APPENDIX

DICTIONARY OF THE JU|’HOAN RELIGION

Words Used by the N|om-kxaosi

BEESA BOO AND BRADFORD KEENEY

Readers can go to www.keeneyinstitute.org/judictionary.php to hear an audio recording of Beesa Boo pronouncing these words.

!aaiha: A n|om-kxao at the second station of n|om, who can now heal by pulling out sickness.

|Ae-N≠unhn: The ancestor who sends down n|om drink from God. This drink is God’s urine and looks like water.

≠ahmi: Refers to Bushmen as “circle people” and the circles around the sun and moon that remind people of important things.

≠ahmia-khoe juasi: Another way of referring to the circle people and seeing everything move in circles.

!ai: Mortal death. This word has no association with !aia, the waking up of a n|om-kxao.

!aia: Waking up your strongest feelings and being reborn.

!Ai||aah: A mask of death that looks like an animal head and that, when placed on you, causes sickness.

||’ai and ||oq’m: Grass associated with the oryx and gemsbock in second creation.

||’ai djxani: The grass dance.

!ai-tcia: Something dangerous and deadly, such as poison, lightning, and serious illness.

||an: When people hear a song from a faraway village or from the ancestors and they feel they have to go to the dance.

≠ang: A bush, which, when combined with animal fat, is used to make medicine for men’s tortoise shell and used to heat a n|om-kxao in a dance by smudging with smoke; also used to help illness leave the body.

|’an-jukonaqnisi: A kabi in which you receive nails of n|om.

|Aqn-|aqnce: Sky God’s wife’s name, which means “Mother of Bees.”

≠ara-khoe: Shaking of a n|om-kxao’s heart onto another person’s heart.

are: Love, which is the most important word for a n|om-kxao.

||auh: Another word for a needle of n|om.

||auhsi: Sky God’s needles, which hold n|om.

ca-ca: Plant root used to protect boys and girls from dangerous n|om associated with menstruation or following the delivery of a baby.

cunkuri: A particular kabi when you see the Sky God or ancestors.

da’a: A fire in the sky seen by n|om-kxao when traveling along a rope or thread.

djxani: Dance.

djxani-kxao: A n|om-kxao who is dancing.

djxani-!uhsi: Two n|om-kxaosi shaking together.

dshau-n!a’anao||xai-g!oqma: Old woman who makes scary sound in a dance.

ega: “Something for me,” the message of the body tappings.

g!a’ama-ju: When a n|om-kxao catches the sick feeling of an animal.

g!a’ama-n!ausi: The second experiential station of a n|om-kxao, where the heart rises. This is when healing can take place.

g||abesi soahn: This means “the g||abesi is soft,” that is, ready to receive needles.

g||abesi tuih: The waking up of the g||abesi (abdomen) and needles; the experience may include a feeling of heat and tightness in the belly.

g≠aihg≠aing≠ani: Time when there was no speech (later called first creation).

G≠ain-g≠aing≠ani: First creation.

G||a’inkodin: An original ancestor who stared at things and made them move.

g||aoah da’atzi: Healing songs to quietly sing around a home fire.

g||aoan≠’angsi: The original ancestors.

g||aoan ||koa !a’ansi: Little g||aoansi children from long ago.

g||aoansi: Ancestral spirits, trickster spirits, or spirit of God (singular: g||aoan).

g||aoansi tchi: Arrows of sickness.

g≠aqba-n!a’an: “Heart of the spears,” referring to the most powerful n|om kxaosi.

g||auan-n|hai: Laughing caused by ancestral spirits.

Gauh-!o: Mother of the original ancestors.

G≠kao N!a’an: Respect name for the Sky God.

G≠kao Na’an: Father of the original ancestors.

G!kun||homdima: Woman in first creation who first blew a horn.

g!oah: Name of dance with song and n|om from the g!oah plant.

g!oahnaqnisi: G!oah needles of n|om.

g!oah n|oma: N|om from g!oah plant.

g!oan: A plant whose roots are ground to a red powder and used by men for good luck in a hunt.

g!o’e djxani: Oryx dance.

g!oh: Steam (needles that are fully cooked are called g!oh).

gua: Beginning of !aia, when you first feel the power of the fire.

gua-gua: When the fire has big flames.

gu-tsau: The clapping that lifts the dancer’s legs in a dance.

