03 March 2010

Some useful South African regionalisms

This is a list of unique South African words and expressions that you'll defo come across when travelling in South Africa:
  • arvie - afternoon
  • babbelas - hangover
  • bakkie - a utility truck, pickup truck
  • baas - boss
  • biltong - cured meat, similar to jerky
  • boer - Afrikaans for farmer
  • boerewors - spicy sausage from (Afrikaans) "farmer-sausage" [more]
  • braai - BBQ
  • braaivleis - the meat cooked on the barbecue
  • brinjal - eggplant
  • boer - literally "farmer" in Afrikaans. English-speaking people use the word to indicate an Afrikaans farmer. in a derogatory way. Afrikaners use it with a certain pride.
  • boet/bra - male friend, "dude"
  • bunny chow - loaf of bread filled with curry, speciality of Durban, particularly Durban Indians [more]
  • cool drink, cold drink - soft drink, fizzy drink, not necessarily chilled
  • dagga - marijuana
  • dorpie - small town
  • eish! - an interjection expressing resignation
  • fundi - expert
  • geyser - domestic water boiler
  • how's it/ howzit - "hello, how are you?". Almost exclusively a greeting, and seldom a question
  • is it? - an all purpose exclamative, can be used in any context where "really?" etc. would be appropriate
  • just now - soon, later, or in a short while, but never immediately.
  • jol - to have fun, to party
  • kak - shit, crap, rubbish etc.
  • kiff - (adjective) poisonous, wicked, cool, neat, great, wonderful.
  • kombi - a minivan (from the Volkswagen 'Kombi' van)
  • laduma! - a pretty popular cheer at football matches, "he scores!" (literally: "it thunders", in Zulu)
  • lekker - nice, good, great
  • mielie - an ear of maize
  • Monkey Gland Sauce - a fruity, spicy sauce [more]
  • Mzansi - South Africa (uMzantsi in Xhosa means "south")
  • naartjie - orange-colored citrus fruit
  • now now - soon (sooner than just now)
  • oke - a guy, bloke (pronounced "oak")
  • pap - traditional maize porridge
  • robot - traffic lights in South Africa [more]
  • rooinek - ("red neck") derogatory term for English person. Almost the exact opposite to the American usage of "redneck".
  • rondavel - round free-standing building, usually with a thatched roof
  • sangoma - traditional healer
  • shebeen - (illegal) drinking establishment in South Africa's townships
  • sosatie - a kebab on a stick
  • spaza - an informal trading post/convenience store found in townships
  • taxi - shared taxi (usually a minibus taxi) as well as taxicab
  • tekkies - sneakers, trainers
  • toyi-toyi - Zulu for protesting and dancing in the street
  • tsotsi - gangster
  • veld - virgin bush, grassland or wide open rural spaces
  • voetsek - go away (not friendly!)

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