mafufunyana, mafufunyane, noun
- Forms:
- Show more Also amafufunyane, fufunyana, fufunyane, mafofonyane, mafunyana.
- Plurals:
- unchanged.
- Origin:
- IsiZuluShow more IsiZulu amafufunyane, amafufunyana (singular ufufunyane, ufufunyana). For notes on singular and plural forms, see ama- and ma- prefix3.
1.
a. An emotional disorder, characterized by hysteria and hallucinations and often believed to be caused by witchcraft.
1952 B. Davidson Report on Sn Afr. 123Mafufunyana is widely feared and results often in death, being an especially powerful form of self-hypnosis induced by an acute sense of guilt.
1993 Weekend Post 1 May 7Professor Dan Mkize, head of psychiatry at the University of Transkei, spoke on two culturally-bound syndromes, Twasa and Fufunyana.
b. pl. The evil spirits which are believed to possess one suffering from this disorder. Also attributive.
1963 A.M. Louw 20 Days 131He said: ‘It is the igqira — the diviner. There are mafufunyana — evil spirits — in this house..!’
1978 Daily Dispatch 25 Apr. 19A herbalist..said the guardian ‘amakhosi’ spirits had used Mr Nkohla T—, of Mdantsane, as an agent to assault the evil ‘mafufunyane’ spirits which had possessed Miss Kondokondo M—. Mr Woko said the gathering of mystics..called on the amakhosi to drive out the mafufunyane.
2. rare. A stomach-ache.
1980 E. Prov. Herald 22 Feb. (Suppl.) 7One of the girls was taken to him as a faith healer as she was suffering from stomachaches (amafufunyana).
An emotional disorder, characterized by hysteria and hallucinations and often believed to be caused by witchcraft.
pl. The evil spirits which are believed to possess one suffering from this disorder. Also attributive.
A stomach-ache.
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