There are other words that could stand in for the title: imihawu and izinzwelo are two examples. But let’s stick with imizwa for now.
On this page you will find different sections for different sets of emotions. If you think that words for emotions are simple in any way, then you should try going deeper into other languages – this is a good page for the start of your journey ngesiZulu.
I will be posting and updating this page periodically, as I explore the different linguistic ways that emotions are expressed ngesiZulu.
First: Anger.
There are 58 different terms that express something related to the English ‘anger’ or ‘angry’.
Have a look at the following table to see nouns that are associated with anger
| which noun class? | what is the word? | what are the connotations of the word? |
| nouns for people | 1. ingqanga: an irritable person 2. idangadanga: a man with strong self-control, one who holds his anger in check 3. isinqawunqawu: a quick-tempered person 4. isififane: someone who is angry and indifferent or callous 5. isifuqa: an angry, surly person 6. uhhabe: a person who constantly flares up and shouts angrily 7. iphuphuphu: a person who easily flares up into anger | 1. ukuthi ngqa: to look someone straight in the face; to be bright or brilliant; to finish something off a stroke 2. ukuthi danga: [obsolete ideophone] to boil inwardly 3. ukuthi nqawu: to peck something in anger; to be violently or hastily angry isinqawunqawu is also a word for a ‘stinging, irritating substance’ like mustard or nettles. 4. ukufifa: be enraged; be indifferent or callous ukuthi fi: screwing up the eyes, which makes things indistinct (-lufifi) 5. ukuthi fuqa: throwing something down heavily; carrying something heavy; leaving something alone 6. hhabe! is an interjection denoting ‘reproving surprise’ [OMG! WTF?] 7. the word has connotations of frothiness ukuthi phu: of groping blindly; of stinking unpleasantly; of driving away; of throwing water; of frothing or overflowing |
| simple solid noun | umngqanga: anger | ukuthi ngqa: see the entry above |
| complex fluid nouns | 1. udude: the cause of anger, excitement or any feeling 2. ufifane: irascibility, anger, indifference and callousness 3. ulaka: temper, anger, wildness | 1. ukududa: to flatter, indulge, humour, spoil or make conceited; to excite passions or rouse anger udude also means ‘inspiration’ 2. Same as isififane above 3. ukuthi laka: to hang loose or swing side to side; to walk with a swing from side to side; to glimmer faintly ilaka: the uvula or soft palate |
| complex solid nouns | 1. isifuqu: a fit of anger 2. isixungo: a disturbing factor, a cause of ill-feeling 3. isizozo: hurt or wounded feelings 4. isishi: unsociable humour or bad temper 5. isithukutheli: an angry or excited person; someone who is easily annoyed | 1. ukuthi fuqu: to puff out smoke; indicating annoyance, ill-temper, nervous irritability ukufuquza: to pulsate 2. ukuxunga: disturb, upset, irritate, cause ill-feeling 3. ukuthi zozo: rising up in size or anger; becoming overpowering uzozo: an ulcer 4. ukuthi shi: fullness; sinking or being buried; anger 5. ukuthukuthela: to get angry |
| simple fluid nouns | 1. amaganga: intense heat of anger or desire 2. igwebu: anger 3. ilukuluku: sudden rise of temper or emotion | 1. the word also means ‘small koppies in a landscape’ and ‘ardent passions’ ukuganga: to be naughty or play tricks ukuthi ganga: exposure to sun, air or view; collapsing or fainting 2. the word also means ‘a bubble of soap or froth’ or ‘the scum on a boiling liquid’ ukuthi gwebu: slipping aside, shifting position; peeling off ukugweba: round up livestock; rip at something; pass judgement; scrape clean 3. ukuthi luku: rising up and down, heaving like masses of fire, water, smoke or an emotion; tossing; moving in a mass |
| seasonal nouns | 1. ingongomela: uproar and noise of anger like a great fire 2. ingqushumbana: a fit of anger or momentary displeasure 3. inqumbo: anger 4. intukuthelo: anger or wrath | 1. ukuthi gongo: striking something with a mallet; contractions of the muscles characterised by drawing up of the limbs 2. the word also means ‘a stout, round-bellied person’ or ‘a big, protruding belly’ this word is a diminutive, and the larger version (ingqushumba) denotes ‘a momentary feeling of displeasure’ 3. ukuqumba: to swell; to be swollen; to be flatulent; to sulk; to thrown something down heavily; to be constipated 4. ukuthukuthela: be angry, annoyed, excited; be spirited or earnestr; prosper or give good results ukuthi thuku: of prodding, poking, thrusting, tunnelling like a mole; of concealment; of loosening suddenly |
In addition to these 23 nouns relating to anger, there are a considerable number of verbs and ideophones (35!) describing angry actions. Have a look at the following table to see them.
