Zulu Words in South African English
South African English has absorbed many words from the Zulu language. Others, such as the names of local animals (impala and mamba are both Zulu names) have made their way into standard English. A few examples of Zulu words used in South African English:
- muti (from umuthi) – medicine
- donga (from udonga) – ditch (udonga actually means 'wall' in Zulu)
- indaba – conference (it means 'an item of news' in Zulu)
- induna – chief or leader
- shongololo (from ishongololo) – millipede
- ubuntu – compassion/humanity.
Read more about this topic: Zulu Language
Famous quotes containing the words words, south, african and/or english:
“This unlettered mans speaking and writing are standard English. Some words and phrases deemed vulgarisms and Americanisms before, he has made standard American; such as It will pay. It suggests that the one great rule of compositionand if I were a professor of rhetoric I should insist on thisis, to speak the truth. This first, this second, this third; pebbles in your mouth or not. This demands earnestness and manhood chiefly.”
—Henry David Thoreau (18171862)
“In the far South the sun of autumn is passing
Like Walt Whitman walking along a ruddy shore.
He is singing and chanting the things that are part of him,
The worlds that were and will be, death and day.
Nothing is final, he chants. No man shall see the end.
His beard is of fire and his staff is a leaping flame.”
—Wallace Stevens (18791955)
“I always draw a parallel between oppression by the regime and oppression by men. To me it is just the same. I always challenge men on why they react to oppression by the regime, but then they do exactly the same things to women that they criticize the regime for.”
—Sethembile N., South African black anti-apartheid activist. As quoted in Lives of Courage, ch. 19, by Diana E. H. Russell (1989)
“... the English are very fond of being entertained, and ... they regard the French and the American people as destined by Heaven to amuse them.”
—M. E. W. Sherwood (18261903)