Futhi, ukuthi

Two useful little words you'll often hear:

futhi
and (as a conjunction, joining two sentences)
also, too
additionally, furthermore
again, once more
yet

Sifuna ukudlala futhi.
We want to play again. 

Buya futhi - return again. Name of a guesthouse in St Lucia.
Futhi is also a given name.

ukuthi

from -thi
say
think, imagine, believe, consider, guess, suppose

ukuthi can be used as:
that
Ngazi ukuthi bahlala lapa.
I know that they live here.

so that, in order that
or, as
what
Angazi ukhuthi befunani.
I don't know what they want.

Kwezswakala ukuthi useshonile.
We heard that he passed away.

isizulu.net

Inyanga

I came to know the word inyanga as meaning a traditional healer; one who works with natural medicines in particular. In Zimbabwe, the word encompasses the spiritual healers we call sangomas.

Yesterday I helped make a drum which looks like the moon, and discovered the isiZulu word for both moon and month:

inyanga, izinyanga

Namhlanje inyanga ingcwele.
Today the moon is full. 

vocabulary from isizulu.net
example from the  isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary

Sekuhlwile

from
-hlwa
become dark, become dusk

-hlwile
be dark, be dusky, be devoid of light

sekuhlwile
it is dark
it has become dark

what a very special sound this word has

It is the title of a book Swazi folklore published by Heinemann and available here

and the title of this beautiful maskandi/gospel song by the popular band Ikhansela no Jbc
led by the late Mfhleni Rolland Mkhize.

Buyisa - bring back, respond

A word rich in meanings, -buyisa

-buyisa (v.t.)
return, bring back,give back, send back
restore
recall (call back)
withdraw, take back
 
when used without an object
-buyisa (v.i.)
vomit, puke, throw up
answer, reply, respond

Buyisa President Zuma
Buyisa Women's Leadership

The dictionary definitions for Buyisa! as imperative, an order are:
Buyisa! - Return!
or
Buyisa - Vomit

At the root of this word is
-yisa
cause to go, take to
convey, send, transfer

A song, "Buyisa", on youtube by the very sexy Ringo Madlingozi. I think the lyrics mean 'bring back the love' but will need to check.  It comes from an album of the same name.

Some rather prosaic izibonelo from isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary:

Buyisa umazisi kamfowethu!
Return my brother's ID!

Udle waze wabuyisa.
She at too much and vomited.
(That was me at my third birthday party.)

Fika - arrive

-fika (v)

arrive

ukufika (n)
arrival

Bafika sekuhlwile ekhaya.
They arrived at home when it was already home.

Bekunzima ukufika ekugcineni komqhudelwano.
It was difficult to reach the end of the competition.

Faka - include

An interesting word, -faka

-fake (v.t.)
insert, put in, put into, include
don, put on (clothes)
wear (clothers)
station, set in position

seems to come down to include/add to

faka (v.imp)
insert

Ngicela ungifake kumasidlalisane.
Can you please include me in your stokvel.

isizulu.net
isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary

Shiya - to leave

-shiya (v.t.)
leave, leave behind
abandon, forsake
omit, skip, leave out, miss out

Shiya - leave!

it forms the stem of two nouns:

ishiya - amashiya
eyebrow (which leaves behind the eye?)

umshiyia - imishiya
meadow
(an abandoned place?)

Ngizoshiya umculo ngigade ingane yami.
I will leave my music and look after my child.

Vula - open

-vula
 open

and also, the adjective/adverb open:
-vuliwe      (who/which is/are open)
-vulikile    (which has been opened)
-vula         (open)
-vuleleke  (open to...for example competitions/institutions being open to entrants/applicants)

and the static verb
-vuliwe
to be be open

In South African History: Operation Vula or Vulindlela
http://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/members-anc-and-sacp-are-detained-due-operation-vula
http://www.sahistory.org.za/topic/press-statement-anc-deputy-president-nelson-mandela-operation-vulindlela-and-indemnification-a

and in culture, Brenda Fassie's timeless performance of the wedding song, Vulindlela, 'Open the way', crowned Best Song of the Decade at the SAMAs.
Music video here

Izibonelo:

Ikamelo lakhu linesikhuthu - shiya ifasitele livuliwe kancane.
Your room smells stuffy - leave window open a bit.
(Note: khutha = carbon dioxide)


Izitolo zokudla eziningi ziyavula ngamaholidi.
Most supermarkets are open on public holidays.

