Some Namlish to help you through when you visit ---- Baas: Literally boss, often used to refer to any white male. Babbelas: Hangover Bakkie: A pick up truck / utility truck. They come in various shapes and forms and owning a large powerful one is more of a status symbol than owning a Porsche Biltong: Dried meat - sometimes likened to jerky but a completely superior product. South Africans will claim biltong as their own invention - but everyone knows that Namibia has the best biltong! An essential for long road trips. Braai: A barbeque - taken to completely unfathomable social heights Broetchen: A bread roll - so common is the usage that even those Namibians who profess English to be there mother tongue may initially look at you blankly if you ask for a bread roll! Cherrie: Pretty girl or girlfriend. I met my cherrie at the shebeen, then we hopped in my bakkie and drove around town drinking beer Cuca Shop: A bar (mainly in the northern areas of Namibia - while central and southern Namibia would usually use the term Shebeen), the name was derived from a Portuguese beer once sold in Angola. Dankie: Thank you I Will Phone You Back: You will never hear from me again Koppie: A small hill rising out of the veld Lapa: Thatched outside living area. Often equipped with a braai and a bar Meme: Polite term for an older lady Nawa: Nice or good Oom: Literally the Afrikaans for uncle - but used as a term of respect towards older people Paining: It hurts ( eg. My head is paining? Is it because you have a babbelas? No baas! you know I never drink during the week!) Potjie: A three legged cooking pot - designed for being placed on an open fire or coals. Potjiekos - is the food produced in the pot. Robot: A traffic light. Once you leave Windhoek these are not something you will frequently encounter. Shebeen: A cuca shop not situated in northern Namibia. Once was used only for unlicensed drinking places - but most now have official shebeen licences. Skinner: Gossip Sosatie: Meat on a stick - basically a Kebab Stoep: Verandah Takkies: Sneakers / running shoes Tate: A term of respect for an older man Tjaila: Time to leave work Tombo: Locally produced sorghum beer Tsotsi: A criminal Wors: Or Boerewors (literally farmers sausage). A staple at braais around the country
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 14:23:19 +0000
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