Barakat:
Is the Arabic word for "blessings" - In everyday Kaaps, it means something you take home from a gathering, like "leftovers."
Dala'ed/Dala'ing:
Past and continuous forms of dala.
Die Ghiff:
Local nickname for a settlement of shacks by the Pniel graveyard. Ghiff echoes "gif" (poison), often with stigma attached.
Ko ôs Dala:
"Let us do (what we must)", a communal call to action.
Kop skiet:
"To have another drink of alcohol the morning after drinking", which is believed to help cure a hangover.
Duk:
Means "thick" - this could signify someone's weight or being full/bloated, or you could say, "I am duk mad, right now."
Giemba:
Means being a big "eater" or being a big eater for a specific type of food or cuisine.
Hoosa, kap 'n bart:
Colloquial meaning: "to share" or "speak your mind."
Hou gou vas da:
"Wait a moment."
Hou soute:
To stand guard.
Is da iets virri pot:
"Is there something for the pot?" - asking for a contribution to food/a meal.
Looking for shine:
Not doing something with pure intentions. Awaiting "recognition" or "acknowledgement/saving face."
Mang (ed):
The Kaaps phrase for "serving" a sentence in jail.
Minute vi jo:
Shows "irritation" with something that had been done or said.
Moeti nog vi jou ytgie nie:
Don't "pretend" you are better than others, or not to "overexplain" yourself when faced with confrontation.
Môre maak jy 'n way:
"Tomorrow you will make a plan" - you will find a way to cope or sort something out.
Nwatas:
The Kaaps phrase for "inaccuracy" or "frustration." - i.e, "this is a whole bunch of nwatas" or "I have been waiting in this line for hours, this is nwatas."
Nutec:
Prefabricated wooden/fibre-board house structure; cheaper backyard housing in SA.
Piemp:
To tell on someone - "to tattletail."
Pootjies:
Chicken feet, often sold as a snack.
Seker ʼn voorkind:
A child born out of wedlock or from a previous marriage.
Sissies met hare op jou tande:
Literally, "sissies with hair on your teeth." - extremely patient or tough.
Slat:
Translates to "slap" - but in Kaaps, it means "amazing." i.e, "A coffee would slat right now."
Slangetjiekos:
The Kaaps phrase for spaghetti bolognese.
Stay Wys:
Means to "stay aware", or not to be taken for a joke.
Sturvey:
Often used towards Coloured women, who present as boujee/uppity.
Tjaila:
To leave a gathering, but most commonly used as a phrase when one knocks off work.
Deuri Tjat Ma Os Wys Duime:
Deuri (through) - Tjat (difficult or moody) - Ma (but) - Os (we) - Wys (show) - Duime (thumbs). The phrase as a whole means; things are tough, but we keep showing up and showing solidarity.
Turn yt:
A Kaaps term often used around Christmas, meaning to spring clean.
Water slams/slamse
Colloquial for "watered down Muslims"; people who still identify as Muslim, but consume alcohol, or eat non-halal products, or ignore key religious rules (as per the deen), yet remain culturally Muslim.
Ytti mag yt:
The Kaaps phrase for ravenous.