Glossary of some non-English terms
Assegai: A short stabbing spear
Bayete: A chant of respect to a king, a royal salute
Inkatha: A pot containing a sacred ointment with which to anoint the king and army.
Maholi: Or better, Amahole: A much-despised lower class of Matebeleland, comprising mostly the descendants of Shona people who were assimilated by the conquering Matebeles.
Matebele: A rather politically incorrect, but historically very popular way of referring to the people of Matebeleland, now a province of modern day Zimbabwe.
Nduna: Sometimes called induna- a nobleman or chief, but more usually a retired or serving warrior-leader or general.
Nkosi: A title of respect for a monarch, equivalent to 'king' or 'lord'.
Nguni: A tribal group name: The specific African people from whom the Matebeles are derived.
Ntaba Zabatakati: Mountain of witches and wizards. A group of hills close to Bulawayo where those accused of witchcraft where summarily executed.
Zansi: The conquerors and rulers of Matebeleland. They originated from Zululand.
Grammar Notice **Very Important**
This book was originally written and edited using the North American Grammar standard. However, realising most of the readers who will identify with this story live in countries where British English is the norm, an attempt was made to convert some of the North American grammar into the Queen's Language. Despite those efforts though, some of the sentences still have a North American feel and may sound awkward or incorrect to a reader not used to the American way.
So, that said, ladies and gentleman, welcome to the world of "I dreamed," rather than "I dreamt."
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Cut Of The Assegai
RandomA fabulous tale of romance and adventure set during the last years of King Lobengula's rule. Cut of the Assegai chronicles the life and struggles of an English teacher and his two female students whom he is in love with, at a fictional school in Old...
