Also known as '
tsotsi taal' or 'township talk', scamto is a new youth language that has formed in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
. Spoken usually only by the youth, scamto comprises a mix of many languages. Some of the languages include
Afrikaans
Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...
,
Sotho Sotho may refer to:
*Sotho people (or ''Basotho''), an African ethnic group principally resident in South Africa, Lesotho and southern Botswana
* Sotho language (''Sesotho'' or ''Southern Sotho''), a Bantu language spoken in southern Africa, an off ...
,
Zulu, English and
Xhosa
Xhosa may refer to:
* Xhosa people, a nation, and ethnic group, who live in south-central and southeasterly region of South Africa
* Xhosa language, one of the 11 official languages of South Africa, principally spoken by the Xhosa people
See als ...
.
South Africa's
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
large cultural melting pot is the cause of this informal language, because with every new day South Africans are finding different ways in which to interact with each other on different levels. 2 Scamto Dictionaries have been written and published by author, Lebo Motshegoa. The first book was published in 2002 under a title, Scamto Dictionary. The second offering was published in 2005, titled, Township Talk.
Here are some examples of scamto:
Mashesha - right now, or let get there now.
Jigga jigga - movement in terms of dancing, or
fornication.
Entlik - prefix to pose a question, as in: "Entlik, what's the time?"
Amajita - the boys, the chaps
Askies - sorry
Blind - exciting/embarrassing
Blesser - Sugar daddy (Usually for Sexual relations only)
But-Bae - Sugar daddy or Blesser
Cheese boy - Spoilt Brat
Ekse - used as in: "I say, where are we?" or "Waar is ons ekse?"
G-string - BMW (because of the look of the front grill)
Groot man - Older Man (This is normally used as a sign of respect to someone older than you)
Harambe - to unite
Hadie - an apology, sorry
Last dish - supper
Lova - unemployed person
Loxion -
township
A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...
Pantsula - dance movement inspired by
Sophiatown
Sophiatown , also known as Sof'town or Kofifi, is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. Sophiatown was a black cultural hub that was destroyed under apartheid, It produced some of South Africa's most famous writers, musicians, politicians a ...
.
Peena - unlock/open, used as in "Peena this car man!"
Pluck - bravery
Reverse - a woman's behind
Scufftin - Lunchbox
Waai - let's cruise, as in: "Come now, let's waai my friend."
Zozo - shack/hut in
township
A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...
{{Languages of South Africa
Languages of South Africa
African Urban Youth Languages