lobola

/ lɔːˈbɔːlə; ləˈbəʊ- /

noun

1. (in southern Africa) an African custom by which a bridegroom's family makes a payment in cattle or cash to the bride's family shortly before the marriage

Word History and Origins

Origin of lobola¹

from Nguni ukulobola to give the bride price

Example Sentences

Unlike the king's other wives, her lobola, or bride price, of about 300 cattle was paid for by the Zulu nation, following a collection within communities.

From BBC

To which my mother replied, “But I desperately want to leave this beast of a man. But with his lobola gone I can’t do it. That worthless thing you call your husband shouldn’t have sold Jackson’s scrawny cattle and left you penniless.”

From Literature

“Despite all, he’s still your father, you know. Anyway, he asked for lobola only because he had to get back what he spent raising you. And you know it would have been taboo for him to let you or any of your sisters go without asking for lobola.’

From Literature

“Lobola, that’s what it is,” the interrogator said, writing everything down.

From Literature

“I mean were they married in the Marriage Court, lobola or what?”

From Literature