Word of the Day [08 Jun 2025]
Rha
Rha
Pronounced (ggggaaah); is a Khoikhoi word for “plenty” or “enough”. Used in Xhosa as a term for “That’s enough”often in anger and sometimes in disgust hence mistaken for “ew”.
In Khoikhoi: There is a river in the Eastern Cape called Birha. Bi is milk, and rha is plenty. Hence “a place of milk”. Another use is in the Xhosa chief Gambushe’s nickname: Rharhabe meaning “Minister of Plenty”.
In Xhosa it varies:
In a Dismissal Manner
Someone: I’m going to out race you.
Me: Rha! That would be the day.
To stop a child who is hitting another child a parent could say “Stop it. Rha! That’s enough”
In a Disgusting Manner
When a child see poop usually they used to say “Rha! Poo”
When people hear, smells, or see a disgusting thing they can say “Rha!”
In an Elated Manner
A person recounting an exciting moment of thriumph can say “Rha! I out did myself”
Feeling pretty? “Rha! I’m beautiful”
clever black
A sarcastic phrase used to describe a black person who thinks he is smart but whose actions perpetuate the oppression black people. Sometimes black thieving leaders and their supporters use it to try to embarrass black opponents.
Example 1
Guy 1: What happened to that radical student leader, Tshepo?
Guy 2: He became a kleva black after getting a nice job in government.
Example 2
Thieving leader: We can't take this country forward because clever blacks are blocking our efforts.
Family Bars
Family bars are what the skrr skrr generation calls clan names (izithakazelo).
Man, I wish I knew how to recite my Family Bars.