Indulgences

1. Umqombothi

   Umqombothi (home-brewed traditional beer)

   Usage

   Utshwala besiZulu (Zulu beer), handmade at home with ushukela (sugar), impuphu (maize meal) and imithombo (malt), over an outdoor wood fire rather than a stove. Low in alcohol, but it is alcohol. Cloudy and sour, usually shared from a large vessel. Brewed even without a household occasion and often sold for income.

   Grammar Note

   An um- noun with the possessive wa-. The subject concord is u-. Examples: uMqombothi wenziwa; uMqombothi wakho ubile.

2. Utshwala

   Alcohol (the general word; also traditional beer)

   Usage

   Means both alcohol and traditional beer. Use it to check whether something contains alcohol: "Ninezinto ezingenawo utshwala?" (Do you have anything without alcohol?). Utshwala besiZulu narrows it to traditional beer such as umqombothi.

   Grammar Note

   A class 14 noun. An abstract noun with no plural. The subject concord is bu-. Examples: Utshwala buyisiphuzo.

3. Ugologo

   Spirits, hard liquor

   Usage

   The word for spirits or strong liquor, as opposed to beer or wine. Distinguish it from utshwala (alcohol in general) when checking the strength.

   Grammar Note

   A class 1a noun. The plural is class 2a ogologo.

4. Ugwayi

   Tobacco; a cigarette

   Usage

   Means both tobacco and cigarette, covering the leaf and the cigarette alike. Indoor public spaces in South Africa are generally non-smoking, so check where smoking is allowed first.

   Grammar Note

   A class 1a noun.

5. Ukhamba

   Ukhamba (the clay pot beer and amasi are served from)

   Usage

   A round vessel for utshwala, made by shaping ubumba (clay) round and firing it hard; also used for amasi. A large one is imbiza, a small one umancishana. It may be handed to you as a shared drinking vessel.

   Grammar Note

   A class 11 noun. The plural is class 10 izinkamba. Kh changes to nk in the plural; it is not izikhamba.

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