Listening to RadioKuduFM online as I do -- Namibian Afrikaans use sounds like P.E. version to me -- I heard an advert for the new Wilbur Smith. Didn't recognize the title so I googled Amazon and found, to my surprise, I have been mispronouncing the word for a Zulu-type spear.

Is it properly pronounced to rhyme with papegaai (parrot) or like I have been saying it -- "as-eh-gee"? Wikipedia suggests the word descends from Arab/Spanish "zagayah".

Baie dankie van Texas af.

Barrie

/

I hope you won't mind me correcting you both slightly here. The correct English pronunciation for the word is derived from the British troop's experiences during the Zulu wars and from those experiences, history tells us that it it should be pronounced 'LOOKOUTFORTHATFUCKINGSPEAR!!!!'

/

typical British Army huh!

To quote Winston Churchill, 'Lions led by donkeys'.......... and, to be honest, I've rarely met a Brit officer who wasn't an over educated donkey.

Thank you ALF. shakari you owe me a new keyboard -- mine has coffee all over it.

:-)

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
I hope you won't mind me correcting you both slightly here. The correct English pronunciation for the word is derived from the British troop's experiences during the Zulu wars and from those experiences, history tells us that it it should be pronounced 'LOOKOUTFORTHATFUCKINGSPEAR!!!!'

Pearler.

quote:

Originally posted by ALF:


I heard it was rumoured that it was more in line with " Who forgot to pack the box openers" for the Martini Henry ammo cases.

ALF,

I believe that has been disproved; the Martini ammo boxes had a sliding cover in them.......getting the ammo out wasn't the reason for their defeat at Isandwlana.......

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
I hope you won't mind me correcting you both slightly here. The correct English pronunciation for the word is derived from the British troop's experiences during the Zulu wars and from those experiences, history tells us that it it should be pronounced 'LOOKOUTFORTHATFUCKINGSPEAR!!!!'

Steve,

Is there anywhere is RSA that you can buy a FULL SIZE zulu war shield, not the little ceremonial ones......but a replica of their war shield.........??????

There's one for you.

Cartridges of the World (10th Ed.) says it is like "Ass-A-Guy".

/

quote:

Originally posted by ALF:
Blair:

You are correct ! it was urban legend for many years untill students of the battle "proved" that the boxes with their single retaining screw on the sliding lid was not an issue.

It's a long time since I heard the Ratray recordings, 'Day of the Dead Moon' but if I remember correctly, he claimed the reason for the defeat was that the donkeys had deployed the lions too far away from the buildings and too far apart and so they were easily overrun.- They're great tapes and can still be bought online, but I seem to remember they are a helluva price.

Blair, as it happens, I do know somewhere local to my home that makes and sells the real thing. Traditionally, they're made of nguni skin and the colour of the shield depicts the rank of the warrior. The more white the shield, the higher the rank.

If you e-mail me at shakari3@mweb.co.za and let me know what colour you want and whether you also want asagaii(s) and knobkerry(ies), I'll go and see the guy and get a price for you.

Hows that for service!

Steve,

You are a bloody great bloke. THAT is real service!!!!!!

I have emailed you, thank you.

One of the best books on Isandlwana is "How Could Men Die Better" it's available from Amazon.

Essentially Chelmsford did not entrench or even laager up and when the Zulus were sighted, the line companies of the 24 Foot were sent out to defend too large a perimeter.........

I've walked the ground of the battlefield.......and there was no way they could have stopped the Zulus, spread out the way they were.............

quote:

Originally posted by ALF:
The english way of saying this word would be:


The J in Tijuana is a gutteral "Ch" like clearing your throat or as in Scottish pronounciation of "Loch" .... that CH at the end and the J in Tijuana is the correct way to pronounce the "G" in "assegai"

I have absolutely no idea how the word "ASSEGAI"is properly pronounced but the proper prononcement of Tijuana Has no " C " sound in it at all! The proper way to say Tijuana is "TEE-WHON-AH"! And Juarez is pronounced "WHA-DESS"
The "R" is more a "D" sound

/

Well regardless on how you say it, its a good read. Bought it on Saturday morning and finished it last night.

It reads well, is full of action, has a good amount of hunting in it as well as a good old fight between whites and blacks, english and the germans, and the rest of the world.

My rating is 10/10 good book, go get it you wont be sorry for one minute.

Phew, what a discussion. Will everyone know what I am talking about if I pronounce it "ASS-A-GUY"? If so, that is the way I will continue to pronounce it. I pronounce it that way because I remember the radio show (can't remember the name, but it was about 50 years ago!) where a spear flies through the air and kills someone and a voice says "that's an assegai and ass-a-guy that threw it over there!. Probably Monty Python! I guess you have to British to understand the humor!
Peter.

Peter,

It sounds like either Monty Python or possibly Spike Milligan but either way and as you say, a very British sense of humour.

Shakari, thanks for the reminder. It was the Goon Show!
peter.