WE saw in our last articles that the word tshaya has a very wide meaning depending on how that tshaya (beating) is done.
Each manner of beating has a special word which may not be conveyed correctly by tshaya.
Some of the words that we saw are: betha, mukula, makala, muhluzi, qhakala, dutshuza, nqinda, gqimiza, hlankala, qobola, qhunsa, vavatha and others.
They all mean tshaya each in a special way. Who says that Ndebele does not have enough vocabulary to express the intended meaning?
That is the purpose of these articles, to show that one does not have to resort to another language to express what one wishes to say.
It is accepted that Ndebele does lack words and expressions for modern things and ideas, but it is not correct that therefore Ndebele is failing to explain modern concepts.
In a later article we will discuss ways of dealing with foreign words and concepts. But there is no need to say: Ispeech sakhe besi too long mina sangibhowa ngaze ngathi doze off.
Where are some of those beautiful and delicate expressions like, hawu, mntanomuntu , ngilamulela bo! Ngithi nxa ngikubona ngizwe kuklubhuza amathumbu esiswini sami; ngicimeze amehlo ngikubone wena simomotshwana usuwakhile ennhliziyweni yami.
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Tell me, yes, please tell me which language is capable of saying: Umlomo litshoba lokuziphungela?
By playing down our Ndebele language aren’t we playing down the richness of our Ndebele culture?
Now back to our topic — appropriate words:
First let us consider words connected to eating.
When someone is eating too much you say uyaminza; the person is isiminzi.
Hawu, uNtenjane useminze wonke amaqebelengwane abemanengi kangakayana? Umdala lo yisiminzi, angazi ukuthi yena isisu sakhe singanani.
Phanga: Udla ephangisa eqedela abanye. Uyisihwaba esifuna ukudla sodwa.
Ungathi uyahwabeka. Isihwaba siyancitshana kasipi abanye. Kuthiwa ngumangqomfi.
Igovu: This is someone who wants to eat more than others, the same as isihwaba. Nxa uligovu ufuna ukuhuquluzela kuwe abanye baswele.
Some people coin the verb govuka, as in wagovula lenyama yangakibo emtshadweni wazidlela yedwa.
Inculu: Ngumuntu odla ukudla okulutshwana asuthe. Ungathi, USimilo yinculu, usutha ngokuyisitswadlana lokhu. Kodwa lowo odla ephuza uyancongola. Abanye bathi uyabadina umuntu odla encongola ingathi faka emakhaleni.
Khinkela: This is to overeat, to eat and eat: Kayisikudla lokho yikuqqiba.
Njalo sithi umuntu uyaminza.
Ganudela: Ukuqonda isitshwala singelasitshebo loba ukudla ingathi uyaphosela, kawukukholisi lokho kudla.
Kapula: Nxa uhibiliza ukudla okulula njengeyambazi kumbe amasi.
Besikapula amasi omcaba.
Hubula: Uhubula ukudla okungamanzi okutshisayo njengetiye, inkovu loba iyambazi elilula.
Khukhuza: Ukhukhuza ihambo ulihlafuna loba ucutha ngamazinyo inyama enamathele ethanjeni. Bathi inyama emnan umntwana.
Khotha: Ukhotha ukudla okusaleleyo njengokukhotha iminwe, umganu kumbe imbiza. Ungakhotha ngolimi kumbengeminwe.
Ncinda: Ukuncinda kungathi kuyafanana lokumumuza kodwa khona kungathi kulokuhotsha.Uncinda into emnandi njengenyosi kanti le-ayizikhirimu uyayincinda.
Mumuza: Ukubhodibhodisa ulutho olumnandi emlonyeni usebenzisa izindebe. Umfana umumuza isiwiji.
Bhija: To finish off something that you are drinking. Bhija itiye leyo ungiphe inkomitsho . Nxa ubhija uyaqedisa kungasali lutho. Uthi gaja, du, usubhijile. Uwabhijile wonke amahewu mina kangisa zuzanga lutho.
Nambitha: To taste something some food. Ake unambithe ijodo lelo uzwe ingabe limnandi. Nxa unambitha uthi nje kancinyane hatshi unthamo wonke.Ungatsho ukuthi ugogo ubelokhu enambitha ikhekhe alidliyeyo.
Ncama: To eat quickly just before you go on a journey. Ubaba encamile engakayi emsebenzini.
There are many other words which express the manner of eating or drinking , words like hlafuna, ginya, monthela, xhanxatha, qotshela, xhafuza (njengenja), dakaza, qhoboza, qunquthela, khumuza, thaphuza, ukuzitika and so on Ndebele has a very wide choice.
How would you correct these sentences and expressions?
