Bayete, interjection and & noun

Forms:
α. Biatt, ByatShow more Biatt, Byat, Byate, Byatt, Byatu;
β. Baaite, BayetShow more Baaite, Bayet, Bayete, Beyete;
γ. Bayede.
Origin:
IsiZuluShow more From isiZulu bayede, dialectal form of balethe ‘bring them (sc. the enemy)’.
A. interjection
a. ‘Hail’, the Zulu royal salute; also extended as an honour to prominent persons or high officials. Also attributive.
α.
1835 A. Smith Diary (1940) II. 62After waiting about ten minutes we were apprised by the exclamations ‘Byat! Byat!’ that he (i.e. Mazilikatze) was approaching from an inner enclosure.
1875 J.J. Bisset Sport & War 209The Zulus..presented a native salute to the Prince..by simultaneously raising the right hand above the head and all exclaiming Biatt! at the same moment; it means King or Father.
1893 J.F. Ingram Story of Gold Concession 40A deep but subdued shout of ‘Byatu!’ (‘Our King’) rose from the warriors.
β.
1837 F. Owen Diary (1926) 72These men praise their king for his bounty, shaking their fingers in the air, making hizzing noises with their teeth and shouting out Bayet ‘Our Father.’
1846 R. Moffat Missionary Labours 140Whenever he rose or sat down, all within sight hailed him with a shout, Baaite! or Aaite! followed by a number of his high sounding titles.
1855 J.W. Colenso Ten Weeks in Natal 103A grand welcome awaited us, as we drew up — all the men of the kraal being assembled at the entrance, and uttering with one voice the royal salutation ‘Bayete!’
1895 H. Rider Haggard Nada 43I went down on my knees before him and gave the royal salute, Bayéte, and so I stayed.
1905 R. Plant Zulu in Three Tenses 69You know quite well what your royal salutation is; Bayete is the one great word with which you always greeted your king.
1930 S.T. Plaatje Mhudi (1975) 34The king, with more than usual dignity, acknowledged the royal salute of ‘Bayete’ from thousands of leather-lunged Matebele.
1952 Drum Apr. 23‘Pula! Pula!’ ‘Bayete! Bayete!’ These are the cries that welcomed Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, and the rest of the Royal Family wherever they met their loyal African subjects.
1971 Sunday Tribune 5 Dec. (Mag. Sect.) 23King Goodwill Zwelithini responded with an unscheduled speech to the roars of ‘Bayete’ from about 30 000 people.
1987 L. Dellatola in S. Afr. Panorama May 23No Zulu would ever stand upright before him, or fail to hail him at all times with the royal praise-greeting of ‘bayete’.
γ.
1940 P.R. Kirby Diary of Dr Andrew Smith II. 72Bayede, Hail, King.
1949 O. Walker Proud Zulu (1951) 33Their spears went up and with united thunder that split the concave they roared out the royal salute: ‘Bayede!’
1978 A. Elliott Sons of Zulu 36As they died, the victims shouted the royal salute of ‘Bayede!’ to their ‘father, Chief Shaka.’
b. In modern contexts, applied rather more loosely, indicating approval or support.
β.
1986 Sunday Star 28 Sept. 18Bayete! It’s ‘Shaka’ the Great, the right mix to make an international hit.
1990 Sunday Tribune 14 Jan. (Today) 7South African music is finally starting to come into its own. Bayete Mango Groove!
γ.
1983 T.S. Masilela in Drum June 23Bayede...!! you two brothers of the late conqueror. I salute your progressive opinion.
B. noun The Zulu royal salute; an utterance of this salute. Also attributive.
β.
1866 W.C. Holden Past & Future 119The Queen..approached, and we saluted her with our ‘bayete’.
1885 H. Rider Haggard King Solomon’s Mines 118The old man made a deep obeisance, and murmured the word ‘Koom, Koom,’ which..was their royal salute, corresponding to the Bayéte of the Zulus.
1898 B. Mitford Induna’s Wife 22She drew near to the King, then halted, and, with hand upraised, uttered the ‘Bayéte.’
1906 H. Rider Haggard Benita 126To no son of his shall his people give the Bayéte, the royal salute.
1972 Sunday Times 2 Apr. (Mag. Sect.) 7The assembled company paid her the high Zulu honour of the royal Bayete salute.
‘Hail’, the Zulu royal salute; also extended as an honour to prominent persons or high officials. Also attributive.
In modern contexts, applied rather more loosely, indicating approval or support.
The Zulu royal salute; an utterance of this salute. Also attributive.
Entry Navigation

Visualise Quotations

Quotation summary

Senses

18351990