(South Africa) A young Xhosa man undergoing the ritual initiation into manhood.
(South Africa) A young Xhosa man undergoing the ritual initiation into manhood.
"abakwetha" means a young xhosa man undergoing the ritual initiation into manhood. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
"abakwetha" is informal English meaning a young xhosa man undergoing the ritual initiation into manhood. It is part of South African English. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "a young xhosa man undergoing the ritual initiation into manhood" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "abakwetha" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.
"abakwetha" means a young xhosa man undergoing the ritual initiation into manhood. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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(South Africa) The traditional initiation period into manhood.
“Elke jaar is daar jong abakwetha wat beseer word tydens die besnydenisritueel.”
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