| what is the initial letter? | what is the verb? | what are its derivation and connotations? |
| D | 1. ukudlunga: to rage furiously, in talk and actions 2. ukududa: to make someone angry | 1. ukuthi dlu: penetrating, diving into; being surrounded; oozing, suppurating 2. the word also denotes inspiration or making someone passionate |
| F | 1. ukufifa: be enraged or indifferent; enrage someone 2. ukufuqa: be angry, vexed; fume 3. ukufuquka: be annoyed or become angry; lose temper; be nervously irritable | 1. ukuthi fi: screwing up the eyes, which makes things indistinct (-lufifi) 2. ukuthi fu: flinging something down; bringing to the boil; half-cooking; stripping off thatch; puffing or blowing ukuthi fuqa: throwing down hastily; lifting a heavy load; leaving alone 3. this is also derived from the ideophones in 2, but ukufuquka also denotes ‘belching out smoke’ or ‘rising up like smoke or a dust-devil’ |
| G | 1. ukugava: to talk unrestrainedly in anger 2. ukugqamuka: flare up suddenly in anger 3. ukugwangqama: get angered, roused or startled | 1. connotations of gossip, scandal, having no fixed price. ukuthi gavu: gossiping or chattering 2. ukuthi gqamu: sudden flaring of flame, blazing up 3. also ukugwanqama, ukugwaqama ukuthi gwangqa: rattling, shaking; attempting to elicit information; rousing or startling |
| H | 1. ukuhlukuluza: anger or annoy someone 2. ukuhlukumeza: give a shock that angers or offends someone | ukuthi hluku: shaking, jolting, rattling 1. connotations of jolting someone 2. connotations of abuse and pushing around |
| K | 1. ukukhuhluka: to pout with anger 2. ukukhukhumala: to swell, expand, be inflated or puffed up with anger (or pride) 3. ukuthi klwe: of becoming red with anger | 1. ukuthi khuhlu: shaking; weighing heavily; swelling abnormally 2. connotations of rising like bread. ukuthi khukhu: sweeping, scraping clear; swelling, expanding, puffing up; going or taking stealthily away 3. connotations of scratching a line or something beginning to ripen |
| L | 1. ukuthi laka: ideophone of anger 2. ukulakaza: show anger 3. ukulavuzela: to tremble with anger; to boil with rage 4. ukulekeza: tremble with anger or fear 5. ukuthi lingo: of anger and heat 6. ukuthi luku: of rising up and down, heaving like masses of fire or water, or smoke, or as an emotional feeling like anger | 1. connotations include: hanging loose and swinging; walking with a swinging gait from side to side; a faint glimmer 2. derived from the ideophone laka 3. connotations of the verb include: being burning hot; being red hot; talking blatant lies ukuthi lavu: scorching heat, burning 4. connotations of the verb include: shivering with cold; making one’s debut; eating a single piece or taking a taste of something ukuthi leke: first appearance or utterance; shivering or trembling; nagging or scolding 5. connotations of the ideophone include: pulsating breathing; sobbing; flickering out 6. connotations of the ideophone include: tossing; moving in a mass |
| N | 1. ukungqangqa: tremble with anger 2. ukunqawuza: peck violently, as in anger; get violently angry; lose one’s temper 3. ukuthi nqawu: lose one’s temper | 1. ukuthi ngqa: looking straight in the face; seeing someone for the first time; brightness, brilliance; finishing something off at a single stroke 2. & 3. ukuthi nqawu: pecking in anger violent or hasty anger or temper |
| P | ukupeketula: revile someone unrestrainedly while angry | ukuthi peketu: to frisk or run about unrestrainedly the verb also has connotations of publishing shameful affairs (which should be kept hidden) openly |
| Q | ukuquphula: show anger against one among others, in a discriminatory way | ukuqupha: to pinch together the fingertips as though pulling out weeds or selecting something for elimination |
