So What’s New?

A native Zulu speaker pronounces all the names and Zulu phrases from Fatima Dike’s South African play, So What’s New?

Part 1:

Part 2:

This document is only a partial gloss of the two recordings. The speaker is a native Zulu speaker, selecting the speeches from the play that include Zulu phrases. You will hear all the clicks demonstrated. For fuller demonstration of the clicks, see non-pulmonic consonants.

Recorded by Professor Yvette Hardie, edited by Paul Meier, September 4, 2001. Run time: 10 minutes, 30 seconds.

NOTES ON PHRASES

Hauw an explanation of surprise, disgust or outrage
strues God very typical expression
Please asseblief (Afrikaans expression utilized by black speakers as well) it is tautologous – both words mean please; The accent on “Patty” is slightly inaccurate, being a little too lengthened
Hey wena hey you!
Bra means brother
Yo! – typical expression of surprise
lobola dowry to be paid for bride by future husband
Sisi sister
ifridge fridge Africanised
Haai suka go away
Jealous notice stressing – very typical of multi-syllable word
Umtwanam my child
Kaffir-klap nigger-slap
Pa se moer
Ahmen
Yo ma
Fok off fuck off
Shebeen queen tavern owner (always a woman)
Babalas hungover
Tackies sneakers
Terreblanches Eugene Terreblanche also known in SA as ET
Dagga marijuana
Voetsak get lost
Tsotsi township gangster
Vereeniging town in Gauteng close to Johannesburg
Tickie oldfashioned word for small coin
Durban has a large Indian-based community (the largest outside of India); therefore, the Maharani Hotel is an old-fashioned colonial establishment.
Mtata Umtata, the capital of the old “Transkei” a former homeland, now part of the Eastern Cape
Mahotellah Queens famous 50s singing group, all female
Manhattan Brothers famous 50s singing group, all male, played in Sophiatwon a great deal
Alf Herbert’s African Jazz and Variety = Kaka from the Afrikaans “kak” which means “shit”
Nkosiyam good lord
Sukela from the Afrikaans “soek”–“to look for trouble”
Ntombi girl
People covered their eyes in Vaseline to protect themselves from the teargas that riot police used to disperse crowds in the 1980s.
Ewe yes