mabela, mabele, noun

/məˈbe(ː)lə/‖/maˈbeːle/
Forms:
Also amabele, mabbele.
Origin:
IsiXhosa, isiZulu, SetswanaShow more A word found in varying forms in many Sintu (Bantu) languages, as isiXhosa and isiZulu amabele, Setswana mabele (plural nouns).
noncount
a. Any of several species of Sorghum: sorghum sense 1. Also attributive. b. The porridge made from this grain; mealiepap sense 2. See also tshwala sense a i.
[1824 W.J. Burchell Trav. II. 586The Bichuanas call it (sc. sorghum)mábbele (mábbaly) and are fond of chewing the stalk, or rather, cane. [Source Note: Sometimes pronounced mabbeli.] ]
1866 W.C. Holden Past & Future 278This utyalla is made from the amabele or Kaffir corn; and being long boiled in large beer-making pots, inbeza, and subjected to fermentation, it becomes intoxicating, acquires a sour taste, and is much liked by the people.
1912 W. Westrup Land of To-Morrow 91I haven’t got much ‘mabele’,..Kaffir-corn you know. They use it for making the best beer.
1939 A.W. Wells S. Afr.: Planned Tour 228 (caption)Natives in a valley of mealies and mabela corn near the Caledon River.
1946 Cape Argus 14 Dec. 4He set before him on a stool a bowl of mabela, a flat scone toasted on the coals and a calabash bowl of milk.
1952 F.J. Edmonstone Where Mists Still Linger 62The ripened mabele plants had waged their annual fight against burr and khaki bush for the meagre nourishment from the soil.
1957 B. Fraser Sunshine & Lamplight 132She loves her brother..very much and grinds the mabela very fine for him to eat.
1960 C. Hooper Brief Authority 33Cattle thrive, and the staple crop, mabela (kaffir-corn), does fairly well, except in occasional years of drought.
1976 B. Head in Quarry ’76 17Corn or mabela always lasted longer than half a bag of mealie meal.
1984 M. Nkotsoe in Staffrider Vol.6 No.1, 33They are groups of men moving through fields of mielies and mabela, reaping where they did not sow, a constant source of danger to the women working in the fields.
1984 M. Nkotsoe in Staffrider Vol.6 No.1, 35From her childhood comes the story of the making of ‘matebelekwane’, a home-made bread. Mabele meal was ground with warm water, to which a pinch of salt was added, then a small quantity of bread flour.
1985 M. Tlali in Fair Lady 26 June 84I opened the door and a smiling neighbour walked in holding in her hand a dishful of steaming hot soured brown mabela porridge which she knew I liked very much.
1994 A. Craig in M. Roberts tr. of J.A. Wahlberg’s Trav. Jrnls 1838–56 34Several species of sorghum; mabela; Sorghum caffrorum.
Any of several species of Sorghum: sorghum sense 1. Also attributive.
The porridge made from this grain; mealiepap sense 2.
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18241994

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IsiXhosa
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mabalane, nounn.Maburu, plural nounpl. n.
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