AFRIKANER: an Afrikaans-speaking South African with European ancestry, generally descended from the Dutch/French Huguenot settlers of the seventeenth century

AFRIKANER WEERSTANDSBEWEGING (AWB): a South African neo-Nazi separatist political and paramilitary organization

AMADLOZI: (Zulu) the ancestors

BABYGRO: an infant bodysuit, onesie

BAKKIE: (Afrikaans) pickup truck, utility truck

BOER: (Afrikaans) a farmer/proud Afrikaner

BOEREKOS: (Afrikaans) Afrikaner/farmer food

BOREHOLE: a deep hole bored into the ground to locate water

BUSHVELD: open, uncultivated land of South Africa, abundant shrubby, or thorny vegetation

DASSIES: (Afrikaans) a rock hyrax (mammal) of Southern Africa

DOEK: a square piece of cloth like a scarf worn by African women to cover their head

DOMINEE: (Afrikaans) preacher, minister

GOGO/UGOGO: (various African languages) granny

HHAYI: (Zulu) stop, no

HINJA: (Zulu) dog

IBHAYI: (Zulu) animal skin or material worn by healers

INKATHA FREEDOM PARTY (IFP): a right-wing political party in South Africa that has been led, since its founding, by Mangosuthu Buthelezi

IZINYANGA: (Zulu) plural: healers

JIRRE: (Afrikaans slang) “Jesus”; exclamation of surprise or shock

KAFFIR: an offensive and contemptuous term for a black person

KAFFIR-BOETIE: translates to “kaffir brother”; a term for a white person who fraternizes with black people or sympathizes with their cause

KAK: (Afrikaans) shit

KNOBKERRIE: (Afrikaans) walking stick

KOTA: township or street food; quarter loaf of bread hollowed out and filled mostly with chips, meat, and gravy

KWAAI: (Afrikaans slang) “cool”

KWAITO: a music genre that emerged in Johannesburg in the 1990s. Variant of house music, most popular with black South African youth.

LOBOLO: (Zulu) bride price

MAHEWU: (Zulu) fermented liquid mealie-meal porridge

MEVROU: (Afrikaans) missus

MIELIES: (Afrikaans) corn cob, sweet corn

MIESIE: (Afrikaans) missus

MLUNGU/UMLUNGU: (Xhosa, Zulu) a white person

MOROGO: wild spinach

MPEPHO/IMPEPHO: (Zulu) sage

MZUKULU WAMI: (Zulu) “my granddaughter”

NAPPY: a diaper

NDUMBA/INDUMBA: (Zulu) a healing hut

NOG: (Afrikaans) another

NYANGA/INYANGA: (Zulu) a healer

PANTSULA: petty gangster

PAP: a traditional South African dish made from ground maize that is then cooked with water

POLONY: processed meat

REGTIG: (Afrikaans) really, truly

ROOIBOS: translates to “red bush”; a South African tea

SANGOMA/ISANGOMA: (Zulu) a witch doctor, healer, traditional healer

SAWUBONA: (Zulu) “hello” or “good day”

SESHOESHOE: a printed, dyed cotton fabric widely used in traditional clothing in South Africa

SHEBEEN: an illicit African bar or nightclub where alcohol is served without a license

SHOSHOLOZA: a Nguni song that was sung by the mixed tribes of gold and diamond mine workers in South Africa

SISI: (Xhosa) sister

SLAP CHIPS: South African version of French fries with bigger and thicker cut potatoes that are still soft inside after frying

SLET: (Afrikaans) slut

TAKKIES: (Afrikaans) sneakers

TUISNYWERHUIDS: (Afrikaans) home-industry business

U: IsiZulu article, similar to “the”

UMUTHI: (Zulu) medicine, herbal medicine

UNDLELA ZIMHLOPHE: (Xhosa) African dream root plant used for vivid dreams

UNJANI: (Zulu) “How are you?”

VOORKAMER: (Afrikaans) translates to “front room”; a formal lounge for guests

YOH: (black South African) exclamation of surprise, shock, or sympathy

AUTHOR’S NOTE