Words Used by the N/om-Kxaosi
Compiled by Beesa Boo and Bradford Keeney
=hoe: pulling out the sickness with your hands.
/'ua-n/om: giving a needle to another person.
//auhsi: needle which holds n/om.
N!aihsi: old word for needle (what carries and transmits n/om).
//auh: another word for needle.
thara: shaking caused by n/om.
G!oah: name of dance with song and n/om from G!oah plant.
kabi: visitation or message from Sky God or ancestors which is different from a dream.
!un: dream.
!'uhn: n/om-kxao's sound made when pulling out sickness or dirty needles.
cunkuri: a particular kabi when you see Sky God or ancestors.
/'an-jukonaqnisi: kabi of receiving needles.
N/haitzi'i: good feeling when laughing together with friends.
G//auan-n/hai: laughing caused by ancestors (ancestral spirits).
n=u'uhan: someone pretending to be a n/om-kxao.
n=u'uhan-kxaosi: those who show off and boast about their n/om.
n!o'an-ka/'ae: the original force which changes everything .
G//auan='angsi: the original ancestors.
G=kao Na'an: father of the original ancestors.
Gauh-!o: mother of the original ancestors.
N!angsi: eland headed people.
N!ang-n/aisi: eland headed tribe.
/Ae-N=unhn: ancestor that sends down n/om drink from God. The drink is God's urine and looks like water.
mi-n/ai-dci: expression meaning "my head is wet from God's water"
dshau-n!a'anao//xai-g!oqma: old woman who makes scary sound in a dance.
Tjin-kxuisi-tsa'an-tsa'an: the scary sound made by the old woman in a dance.
kxaetci!hun: tapping on body that means it is time for hunting.
=a'am/'an: tapping that ancestors and God make on the body.
!kau: feeling of shock on fingertips that means that a lion is near.
kaakare: the dizziness of doctors after a dance (it is caused by n/om).
!hui: thread or rope to God.
tso: thread for lion thuru, that is, for changing into a lion.
Maq: thread for any ancestral spirit, whether good or bad.
!ain-!'u: spot on back of the neck where pulled sickness may leave the n/om-kxao.
G//abesi soan: this means "the G//abesi is soft," that is, ready to receive needles.
n/om-kxao: owner of n/om.
!Aaiha: a n/om-kxao who can heal by pulling out sickness.
tco-kxao: a n/om-kxao powerful enough to give others needles.
!ka tsau /'an: the heart rises more.
n/om-da'a: name of the fire inside the n/om-kxao.
gua-gua: when the fire has big flames.
G=kao N!a'an: respect name of Sky God.
!Xon!a'an: Sky God.
/Xuri kxaosi: tricksters.
N=hang: name of tree whose powder (made from the inner part of the tree) can make rain.
!ai-tcia: something dangerous and deadly like poison, lightning, and serious illness.
!'han-n!ang: inside of the water hole where some n/om-kxaosi visit in a kabi.
G//abesi tuih: the waking up of g//abesi and needles; one feels heat and tightness.
N!aroh-//xam: first experiential station of a n/om-kxao. This refers to experiencing the power of the fire, which is where you meet and deal with fear.
g!a'ama-n!ausi: second experiential station of a n/om-kxao where the heart rises. This is when healing can take place.
thara n/om: the third experiential station of a n/om-kxao where needles are given.
djxani-kxao: a n/om-kxao who is dancing.
gu-tsau: the clapping that lifts the dancer's legs in a dance.
N!o'an-n/om: throwing a dirty arrow to hurt someone through black magic.
!Xo dso'o-n!o: God's ostrich egg.
n!ao: spirit of weather conditions at birth, giving good or bad luck to the person and the community.
da'a: fire in the sky seen by n/om-kxao when traveling along a thread.
!Xaua-khoe: ignorance caused by being selfish and greedy. It is the opposite of love.
tchisi: arrows of n/om.
G!oahnaqnisi: G!oah needles of n/om.
=Oah tchisi: giraffe arrows of n/om.
