Xhosa

or Xo·sa

[ koh-suh, -zuh, kaw- ]

noun

, plural Xho·sas, (especially collectively) Xho·sa

1. a member of a Nguni people of eastern Cape Province, Republic of South Africa.
2. the Bantu language of the Xhosa.

Xhosa

/ ˈkɔːsə /

noun

1. -sa-sas a member of a cattle-rearing Negroid people of southern Africa, living chiefly in South Africa
2. the language of this people, belonging to the Bantu group of the Niger-Congo family: one of the Nguni languages, closely related to Swazi and Zulu and characterized by several clicks in its sound system

Derived Forms

• ˈXhosan, adjective

Example Sentences

Ms Nayimuli said that while growing up she would constantly speak Xhosa, her mother tongue and one of South Africa’s official languages, to “prove her South African-ness”.

From BBC

Stories spread through the city of a bearded man - nicknamed “whiskers” in the Xhosa language - who made people disappear at night.

From BBC

In Johannesburg and the Eastern Cape, the vocal tradition of isicathamiya and the steady, Zulu and Xhosa dance rhythms of the regions exerted strong influence.

From New York Times

In 2004, he spent a month in the wilderness with a troop of young men from his community - all part of a coming-of-age ritual traditionally observed by South Africa's Xhosa ethnic group.

From BBC

WELKOM, South Africa — Intertribal rioting broke out again at the Free State gold mine during the night, with Xhosa and Basotho miners attacking one another, the police said today.

From New York Times