sis, interjection

/sɪs//səs/
Forms:
cess, cissShow more Also cess, ciss, sies, siss.
Origin:
Afrikaans, KhoikhoiShow more Adaptation of Afrikaans sies (which form is also used), perhaps from Khoikhoi si, tsi.
An ejaculation expressing disgust or contempt; an expression of disappointment or dismay. Cf. ga, siestog, skande interjection.
1862 A.W. Drayson Tales at Outspan 67I have lost more cattle from the attacks of hyænas than I have from lions, or leopards, and as to sheep, cess, I’ve had nearly a whole flock worried by them.
1909 Cape 30 Apr. 6Sis for her. She gave me nothing to eat but semalina and kofee.
1913 A.B. Marchand Dirk, S. African (Swart)Sis! it is all lies.
1916 S. Black in S. Gray Three Plays (1984) 233Peace: Bone, remove the prisoner. Van K: I protest, ach sis wat sis. Peace: Sis, eh? Van K: Yes sis, I’m bally well fed up.
1916 S. Black in S. Gray Three Plays (1984) 234Sis doesn’t really mean anything at all. It’s the same as foi toch.
a1928 R.R.R. Dhlomo Afr. Tragedy 9‘Sis!’ exclaimed a young girl fashionably dressed. ‘Isn’t he a coward !’
1941 M.G. Gilbert Informant, Cape Town, Western Cape 10 Nov. 4[She] can’t afford to come down. Sis, I wish we could get up a collection for her train ticket or something.
1959 E. Mphahlele Down Second Ave 78One morning she had a quarrel with the ‘woman next door’ as she always called her. ‘Sies!’ grandmother hissed and spat at intervals to show her utter contempt.
1961 M.A. Wall Dominee & Dom-Pas 3‘Our Padre talks to kaffirs...He invites them to his house, and offers them tea..— he makes friends with them!’ Then they said ‘Sis!’ and gave up going to church.
1962 J. Taylor ‘Hennie van Saracen’. (lyrics)Ag sis man, I’m telling you, the next thing that I knew I was issued with a uniform, boots and rifle too.
1970 M. Dikobe Marabi Dance. 65Sis, a man of your age and with a grown daughter still fights like a small boy.
1974 B. Simon Joburg, Sis! 129Sis. They walk around there with their long hair and their tight jeans and so bladdy filthy dirty man.
1977 L. Abrahams Celibacy of Felix Greenspan 13Very soon someone said, ‘Sis, Felix has messed his pants!’ ‘I haven’t..’ he muttered hopelessly...‘Yes, you have!’ ‘Sis! Look! ’
1982 Sunday Times 31 May‘Sis!’ — terminal disgust, but not only applied to something unpleasant that has been trodden in: ‘Sis! Don’t talk to your father like that!’
1991 P. Slabolepszy Braait Laaities. 2The floor — it’s — it’s very dirty. Sies! Look at this! Too terrible.
1992 Weekly Mail 6 Mar. 23Sis, it’s just not cricket.
1992 T.M. Pearson Informant, Knysna‘Ach sis!’ — a tremendously expressive saying — one can render the concept of really nauseating disgust by emphasising the ‘ach surrsss!’
An ejaculation expressing disgust or contempt; an expression of disappointment or dismay.
Entry Navigation

Visualise Quotations

Quotation summary

Senses

18621992
Sintu, adjectiveadj. & nounn.sis, nounn.1
Copyright © 2025 Dictionary Unit for South African English