//auhsi: Sky God's needles of n/om.
Djxani-!uhsi: refers to two n/om-kxaosi shaking together.
kxae=xaisi: seeing the feelings (what is meant by "seeing properly").
Ega: "something for me" which is the message of the body tappings.
G=aqba-n!a'an: "Heart of the Spears," referring to the most powerful n/om-kxao.
!Xo tci: gift from the Sky God.
!Xo g!u: Sky God's medicine water.
n!uan-tso: standing or climbing on the thread to God.
//Xoan: the heavy breathing sound of climbing the thread to God.
Tco: respect name for n/om.
=oah tchisi: respect name for giraffe arrow of n/om.
N!ang tchisi: other animal arrows of n/om.
G!oah n/oma: n/om from G!oah plant.
//an: when people hear a song from a faraway village or from the ancestors and they feel they have to go to the dance.
M//ara: G!oah n/om stick used by dancers in the past.
/' hare: being very happy while dancing in one spot.
san//ae: sinew, the old word for thread traveled on by a n/om-kxao.
N!hai !oqru: very dangerous skinny green lion.
Gua: beginning of !aia when you first feel the power of the fire.
kau-hariri: the actual sound made by a !aaiha when illness is pulled.
!'huhn: name of the sound made when releasing sickness.
/'u a !Xui: an animal chasing its tail (a way of referring to changing circles).
=ahmi: refers to Bushmen as "circle people" and the circles around the sun and moon that remind people of important things.
!huijuasi: the "straight line people" who aren't Bushmen (e.g., the white people).
!ai: real death which has nothing to do with !aia, the waking up of a n/om-kxao.
=Ain-=aing=ani: name of First Creation.
G!xoa: name of Second Creation which means "now there is speech."
!'haam: spider.
!kabi: when the n/om-kxao sees First Creation in the dance (seen as a constant whirling).
=ahmia-khoe juasi: another way of referring to the circle people and seeing everything move in circles.
Tau: n/om string.
/'haam-!'haam: spider web of n/om that covers head of a n/om-kxao, trying to stop healing because it blocks seeing sickness.
N!aroh-ma: beginning learner of medicine.
=ara-khoe: shaking of a n/om-kxao's heart onto another person's heart.
g//aoah da'atzi: healing songs to quietly sing around a home fire.
n!aih-/ho: place where we make a fire for dancing and healing.
N!ang !xui: tail of an eland used by a n/om-kxao in the dance.
!Oo: dance skirt.
Kxao-kxaoa!kui: ostrich feather of decoration for n/om-kxao.
thuru: when a n/om-kxao changes form into an animal or anything else.
N!uan-ju: refers to the spirit of an animal standing on top of a person to help heal them.
tchi-n//han: sending a deadly animal like a snake to harm someone.
g!a'ama-ju: when a n/om-kxao catches the sick feeling of an animal.
Maniju='angsi: turning against someone.
Ju!kag!ua: the liquid around the heart caused by anger.
//Xaece: when a n/om-kxao protects himself by pushing back another person's anger.
Maqdore: the strange wind used for attack and protection by a n/om-kxao.
G//a'inkodin: an original ancestor who stared at things and made them move.
!Ai//aah: mask of death that looks like an animal head that when placed on you causes sickness.
xaam: respect name of the lion.
!Xo hui mi: words of an often used prayer meaning "God help me."
Ju ka g=om: moment when a n/om-kxao so full of n/om can no longer speak, but can only sing.
n=oahn: when the ancestors make strange sounds through the n/om-kxao.
kaoha-kxo: God's pot that he cooks a n/om-kxao in.
!ku: God's tree that holds the medicine water.
are: love, which is the most important word for a n/om-kxao.
ta'msi: feeling.
ta'ma kaice g/aoh: very strong feeling.
=Uma-khoe: sharing.
Xaro: gift.
=Umsi !xo: religious beliefs about God and healing.
G//auansi: ancestral spirits, trickster spirits, or spirit of God.
