Dinako [Time Concepts]
Setswana terminologies and concepts related to time, including traditional markers of times of the day (prior to the use of the 24-hour clock), times on the clock, days of the week, months, seasons, relative times, and other related concepts.
A good starting point would be to explain that although we use the Gregorian Calendar and the 24-hour clock to define time now, traditionally Batswana used a lunar calendar, which started at the beginning of the planting season, and their years were defined by the agricultural cycles and atmospheric seasons. Also, the day was recognised as the elapse of time between one dawn and another, with no regard to the 00h00 midnight concept. We will find a number of words whose meanings have been shifted to fit into the new ideas of time definition, as well as other neologies which were created for the very purpose of having Setswana names for these new concepts.
1. Times of the Day
Similar to the days of the week, the 24-hour period that marks the day has also been given Setswana designations for each of the respective intervals. The word for hour seems not to have existed in natural Setswana, and as such is often just a Tswanalised form of the English hour [“awara” or “oura”] or Afrikaans uur [“iri”].
Each hour is divided into 60 minutes, the word for which does exist in Setswana: motsotso (plural, metsotso). And finally, seconds: metsotswana (singular, motsotswana).
Clock time is expressed similar to the way it is done in English, except that instead of o’clock, Setswana uses “the hour of”; for instance three o’clock is expressed as oura ya boraro [literally: the third hour or the hour of 3]. Again, half past, quarter past and quarter to are just expressed quantitatively as 30 minutes past, 15 minutes past, and 15 minutes to, respectively. Digital clock expressions (like 10.15) are just stated in English, and only the analogue clock has times expressed using Setswana words. For instance 10.15 would either just be called 10.15, or a translation of 15 minutes after 10.
The less precise expressions of time, such as evening, dawn, and mid-afternoon are summarised in the table below:
Broad | Specific | ||
Letsatsi [Day] [TSN] Sebaka sa dioura di le 24 go similoga kabosa ja letsatsi la ntlha go ema ka masa a le le latelang. [ENG] A 24-hour period from the dawn of one day to the dawn of the subsequent one. |
Motshegare [Daytime] [TSN] Nako e letsatsi le sedimositseng, go simolola ka masa go ema ka letibikwane. [ENG] The daylight duration where the sun illuminates the earth, from dawn until dusk. |
Maphakela [Morning] | Masa/Bosa [Dawn] |
Letsatsi le tlhaba [Sunrise] | |||
Makuku [Very early morning – not precise] | |||
Maphakela/moso [Morning] | |||
Sethobo [Midday] | Selebalo [Late morning/noontime] | ||
Sethoboloko [Early afternoon] | |||
Lesatsi le penne/Tadi e amusa [Mid afternoon – at the hottest] | |||
Tshokologo [Late afternoon] | |||
Maitseboa [Evening] | Phirimane [Pre-sunset] | ||
Letsatsi le phirima [Sunset] | |||
Letlatlana [Post-sunset] | |||
Maabanyane [pre-dusk] | |||
Bosigo [Night time] [TSN] Nako e letsatsi le sa tlholeng le sedimositse, go simolola ka letibikwane go ema ka masa. [ENG] The night-time duration where the sun no longer illuminates the earth, from dusk until dawn. |
Letibikwane [dusk] | ||
Ngwedi a budusetsa [early night] | |||
Bosigogare [middle of the night/midnight] | |||
Masigo a rwele [hours before dawn] |
2. Days of the Week
The Gregorian calendar has a seven-day week, and as such, Setswana diction has had to make adjustments to accommodate this. The weekday names clearly indicate that the assumption is that Monday is the first day of the week, as the names for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, are simply cardinal values starting from “second day” [Labobedi] to fifth day [Labotlhano].
The Setswana name for Sunday is “Tshipi” (a homonym of iron/metal), which is also the word for “week”. However, this is usually only seen in formal writing, as people generally use “Tswanalised” Afrikaans words Sontaga [Sondag] and beke [week] for Sunday and week respectively. Saturday also gets a similar treatment, with people preferring “Satarataga” [Saterdag] to Matlhatso or Lamatlhatso. In fact, it appears only Mosupulogo [Monday] gets the due respect, although there is still a tendency to refer to it as Mmantaga [Maandag].
