inkomo
[íᵑkoːmó]class 10, class 9
The Xhosa word for cow is inkomo.
inkomo refers to an adult female of the species Bos taurus.
Meaning: adult female of species Bos taurus (noun)
Did you know?
- Traditionally, certain inkomo are regarded as sacred conduits for communication between the living and the ancestors.
- The word inkomo traces its roots back to the extinct Khoekhoe languages of the Limpopo region, rather than the Bantu roots common to most Xhosa vocabulary.
- Xhosa culture distinguishes cattle not just by age or sex but by intricate color and pattern descriptions that act as unique names for each inkomo.
Examples in context
- Inkomo iyakhula.The cow is growing.
- Ndiyafuna inkomo entsha.I want a new cow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cow” translations and entries inkomo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries inkomo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
