giya, verb intransitive

/ˈɡiːjə//ˈɡiːja/
Origin:
IsiZuluShow more IsiZulu, see giya noun.
To perform a dance mimicking war antics.
1923 G.H. Nicholls Bayete! 25The king ought, by custom, to giya in his turn to the music of the shields.
1949 O. Walker Wanton City 191The yelling only became more frenzied, and several natives began ‘giya-ing’, made feinting rushes towards him, baring their teeth like dogs, and brandishing their sticks.
1950 C. Bullock Mashona & Matabele 184The men suddenly rush to a corner of the kraal, and ‘giya’ — leap and gesticulate — pointing with their sticks at something outside in the veld.
1955 E.A. Ritter Shaka Zulu 85There follows a prayer that the bride may be fruitful and then the father runs into the open and giyas, that is, he goes through the motions of fighting an imaginary foe.
1974 C.T. Binns Warrior People 210They..arrange themselves in a large semi-circle facing the bridal party, the groom himself being the centre. The moment all are settled he springs forward and commences to Giya, leaping wildly hither and thither, brandishing shield and assegai, stabbing at imaginary foes with even greater intensity and abandon than his bride had done earlier.
To perform a dance mimicking war antics.
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19231974

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IsiZulu
giya, nounn.gladiolus, nounn.
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