| S | 1. ukuthi shi: ideophone of anger 2. ukushingiphala: to turn away in anger, indignation or disgust 3. ukushingizela: go on in a bold, angry, heedless manner 4. ukusinaza: to show the teeth in anger, to snarl 5. ukuthi swaca: frowning with anger or other emotion | 1. connotations of the ideophone include: fullness; sinking or being buried 2.& 3. ukuthi shingi: turning around, turning the back on someone 4. ukuthi sina: showing the teeth; snarling; turning up the lip; making something jagged or serrated; denting the edge of something; scolding someone 5. connotations of the ideophone: tying tightly; disappearing around a corner; finishing something off completely, bringing something to an end |
| T | ukuthukuthela: get angry at someone; be angry or excited or annoyed | ukuthi thuku: prodding, poking, thrusting; tunnelling; concealment; loosening suddenly |
| V | 1. ukuthi vubu: provoking or exciting anger 2. ukuvubula: provoke or excite to action | connotations of the ideophone: welling up, rising like water pushed up by something underneath |
| X | 1. ukuxhukuza: enrage, irritate, make angry, anger 2. ukuxunga: disturb, upset, irritate, cause ill-feeling | 1. ukuthi xhuku: protruding mouth and lips when angry 2. cognate words include isixungabantu (a sedition-monger), ixungebe (a mischief-maker or disturber of the peace) and ukuxungazela (befoul, muddy or discolour something) |
| Z | ukuthi zozo: to rise up in anger | connotations of the ideophone include: strutting about on stilts; weeping like an ulcer |
What do you notice about these words? What images come up the most often?
Second: Joy.
41 different words here! watch this space.
| which noun class? | what is the word? | what are the connotations of the word? |
| nouns for people | idela: a happy, careless person | ukudela: to be satisfied, to have sufficient, have enough of something |
| simple solid noun | 1. umhumheko: rapture, passionate joy 2. umesaso: joy, excited happiness, excitement 3. umenanelo: a rejoicing | 1. ukuhumheka: be attracted, enticed, enraptured 2. ukwesasa: be happy, excited, joyful; frolic; exult 3. ukwenanela: show delight, rejoice over something, cheer connotation of ‘exchanging’ or ‘compensating’ |
| essence / abstract nouns | 1. ubudlanyazi: hooliganism, excessive joy 2. ubomi: happiness, enjoyment, prosperity | 1. idlanyazi: a person who cares for nothing, a rude person or daredevil ukudlanyaza: to be rude or lack manners 2. connotations of the noun: taste or flavour of meat that has hung for some time; the young of bees |
| complex solid nouns | isenanelo: a shout of joy or applause, a cheer | ukwenanela: show delight, rejoice over, cheer |
| simple fluid nouns | 1. ithabelo: approval, delight, great joy 2. icobo: thrilling joy, overpowering gladness | 1. ukuthabela: be delighted for someone; be satisfied with someone or something; be in a good mood towards someone; challenge someone playfully 2. ukuthi cobo: an ideophone denoting self-conscious joy or nervous pelasure ukucoba: to cause someone to laugh uncontrollably or to shriek with laughter connotations: enrvate, weary, cause lassitude; mince something finely |
| seasonal nouns | 1. intokozo: delight, joy, enjoyment 2. injabulo: delight, happiness, pleasure, joy | 1. ukuthokoza: be grateful, thankful; be happy or glad; express delight; enjoy good health; praise or express gratitude; enjoy something ukuthokomala: be snug, comfortable, cosy ukuthokela: improve something by seasoning it 2. ukujabula: rejoice, be happy, glad, joyful or delighted |
Then there are also numerous verbs, ideophones and interjections indicating the action of happiness!
