LANGUAGE expresses and defines the culture of a people. One can learn so much of a people’s culture by studying their language: Their vocabulary, their idioms and proverbs as well as their thought patterns expressed in their everyday language.
Language reveals their world-view. For example, if someone says, Utshaywe yizinto he tells so much about the Ndebele culture, their beliefs, their social outlook of life, their religion and so on. Even a single word may say so much about their lifestyle.
If you mention the word umgigo so many cultural articles and activities come into your mind: Ingiga, ukhomane, isitsha, ukugiga, ukujijisana , ishogwane, it is women’s work and so on.
Bellow is a list of some useful words and expressions which may not be very familiar to some people. It is useful to know them if you are to understand the culture of the Ndebele people. For now we have been talking about food in our previous articles.
Our present list of cultural vocabulary is confined to words that are directly and indirectly related to food. Our words do not have dictionary meanings or dictionary arrangement which require a different skill.
We define them as any layman would explain them. In the interest of culture and its promotion all the meanings are given in the Ndebele language.
Ukupheka Amaseko: Ngamatshe amathathu abekwa eziko ukumisa imbiza ephekwayo.
Beka imbiza eziko: Ihlalise phezu komlilo emasekweni.
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Kungcono ukuthi beka kulokuthi faka ngoba ufaka ulengqondo yokungenisa phakathi.
Bila: Amanzi ayabila nxa esetshisa kakhulu eseyabula.
Holoba: Amanzi ayaholoba esenza umsinjwana esebanga ukubila.
Yabula: Bila kakhulu ingathi kuzaphuphuma.
Goqozela: Thela imputshana embizeni ebilayo utshilatshile ngophini kuze kujiye kube liyambazi.
Jiyisa: Yengeza impuphu kungathi isitshwala siyaqina.
Khanzinga: Vuthisa (inyama, amazambane, umumbu) emlilweni ngodengezi loba ngepane.
Fusa: Phosela (amazambane, umumbu, amagwili) eziko ethuthwini olutshisayo kuze kuvuthwe.
Xaba: Nqumisa inyama (isidumbu somvundla) eziko ube uphenduphendula ivuthiswe likhoza.
Imboza: Ukudla okungavuthwanga kuhle okunganambithekiyo.
Amalaja: Isitshwala (ukudla) esileleyo nxa sesidliwa kusasa ekuseni.
Phothula amcaba: Chola uhayezi lwamasi.
Gabela ijodo: Sikelela ijodo embizeni ukuthi lipkekwe.
Eziphekwayo Isijeza: Liyambazi eliphekwa ngejodo lempuphu. Abanengi bathi yinopi siyaphekwa njalo ngonkankalu.
Ibhizha: Kusadobi eliphekwa ngendumba ezikhanzingiweyo besezicholwa.
Umxhoxhozo: Yimibhida.
Umhluzi: Ngamanzi aphekwe lesitshebo. Sebesithi ngumsobho. Izithelo lazo zilomhluzi.
Isathiyane: liyambazi eliphekwe ngochago.
Amahlaka: Liyambazi lochago lwenkomo esanda kuzala oluvuthwa lube liyambazi kungelampuphu.
Umthubi: Liyambazi lochago olutsha ngemva kwamahlaka; uphekwa ngempuphu.
Umqungo: Kawuphekwa, kusengelwa uchago emlazeni kwenze samasi.
Ihiqa: Luchago oselungamasi alula engakajiyi abe yizankefu.
Umxhanxa: Ngamagwadla aphekwe lejodo.
Umhluzi: Ngamanzi esitshebo (hatshi isobho, umsobho).
Isikhupha: Yinyama ephekwe inengi iyizixha idliwe kusasa isiqanda uhayezi. Ngamabele (itsheta) aphekiweyo adliwa engacholwanga.
Umcaba: Luhayezi nxa selucholiwe (seluphothulwe).
Amasi amcaba: Ngumcaba usuvutshwe lamasi.
Isiswayi: Yinyama evuthwe busu lova egigiweyo.
Inkovu: Ngumhluzi wejodo eliphekiweyo. Indlela yokudla Phanga :Dlana uphangisa okobuhwaba uzama ukuqeda.
Ncama : Dlana ulungisela ukumba.
Bhija: Natha uqede (amahewu, utshwala, loba yini).
Khuma: Dlana okuyimpuphu ukumumuza ungahlafuni.
Fukutha: Ukudla kakhulu kukunengi.
Minyelela: Qedisa ukunatha okuseleyo uthi du.
Phunga: Uphunga iyambazi nxa litshisa ube uphephetha, uhubula. Uphunga inkovu, itiye, umhiqo loba yini.
Xhanxatha: Nxa uhlafuna into engathi ilukhuni.
Dlithiza: Ukudla inyama eqinileyo uyidonsa ngamazinyo.
Montshela: Faka emlonyeni ulutho olubuthakathaka. Njengesithelo (ifuruthu), isiwiji, ikhekhe, iqanda.
Khumuza: Hlafuna kube yimpuphu (ikleza).
Ncinda: Khotha okumnandi eminweni loba endebeni.
Khinkela: Dlana kakhulu loba isisu sesigcwele. Ngumuntu odla njani lo? Inculu: Ngodlayidla aphange asuthe edle kancinyane.
Isidli: Sithanda ukudla sincitshe abanye.
Igovu: Ngulowo obukhali ekudleni odla ephanga.
Isihwaba: Ngumuntu othanda ukudla ancitshe abanye.
Iziphathelo zokudla Umganu oyingubhe: umganu obuyileyo ogubhileyo.
Umganu oyincence: Umganu ochayileyo.
Inqayi: Isadiwo, ngeyokunathela amahewu loba utshwala.
Imbenge: Iiqhaga lotshwala elilomlomo obanzi.
Inkezo: Ngeyokukha amanzi; ilesibambo eside, ilikhomane elomileyo.
Udengezi: ngolokukhanzinga, lilucezu lwembiza yesintu.
Isilulu: Sisasitsha esikhulukazi esiyisigombolozi esilomlomo omncinyane. Selukwa ngoqunga, kugcinwa kuso amabele.
Ukhomane: Lwelukwa ngemihlanga, luchayile lwagubha emaphethelweni isithebe: Selukwa ngemizi, sichayile, ngesokwemukela okucholwayo.
