from the following article, about the lively and creative ways in which African Language speakers express their well-being when greeting, was presented during a radio interview with John Maytham of Cape Talk on Thursday 5th June, 2003 at 5.45pm.

POETIC AFRICAN LANGUAGE GREETINGS

We all know that African language speakers take much more time to greet and ask about one another's health. The body language is generally quite different - apart from the complicated hand-shake people often hold onto each other's hands for longer (something that can be taken wrongly if it is a man holding on to a woman's hand) to show interest and warmth.

"I Exist", "I Woke up Fine", "I Dreamed of the Ancestors"

Even simple answers to "How are you?" are quite philosphical if you examine them - for example the standard reply "Ndikhona" [pronounced: dee-corner] literally means "I exist" and this is the same in Sotho "Ke teng" [pronounced: key-teng].

People also often ask "Uvuke njani?" "How did you wake up?" and the reply can be "Ndivuke kakuhle" "I woke up fine" (Not always appropriate for me!) or "Ndithongile" - "I dreamed of the ancestors."

I Get Thin in my Trousers

What listeners might be interested in is some of the more picturesque greetings that I have recently noted, especially from some of my more busy friends.

For example, when I asked a busy man how he was, he answered: "Ndibhityele ezibrukhweni" - which translates literally as "I get thin in the trousers" - he explained that when you are really busy you don't have time to eat so you "get thin in your trousers".

Still on the trousers theme, another more resigned fellow said: "Ndikhupha ndiyifaka imilenze ezibrukhweni" - which means "I take the legs out of the trousers and put them back in again" which he said means "I am not great, but I must be alive because every day I see myself putting my legs in the trousers again."

Someone else replied: "Ndibila ndisoma" which means "I sweat and get dry" - which is self-explanatory.

Yet another said, "Hey sana, ndibetha itornado!" - "Hey baby, I am hitting a tornado!" She said the best English translation would be "I am HECTIC!"

Mist in the Eyes, Hobbling, Hitting a Penalty, Burning Takkies, Nauseating those who Hate You, Having the Lion by the Balls

When people are not really coping, they can reply to the question "How are you?" with: "Ndinenkungu emehlweni" - "I have mist in the eyes" - not really seeing clearly, or "Ndiyatotoba" - "I am hobbling" - meaning "I am surviving" and most sadly "Sishaya i-penalty ngesithende" - "We hit the penalty with the heel" - I think indicating one has lost out on a great opportunity.

"Ayatshis' amateki" - "The takkies are burning" also means that things are really not going well.

The Zulus say: "Sisabacasula abasizondayo" - "we still nauseate those who hate us" and the Tswanas have an expression that translates into English as: "I've still got the lion by the balls" - meaning "things are tough" because if you have the lion by the balls, if you let go, the lion will eat you.

If, however, things are going really quite well, the response can be: "Ngishov' ingolovane" - "I am pushing the train (used in the mines)" - meaning you are "going for gold" - things are looking up.

Also nicely philosophical: "Andibikwahlaba" - "I haven't had any pain" - meaning things must be OK.

So here's hoping that African language speakers will never stop going for gold - especially where linguistic creativity is concerned!