Very very bad Xhosa translation!! A trespass will be needed! ?

AFRICAN LANGUAGES TO BE COMPULSORY FROM 2014

African languages will have to be taught at schools from 2014 - aren't you glad you know Xhosa?! Check out this article on http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/gauteng/vernacular-languages-to-be-compulsory-1.1513170#.UYuQIErLuZQ

IS XHOSA GOING TO DIE OUT AS A LANGUAGE FOR SHARING KNOWLEDGE?

Wikipedia operates in 286 different languages, but the content is very unevenly spread. There are more than 4 million articles in English, while Xhosa, spoken by almost 8 million people in South Africa, only has 147 articles

See rest of article on  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22160988

CAN YOU SPOT THE VERY BAD XHOSA TRANSLATION?

Uya phi? Where are you going? Nice Isuzu advert with a bit of Xhosa.

The climber replies: Ndiya pha phezulu! I am going over there, high up!

Check it out on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4_AcvDin2Y

Xhosa Rap ndaziswa nguBheBhekamuzi!

Molo Titshalakazi

Nantsi ingoma yikaRattex, igama lale ngoma yi"Ewe Nje":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIMT_vNtFQ8

Nantsi iilyrics yalengoma: le ivela ku BheBhekamuzi (Richard)

Verse 1_
Dlala number number
nants ityhefu yerhamba
wena one side uze ngodlala
noba ningavala sizodala
apha kukwahiphop, iRap and futhi akulalwa
njengezihlangu zexhego bathi soze sishayine
but what, le pop bayenzayo soze ilaste
mavovo, alahl’ imbo ngophoyiyane
kunxitywa ooskinny jeans baleq’ iRap yezitabane
(he he he!) estratweni Rah bathathe
batheth iChampagne, batheth iMoto mabapake
sithetha ngezitrato kule rap mabasincame
(awe) salute masiyibambeni masoja
(nale) shit ye media iYasi costa
masiqine madoda alikho ixesha lofeketha
indoda ikhwele ihashi layo iqiniseke ngokulibhexesha
sine albums kodwa eshop azikho iCD
senz iVideo kodwa abazidlali etv
underground, kuwe iindaba mfana zimbi
basenzela swaak njenge ndoda efa yi T.B

Chorus_

Verse 2_
ewe nje vele ke hiphop ke sithi ke
estratweni siyiphethe ke ugcwele neh moja ke
why nimisa umcimbi without agenda
nisixelela amasimba ngale shit ye swagga
ireal emceez kuthwa azina swag
yilonto ungaziboni nakwi cover ye hype mag
kule hiphop fak izaza uzobona
kule hiphop nxiba icici uzobonwa
kule hiphop nxiba ishit uzonconywa
awunawo a-maKip-Kip bayakuringa uba uyabhora
indaba isukile,sithi sisamile
hiphop ishubile
iZulu lidumile
we like amaxhego aphethwe zijuvi
kodwa ndisekhona Hip Hop ngeke ubengumfi

Signs at UCT - Good Xhosa? Bad Xhosa? Why is the English always first?

ABAKHWETHA - XHOSA INITIATES

Isigidimi (The messenger) is a great Xhosa newspaper - here is an article about Xhosa initiates dying during the initiation school - I have underlined all the possessives.

Ahambe Njani Amakhwenkwe Esuthwini?

Sibuhlungu ukwazisa ukuba kweyoMnga ka 2012 abakhwetha abali-17 ababuyanga kwiphondo lethu laseMpuma Koloni. We are sad to announce that in December 2012 17 initiates did not return to our province of the Eastern Cape.
Kwelinye icala sivuyisana namaXhosa akwiphondo laseNtshona Koloni - akho namnye umfana oswelekileyo pha. While (on the one side) we congratulate Xhosas in the Western Cape - there is another young man that dies there.

Kweli khasi sakukhe sihlalutye imiba ngemiba ethi idale isimo sokusweleka kwabakhwetha. Sive nakwiiNkosi zaseKapa ukuba zona zenza njani ukuze zikwazi ukukhusela abakhwetha babo esuthwini.
On this page we just want to identify the reasons that create this condition of the dying of the initiants. We have also heard from Cape Town leaders what they do so that they can protect their initiants at the initiation school.

