Figurative Language in Setswana (3): Dithamalakane [Riddles]

Figurative Language in Setswana (3): Dithamalakane [Riddles]

[ENG] Figurative and poetic language in Setswana includes a large set of predefined riddles, known as “dithamalakane” [singular: thamalakane]. Below are several, together with their explanations.

LELEPATHANOLO
1Ka kgwarinya lobota,badimo batla ba ntshetse morago.Ditlhase
2Baloi ba mminamitlwanengMarothodi a pula
3Bana ba a bina mme mmabo ga a bineSetlhare le makala a sona mo phefong
4Basimane ba ba tlholang ba lelekane mme ba sa tshwaraneMaotwana a koloi
5Bosumane wa go swela tselengSelei
6Buruburu, rradijaseSetlhong
7Dikgomo tse di tshwaana, tse di poo khonou.Meno le loleme
8Dinonyane tsa masela kgakala, megatla e le tshwagongMatlho
9Ditloo tse pedi tse di mo pitsengMatlho
10Ditlou di bolola ka mophato bosigo mme bontsi ga bo di bone.Baloi
11E nkoto e nne e jele e nkoto pedi mo go e nkoto e tharoNtsa e jetse koko mo pitseng
12Go nna ga ntsanyana ya tshipi ke go kanamaKeetane
13Golo fano re lekantswe re apere kobo ya tholo mmogo.Moriri
14Ka anega bosane ntle, ya re ke tsoga, ka fitlhela ba seyo.Dinaledi
15Ka di latlhela makgabaneng tsa tla di mphulere.Molora wa leiso
16Ka itaya mpipi, mpipi a gana go tswa lebadiMetsi
17Ka itaya mpipi, mpipi a tswa lebadiDiretse
18Ka kopana le monnamogolo, yare a mpona a tsenya tlhogoKhudu
19Ka lapa, a salaTsela
20Ka mmotsa dikgang ke didimetseGo bala
21Ka mo gata a omana.Matlhare a a omeletseng
22Ka o tshela maokeng, wa boa wa mpharafelaMolora
23Ka re ke tshwara ngwana, ngwana a gana.Metsi
24Ka thothora boupi kaja kgetsiMogodu
25Ka tlhatlega ka e kana, ka bo ka khurumela ka e kanaLefatshe le loapi
26Ka tlhotlhora boupi kaja kgetse.Mogodu
27Ke ale a bopepeltse, Matebele.Ditshoswane
28Ke golegile koloi; dikgomo di a tsamaya, yone e eme.Noka
29Ke lepelela modubeng, ka re: “Rra Nthuta pula”Pula
30Ke sale ke kgwathisa basimane maloba, le gompieno ba ntse ba kgwathile fela.Ditlhomeso
31Ke sale ke roma mosimane, le gompieno ga a ise a bowe.Leromo
32Kgomo e khunwana ya tlhaba e tshwana, e tshwana
ya thaba e tshwaana, e tshwaana ya thaga
lesaka.
Molelo, pitsa le mashi
33Kgomo e tswa Engelane, e tshologa sebodu ka tlhogoKerese
34Kgomo ya etsho ya wela bodibeng, ka sala ke e tshwere ka mogatla.Sego
35Kgomola lodi o je kotaNchwe
36Khukhwane khukhu e morwalo o thataPinagare
37Koko ya poo, selela ka mogatlaSeme
38Kotana tshweu sewelawela melapong baprista ba e bitsa komaLefulo la metsi ha noka e tlhatsa
39Lephutshe le le fa gare ga tshimo.Ngwedi
40Letebele le le kwa ga mmago, le kwa ga mme le teng.Pitsa
41Letlharapa le le kgobokanelwang ke dinonyane tsotlhe.Kgosi
42Mo ke leng teng ga se tlhokagaleNtshi
43Modimo wa nko e e metsiKgomo
44Monna wa phakela a le fa, ditedu ke nama, molomo ke lerapo.Mokoko
45Monna yo e reng a le monnye o bo o sa mo rate, e re a gola a bo a phimogaLerotse
46Monna yo moleele, mosugadinakediMosi
47Monna yo o humang bosigo, motshegare a humanega.Losaka
48Motho ke yo ga a ke a tlogela go ntshala morago.Moriti
49Motshedi o belege moswi, moswi o belege motshedi.Pitse, sale, le motho
50Nnoi o o theka lesesaneMoruthwane/mofu
51Nonyane e tshweu, mmamoleane.Mashi
52Ntlo e e dikgoro tse pedi e e sa nkeng di tswalwa.Nko
53Ntlo e tshweu e e senang lebatiLee
54Photi e e tshabelang ntlheng e le nngwefela.Lebati
55Pitsana e nnye e e kgorwang ke botlhe.Boroko
56Podi ya pholo sefula le dipotsane.Ngwedi le dinaledi
57Pota ka foo re bolaye kgano.Ditsebe
58Pula di na matsorotsoro nkgwana ya poru ga e tlaleMotlhoboloko
59Rre o makgasa mme borotho ke a bo ja.Borokhu
60Sa re kgwatlha mosimeng sa ruta podi matsebaMolodi
61Sa re nyedi sa re tseke.Legadima
62Sa re thathatha sa roba kgong tsa mafatlhaTladi
63Se le bonnyennye bo kana, botlhale se bo tsaya kae?Ditaola/Bola
64Se le bonnyennye bo kana, molapo se o tlola jang?Segogwane
65Se le bonnyennye bo kana, tlatlana se e loga jang?Segokgo
66Se re Kagari! ntsweng, bomhele ba tla ba sianeDintsa di atumela fa pitsa e falwa
67Se se mo kotswaneng, se se se keng se fela.Boroko
68Se se na molomo, metsi se a tsaya kae?Legapu
69Selo se se mo kokong ka kwa morago, mo mothong se kwa peleLengole
70Setlhare se se fulwang ke batho botlheMabele
71Tilodi ya dikgwa tse.Nakedi
72Tiri-tiri, nonyane ya kgosi.Pula
73Tshetlha ya dikgwa tse.Tau
74Tshwene kotama bana ba tshege.Pitsa e tsholwa
75Ya tloga e le nosi, ya boa e ntsifetsePeo