Squeeze Out in Zulu

Squeeze is vova in Zulu.

It can be a soft squeeze like lovers squeezing hands or a hard one when squeezing water out of bedsheets before hanging them on the clothesline to be pampered by the sun.

After hurricanes, people try to squeeze water from their clothes.  Being caught in the rain might be fun but you have to squeeze water from wet clothes when you get home.

In the olden days, when ama-Zulu lived off their land, women made beer and word would get around that at a certain home, ku-vo-vi-we (there is beer).  This comes from the final stage of making Zulu beer when the thick liquid is poured into a long v-shaped grass object call i-vo-vo.  Beer comes out as women squeeze it.

Vo-va is also a threat.  It means I will show you what stuff I’m made of or I will get even.  It literally means I will squeeze out all your arrogance or self-importance.

Vo-va.  You say the first part like Volvo and the second part like Vancouver.

ZULU	ENGLISH
Vo-va i -tha-wu-la li-ma-nzi.	Squeeze out water from the towel.  It is wet.
Vo-va a-ma-shi-di.	Squeeze out water from the sheets.
Vo-va ka-hle.	Squeeze thoroughly.
Si-zo-ni-vo-va kwi-World Series.	We will fix you in the World Series.
I-vo-vo li-ya-vo-va.	The grass squeezer is for squeezing out the beer.
Li-phi i-vo-vo?	Where is the grass squeezer?
Ba-vo-vi-le kwa Msimang.	There is Zulu beer at the Msimang house.
Ba-vo-vi-le kwa Cele.	There is Zulu beer at the Cele house.
Ku-vo-vi-we kwa Jones.	There is Zulu beer at the Jones’ house.
Ku-vo-vi-we kwa Gorbachev.	There is Zulu beer at the Gorbachev house.
Ngi-zo-ku-vo-va.	I will squeeze you, show you the stuff I’m made off.
Ngi-zo-ba-vo-va.	I will fix them.  I will squeeze them.

By:  Nonqaba waka Msimang.