Kwez’veki siphuma kuzo bekukhe kwakho indibano yeeNkosi kunye nesebe lwezempilo pha eMpuma Koloni; kuzanywa ukufumana isisombululo sale ngxaki yokuphulukana nobomi ehlathini.

In these weeks that we are coming out of there was a meeting of the Chiefs together with the Department of Health in the Eastern Cape: in an effort to try to find a solution to this problem of losing life in the forest.

Urhulumente wezwe lethu ude wathatha inyathelo lokunika isebe lezempilo laseMpuma Koloni imali e pha kwizigidi ezingama-20 zeeranti; ukuze baqinisekise ukuba akusayi kubhubha mntu esuthwini.

The government of our country has finally taken a step to give the Department of Health in the Eastern Cape money in the region of 20 million rand so that they can ensure that no more deaths in the initiation school will occur.

Asazi ke nokuba loo mali iyakunceda kusini na, kodwa iyathembisa into yokubona urhulumente wesizwe etyala imali engaka kwinkqubo eyelelene namasiko akwaNtu. Nto etheth’ba urhulumente uyazihlonipha ezakwaNtu. Kodwa siyazibuza kweli phepha ukuba: ingaba yimali na efunekayo? okanye kukulungiswa kwesiko?

We do not know who that money is going to help, but it is a promise (it promises ) of something to see that the government of the nation is ploughing so much money into an issue to do with the African custom. It is something that speaks to the fact that the government respects African culture. But we ask ourselves, in this page if: is it really money that is needed? or is it the fixing of the custom?

Eyokuba kutyalwe imali engaka kule nkqubo ayisosiqinisekiso sokuba ingcibi engenamava ayizivuleli sikolo sayo sokwalusa yonzakalise abafana. Ingaba kwicala likarhulumente kusafunwa ukwakhiwa izakhiwo ezibufana nezibhedlele, emahlathini, apho kuzakuthi kuhlale khona abakhwetha? Kupheliswe amabhoma?

The thing of so much money being ploughed into this programme is not a guarantee that surgeon who does not have experience is closing his initiation school that injures young man. Maybe on the government's side what is still needed is the building of buildings like hospitals, in the forests where the initiates stay? And that initiation huts should end?
Ingxaki ayonkqubo yokwaluka, ingxaki ngabantu abathi baqhube ezi nkqubo. Bambi abanamava, abazi kwa nto ngezococeko nangezempilo nazicwangciso zokuqinisekisa impilo entle esuthwini. Ingaba yenzeka njani na lo nto? Kutheni inkcubeko yokwaluka ikhe iwele ezandleni zabantu abangazi nto? Masizibuzeni le mibuzo, siyilungise.

the problem is not the programme of initation, the problem is the people who drive these programmes. Some of them do not have experience, they do not know a thing about hygiene and about health and regulations to ensure good health at the initiation school. How can that happen? Why has the institution of initiation fallen into the hands of people who do not know anything? Let us ask ourselves these questions and fix them.

Cool Xhosa rap video (enkosi Richard, enkosi Foster!)

Molweni bafundi!

Ndilibele (I forgot) ukuthi ENKOSI kuFoster who came up with the idea for this blog! Enkosi mfethu! Also to Richard in Xhosa II who is alerting me to cool Xhosa music videos - like this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHKB9G2G3Jk

Guguletu's expensive change to the correct Gugulethu (igugu (pride) la-ithu (of our) = lethu

Strange isn't it when people don't know their Xhosa linguistic history. The fact is when Gugulethu was originally named the old orthography (which did not aspirate the h) was used. One does not need to "speculate" - why not ask an expert.  Anyway, seeing as you are doing your test on the possessives, isn't it nice to have the Xhosa possessive -ithu being discussed in our English daily news!

Most expensive letter: H

08 Apr 2013 | NASHIRA DAVIDS

Neglect of the letter "h" could prove to be extremely expensive for Cape Town.

