mealie

[ mee-lee ]

noun

, South African.

1. Sometimes mealies. corn; maize.
2. an ear of corn.

mealie

/ ˈmiːlɪ /

noun

1. an ear of maize See also mealies

Word History and Origins

Origin of mealie¹

1850–55; < Afrikaans mielie < Portuguese milho maize, millet < Latin milium millet

Word History and Origins

Origin of mealie¹

C19: from Afrikaans milie, from Portuguese milho, from Latin milium millet

Example Sentences

Ms Malima sells Sadza, porridge made from maize "mealie meal" or millet, and a piece of chicken stew for $1 per plate to minibus drivers and other vendors.

From BBC

"I buy a broiler chicken for $6 and cut into 12 pieces which produces 12 plates of Sadza and chicken, giving me $12 per day. From there I deduct $1 for mealie meal, $1.50 for cooking oil and another $1.50 for tomatoes and onions, so my profit is around $2 or $1.50 per day, which I try and save for my licence. But then the police come again and I am back to square one."

From BBC

Mother’s pot rolled; the mealie bag shifted.

From Literature

That afternoon Nhamo cooked the last of her mealie meal.

From Literature

They ate mealie porridge, called sadza, with tomato, onion, and chili sauce; boiled pumpkin leaves; and okra with peanut butter.

From Literature