gwaai, noun
/ɡwaɪ/
- Forms:
- Show more Also gwai, gwy, ngwai.
- Origin:
- IsiZuluShow more IsiZulu ugwayi tobacco, snuff.
‖a. Tobacco; snuff. Also attributive.
1879 R.J. Atcherley Trip to Boërland 68While sitting at our noontide meal that day, a troop of Kafirs in warlike array bore down upon us, and commenced a grand lamentation in respect to the scarcity of doka (hemp) and gwai (tobacco).
1990 D. Capel in Personality 27 Aug. 13They have their own peculiar brand of bug, called ‘chongololos,’ which eat the tobacco crop, known as ‘gwaai’.
b. slang. A cigarette.
[1986 T. Thoka in Eng. Usage in Sn Afr. Vol.17 No.2, 18‘Hey man, howzabout stenge gwy ’sbema man?’ (Hey man, buy some cigarettes and let’s smoke).]
1991 C. Sammy Informant, Adelaide, Eastern CapeGwaais. Cigarettes.
Tobacco; snuff. Also attributive.
A cigarette.
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