List of South African English regionalisms

Last updated

This is a list of words used in mainstream South African English but not usually found in other dialects of the English language. For internationally common English words of South African origin, see List of English words of Afrikaans origin.

Contents

A-B

aikhona
(informal) meaning ''no'' or ''hell no''
Amasi
fermented milk, sometimes called maas.
bakkie
a utility truck or pickup truck. Can also mean a small basin or other container. [1]
bergie
(informal) refers to a particular subculture of vagrants in Cape Town (from Afrikaans berg (mountain), originally referring to vagrants who sheltered in the forests of Table Mountain). Increasingly used in other cities to mean a vagrant of any description. [2] The term hobo is also used for homeless vagrants.
bioscope, bio
cinema; movie theatre (now dated) [3]
biltong
cured meat, similar to jerky [4]
bladdy
(informal) occasionally heard South African version of bloody (the predominantly heard form), from the Cape Coloured/Afrikaans blerrie, itself a corruption of the English word
boerewors
traditional sausage (from Afrikaans "farmer’s sausage"), usually made with a mixture of course-ground beef and pork and seasoned with spices such as coriander. [5] Droëwors is boerewors with vinegar added as a preservative that has been cured similar to biltong.
boy
in addition to its normal meaning, an archaic and derogatory term for a male domestic servant of colour, for example, a gardener may be called a garden boy (not uncommon)
braai
a barbecue, to barbecue [6]
buck
a rand, [7] referring to the Springbok that is featured on the South African R1-coin (one rand coin). [ citation needed ]
bundu, bundus
a wilderness region, remote from cities (from Shona bundo, meaning grasslands) [8]
bunny chow
loaf of bread filled with curry, speciality of Durban, particularly Indian South Africans [9] also called a kota by black South Africans, on account of it commonly being sold in a quarter loaf of bread (see also spatlo).
bokkie
originally referring to a baby antelope. It refers to a nubile (often Afrikaner) white girl, and it can also be applied as a pet-name between lovers.

C-E

cafe
when pronounced /kæˈfiː/ refers to a convenience store not a coffee shop (originally such stores sold coffee and other basic items) [10] called a tea room by Durbanites.
checkers
A plastic carrier bag, named after the South African grocery chain ‘Checkers’.
china
(informal) a friend, abbreviated Cockney rhyming slang, "china plate", for "mate" e.g. "Howzit my China?" [11]
circle
Used to refer to the shape but also used to refer to a traffic roundabout, given its circular shape
Coloured
refers to typically brown skinned South Africans of mixed European and Khoisan or black and/or Malay ancestry, a definition formally codified under apartheid. [12]
combi/kombi/coombi
a mini-van, people-carrier, especially referring to the Volkswagen Type 2 and its descendants. Not usually used in the context of minibus taxis, which are referred to as taxis.
cool drink, cold drink
soft drink, fizzy drink (not necessarily chilled). [13] Groovy was used to refer to canned soft drinks (after one of the first brands to introduce the container to South Africa) [14] :may refer to a bribe, typically to a traffic cop
creepy crawly Kreepy Krauly
automated pool cleaner
dagga
(pronounced /dæxə/ or more commonly, /dʌxə/ ) marijuana [15]
donga
an erosion ditch of the type found in South African topography (from Zulu, wall) [16]
draadkar/draad-kar
a toy car which is constructed out of throw-away steel wires.
entjie
a cigarette. [17]
erf
(plural erfs, in English,erven/ervein Dutch/Afrikaans) a plot of land in an urban area (from Cape Dutch) [18]