Gugulethu. File photo

The letter was omitted from "Gugulethu" when the name of the township was formalised in the 1980s. Years down the line, it will cost about R200000 to replace signs bearing the incorrect spelling.
The city's naming committee will recommend to the council this month that, "subject to available funding", all signs be changed.
According to a city report, the incorrect spelling of Gugulethu, which means "our pride", was formalised by the surveyor-general when it was approved in the 1980s .
"It can only be speculated on why the "h" in Gugulethu was not included in the documentation," the report says.
"The popular opinion and advice from language experts are that "Guguletu" is wrongly spelt and should be spelt 'Gugulethu'."
According to the city's language unit: "With the first publication of a Xhosa dictionary, in the 19th century, clicks and 'h' sounds were omitted. In today's dictionaries, and in the Xhosa orthography of 1980, this has been rectified".
The report says though it is "not practical" to change the spelling on general plans and title deeds, it is possible to fix "direction and location signs".
Mzoli Ngcawuzele, owner of Mzoli's Place, a Gugulethu restaurant that has become a hot spot for tourists, is delighted with the committee's proposal.


~ o O o ~

Iisayini kuGatyana - Signs in Willowvale

I took some photos of signs in Willowvale - some lekker Xhosa there for you! Indalo yethu - Our environment - yithande - love it; Nceda abantu - Help people; amayeza emfuyo - medicine of stock

Enkosi ngokuqaphela impazamo yam! Thank you for noticing my mistake!

Enkosi kakhulu kumfundi ondixelele ukuba ndibhale eGcuwa for in Cape Town endaweni yokubhala eKapa!

Xhosa names for some cities and towns

You sound REALLY Xhosa if you can refer to a place with its proper Xhosa name - for all of them I am putting E- (or sometimes KU-) in front which means IN, AT, TO, FROM:

 Alice eDikeni
Beaufort West eBhobhofolo
Butterworth eGcuwa
Cape Town eKapa
Durban eThekwini
East London eMonti
Graaf-Reinet eRhafu
Grahamstown eRhini
Johannesburg eGoli/eRhawutini
Keiskammahoek kuQoboqobo
King William's Town eQonce
Pietermaritzburg eMgungundlovu
Port Elizabeth eBhayi
Pretoria ePitoli
Uitenhage eTinarha

So wena mfundi, uvela phi? So you student, where do you come from?

Object Concords used by Ringo in his song SONDELA ...

SONDELA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwBUlgOyPAQ

Yeyam ndedwa, yeyam  She is mine only, she is mine                                     

Oh, ndiyayithanda le ntombi Oh I love this girl [OBJECT CONCORD -YI-]

Sondela, s'thandwa, sondela Come closer, beloved, come closer

Nal’ uthando lwam [lugcine lonke] Here is my love [keep it all]

thath' uthando lwam  Take my love        

lube calwanye It must be one side  (i.e. let us both feel this love)

Yeyam ndedwa, yeyam She is mine only, she is mine                       

Oh, ndiyayithanda le ntombi Oh I love this girl      

Amehlo ayo ayandibulala Her eyes are killing me [OBJECT CONCORD -NDI-]

Oh ndiyayithanda le ntombi  Oh I love this girl

Sondela, sondela s'thandwa, sondela Come closer, come closer beloved, come closer

nalu thando lwam [lugcine lonke]            

thath' uthando lwam                                     

lube calwanye                                                  

Ubona ntoni apha? What do you see here?  Kukho umnyango. There is a door. Uyawubona? Do you see it?  Kukho umntwana. Uyambona? Kukho intaba. Uyayibona?  Kuphi apha? Where is this? KuseCata. It is in Cata.

Just add a click and you will be speaking Xhosa after 45 minutes! Here is a lecture telling you how:



http://opencontent.uct.ac.za/Centre-for-Higher-Education-Development/Centre-for-Open-Learning/Xhosa-in-45-minutes

Check out the African Languages Section's cool webpage - it tells you about us and the courses we teach and also gives you links to the articles we write .

http://www.afrilang.uct.ac.za/

Ndithetha kancinci kuba ndingumlungu           

Inspiration........

Being English and Afrikaans in the Western Cape, communicating in my home language is no big deal. Without exception, if I interact with someone whose first language is isiXhosa, the conversation takes place in either of my first languages. Just because I’m white, it’s presumed that I know absolutely no Xhosa, which is the second most widely-spoken in the language Western Cape after Afrikaans. I find that very unfair.

