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.
[TSN] Metsi ke karolo e e botlhokwa thata mo botshelong ja Motswana, bogolo jang ka re tshelelela mo letshisthing la sekaka se se kaiwang e le sa bobedi ka bogolo le borataro ka botona mo lefatsheng, sa Kgalagadi (mme se itsege thata ka “Kalahari”). Lefoko Kgalagadi le bopilwe ka kgala+gadi (go kgala mo go ntsi thata).
Re kgona go lemoga lorato le Batswana ba nang nalo mo metsing ka go bona jaaka ledume le le tona la Batswana e leng “Pula!”. Lefoko Pula le dirisiwa gape e le madume le sekano sa tšhaba ya Botswana, ebile ke leina la madi a yone.
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/]