ukulobola, noun

Origin:
IsiXhosa, IsiZuluShow more IsiXhosa and isiZulu, verbal noun prefix uku- + lobola see lobola verb.
lobola noun sense 1. Also attributive.
1855 J.W. Colenso Ten Weeks in Natal 138A Kafir, going to marry, usually pays a number of cows to the father of the bride. This is called ukuLobola.
1887 J.W. Matthews Incwadi Yami 37Ukulobola, or the practice of giving cattle to the father or guardian of a girl or widow, on her marriage, by her husband, is one of the oldest laws among the natives of South Africa.
1906 Question of Colour 65There is one widespread custom in South Africa known as ‘ukulobola’, which must be realised in considering marriage customs.
1951 H. Davies Great S. Afr. Christians 48He believed..that the uku-lobola custom (or marriage-dowry of cattle) should be continued.
1962 W.D. Hammond-Tooke Bhaca Soc. 132The above descriptions of the marriage ceremonies of the Bhaca have shown the important part played by the handing over of cattle in these proceedings. The verb ukulobola is used to express this action.
1985 P. McAllister Informant, Grahamstown (now Makhanda, Eastern Cape)Ukulobola in its broad sense refers to the process of negotiating the exchange and size of the bridewealth, in its narrower sense it may be translated as ‘to give bridewealth/dowry’.
lobola noun sense 1. Also attributive.
Entry Navigation

Visualise Quotations

Quotation summary

Senses

18551985