
Phatwe (August in Setswana)
[ENG] The Setswana name for August is Phatwe. The eighth month of the Gregorian Calendar (August/Phatwe) is also the twelfth month of the traditional Tswana lunar calendar, whose year starts with the onset on the agricultural season in August/September (Lwetse). In fact, it gets more complicated than that, since because the 12-month lunar year inevitably falls out of alignment with the seasons, and therefore the beginning of the planting season will not occur at exactly the same time each solar cycle. According to some pundits, this is what resulted in the addition of a 13th month (Morule) every several years, to correct te alignment of the months with the seasons. The discussion about this 13th month will be included in the “Morule [Undecimber] – the 13th Month ” post.
The Setswana name for August is Phatwe which, similar to that of July (Phukwi), does not readily make sense to a person who does not posses a deeper understanding of both Setswana vocabulary and natural phenomena. Of cause, there are different etymology theories about the true origins of the word phatwe, but one that seems to hold more traction is the attribution of the damage done by strong winds which are common at this time of the year.
Apparently, as the strong winds bombard the dry and brittle trees (due to the preceding winter conditions), there is a tendency for the wind to break and split the trees, rendering them “cleft in twain”, as our esteemed Mr Shakespeare would put it. This splitting is called “go phatlola” or “go dira maphatlo”, and the stem of this word “phatlo” is then onomatopoeised to phatwe! Hence Phatwe as the name of the month.
The period between late July and late September has become a subject of much debate, as there are no written records from pre-colonial times, and this is the time that has been assigned the season name Dikgakologo [Spring], which appears to have not existed in old traditions.
The problem is there seems to be a disparity in the definition of “the new year”, which was originally all agreed to mean ‘the end of winter [mariga]/beginning of summer [selemo]’, which occurred at the same time – so it made no difference which definition you chose. However, with the introduction of Spring, a gap was created between the two, resulting in some people holding to the notion that Phukwi is the last month of the year (as it is the last month of winter), while others insist that Lwetse [September] is the first month of the year, as it is the first month of summer. This makes things rather awkward for poor Phatwe [August].
Phatwe is therefore seen as the last month of the year, or the first month – depending on which interpretation of “new year” you prefer. Personally, I am content with starting my year with the tumultuous Lwetse [September], which we shall read about next month.
One may also be reminded of the Morule phenomenon and wonder if this then therefore makes Phatwe potentially the 13th month. Well, in a manner of assigning ordinal positions to the months, yes, during “Tswana leap years” this may appear to be the case. However, one must remember that Morule is actually the one which is the thirteenth, since many years run their cause without it.
Phatwe generally has the highest temperature fluctuations, and these can be observed over each daily cycle. The nights can be very cold (even from as early as dusk), while the daytime temperatures may sometimes rival those of any mid-summer day. This makes Phatwe one of the most awkward times for preparing for a one-day trip, in that you may need both winter and summer clothes, and unless you have them packed in a bag, you may look ridiculous in your hot sweater during the 30°C afternoon heat, but equally ridiculous feeling cold at night because you left it behind.
Read more about the seasons on Dipaka [Seasons] and about the months on Dikgwedi [Months].
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[TSN] Kgwedi ya borobedi ya ngwaga wa moalo wa “Gregorian Calendar” ke ya bosome-le-bobedi ka moalo wa Setswana sa Maloba. Ngwaga o wa Setswana sa pele o ne o simolola ka kgwedi ya Lwetse fa go ipaakanyediwa temo. Marara a kgang e a okediwa ke go re jaaka dikgwedi tsa Setswana di ne di balwa ka motsamao wa ngwedi, e ne e re morago ga dingwaga di le mmalwa, dikgwedi di bo di sa tlhole di lebagane sentle le dipaka tsa ngwaga. Go tila se, gatwe go ne ga tlhangwa kgwedi ya bo lesome-le-boraro, e e bidiwang Morule, e e neng e kgona go tlodisa dingwaga di le mmalwa e sa balwe. Polelwana ka kgwedi e re ka e bona fa tsebeng ya “Morule [Undecimber] – the 13th Month ”.
Leina “Phatwe” ga se le le tlalogenyegang motlhofo jaaka la Seetebosigo, ka lone le tlhoka gore motho a bo a na le kitso e e fa godingwana ka ditiragalo tsa tlholego, mmogo le khumo ya mafoko a Setswana e e nonneng. Fa go dimo ga moo, go na le dinaane tse di farologanyeng tse di lekang go tlhalosa theo ya leina Phatwe; mme mo go tsone, e go lebegang e dumalanwa ke batho ba le bantsi ke e e amanang le tshenyao e e dirwang to diphefo tse di mashetla tse di atisitseng go re etela mo pakeng e ya ngwaga.
Go bolelwa fa diphefo tse di na le go fekeetsa ditlhare tse di seteng di omeleditswe ke letlhoko la metsi le serame sa mariga, ka jalo di bo di phatloga. Go phatloga mo ke gone mo go tsalang leitsisi phatwe! Leetsisi le le bo le fetoga leina la kgwedi.
Jaanong, re tla lemoga gore sebaka sa dikgwedi fa gereng ga Phukwi le Lwetswe ke sesosa sa dingangisayo fa gare ga bomankge ba teme ya Setswana, ka e le sone sebaka se se neetsweng leina la paka ya Dikgakologo [Spring], e e neng e seyo mo dipakeng tsa ngwaga fa di ne di buiwa ke Motswana wa pele.
Kgang-kgolo ke gore ga go dumalanwe gore tlhaloso ya “tshimologo ya ngwaga” ke eng, ka go simologile fela e le ‘phelelo ya mariga/tshimologo ya selemo’. Mme fa paka ya dikgakologo e tlhangwa fa gare ga mariga le selemo, go bo go raya gore jaanong phelelo ya mariga ga e sa tlho e le nako e ele nngwe le tshimololo ya selemo. Se sa dira gore go nne le ba ba reng Phukwi ke ene kgwedi ya bofelo ya ngwaga (ka e le yone ya bofelo ya mariga), fa ba bangwe bone ba re ngwaga o simolola ka Lwetse, ka e le ene kgwedi ya ntlha ya selemo. Se jaanong se baya Phatwe [August] ka fa mosing.
Ka jalo, go na le ba ba reng Phatwe ke kgwedi ya ntlha ya ngwaga, le ba ba reng ke ya bofelo. Nna ke dumalana le ba ba reng ke ya bofelo, ka jaanong re kgona go lebaganya tshimologo ya ngwaga sentle le kgwedi e e matsubutsubu ya Lwetse, ka e le yone e gantsi letsema le bidiwang ka yone.
Phatwe gape ke kgwedi e mo go yone mogote wa loapi o kgonang fo fetoga thata mo letsatsing le le lengwe. Gantsi go nna serame se se ka tshwanang le sa mariga bosigo, mme go nne mogote wa selemo motshegare. Go tlhopha diaparo tse o tsamayang ka tsone mo mosepeleng wa letsatsi go kgona go jesa tlhogo, ka tse di bothitho e nna kgomo ya moshate – fa o tsamaya ka tsone, o kgona go bolawa ke mogote wa motshegare, mme gape fa o sa di tseye o ka bolawa ke serame bosigo.
Bala ka dipaka tsa ngwaga mo Dipaka [Seasons] le ka dikgwedi mo Dikgwedi [Months].
https://presenter.jivrus.com/p/10AYye4CpD7lp0mUcwOoQBSC05DDfrdfpMOnn9MGxPBU