G!xa maq: Breathing out the soul.

G!xoa: Name of second creation, which means “now there is speech.”

G!xoa-g!xoa koarasi: The Knee Knee None people, creatures without knees about which little is known.

!’hana: Dance stick used by n|om-kxao to give needles to others through pointing.

||hann!ang: Top of head where needles can be given; the place where fully cooked needles (turned to steam) exit the body.

!’han-n!ang: Inside of the waterhole that some n|om-kxaosi visit in a kabi.

|’hare: Being very happy while dancing in one spot.

hatce koe du kxui mi ≠’angsi: Expression for “what is making me think this way?” referring to how trickster enters the mind.

≠hoe: Pulling out sickness with your hands.

≠hoe djxani: Healing dance.

!’huhn: Name of the sound made when releasing sickness.

!hui: Rope to God.

!huijuasi: The “straight line people” who aren’t Bushmen (e.g., white people).

ju ka g≠om: The moment when a n|om-kxao is so full of n|om that she can no longer speak but can only sing.

ju!kag!ua: The liquid around the heart caused by anger.

kaakare: The dizziness of n|om-kxaosi after a dance—this dizziness is caused by n|om.

kabi: A visitation or sacred vision from the Sky God or ancestors.

!kabi: When the n|om-kxao sees first creation in the dance, experienced as a constant whirling.

!kaihn: A form of g||aoansi n|om, used by g||aoansi to trick a person into following a bad direction.

kaoha-kxo: God’s pot that he cooks a n|om-kxao in.

kaqian: G||aoansi n|om used to make you sick or die.

||kaquh din: Fruit-bearing tree in Sky God’s village, referred to as “the tree of death.”

!ka tsau |’an: When the heart rises.

!kau: Feeling of shock on fingertips that means that a lion is near.

kau-hariri: The actual sound made by a n|om-kxao when illness is pulled.

!ku: God’s tree that holds the medicine water.

!kunsi: Respect name for gemsbock people.

kxaetci!hun: Tapping on body that means it is time for hunting.

kxae≠xaisi: Seeing properly, or “seeing the feelings.”

kxae |xoa: Soul (the living self with its memories).

kxao-kxaoa!kui: Ostrich feather decoration for n|om-kxao.

maniju≠’angsi: Turning against someone.

Manisi n!a’an-n!a’an: “The great turning around,” referring to the beginning of second creation.

Maq: Thread for any ancestral spirit, whether good or bad.

maqdore: The strange wind used for attack and protection by a n|om-kxao.

Mba-n!a’an: Great Father; how Sky God is addressed in prayer.

mi-n|ai-dci: Expression meaning “my head is wet from God’s water.”

n≠ah: Buffalo thorn tree associated with kudu in second creation.

n≠ahn: The camel thorn tree in the Sky God’s village.

n!aih-|ho: Place where we make a fire for dancing and healing.

n!aihsi: Old word for needle of n|om.

n≠a’m|’an: Tapping that ancestors and God make on the body.

n!ang djxani: The eland dance.

n!ang-n|aisi: Eland-headed tribe.

n!angsi: Eland-headed people.

n!ang tchisi: Other animal arrows of n|om.

n!ang !xui: Tail of an eland used by a n|om-kxao in the dance.

n!ao: Spirit of weather conditions at birth, giving good or bad luck to the person and the community.

n!aoah-ma: Beginning healers.

n!aroh-ma: A novice n|om-kxao.

n!aroh-||xam: The first experiential station of a n|om-kxao where the power of fire is experienced, the place where you must meet and deal with fear.

n!’haam: Spider.

n!’haam-n!’haam: Spider web of n|om that covers the head of a n|om-kxao in an attempt to stop healing by blocking the n|om-kxao from seeing sickness.

n!hai djxani: Lion dance.

n!hai !oqru: A very dangerous skinny green lion.

n|haitzi: Good feeling when laughing together with friends.

n≠hang: A red pigment from the Sky God’s special plant that the Sky God rubs on a person for protection—this takes place in a kabi.

n|huin: Spirit (breath).

n|huin n’ang: Breathing in (bringing back) the soul.