 
Vocabulary from isizulu.net 
Examples from the isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary

Umntakababa - my sibling

Oxford Living Dictionary has been posting a family nomenclature as Word of the Day.

Today, it's

umntakababa
my/our brother/sister

a word I've not heard before
but one can see is made of umntwana-ka-baba, child of my father.

Thula nje wena mntakababa, mhla ngiphumayo ngizokulungisela zonke izikhalo zakho.
Be quiet, my sister, the day I leave I will resolve all your complaints for you.

Bheka

- bheka (v.t.)

view, watch, behold, look at
face, be oriented toward, be confronted by
attend, look after, supervise
anticiate, expect, wait for
go towards, head for, point to


or used in the imperative form, as an order:
Bheka


A word rich in meanings
I now recall a placename, up the coast from East London, inland
Bekabantwana, I think
Look after the children. 

Izibonelo:
Wazesula izinyembezi wabheka phansi.
She wiped her tears and looked down.

"Ngisahamba, Dumazile," kusho unina, "wena uzosala, ubheka ingane."
"I am going now, Dumazile," says her mother, "you shall remain behind and look after the child."

Ngabamba indlela ebheke eMpumalanga, ngakhabuzela ngaze ngayosithela.
I took the road that goes towards Mpumalanga, and walked briskly until I was out of sight.

Vocabulary from isizulu.net
Examples from the isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary

They have eaten

A quick one, with some grammar.
-dla (v)
eat

A conversation with Sis'Phumla about whether the dog's had eaten led to this lesson:

zidlele
they have eaten (dogs)

udlile
he/she has eaten (person)

badlile
they have eaten (persons)

Izintja zidlile
can mean
Have the dogs eaten?
or
The dogs have eaten.
depending on using the tone of your voice to ask a question, or make a statement.

Phendula - answer, turn

-phendula (v)
answer, reply, respond
and more, see below...


impendulo (n.)
answer

Two very schoolish examples from the isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary

Phendula yonke imibuzo esigabeni B.
Answer all the questions in section B.

Nikeza impendulo eyodwa embuzweni olandelayo.
Give one answer to the following question.
(love that word, olandelayo, like a song in itself)

as a verb,
-phendula also means
turn, turn over, turn around
alter, change, modify
convert
and also, dye
(isizulu.net)

All this reminded me of a song that was once familiar, with a refrain of 'iphendule' or 'ngiphendule'.

iphendule
he/she/it/they answer or have answered

however, by the translation in the lyrics of this song
soundtrack here
iphendule also means, as an imperative verb/order:
turn it around!


Here is the chorus, it was composed at the COP17 climate meeting in Durban, in 2012.

CHORUS


Turn it around


Drilling for energy, like you cannot see the Sun


Iphendule [‘turn it around’ in isiZulu ]


This earth belongs to everyone


Turn it around


Mining for energy, like you’ve never felt the wind


Iphendule [‘turn it around’ in isiZulu ]


Time to change so we can live

HOOK CHORUS in isiZulu
 [in English]

Jika Turn


Umhlabawethu This world is our world


Jika Turn


Masihlangane Let’s get together


Jika Turn


Umoya wethu This is our spirit


Jika Turn


Simuntumunye We are one or none

Hook chorus is great, right? The tune of this part on the soundtrack is weak, maybe someone can improve on it one day...

Finally, Iphendule is also a name, surely for a child who is an answer to prayers.

(another word for 'answer', is
-buyisa
it is only used intransitively, like 'reply'
since it has its own variety of meanings and will need a separate post)

Ukuphenduka

Ngizophenduka
- I'll return
a lesson from my maths learners.

