Metsi le Pula [Water and Rain]

Metsi le Pula [Water and Rain]

[ENG] Water is a very key element of Setswana culture, given especially that they live on the periphery of the second oldest and sixth largest desert in the world, the Kalahari (Kgalagadi in Setswana – which literally means ‘the great drying up’). Water is so esteemed to the Tswana people that their traditional salute and expression of well wishing is Pula! [rain]. “Pula!” is used in formal gatherings, and has been adopted is both the national motto of the modern state of Botswana and its currency unit.

In this section we look at different manifestations of water and rain, and what they are called in Setswana. This ranges from states of water/precipitation to natural and man-made bodies of water.

Mo tsebeng e, re lebile maina a tsotlhe tse di amanang le metsi le pula.

Table 1: States of Water & Weather Phenomena

Leina la Setswana Tlhaloso English Name
Dikgapetlana tsa metsi Metsi a a gatsetseng thata a ntse thata jaaka matlapa. Ice
Kapoko/Semathana/Segagane Dikgapetlana tsa metsi tse dinnye thata mo di lebegang jaaka boupi. Snow
Khawa/Monyo Metsi a a ikgobokanyang mo ditlhageng bosigo, a bo a bonala phakela. Dew
Sefokabolea Monyo/Khawa o o gatsetseng Frozen dew
Mouwane Leru le le gaufi thata kgotsa le kgoma lefatshe, le le bopegang fa go le serame. Mist/fog

Table 2: Next to the Water

Leina la Setswana Tlhaloso English Name
Ledibogo/Letsibogo Makgabaganyo a noka a tlholego Ford
Lepapa Lefelo le le sa tlhogeng tlhaga mme le tshabelelwa ke go nna makwakwa thata fa le kgadile metsi. Mudflat
Letshitshi Fa thoko ga noka/letsha/lewatle Bank
Sekidi/Setlhakatlhake Lefatshe le le dikaganetsweng ke metsi. Island

Table 3: The River

Leina la Setswana Tlhaloso English Name
Noka Metsi a a elang mo molapong; molapo o o nang le metsi a a elang. River
Molapo Tsela/mosele o motona dirilweng ke metsia noka e e omileng. River bed
Kgophu/Mokgatsha Nokana e e elelang mo lentsweng Stream
Moedi/Molatswana Tsela e e dirilweng ke metsi fa a fetang teng a ya nokeng Creek/brook
Bodiba/Lekadiba Khuti e e boteng e e emang metsi a a kgonang go nna borai, mo nokeng. Stream pool/pothole
Lephothophotho/Maphotlhophotlho Metsi a tlholego a a tshologelang mo matlapeng, a sa eme. Fountain
Lediba Megobe e e bapleng le noka Lagoon

Table 4: Phat Bodies of Water

Leina la Setswana Tlhaloso English Name
Lewatle Metsi a mantsintsi a a dikaganetseng mafatshe. Ocean/Sea
Makgobokgobo Ko noka e tshelang teng jaaka e ne e ka tshela mo lewatleng. Delta
Letšha Lefelo la tlholego le le tshwarang metsi a mantsi a a sa tsamayeng. Lake
Lekgadikgadi Lefelo le le letswai le le emang metsi dikgwedi, mme morago le ome go bo go sala letswai le ikadile. Salt pan
Ledutela/Lekidi/Mogobe Letangwana la tlholego le le nnang le tlhogile ditlhaga. Pond
Sedibana/Letšhana Sediba se sennye se se pumpunyegang metsi se sa etjwa Spring
Moenene Fa go lebegang jaaka metsi fa o le kgakala, mme e re o atamela, a bo a nyelela kgotsa a lebega a sutetse kwa pele. Mirage

Table 5: The Human Element

Leina la Setswana Tlhaloso English Name
Sediba Khuti e e boteng epetsweng go gelelwa metsi Borehole
Letamo/Tamo Lefelo le le itiretsweng le le tshwarang metsi a mantsi a a sa tsamayeng. Gantsi le dirwa ka go thibela metsi a noka. Dam
Mokorwana Khuti e e epilweng go kapa metsi a pula a a ka dirisiwang mo lwapeng Rainwater harvesting

Table 6: Pula!

