GLOSSARY

bakkie		Slang for pickup truck.
Batswana		Plural adjective or noun: “The people of Botswana are known as Batswana.” See Motswana.
biltong		Salted strips of meat, spiced with pepper and coriander seeds and dried in the sun.
borra		Setswana for gentlemen.
Debswana		Diamond mining joint venture between De Beers and the Botswana government.
dumela		Setswana for hello or good day.
hoodia		Cactuslike plant, eaten for energy and as a hunger suppressant (Hoodia gordonii).
ke a leboga		Thank you in Setswana.
Kgosi		Hereditary Batswana chief.
kgotla		(1) Assembly of tribal chief and elders; (2) the place of assembly.
knobkierie		A short club made from hardwood with a knob on one end, used as a weapon.
kubu		Setswana for hippopotamus.
Landie		Term of affection for a Land Rover.
lobola		Bride-price (originally in cattle) paid to the bride’s parents in African tradition. Sometimes used to set up the newly married couple.
mah-jongg		Chinese game.
malva pudding		Sweet pudding of Cape Dutch origins made with apricot jam.
Mma		Respectful term in Setswana used when addressing a woman. For example, “Dumela, Mma Bengu” means “Hello, Mrs. Bengu.”
Motswana		Singular noun or adjective. “That man from Botswana is a Motswana.” See Batswana.
muti		Medicine from a traditional healer. Sometimes contains body parts.
pap		Smooth maize meal porridge, often eaten with the fingers and dipped into a meat or vegetable stew.
pula		Currency of Botswana. Pula means “rain” in Setswana. One pula equals one hundred thebes.
quelea		A small bird (Quelea quelea) that occurs in large flocks. They fly in tight formation, seeming to move as one.
rooibos		Literally, “red bush.” A bush tea common in Southern Africa.
Rra		Respectful term in Setswana used when addressing a man. For example, “Dumela, Rra Bengu” means “Hello, Mr. Bengu.”
samp		Dried corn kernels that have been stamped and chopped until broken, and the coatings removed. Usually served with beans.
seswaa		Fatty meat, usually beef, boiled until tender with salt, then shredded or pounded.
Setswana		Language of the Batswana peoples.
Shake Shake beer		Beer made from sorghum or corn. The name Shake Shake comes from the fact that solids separate when the beer carton is standing. The drinker needs to shake the beer before drinking.
shebeen		Originally a place serving illicit alcohol. Now, usually a licensed establishment.
skelm		A bad person.
steelworks		Drink made from kola tonic, lime juice, ginger beer, soda water, and bitters.
thebe		Smallest denomination of Botswana currency (see pula).
tsimaya sentle		Farewell in Setswana.
ubuntu		Humanness. The philosophy that we are all tied together and should support each other.