
150 Animal Names in Setswana (part 1)
The focus of today’s post is Setswana names of animals, birds, fish, and arthropods, listed together with their English equivalents. Pluralisation in Setswana is usually quite straightforward, as it follows a very principle (as discussed in Ditlhopha tsa Maina [Noun Classes]). However, the use of animal names in folk tales and other familial settings has resulted in a lot of personification associated with some animals, and this has caused some of these animal names to take a somewhat unorthodox pluralisation. Consequently, an additional column for plural forms has been added to the table showing the animal names in English and their Setswana equivalents.
This entry today is just a quick reference guide, a more detailed listing, which includes pictures and scientific names of each animal can be accessed from the Diphologolo [Animals] page.
The first part (published today) shall be of predators and wild mammalian prey animals.
Predators and Other Meat-Eaters
ENGLISH SINGULAR | SETSWANA SINGULAR | SETSWANA PLURAL | |
1 | Lion | Tau | Ditau |
2 | Leopard | Nkwe | Dinkwe |
3 | Cheetah | Lengau/Letlotse | Mangau/Matlotse |
4 | Serval | Tadi | Botadi |
5 | Caracal/African Lynx | Thwane | Bothwane |
6 | African Wildcat | Phage/Tibe | Diphage/Ditibe |
7 | Spotted Hyaena | Phiri | Diphiri |
8 | Brown Hyaene | Phiritshwana/Mosonokwane /Setinikwana | Diphiritshwana/Mesonokwane /Ditinikwana |
9 | Aardwolf | Thukgwe/Thukwe | Bothukgwe/Bothukwe |
10 | Aardvark/Ant Bear | Thakadu | Dithakadu |
11 | African Wilddog | Lekenyane/Letlhalerwa /Leteane | Makenyane/Matlhalerwa /Mateane |
12 | [Black-backed] Jackal | Phokoje | Bophokoje |
13 | Bat-eared Fox | Motlhose | Matlhose |
14 | Cape Fox | Lesie | Masie |
15 | Spotted-necked Otter | Lenyibi le le Maroo | Manyibi a a Maroo |
16 | [African] Clawless Otter | Lenyibi le le seng Maroo | Manyibi a a seng Maroo |
17 | Honey Badger | Matshwane/Magogwe | Bomatshwane/Bomagogwe |
18 | [African] Civet | Tshipalore | Botshipalore |
19 | Genet | Tshipa | Botshipa |
20 | Yellow Mongoose | Moshwe | Bomoshwe |
21 | Slender Mongoose | Kgano | Bokgano |
22 | [Nile] Crocodile | Kwena | Dikwena |
23 | Monitor | Kgwathe/Gopane | Bokgwathe/Bogopane |
24 | Python | Tlhware | Ditlhware |
25 | Puff Adder | Lebolobolo | Mabolobolo |
26 | Cobra | Kake | Bokake |
27 | Black Mamba | Mokwepa o Montsho | Mekwepa e Mentsho |
28 | Green Mamba | Mokwepa o Motala | Mekwepa e Metala |
29 | Boomslang/ [African] Tree Snake | Legwere | Magwere |
30 | [Rhombic/ Common] Egg-eater | Lesolamae | Bolesolamae |
31 | [Flap-Necked] Chameleon | Lelobu/Lebodu | Malobu/Mabodu |
32 | [Southern] Tree Agama | Mmantseane o tlhogo-tala /Bluukopo | Bommantseane ba tlhogo-tala /Mabluukopo |
33 | Barking Gecko | Mmampharing | Bommampharing |
34 | House Gecko | Rrankgatakane | Borrankgatakane |
35 | [Broadley’s] Flat Lizard | Mokgatitswane/ Mmantsiane | Mekgatitswane/ Bommantsiane |
Mammalian Prey Animals
ENGLISH SINGULAR | SETSWANA SINGULAR | SETSWANA PLURAL | |
1 | [Cape] Buffalo | Nare | Dinare |
2 | [Common] Eland | Phofu | Diphofu |
3 | [Greater] Kudu | Tholo | Ditholo |
4 | Nyala | Nyala | Dinyala |
5 | Gemsbok/Oryx | Kukama | Dikukama |
6 | Sable | Kwalata o montsho | Bokwalata ba bantsho |
7 | Roan Antelope | Kwalata o mosetlha | Bokwalata ba basetlha |
8 | Wildebeest/Gnu | Kgokong | Dikgokong |
9 | Tsessebe/Sassaby | Tshesebe | Ditshesebe |
10 | [Red] Hartebeest | Kgama | Dikgama |
11 | Bushbuck | Serolobotlhoko/ Ngurungu | Dirolobotlhoko/ Bongurungu |
12 | Reedbuck | Sebogata/Motsosa | Dibogata/Metsosa |
13 | Waterbuck | Letimoga | Matimoga |
14 | Impala | Phala | Diphala |
15 | Lechwe | Letswee | Matswee |
16 | Springbok | Tshephe | Ditshephe |
17 | Puku | Puku | Bopuku |
18 | Steenbok | Phuduhudu | Diphuduhudu |
19 | Duiker | Photi | Diphoti |
20 | Klipspringer | Mokabayane | Mekabayane |
21 | [African] Elephant | Tlou | Ditlou |
22 | Zebra | Pitse e Tilodi/ Pitse ya Naga | Dipitse tse Ditilodi/ Dipitse tsa Naga |
23 | Giraffe | Thutlwa | Dithutlwa |
24 | Rhinoceros | Tshukudu | Ditshukudu |
25 | Hippopotamus | Kubu | Dikubu |
26 | Warthog | Mathinthinyana | Bomathinthinyana |
27 | [Chacma/Cape] Baboon | Tshwene* | Ditshwene |
28 | Vervet Monkey | Kgabo | Dikgabo |
29 | Bush Baby/ [Lesser] Galago/Night Ape | Mogwele | Megwele |
30 | Striped Polecat/Zorilla | Nakedi | Dinakedi |
31 | [Cape] Porcupine | Noko | Bonoko |
32 | [Southern African] Hedgehog | Setlhong | Ditlhong |
33 | Pangolin | Kgaga | Dikgaga |
34 | Meerkat/Suricate | Sekatamosima | Dikatamosima |
35 | Dassie/Rock Rabbit/ Cape Hyrax | Pela | Dipela |
36 | [Scrub] Hare | Mmutla | Bommutla |
37 | Springhare | Ntlole/Tshipo | Bontlole/Botshipo |
38 | [Cape] Ground Squirrel | Sekate | Dikate |
39 | African Tree Squirrel/Smith’s Bush Squirrel | Setlhora | Ditlhora |
40 | Rat | Legotlo | Magotlo |
41 | Mouse | Peba | Dipeba |
42 | Bat | Mmamanthwane | Bommamanthwane |
*Tshwene is also used generically to refer to tailed primates/simians, similar to the way “monkey” is used in English.
Featured image source:
https://cindygurmann.blog/2020/05/20/animal-groups-the-really-big-ones-part-one/
One thought on “150 Animal Names in Setswana (part 1)”
Thnx for helping me continue to help Ada ma leboga