Xhosa calendar

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The following is a list of timekeeping terminology in the isiXhosa language.

Contents

Month names

Traditional

The traditional isiXhosa names for months of the year poetically come from names of stars, plants, and flowers that grow or seasonal changes that happen at a given time of year in Southern Africa.

The Xhosa year traditionally begins in June and ends in May when the brightest star visible in the Southern Hemisphere, Canopus, signals the time for harvesting.

In urban areas today, anglicized versions of the months are used, especially by the younger generation, but in the rural areas of the Eastern Cape, the old names still stand.

Month by month they are, in relation with:

Gregorian

EnglishIsiXhosaExplanation of the months
JanuaryEyoMqungu [1] month of the tambuki grass [1]
FebruaryEyoMdumbamonth of the swelling grain [1]
MarchEyoKwindlamonth of the Autumn [1]
AprilUTshazimpuzimonth of the Drying leaves
MayUCanzibe / EyeCanzibemonth of Canopus [1]
JuneEyeSilimelamonth of the Pleiades [1]
JulyEyeKhala / EyeNtlabamonth of the aloes [1]
AugustEyeThuphamonth of the buds [1]
SeptemberEyoMsintsimonth of the coast coral tree
OctoberEyeDwarhamonth of the lilypad or yet tall yellow daisies
NovemberEyeNkangamonth of the small yellow daisies
DecemberEyoMngamonth of the acacia thorn tree

Seasons

Days of the week

See also

Further reading

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Namensysteme im interkulturellen Vergleich. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. 2017-11-07. ISBN   978-3-11-091946-2.
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