Township “Tsotsitaal” has some interesting roots and references from Yiddish and SA Jewish business.
“Jewish,” “Beshugen” and “Katz en Lurie” are among the commonly used words in township-speak, and their origins and meanings are most interesting.
In his book Tsotsitaal: A Dictionary of the Language of Sophiatown, Professor Louis Molamu presents an interesting compendium of fascinating words, phrases and expressions which constitute the remarkably versatile lingua franca of the complex sub-culture of black urban areas in South Africa.
Some of Molamu’s entries of interest are:
JEWISH/n: Clothing. It may have derived from the fact that fashionable clothing of the day [was] bought from the shops which were owned by Jews.
BESHUGEN/adj: The term seems to have been derived from the Yiddish word “meshuggen” [sic] which means crazy, strange and nonsensical (Spalding 1969:453). It refers to silly, unconventional or eccentric behaviour. Although in its original Yiddish form it did not seem to imply a clinically diagnosed illness. The Tsotsitaal version [refers] to both mentally ill persons or those who [behave] an odd fashion. With reference to the former, it may be said ”O [he] is beshugen” meaning “The fellow is insane.”
KATZ EN LURIE/: The name of a reputable jeweller in downtown Johannesburg. The term came to be used to refer to marriage.
KATZEN LURIE?: Meaning “So, is it true that you were present when your friend married?
The book’s author is no lightweight academic. Professor Louis Molamu is the Registrar at UNISA.
His dictionary offers an excellent and readable introduction of the complex sub-culture of black urban areas in South Africa. The first part offers valuable new insights into the emergence and development of Tsotsitaal. This colourful language permeated many corners of the daily lives of people in Sophiatown and neighbouring residential areas.
In the second part, Molamu presents an interesting compendium of fascinating words, phrases and expressions which constitute the remarkably versatile lingua franca. The dictionary is meant to provide the reader with a down-to-earth grasp of a powerful medium of communication made up of elements of Afrikaans and a variety of other languages.
Many of the words are rooted in Afrikaans and fanagalo and the older SA Jews who grew up on farms and in country areas will remember many of these words. So, too, those who traded in the Jo’burg CBD would have been exposed to much of this lingua franca of their “old days.”
Molamu.jpg