Leina la Setswana Tlhaloso English Name
Maru Metsi a a tsamayang a ikgobokantse mo loaping, a gantsi a fetogang pula. Clouds
Maruru Maru a a thibang go le mariga a bo a tsala serame se se feteletseng. Winter clouds
Digabogabo Maru a a gasameng mo loaping Scattered clouds
Letšhuti Moriti o montsho o o dirwang ke maru a a kitlaneng. Cloud shadow
Motshe wa badimo Ditselana tse di segogoropo, tse di mebala e supa tse di kgabaganyang loapi gantsi fa letsatsi le tswa pula e sena go na. Rainbow
Marothodi Metsi a a ipopileng digongwana a bo a rotha e le one pula. Drops
Mmoholela Marothodi a pula a a mannye thata mo a nnang ekare mosi. Foggy rain
Sefako Pula e e nang le dikgapetlana tsa metsi a a gatsatseng. Hail
Logadima Lesedi le le tsekemang ka bofefo mo loaping, le tswa mo marung, gantsi fa pula e na. Le  salwa morago ke modumo o o bidiwang tladi. Lightning
Tladi Modumo o thunyang mo marung, gantsi fa pula e na. O nna o sala morago legadima. Thunder
Tladimothwana Tladi e e amanngwang le legadima le le rathang batho kgotsa diphologolo le dilwana. Lightning strike
Dikgadima Magadima a a bonalang kgapetsa-kgapetsa, gantsi mo puleng ya matlakadibe. Lightning storm
Ditladi Medumo ya tladi e e thunyang kgapetsa-kgapetsa, gantsi mo puleng ya matlakadibe. Thunder storm
Matlakadibe Pula a a nang e le ntsi mme e na le diphefo tse di mashetla, le dikgadima le ditladi. Gantsi e a tshosa, ebile e baka tshenyo. Heavy/destructive storm
Morwalela Pula e e nang thata go fitlhelela metsi a apesa lefatshe a bo a baka tshenyego ya dilwana le dikgobalo kgotsa loso mo diphologolong le batho. Flood
Lesogodi/Serudi/Go tsorotla Pula e e nang e le nsti thata, mme e sa goroge mo seemong sa go ka bidiwa morwalela. Heavy rains
Leebana Pula ya tshoganetso, e e nang ka bofefo e sa supa dikai tsa go re e etla. Morago e bo e bowa e kgaotsa ke bonako, go bo go apoga. Brief heavey rainfall
Medupe Pula e e nang ka iketlo mo lobakeng lo lo leele, le le kgonang go tsaya malatsi a le mmalwa. Pula e, ga e na magagima, ebile ga se gantsi e nna le diphefo. Constant calm [relief] rain
Mosarasarane/ Mokomakomane Pula e e nang e le nnye ka iketlo jaaka ya medupe, mme e sa ne lobaka, gape e se ntsi. Drizzle
Go shanya Fa pula e nele e le nnye thata mo nakong e khutshwane gatwe e shantse. Brief drizzle
Moroto wa letsatsi Pula e e nang letsatsi le ntse le dule. Gantsi e na e le mosarasarane o o sa tseyeng lobaka. Sunshowers
Kgogolammoko Pula ya bofelo mo ngwageng wa temo, e e nang mariga. .
Sephai/Sephailwana Pula ya ntlha mo ngwageng wa temo (ka Phatwe/Lwetse). .
Tsheola Pula e e nang fa go sena go lengwa (ka Sedimonthole). .
Mookodi Pula e e nang mo lefelong lengwe mme e sa ne mo lefelong le le mabapi. .

[Feature image source:
https://www.geoex.com/destinations/africa/botswana/]