vuwa
The Venda phrase for "wake up" is vuwa.
vuwa is a verb used to describe the act of becoming awake.
Meaning: to (become) awake (verb)
Did you know?
- While vuwa means to wake up, it is also used in Venda to describe a person who is 'waking up' to a new reality or social realization.
- The Venda word vuwa is a relative of a vast family of languages. It descends from the Proto-Bantu root *-jíbʊka, which was spoken thousands of years ago across much of sub-Saharan Africa.
- Venda is a tonal language, meaning the pitch used when saying vuwa can change the meaning of the sentence. A slight shift in tone can distinguish between a command to wake up and a description of someone waking up.
Examples in context
- Ndi khou vuwa.I am waking up.
- U khou vuwa nḓa?Are you waking up now?
Example conversation
Mphandavhula is waking Ndivhuwo up for school.
- MphandavhulaNdivhuwo, vuwa zwino!Ndivhuwo, wake up now!
- NdivhuwoNdi khou vuwa, Mphandavhula.I am waking up, Mphandavhula.
- MphandavhulaU fanela u vuwa u itela tshikolo.You must wake up for school.
- NdivhuwoNdo vuwa, ndi khou bva.I am awake, I am coming.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries vuwa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
