Rise in Zulu

Rise is phakama in Zulu.  It can also mean lift, like lift your voices and sing or a crane lifting bags of cement.

Maya Angelou, wrote a poem Still I Rise.  Oppressed people sometimes rise against dictators.   Extremely sick people cannot climb on the wheelchair.  They need somebody to lift them up.

Airports are great for people watching, especially drivers who are there to pick up somebody they don’t know.  They raise name placards for example, Floyd Jones or Sindi Cele.  Passengers raise their hands and go to the right driver.

Pha-ka-ma.  The first part of the verb is pronounced as in puppy, the second part as in karma and the third part as in money.

ZULU	ENGLISH
Phakama.	A boy’s name which means he should rise.
Phakamani.	A boy’s name which means people should rise.
Phakamile.	A boy’s name which means something has risen.
I-langa se-li-phakeme.	The sun has risen.  Please note that it is not sunrise. It is noon because the sun is higher up during the day.
Phakami-sa i-sandla.	Raise your hand.
Phakami-sa ikhanda.	Lift your head.
Phakami-sa um-bhede.	Lift the bed.
Phakami-sa ingane.	Lift the child.
Ngi-phakamise.	Lift me up.
I-phakeme kakhulu.	It is too high.
U-yazi-phakamisa.	He lifts himself up (he is proud).

By:  Nonqaba waka Msimang.