English Name | Setswana Name | Meaning/Rationale Behind the Name | Preferred Alternative |
Monday | Mosupulogo | Onomatopoeic to the sudden start of the week after the weekend break | Mmantaga |
Tuesday | Labobedi | Literally “second day” | Labobedi |
Wednesday | Laboraro | Literally “third day” | Laboraro |
Thursday | Labone | Literally “fourth day” | Labone |
Friday | Labotlhano | Literally “fifth day” | Labotlhano |
Saturday | (La)Matlhatso | Washing/cleaning day | Sataretaga |
Sunday | (La)Tshipi | “Iron day” – presumably making reference to the metallic church bell | Sontaga |
3. Months According to the Gregorian Calendar
There is an entire section dedicated to the months of the year, beginning with this Dikgwedi [Months] page. Moreover, at the beginning of each month, there shall be a blog post discussing the name, placement, and characteristics of the starting month. This shall be mainly from the point of view of the traditional Setswana calendar.
Month # | English | Setswana |
1 | January | Firikgong |
2 | February | Tlhakole |
3 | March | Mopitlo |
4 | April | Moranang |
5 | May | Motsheganong |
6 | June | Seetebosogo |
7 | July | Phukwi |
8 | August | Phatwe |
9 | September | Lwetse |
10 | October | Phalane |
11 | November | Ngwanatsele |
12 | December | Sedimonthole/Morule |
4. Seasons of the Year
Another page, Dipaka [Seasons] exists here with a lengthier discussion on the four seasons. To read more, follow the link.
Paka | Dikgwedi tsa Paka | Season | Months of Season |
Selemo | Ngwanatsele – Firikgong | Summer | November – January |
Gwetla/Letlhafula | Tlhakole – Moranang | Autumn | February – April |
Mariga | Motsheganong – Phukwi | Winter | May – July |
Dikgakologo | Phatwe – Phalane | Spring | August – October |
5. Relative Times
This is time expressed in relation to another point in time, such as “yesterday” and “later”.
Setswana Name | Setswana Meaning | English Equivalent |
Goo-Lowe | Bogologolo thata, go simolola ko nako e simolotseng teng. | Time immemorial |
Bogologolo tala | Go fetile nako e telele thata. Gantsi ke go kaya dinako tsa mainane | Eons ago. Legendium times |
Bogologolo/Gole/Kgale | Go fetile nako e telele; dingwaga tse dintsi. | A long time ago |
Ngwagatlola | Mo sebakeng sa dingwaga tse pedi tse di fetileng. | Two years ago |
Ngogola | Mo sebakeng sa ngwaga o o sa tswang go feta. | Last year |
Beke/Tshipi e e fetileng | Morago ga malatsi a le supa a a tlang. | Last week |
Maloba a maabane | Letsatsi pele ga maloba. | 3 days ago |
Maloba | Letsatsi pele ga maabane. | Day before yesterday |
Maabane | Letsatsi pele ga kajeno. | Yesterday |
Kgantele | Nako e e fetileng kgotsa e e tlaa tlang, mo letsatsing la gompieno. | Earlier or later today |
Jaanong/Jaana/Jale | Mo sebakeng sone se. | Now |
Isago/Bokamoso | Nako e e tla tlang. | In future |
Ka moso/mo mosong | Mo maphakeleng | In the morning |
Kamoso | Letsatsi morago ga kajeno. | Tomorrow |
Kamoso o mongwe | Letsatsi morago ga kamoso. | Day after tomorrow |
Beke/Tshipi e e tlang | Morago ga malatsi a le supa a a fetileng. | Next week |
Monongwaga | Mo ngwageng o re mo go one. | This year |
Motlha | Sebaka sengwe, se se sa papamalang. | An undefined epoch |