F-J

geyser
a domestic hot water heater, particularly a storage hot water heater
girl
in addition to its normal meaning, archaic and derogatory term for a female domestic servant of colour. Superseded by "maid", and more recently "domestic worker" or "domestic".
gogga
(pronounced /ˈxɔːxə/ , the latter similar to the Afrikaans pronunciation) a creepy crawly or an insect [19]
gogo
Zulu word meaning grandmother/grandma, also used as a general term of respect for women of appropriate age. Became part of the iconic slogan Yebo Gogo (Yes, Grandma) from the South African cellular service-provider Vodacom

gogo in tswana has the same meaning as gogga - it refers to a creepy crawly or an insect.;

homeland
under apartheid, typically referred to a self-governing "state" for black South Africans
howzit
(colloquial) hello, how are you, good morning (despite being a contracted of 'how is it going', howzit is almost exclusively a greeting, and seldom a question)
imbizo
A meeting or conference, similar to a legotla or indaba, formerly called a bosberaad (Afrikaans for bush meeting): often a retreat for senior government and political officials to discuss policy. [20]
is it?
(colloquial) Is that so? An all purpose exclamative, can be used in any context where "really?", "uh-huh", etc. would be appropriate, e.g. "I'm feeling pretty tired." "Is it?".
indaba
a conference (from Zulu, "a matter for discussion") [21]
jam
(informal) can also be referred to as having a good time, partying, drinking etc. e.g. "Let's jam soon"
ja
(colloquial) yes (from Afrikaans "yes"). Pronounced "ya".
janee, ja-nee, ja/nee, ja nee
(colloquial) meaning yes/agreed, in response to a question: "Ja no, that's fine." (From Afrikaans "ja nee", which is used in the same sense)
jol
(informal, pronounced /dʒɔːl/ ) another term more commonly used for partying and drinking. e.g. "It was a jol" or "I am jolling with you soon." [22] Can also mean having a lighthearted fling or affair ("I'm jolling that cherrie").
just now
idiomatically used to mean soon, later, in a short while, or a short time ago, but unlike the UK not immediately. [23]

K-L

kaffir
(derogatory/offensive, pronounced /kæfə/ ) a black-skinned person (from Arabic kafir meaning non-believer) used as a racial slur [24]
kif
(informal) indicating appreciation, like "cool" [25]
kip
a nap
Klaas Vakie
the Sandman
koki, koki pen
(pronounced /koʊkiː/ ) a fibre-tip pen or sharpie (from a defunct local brand name).
koppie
a small hill, (also Afrikaans for a cup/mug)
koeksister
a Dutch-derived sweet pastry dessert dipped in a syrup. Pastry is traditionally shaped in the form of a French braid. The name ''koeksister'' translates as ''Cake-sister''
lapa
permanent, semi-open thatched structure used for entertaining
lekker
(informal, pronounced /lɛkə/ ) nice, pleasant, enjoyable (from Afrikaans "nice") [26]
lappie
(informal) a small dishcloth used for cleaning, as opposed to a dishcloth or teatowel
laaitie
(informal) one's own child or younger brother, specifically refers to a young boy, or to refer to a young person as a lightweight or inexperienced in something particular [27]
location, kasi
an apartheid-era urban area populated by Blacks, Cape Coloureds, or Indians. It was replaced by "township" in common usage amongst Whites but is still widely used by Blacks in the form of kasi [28]

M-N

matric
school-leaving certificate or the final year of high school or a student in the final year, short for matriculation [29]
mielie, mealie
an ear of maize (from Afrikaans mielie) [30]
mieliemeel, mealie meal
used for both cornmeal (maize meal) and the traditional porridge made from it similar to polenta, the latter also commonly known by the Afrikaans word pap, and is a traditional staple food of black South Africans. See pap
Melktert/Milktart
a Dutch custard-tart with a strong milk flavor, usually sprinkled with cinnamon on top.
monkey's wedding
a sunshower. [31]
Moola
currency used by the now-defunct South African mobile-data service Mxit; money in general
morgan
a traditional unit of measurement of land area of Dutch origin, that is approximately equal to two acres.
muti
any sort of medicine but especially something unfamiliar (Zulu for traditional medicine) [32]
Mzansi
another name for South Africa, from the Xhosa word for "South". [33]
naartjie
a mandarin orange (from Indonesian via Afrikaans), a tangerine in Britain.
now now
(colloquial) derived from the Afrikaans ''nou-nou'' (which can be used both in future- and immediate past-tense) idiomatically used to mean soon, but not immediately (sooner than just now in South Africa, but similar to just now in the United Kingdom)

