150 Animal Names in Setswana (part 1)

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/

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