‖maningi, adjective and & adverb
- Origin:
- IsiZulu, South African English, FanakaloShow more IsiZulu plural adjectival concord ma- + -ningi many; probably entering South African English through Fanakalo.
colloquial
A. adjective Much; great. Also absolute.
a1931 S. Black in S. Gray Three Plays (1984) 141Abraham: If you come to Johannesburg you’ll get three pounds in the month. Jeremiah: Wow! (Whistles) Maningi mali, Baas. Plenty money!
1991 G. Hofmeyr on TV1, 24 Apr. (Big Time)They come in for bread, they go out with maningi.
B. adverb Very, exceedingly.
1939 C. Delbridge in Outspan 20 Oct. 71The Baas hit you ‘maningi sterrek’ N’kos, and when you fell across the pump ‘asleep’ the Baas told me to put you in the skip and take you quickly to the top.
1971 Sunday Times 21 Mar. (Mag. Sect.) 5The gardener arrived at my study window and said it was ‘maningi hot’ and could he have shorts like the cook?
Much; great. Also absolute.
Very, exceedingly.

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