Mebala – Colours and Patterns in Setswana
The Setswana word for colours is mebala. However, mebala does not directly translate to colours, as it also means colour patterns. In particular, when talking about animal hides. Mebala is the plural for mmala (contracted from mobala – see discussion under Class 1 and Class 3 of Noun Classes). Most names of colours and colour patterns are gender-specific in Setswana. The masculine form is the default version, and is also used to refer to genderless objects, such as soil, trees,…