Zulu 12 - Counting

Bala means to count.

I still don’t know how to count in Hindi, in spite of screening films such as Aankhen and Roop Rahungi.  Counting in Zulu is based on your hands.

ZULU	ENGLISH	HAND MOVEMENTS
kunye	one	One finger in your first hand.
kubili	two	Two fingers in your first hand.
kuthathu	three	Three fingers in your first hand.
kune	four	Four fingers in your first hand.
kuhlanu	five	Five fingers in your first hand.
isithupha	six	The thumb in your second hand.
is’khombisa	seven	This is the pointing finger to point is ‘khomba’ in Zulu.
isishiya galombili	eight	There are two fingers left in your second hand.
isishiya galolunye	nine	There is one finger left in your second hand.
ishumi	ten	Both hands are full.  We even clap both hands to say ten.

SAMPLE CONVERSATION

I wonder if day-care centres still have the nursery rhyme about counting.  Start your own.

Nonqaba waka Msimang is the author of Sweetness the novel.

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