SOUTH AFRICA – Jan. 2008: Traci Thomas, a senior drama major at Tisch School of the Arts, just returned from the Topics in South African Culture trip to Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa. While meeting South Africans, going on a safari, visiting museums, hiking at Table Mountain, and of course, sampling the local nightlife, Traci picked up a few Afrikaans words. Here’s a sampling of what Traci learned.
Hondjie: Puppy or Doggy
Katjie: Kitten or Kittie
Visie: Little Fish or Fishie
Seekoei: Hippo (direct translation would be See Horse)
Kief: Rad or Tubular Kief
Lekker: Awesome or Nice.
Chunder: Vomit
Robots: Stoplights
Unguz: What’s up? Lets go.
Ek lief jou: I love you
Lieflik: Lovely Lieflik
Lelik: Ugly Lelik
My Ma maak aarbei konfyt: My Mom makes strawberry jam (borrowed from Nathaniel Kent!)
Maaitjie: Friend
Beste Maaitjie: Best Friend
Room Maaitjie: Roommate
My Guy: Buddy
Sis!: No good or ikky
Loadshedding: Random Jo'burg blackouts
Now: Right Now
Now Now: in about 5-30 minutes
Just Now: in a while or whenever I get around to it
Howzit?: Hi how are you. What’s up?
Cheers: general salutation; can mean hello, goodbye, thanks, or a toast, etc.
Topics is South African Culture will be offered in the Fall 2008. Apply today!