n!huru: Aloe plant associated with eland in second creation.

n|oa: Bush associated with the eland in second creation.

n≠oahn: When the ancestors make strange sounds through the n|om-kxao.

n!o’an-ka|’ae: The original force that changes everything.

n!o’an-n|om: Deliberately throwing a dirty arrow to hurt someone through black magic.

n||oaq!’ae: A bush used for making perfume made of ground leaves and used to cool a n|om-kxao in the dance.

n|om: Non-subtle, vibratory life force that comes directly from God, recognized by the Bushmen to animate all living beings and to be the source of all inspired energy.

n|om-da’a: The fire inside the n|om-kxao.

n|om-kxao: Owner of n|om.

n|om-tzi: Singular n|om (for example, applied to a n|om-kxao who only has giraffe arrows).

n|om-tzisi: Multiple forms of n|om (for example, a n|om-kxao who has several kinds of arrows).

n!uan-ju: Refers to the spirit of an animal standing on top of a person to help heal them.

n!uan-tso: Standing or climbing on the rope to God.

n≠u’uhan: Someone pretending to be a n|om-kxao.

n≠u’uhan-kxaosi: Those who show off or boast about their n|om.

≠oah djxani: Giraffe dance.

!’oahn: “Open up the heart” (the most important teaching for a n|om-kxao).

≠oah naqnisi: An arrow of n|om from the giraffe.

≠oah tchisi: The respect name for giraffe arrows of n|om.

||’ora: Women’s tortoise shell for holding medicine.

qaqm: “To awaken,” used to refer to cause of !aia—analogous to striking a match. When lit, the n|om-kxao is in gua, the first stage of !aia. The fullest !aia is thara.

san||ae: “Sinew,” the old word for thread traveled on by a n|om-kxao.

san !auah: A women’s bag for holding perfume, made of animal hide.

ta’ma kaice g|aoh: Very strong feeling.

ta’msi: Feeling.

Tau: N|om string.

tchi-n||han: Sending a deadly animal, such as a snake, to harm someone.

tchisi: Arrow of n|om.

tci-dore: Name for trickster that is used when a person is angry with him.

Tci-n|oa ||ah jan: Hat from Sky God that is received in a kabi.

tco: Respect name for n|om.

tco-kxao: A n|om-kxao powerful enough to give needles to others.

tco-tcaq: Sweat; for a n|om-kxao who is dancing, the sweat is a medicine used to help give needles to others.

thara: Shaking caused by n|om.

thara n|om: The third experiential station of a n|om-kxao, the station at which new nails of n|om can be given.

thuru: When a n|om-kxao changes form into an animal or anything else.

tjin-kxuisi-tsa’an-tsa’an: The scary sound made by the old woman in a dance.

tso: Thread for lion thuru; that is, for changing into a lion.

|’ua-n|om: Giving a needle to another person.

|’u a !xui: An animal chasing its tail—a way of referring to changing circles.

!’uhn: N|om-kxao’s sound made when pulling out sickness or dirty needles.

≠umsi !Xu: Religious beliefs about God and healing.

≠um !Xu kokxui: Refers to the belief in God brought about by the love you feel for God.

!’un: A dream.

!uu: Dance skirt.

≠uuma-khoe: Sharing.

waqdohm: Tortoise shell to wear in a dance that is decorated with bullet shells to scare lions and g||aoansi away.

xaam: Respect name of the lion.

||xaece: When a n|om-kxao protects himself by pushing back another person’s anger.

xaro: Gift.

!xaua-khoe: Ignorance caused by being selfish and greedy. It is the opposite of love.

||xoan: The heavy breathing sound of climbing the rope to God.

!xo’ djxani: Elephant dance.

!Xu dsuu-n!o: God’s ostrich egg.

!Xu g!u: Sky God’s medicine water.

!Xu hui mi: Words of an often used prayer meaning “God help me.”

!Xu-kxao: “I am an owner of God,” that is, “I am the owner of the feeling of love for God.”

!Xun!a’an: Sky God.

|xuri kxaosi: Tricksters.

xurua o n|om ga: Man’s tortoise shell for holding medicine.

!Xu tci: Gift from the Sky God.

zo: The bee, favored by Bushmen for both its sweet tasting honey and strong n|om.