O-R

outjie
a person, similar to "bloke" (man)
ousie
maid/housekeeper, from the Afrikaans ou sis, originally referred to an older domestic worker
pap
porridge-like dish made from maize meal (cornmeal)
poppie
(informal) a ditzy woman (derogatory term), from the Afrikaans word pop, meaning a doll
potjie
a cast iron dutch oven.
robot
besides the standard meaning, in South Africa this is also used for traffic lights. The etymology of the word derives from a description of early traffic lights as robot policemen, which then got truncated with time. [34]
rondavel
round free-standing hut-like structure, usually with a thatched roof,. [35]
rusk
a type of bread or pastry that was traditionally dried to extend its shelf life, and that is dipped in tea or coffee.

S

samp
dried and roughly ground maize kernels, similar to American grits
sarmie
a sandwich [36]
samoosa
a small triangular pastry of Indian origin. South African spelling and pronunciation of samosa.
Sangoma
a traditional African healer
shame
an exclamation denoting sympathy as in "shame, you poor thing, you must be cold". Also used to describe a ''cuteness factor''.
sharp, shapp, shapp-shapp, pashasha, pashash
General positive exclamation meaning "OK", "all's good", "no worries", or "goodbye". [37] Often accompanied by a thumbs-up gesture. A similar, more recent term used in Cape Town is aweh. [37] Also means intelligent (that laaitie is sharp).
shebeen
(also used in Ireland and Scotland) an illegal drinking establishment, nowadays meaning any legal, informal bar, especially in townships [38]
shongololo, songololo
millipede (from Zulu and Xhosa, ukushonga, to roll up) [39]
skyfie
segment of an orange or other citrus fruit [40]
snackwich
a Jaffle-style toasted sandwich made in an electric toaster
sosatie
a kebab on a stick [41]
soutie
derogatory term for an English-speaking South African, from the Afrikaans soutpiel (literally "salty penis"), which referred to British colonial settlers who had one foot in England, one foot in South Africa and, consequently, their manhood dangling in the Atlantic Ocean.
spanspek
a cantaloupe [42]
spaza
an informal trading post/convenience store found in townships and remote areas [43]
standard
besides other meanings, used to refer to a school grade higher than grades 1 and 2 (now defunct)
State President
head of state between 1961 and 1994 - the position is now the President of South Africa
Stompie
A discarded cigarette / cigarette butt-end. Also another name for a rumour that is generally made up and not reliable.

T-Z

tackies, takkies, tekkies
sneakers, trainers [44]
tea room
convenience store, used by Durbanites (see also cafe).
thumb suck
an estimate that is based on a pure guess and not based on any sort of analysis.
tickey box, ticky-box, tiekieboks
a payphone, derived from "tickey" coin (threepenny coin minted in 1892), as one had to insert a coin to make a call. Archaic, and superseded by public phone and payphone.
town
the Central Business District (CBD) of a town or city, used without the definite article ("let's go to town to buy clothes"). CBD tends to be used in more formal contexts.
township
residential area, historically reserved for black Africans, Coloureds or Indians under apartheid. Sometimes also used to describe impoverished formally designated residential areas largely populated by black Africans, established post-Apartheid. [45] Formerly called a location. Also has a distinct legal meaning in South Africa's system of land title, with no racial connotations.
veld
virgin bush, especially grassland or wide open rural spaces. [46] Afrikaans for field.
vetkoek
Afrikaner deep fried dough bread

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afrikaans</span> West Germanic language

Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It evolved from the Dutch vernacular of South Holland spoken by the predominantly Dutch settlers and enslaved population of the Dutch Cape Colony, where it gradually began to develop distinguishing characteristics in the 17th and 18th centuries.

New Zealand English (NZE) is the variant of the English language spoken and written by most English-speaking New Zealanders. Its language code in ISO and Internet standards is en-NZ. It is the first language of the majority of the population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South African English</span> Set of English dialects native to South Africans

South African English is the set of English language dialects native to South Africans.

