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

Two of South Africa’s main languages, Zulu and Xhosa, will be made available on Duolingo, one of the most popular language-learning apps and websites.

From Quartz

The book, among other things, will underscore how amazing it is that Noah, son of a Xhosa mother and a Swiss father in apartheid South Africa, is alive, much less a celebrity.

From Washington Post

In his autobiography, Nelson Mandela wrote about the “almost mystical attachment that the Xhosa have for cattle, not only as a source of food and wealth, but as a blessing from God and a source of happiness.”

From Ozy

“Yes of course there is much to do,” he responded, with a thick Xhosa accent.

From The Daily Beast