-phenduka (v)
turn; turn over; turn round; revolve alter; change

ukuphenduka (n.15)
revolution, change

phenduka (v. imp/instruction)
turn
though here in Jozi we just say
jika

Qala - to begin

-qala
start, begin, commence, initiate, launch


qala
(imperitave noun/order)
start!


For some reason this example has me in stitches:

Kuthiwa ingxabano yaqala ngmaholide kaKhisimusi.
They say the quarrel started during the Christmas holidays.

- isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary

There is also a noun form:
ukuqala (n.15)
beginning; start
the first one

and then a different (but related meaning)
umqala (n.3/4)
neck or stem

vocabulary from isiZulu.net

On the day that & a long time ago

Further to other posts on days, and the use of the word 'mhla', the following from the isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary

mhla
on the day (that), (at the time) when

And these two examples:

Waqala mhla engilanda esiteshini.

She started on the day that she fetched me from the station. (What did she start?)

This one containing a lovely phrase for staring a story:

 

Ngikhumbula loluya suku mhla enqaba ukuya esontweni ethi ngeke yena aye ngoba uMfundisi akabaphi amaswidi.

I remember that day, a long time ago, when he refused to go to church, saying he wouldn't go because the pastor doesn't offer them sweet.

loluya
(demonstrative pronoun)
that over there
or in this case, perhaps 'that distant'

isizulu.net

Tree

tree (n)
umuthi, imithi
isihlahla, izihlahla

Imhlope

Imhlophe
- it is white

Another 'igama losuku', word of the day from the Oxford Living Dictionary.

Beautiful example:

Wayilanda inyamazane leyo. Yayinone imphlophe qwa.
He went to fetch that antelope. It was fat and bright white.

Imithi imphlophe, 'white medicines', are a category of muthis associated with blessings and luck. Wonderful stuff. 

Ibomvu - it is red

The isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary has various fun features including a word of the day, with fascinating examples (izibonelo) of its use.

Recently it gave me IBOMVU

ibomvu (v)
- they are red

Bekunemibalabala nje eminye iphuzi eminye iluhlaza eminye ibomvu.

There were different colours, some being yellow, some being green, some being red.

 ibomvu (v)
- it is red

Yathi memfu inhlamvu yeLanga ibomvu ifana negazi.

The ball of the Sun suddenly came out, red like blood.

Joke

A too-serious day... time for a joke.

joke (n)
ihlaya, amahlaya

joke (v/i)
-ncokola; -dlala (play) also
-ntela; -tekula; -soma

So, lots of ways to say 'you must be joking!'
for example
"Mhlawumbe uyadlala!"
(direct translation: perhaps you're playing/joking)

Now, all we need is a joke in isiZulu. Found this one on the isizulu.net forum, complete with translation (doesn't quite smell of roses, but that is the nature of most jokes).

PS On further reflection, I've wondereed whether to include it. It is crude, painful, and also funny, as are many jokes, across many cultures. Perhaps not for very sensitive readers. But it's part of us, a response to our world, and full of fantastically useful phrases :)

Incwadi ka thisha:
letter from the teacher:

Mzali othandekayo,
Dearest parent,

Sekungaphezu kwamandla ami! Safa iphunga, geza ingane bo! 
It's beyond my control! we are dying of the smell, wash your child!

Yimina ozithobayo,
yours sincerely,

uThisha.
the teacher.

Impendulo ka Mzali:
response from the parent:

Thisha othandekayo,
dearest teacher,

Fundisa ingane... Musa ukuyinuka, mhlathikanyoko!
teach the child... don't smell him/her, your mother's jaw!

Ngenzela nina ngoba nithandana nezingane zesikole, ukuthi ningasondeli kuyona, Zinja!
I'm doing this, since you guys date school children, so that you don't come close to him/her, dogs!

Ngokuzithoba,
sincerely,

uMzali
the parent

Mhlatikanyoko/your mother's jaw seems particularly intense - that one I'd use with care.

https://isizulu.net/
forum
https://zu.oxforddictionaries.com/