Kiff added to the Oxford dictionary along with 23 other South African words

https://www.thekiffness.com/2019/kiff-added-to-the-oxford-dictionary-along-with-23-other-south-african-words

The words:

  • amakhosi, n. – collective term of Xhosa and Zulu origin for tribal leaders or chiefs in traditional Nguni societies
  • bunny chow, n. – a hollowed-out loaf of bread filled with curry, a popular takeaway dish among South Africans.
  • deurmekaar, adj. – something that is confused, muddled, or mixed up
  • district surgeon, n.
  • dwaal, n. – referring to a dreamy, dazed, or absent-minded state, frequently used in the phrase in a dwaal
  • eina, int. and n. – an interjection expressing sharp pain or distress
  • gumboot dance, n. – a style of dance where the dancer incorporates the sound of their rubber boots
  • howzit, int. – a casual greeting of ‘how’s it going?’
  • ingcibi, n. – a Xhosa word for a person who performs circumcisions on young men as part of a traditional rite of passage
  • ja, adv. – Yes
  • ja well no fine, phr. – a non-committal, resigned, or ironic ‘whatever’ expressed as ‘ja well no fine’, pronounced quickly, almost as one word.
  • kasi, n. and adj.
  • kif, adj. – meaning cool or sometimes used as a term of agreement
  • Mzansi, n. – the Xhosa name for South Africa, also meaning South Africans as a people.
  • sakkie-sakkie, adj. and n.
  • sarmie, n. – a sandwich
  • shackland, n.
  • skedonk, n. – an old, dilapidated car
  • spaza, n. – is a small, unlicensed shop in a township, usually one run from a person’s house.
  • tickey box, n.
  • toyi-toyi, n. and v. – the name of a dance-like movement usually performed with chanting or singing during marches or rallies.
  • traditional healer, n.
  • ubuntu, n. – a word signifying the fundamental values of humanity or of Africanness, also borrowed partly from Xhosa and partly from Zulu.
  • voetstoots, adv. and adj. – a legal term describing the buying or selling of items in their existing condition, also used more generally to describe actions carried out unconditionally, without reservation or qualification.
  • Wine of Origin, n. -(abbreviated W.O.), which is used to designate wines that are officially certified as originating from a recognized region or estate and guaranteed as being of the specified vintage and grape variety.


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