Someone’s language is an intrinsic part of their identity. Being able to communicate with someone in their mother tongue is a skill which gives one unrivalled rewards: apart from personal benefits like furthering one’s career, simply making an effort to learn more about other people’s cultures and languages is deeply appreciated, especially in the context of our segregated history. This reason, along with a multitude of others, makes taking isiXhosa an absolute no-brainer, in my opinion.

For those less concerned about communication for the sake of communication, the practical reasons for taking isiXhosa are just as compelling. If you speak to anyone worth asking about education in South Africa, or just about living here (Blade Nzimande - Minister of Higher Education, Nelson Mandela or Trevor Manuel, to name a few), they’ll tell you that before you go and study Astrophysics or Neurology at UCT, learn some Zulu or Xhosa. It looks good on your CV; certain University courses, such as Medicine, require it; it gives one a base from which to learn other Nguni languages and it’s a massive advantage in the business world, where you’re constantly interacting with people from a huge variety of backgrounds. Building strong relationships with people in your environment will always be to your advantage, not only within a business context, but in a social context as well.

For most Westerfordian Xhosa students, learning an African language goes further than that. To us, it’s a way to show that we’re committed to reconciliation in our country by embracing another language, and in the case of isiXhosa, the very rich culture surrounding that language. It’s a gesture which aims to forge connections between us and people we wouldn’t usually interact with.

I was utterly convinced that I had made the right decision once I’d been on the Transkei hike. I witnessed my motivations for taking Xhosa becoming reality in front of my eyes. After the first fifty awkward “Molo! Unjani?”s, my conversations with people started gaining substance. As my conversation partners realised that I had knowledge beyond “Molo”, their entire demeanours changed. The standard response I encountered was: “Umlungu! Yuh, uyasazi isiXhosa?” (Whitey! Yoh, you know Xhosa?), followed by very enthusiastic small talk, drastically zekeleled (slowed down to umlungu-level), and the exchanging of details, ended off with extremely appreciative thanks for taking the time to find out more about them and to learn their language. 

Xolisanani is one of the people we met. He told Jeremy and me that we had made his day; that to find people who were learning his language by choice was an inspiration, and that he wished there were more people like us. To me, that is what learning isiXhosa is about. 

At Westerford, we’ve got some of the best isiXhosa teachers in the country. Let’s face it – Mnu. Dugmoreuyintshatsheli (is a champion). There is undoubtedly no better place to learn the language. So what’s your excuse? Why are there only 13 people in my grade that feel the same way I do? Why are there 11 in matric and 15 in Grade 10? Next year’s Grade 10s couldn’t even manage double figures. What is making most Westerfordians ignore the amazing opportunity afforded to us here to enrich ourselves as South Africans?

There isn’t enough emphasis on indigenous languages by our generation. We have this strange misconception that we will either all emigrate to the land of milk and honey or that there is simply no need to learn an African language, or even Afrikaans, because English is the lingua franca. We expect other people to learn our language, but don’t even consider doing the same for our future colleagues and clients who don’t speak English as a first language. That’s the majority of the country, by the way. 

Apart from being selfish, these convictions are pretty naïve. I’ve heard the argument that Xhosa isn’t a ‘universal’ language, and so it is therefore pretty much useless to learn as opposed to, say, French. To that, I say “your argument is invalid.” Realistically, you will most probably live and work here later in life, and should therefore concentrate on what you can do to make ‘here’ a better place to be. Well, unless you find your fairytale French bride or groom and run off to Paris, or if you’re one of those refugee-status-seeking ninnies who run to Perth escaping the ‘dystopia’ of South Africa. I sincerely hope you aren’t, though, because I don’t think we’d be able to be friends.

This is not to say that learning a European language is a bad thing, or that if you don’t study an African language, you’re a traitor to your country. What it is doing is making you aware of the importance of learning one, and how rewarding it can be, especially at Westerford. There needs to be a shift in mindset, and a greater sense of responsibility to the future of our country by us, the upcoming generation of voters and economy-drivers.

Simon says, “Go for it.” So do u"

I welcome you all to this learning platform that aims to create a fun space where u can relate with isiXhosa in a more social way.......