This is a list of British words not widely used in the United States. In Commonwealth of Nations, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, India, South Africa, and Australia, some of the British terms listed are used, although another usage is often preferred.

This is a list of American words not widely used in the United Kingdom. In Canada and Australia, some of the American terms listed are widespread; however, in some cases, another usage is preferred.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biltong</span> Form of dried, cured meat from southern Africa

Biltong is a form of air-dried, cured meat which originated in South Africa, and from there spread to other Southern African countries --. Various types of meat are used to produce it, ranging from beef to game meats such as ostrich or kudu. The cut may also vary being either fillets of meat cut into strips following the grain of the muscle, or flat pieces sliced across the grain. It is related to beef jerky, as both are spiced, dried meats; however, the typical ingredients, taste, and production processes may differ. Biltong is air-dried, which gives it a unique texture and taste, whereas jerky is heated to at least 160F.

This glossary of names for the British include nicknames and terms, including affectionate ones, neutral ones, and derogatory ones to describe British people, Irish People and more specifically English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish people. Many of these terms may vary between offensive, derogatory, neutral and affectionate depending on a complex combination of tone, facial expression, context, usage, speaker and shared past history.

<i>Colored</i> Racial exonym

Colored is a racial descriptor historically used in the United States during the Jim Crow era to refer to an African American. In many places, it may be considered a slur. It has taken on a special meaning in Southern Africa referring to a person of mixed or Cape Coloured heritage.

Gweilo or gwailou is a common Cantonese slang term for Westerners. In the absence of modifiers, it refers to white people and has a history of racially deprecatory and pejorative use. Cantonese speakers frequently use gwailou to refer to Westerners in general use, in a non-derogatory context, although whether this type of usage is offensive is disputed by both Cantonese and Westerners.

A contronym is a word with two opposite meanings. For example, the word cleave can mean "to cut apart" or "to bind together". This feature is also called enantiosemy, enantionymy, antilogy or autoantonymy. An enantiosemic term is by definition polysemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boerewors</span> Sausage originating from South Africa

Boerewors is a type of sausage which originated in South Africa. It is an important part of South African, Zimbabwean, Zambian, Botswanan, and Namibian cuisine, and is popular across Southern Africa. The name is derived from the Afrikaans words boer and wors ('sausage'). According to South African government regulation, boerewors must contain at least 90 percent meat or fat from beef, pork, lamb or goat. The other 10% is made up of spices and other ingredients. Not more than 30% of the meat content may be fat. Boerewors may not contain offal other than the casings, or any mechanically separated meat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South African cuisine</span> Cuisine of South Africa

South African cuisine reflects the diverse range of culinary traditions embodied by the various communities that inhabit the country. Among the indigenous peoples of South Africa, the Khoisan foraged over 300 species of edible food plants, such as the rooibos shrub legume, whose culinary value continues to exert a salient influence on South African cuisine. Subsequent encounters with Bantu pastoralists facilitated the emergence of cultivated crops and domestic cattle, which supplemented traditional Khoisan techniques of meat preservation. In addition, Bantu-speaking communities forged an extensive repertoire of culinary ingredients and dishes, many of which are still consumed today in traditional settlements and urban entrepôts alike.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Droëwors</span> South African snack food

Droëwors is a Southern African snack food, based on the traditional, coriander-seed spiced boerewors sausage. It is usually made as a dunwors rather than dikwors, as the thinner sausage dries quicker and is thus, less likely to spoil before it can be preserved. If dikwors is to be used, it is usually flattened to provide a larger surface area for drying.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bokkoms</span> Whole, salted and dried mullet

Bokkoms is whole, salted and dried mullet, and is a well-known delicacy from the West Coast region of South Africa. This salted fish is dried in the sun and wind and is eaten after peeling off the skin. In some cases it is also smoked. It is sometimes referred to as "fish biltong".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comparison of Afrikaans and Dutch</span>

Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch mainly spoken in South Africa and Namibia; it is a separate standard language rather than a national variety, unlike Netherlands Dutch, Belgian Dutch and Surinamese Dutch. An estimated 90 to 95% of Afrikaans vocabulary is ultimately of Dutch origin, so there are few lexical differences between the two languages, however Afrikaans has considerably more regular morphology, grammar, and spelling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dagga</span> Afrikaans word for marijuana

Dagga is a word used in certain areas of Southern Africa to describe cannabis. The term, dating to the 1660s, derives from the word dacha in the Khoekhoe language used to describe the plant as well as various species of Leonotis. The leaves of specifically the Leonotis leonurus resemble the cannabis leaf and is known locally as wild dagga. The word has been spelled many different ways over time as various groups of people began using the term and some examples of these are: daggha, dacha, dacka, dagha, tagga, dachka, daga. According to the Oxford Dictionary, dagga was also used by the Khoekhoe to describe the sensation of intoxication.

Zimbabwean English is a regional variety of English found in Zimbabwe. While the majority of Zimbabweans speak Shona (75%) and Ndebele (18%) as a first language, standard English is the primary language used in education, government, commerce and media in Zimbabwe, giving it an important role in society. Just under 5 percent of Zimbabweans are native English speakers and 89 percent of the population can speak English fluently or at a high level, second only to the Seychelles amongst African nations.

References

  1. ↑ "bakkie - definition of bakkie in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  2. ↑ "bergie - definition of bergie in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  3. ↑ "bioscope - definition of bioscope in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  4. ↑ "biltong - definition of biltong in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  5. ↑ "boerewors - definition of boerewors in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  6. ↑ "braai - definition of braai in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  7. ↑ "buck - definition of buck in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  8. ↑ "bundu - definition of bundu in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  9. ↑ "bunny chow - definition of bunny chow in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English.[ dead link ]
  10. ↑ "cafe – definition of cafe in English – Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries – English. Archived from the original on 14 June 2013.
  11. ↑ "china - definition of china in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 11 May 2018.
  12. ↑ "coloured – definition of coloured in English – Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries – English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  13. ↑ "cooldrink - definition of cooldrink in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  14. ↑ "10 English terms that black South Africans came up with".
  15. ↑ "dagga - definition of dagga in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 25 September 2016.
  16. ↑ "donga - definition of donga in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English.[ dead link ]
  17. ↑ "Entjie dictionary definition". Your Dictionary.
  18. ↑ "erf - definition of erf in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  19. ↑ "gogga - definition of gogga in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012.
  20. ↑ "Imbizo". 20 November 2016.
  21. ↑ "indaba - definition of indaba in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English.[ dead link ]
  22. ↑ "jol - definition of jol in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  23. ↑ "just now - definition of just now in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English.[ dead link ]
  24. ↑ "Kaffir - definition of Kaffir in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  25. ↑ "kif - definition of kif in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  26. ↑ "lekker - definition of lekker in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  27. ↑ "lighty - definition of lighty in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English.[ dead link ]
  28. ↑ "location - definition of location in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012.
  29. ↑ "matric - definition of matric in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  30. ↑ "mealie - definition of mealie in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  31. ↑ "monkey's wedding - definition of monkey's wedding in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  32. ↑ "muti - definition of muti in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  33. ↑ "Mzansi definition and meaning" . Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  34. ↑ "robot - definition of robot in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 14 August 2018.
  35. ↑ "rondavel - definition of rondavel in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  36. ↑ "sarmie - definition of sarmie in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  37. 1 2 "Top 20 South African-isms". 26 July 2012.
  38. ↑ "shebeen - definition of shebeen in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  39. ↑ "songololo - definition of songololo in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 29 October 2012.
  40. ↑ Malherbe, Frans (1 January 1999). Proe 'n skyfie van my lemoen. T.F.S. Malherbe. ISBN   9780620248044 – via Google Books.
  41. ↑ "sosatie - definition of sosatie in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  42. ↑ "spanspek - definition of spanspek in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  43. ↑ "spaza - definition of spaza in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English.[ dead link ]
  44. ↑ "tackie - definition of tackie in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  45. ↑ "township - definition of township in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  46. ↑ "veld - definition of veld in English - Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.