| what is the initial letter? | what is the verb? | what are its derivation and connotations? |
| B | ukubhensa: to display feelings of joy (as at weddings or welcomes) | verb connotations include: showing off, being puffed up with pride being wasteful or extravagant with food bending inwards or being curved (especially the back) |
| C | 1. ukuchayiya: be excited, show uncontrolled joy 2. ukuchipatheka: be happy 3. ukuthi cobo: ideophone of self-conscious joy or nervous pleasure 4. ukucobozela: experience overpowering joy | 1. connotations: be unrestrained or uncontrolled ukuchaya: slice into strips, tear to shreds; spread ot to dry; make long body incisions; expose or slander 2. connotations: be haughty, proud or stuck up 3. connotations: uncontrolled laughter, filling a dagga-pipe 4. from cobo, above |
| E | 1. ukwenama: to be happy, contented; be in a blissful or exhilarated state; be pleased or complacent or glad 2. ukwesasa: to be happy, excited, joyful; to frolic or exult 3. ukwenanela: show delight, rejoice over something, cheer 4. ukwenanezela: cheer or shout for joy 5. ukwethaba: be satisfied, glad, pleased or delighted | 1. unknown connotations 2. unknown connotations 3. & 4. connotations: echoing, exchanging, applause 5. unknown connotations |
| G | 1. ukugenama: be happy, joyous or gleeful 2. ukugcwigcwiza: to hop about with joy; to make sounds of joy 3. ukuthi gcwi: ideophone denoting sounds of happiness | 1. connotations: lie comfortably with face upward deny knowledge of a fact in a lawsuit of which one is expected to be aware 2. & 3 connotations: bubbling and fermenting sound of frogs in early spring |
| H | ukuhhayiya: to shout or dance with joy; to cheer; to be excited | hhayi! is an interjection of negation, strong dissent or denial, meaning ‘no!’ |
| I | iwu! an interjection of happy surprise | also an interjection of alarm |
| J | 1. ukujabula: to rejoice, be happy, be glad or joyful or delighted 2. ukujaja: rejoice, be happy 3. jii! an interjection of joy and satisfaction 4. jiji! an interjection of joy | 1. connotations: reversive form of ukujabha, denoting disappointment or shame 2. connotations: be in a fresh or healthy condition; feel vigorous 3. also an interjection of triumph in killing someone in battle 4. no known connotations |
| K | 1. ukuthi klalakasha: ideophone of a happy, peaceful state of mind 2. ukuthi kikikii: ideophone denoting women uttering shrill cries of pleasure also ukukikiliza; ukukikiza 3. ukukokomala: be excitedly happy | 1. ukuthi kla: mouth-watering; pleasant taste; agreeable appearance; shrill voice or noise 2. onomatopoeic 3. connotations: stooping, hanging over walking with curved arms walking haughtily |
| L | ukuthi lilili: ideophone of shrill cries of joy also ukulilizela | onomatopoeic |
| M | ukuthi manya: ideophone of emotions of quiet joy ukumanyazela: show a flash of emotion of joy | |
| N | ngcingci! nababa! ukunqenama ukuncinca ukuthi nci ukuncincitha ukuba nhliziyomhlophe ukuncemula | |
| Q | qhibugele! qhibukhowe! | |
| S | sikiyeshe! | |
| W | wu! | |
| Y | yeshe! |