G//auan: singular form of above.
djxani: dance.
=Oah djxani: giraffe dance.
/Xo' djxani: elephant dance.
=hoe djxani: healing dance.
N!ang djxani: eland dance.
//'Ai djxani: grass dance.
G!o'e djxani: oryx dance.
N!hai djxani: lion dance.
zo: bee, which has tremendous n/om.
G=aihg=aing=ani: time when there was no speech (later called First Creation).
n/o'oan: bush associated with eland in Second Creation.
n!huru: aloe plant associated with eland in Second Creation.
/'ana: acacia tree associated with giraffe in Second Creation.
n=ahn: buffalo thorn tree associated with kudu in Second Creation.
//'ai and //oqm: grass associated with oryx and gemsbock in Second Creation.
Manisi n!a'an-n!a'an: "the great turning around" that refers to the beginning of Second Creation.
Xuru a o n/om ga: man's tortoise shell for holding medicine.
//'oara: women's tortoise shell for holding perfume.
San !auah: skin bag for holding perfume.
n//oq!'ae: bush used for making perfume; made of ground leaves and used to cool down a n/om-kxao in the dance.
=Ang: bush used to make medicine for men's tortoise shell (combined with animal fat) and used to heat a n/om-kxao in a dance (done by adding charcoal to medicine and smudging with the smoke); also used to help illness leave the body.
g!oan: plant whose roots are ground to a red powder and used by men for good luck in a hunt (vertical line drawn between eyes and line drawn around upper arms).
tco-tcaq: sweat; for a n/om-kxao who is dancing, the sweat is a medicine used to help give needles to others.
N=hang: a red pigment from the Sky God's special plant that the Sky God rubs on a person for protection (this takes place in a kabi).
Tci-n/oa //ah jan: hat from Sky God that is received in a kabi.
=um !xo kokxui: refers to the belief in God brought about by the love you feel for God.
!'hana: man's dance stick used by n/om-kxao to give needles to others through pointing.
!kain: a form of g//auansi n/om, used by g//auansi to trick you into following a bad direction.
kaqian: g//auansi n/om used to make you sick or die.
n/om-tzi: singular n/om (for example, applied to a n/om-kxo who only has giraffe arrows).
n/om-tzisi: multiple n/om (for example, a n/om-kxao who has several kinds of arrows).
ca-ca: plant root used to protect boys and girls from dangerous n/om associated with girl having menstruation or following delivery of a baby.
//kaquh: fruit bearing tree in the Sky God's village referred to as "the tree of death."
N=ahn: camelthorn tree in the Sky God's village.
G//auan //koa !a'ansi: little g//auansi children from long ago.
n/huin: spirit (breath).
G!xa maq: breathing out the soul.
n/huin n'ang: breathing in (bringing back) the soul.
kxae /xoa: soul (the living self with its memories).
!Xo kxao: means "I am an owner of God, " that is, "I am the owner of the feeling of love for God."
tci-dore: name for trickster that is used when you are angry with him.
//hangn'ang: top of head where needles can be given; place where fully cooked needles (turned to steam) exit the body.
g!oh: steam (needles fully cooked are called g!oh).
/aqn-/aqnce: Sky God's wife's name which means "Mother of Bees."
Mban!a'an: Great Father; how Sky God is addressed in prayer.
qaqm: to awaken, used to refer to cause of !aia (analogous to striking a match). When lit, the n/om-kxao is in gua, the first stage of !aia. Fullest !aia is thara.
g//auansi tchi: arrows of sickness.
!'oan: open up the heart (most important learning for a n/om-kxao).
!kunsi: respect name for Gemsbock people.
G!xoa-g!xoa koarasi: the Knee Knee None people, creatures without knees about which little is known.
G!kun//homdima: woman in First Creation who first blew a horn.
waqdom: tortoise shell to wear in dance that is decorated with bullet shells to scare lions and g//auansi away.
hatce koe du kxui mi ='angsi: expression for "what is making me think this way?" which refers to how trickster enters the mind.
