mapusa, noun
- Forms:
- Also maposa, mapuza, and with initial capital.
- Plurals:
- unchanged.
- Origin:
- IsiXhosa, isiZulu, Setswana, EnglishShow more Contraction of the words for ‘policemen’ in various Sintu (Bantu) languages, e.g. isiXhosa amapholisa, isiZulu amaphoyisa, Setswana mapodisa, these in turn being derived from English police. The contraction probably originated in township slang.
slang
The police; a policeman; a night watchman.
1970 M. Weitzman Informant, Johannesburg, GautengHe is a maposa at night at the factory.
1984 E. Prov. Herald 18 June 13We never carried our weapons around because we knew we would get grabbed by the Mapusa (police), so we kept them at scattered arsenals. Fortunately, one was close.
The police; a policeman; a night watchman.
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