South Africa and Snow

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Canada.

South Africa is in Africa obviously, and the next thing that comes to mind is the sun, not snow.  That’s why people who live there jump for joy when it snows.

African languages have the word snow. For example, it is called iqhwa in Zulu, so it means climate change as such, is not responsible for it. African languages had to create words for things that came with the invasion by European countries.

Tea = itiye

Coffee = ikhofi

Sugar = ushukela

Bus = ibhasi

Key = ukhiye

But snow is ingrained in the language. That’s why it has a name iqhwa. The beauty of the language is how it expresses the act, of snowing.

Liya-khithika. = It’s snowing.

Li-khithikile e-Kapa. = It snowed in Cape Town.

Snow comes from above. It is gentle, caressing and some of it doesn’t reach the ground. It disappears mid-air. Zulu language captures that essence ‘khithika.’ This word does not include snowstorms, which are frustrated and vindictive.

It is only for the actual process, falling snow.

This is another ‘written podcast’ from Nonqaba waka Msimang.

 

 

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