Molweni! Sanibonani!

We know it's been ages since you last got an African Voice, but thanks to all the complaints from our faithful readers, here we are again. As the Xhosa expression goes:

Usana olungakhaliyo lufel' embelekweni.
A baby that does not cry out, dies on its mother's back.
(If you don't complain, nothing will happen and the problem will persist).

Seriously, though, we're sure that you're all as busy as we are, and that you probably haven't even had time to open your bills, milk your cow or fix your roof!

ISIXHOSA SILULA

What we have been busy with is developing a new textbook called IsiXhosa Silula! Xhosa is Easy!. This book greatly simplifies the grammar, gives loads of simple exercises and examples, and focuses exclusively on the kind of simple, everyday expressions people always need when first trying to speak a new language. We think it will be a wonderful tool for teachers and learners who just need the basics but don't want to do away with some simple grammar explanations. The book is illustrated and comes complete with answers. We have developed it for the Western Cape Education Department to use in their Adult Basic Education Classes, but we also have copyright. Any school or individual interested in this book should contact us.

XHOSA PROVERBS

We hope you like the proverb about the importance of complaining, which we were reminded of in a book we recently bought called Xhosa Proverbs by Zolile Calana, published by Kwela Books.

Here are two other sayings we really like:

Akukho nkwali iphandel' enye.
No partridge scratches the ground in search of food for another.
(Do not expect others to do for you what you should do for yourself.)

Inkqayi ingena ngenlontlo.
The baldness of a head begins at the temples.
(A big thing may result from a seemingly small matter. This is said in defence of small beginnings. Equivalent to "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.")

ZULU PROVERBS

Here are some Zulu sayings:

Isandla sigez' esinye.
One hand washes the other.
(Help is reciprocal.)

Uphembel' emoyeni.
He lights the fire in the wind.
(He is foolish.)

Isiphukuphuk' esadl' amahlul' amakhaza.
The fool who ate the clotted blood of a tick.
(Said of one who is extremely foolish.)

INTERESTING WAYS OF SPEAKING

Apart from using generally known proverbs and expressions, African language speakers often come up with truly original metaphors to describe things or people. Look at these very creative expressions:

oondlebe zikhany' ilanga
the (ones with) ears that the sun shines through
(White people)

kwadunusa
at the place where you sleep crouched up
(a small, basic, government-subsidised house)

enkomeni/ebhokweni
at the cow/at the goat
(at work)

ovez' umbono
the ones that show the belly-button
(short T-shirts)

fiyela amabala (Sotho)
sweep the playing fields
(flared pants)

mokatapeyi (Sotho)
guard the pay (mokata = guard, peyi = the pay)
(slippers: they are always keeping watch over your money because they usually don't last long and often need to be replaced)

ukufihl' intloko
to hide the head
(to live somewhere temporarily)

into esiwa phantsi kwempumlo
something that falls under the nose
(a snack)

High-heeled shoes are called "platform 24s" because platform 24 is the very top platform at Cape Town station.

The Zulu noun omamlela, meaning raincoat, comes from the verb lamula, which means mediate. The rain mediates between the workers and the work because when it rains they can stop working. Workers say Woza malamlela! Come raincoat! because they want a break from work.

A rather risque way of saying I am fine, thanks, is Sichan' sivuthulele, which means literally We had a pee and shook (the penis dry). You might prefer to say, to get the same message across, Ndibila ndisole, which translates as I sweat and get dry.

NAMES AND NICKNAMES

Here are some common first names and their abbreviations:

Boys' names

Themba - Bra T
Sipho - Bra Sirra
Vuyo - Bra V/Bra Vitsh
Mxolisi - Bra X
Zakhele - Bra Z
Andile - Bra Andy

(You can only use the first letter of a guy's name if it starts with T, V, X or Z. So while you can say "Bra V" for Vuyo, you cannot do the same for Sipho.)

Girls' names

Thembeka - Thembi
Nolwandle - Loli
Thandiswa - Thandi
Andiswa - Ma-andi
Boniswa - Boni
Cikizwa - Cezi
Thobeka - Thobs
Nokuthula - Thuli
Nandipha - Nandi
Nobuhle - Hlehle
Asanda - Sasa

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