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Writer's pictureNtandoyenkosi

Xhosa Words 10.0


The human body is a gift, a gift we need to cherish and take care of. Nowadays many people find their way to hospitals after being diagnosed with some severe illness. The truth is So NiNi can heal anyone of their infirmities if you believe or He can show you something from His creation that will help or aid whatever ails you. If you have to enter a hospital however, you need to learn som of the words used in that institution. Now then we enter the realm of the medicinal, or rather medical terminology and the more popular words, sicknesses and other phrases perhaps often overheard at the hospital.


Xhosa Medical Terminology

English isiXhosa (Xhosa)

AIDS uGawulayo

abnormal qhelekanga

antiretroviral - ichiza lokuthomalalisa ulwamvila lukagawulayo

birthweight ubunzima bosana oluzelweyo

bleeding ukopha

blood igazi

blood infection isifo esisulela igazi

breath umoya/ukuphefumla (same as Spirit)

cancersore umhlaza

care unakekelo/unonophelo

cervical umlomo wesizalo

cervical cytobrush- ibrashi yokuthatha incindi kumlomo wesizalo

child/children umntwana, abantwana

clinic/clinics ikliniki, iikliniki

clinical trial ulingo lwezonyango

consent imvume

conception ukhulelo

contraception ukhuselo lokhulelo

death ukufa

disability ubudalwa / ukukhubazeka

drug ichiza

drugs amachiza

diabetes isifo seswekile

epilepsy isifo sokuxhuzula

examination uxilongo

food ukutya

genital ilungu lesizalo

germ/germs intsholongwane / iintsholongwane

handicap ukubandezeleka ngokomzimba

heart/heart-health impilo

high blood pressure ukunyuka kwegazi

hospital isibedlele

HIV iNtsholongwane kaGawulayo / IHIV

HIV-infected wosuleleke yiNtsholongwane kaGawulayo

HIV+ uneNtsholongwane kaGawulayo

human immunodeficiency virus - intshologwane kagawulayo

I am well Ndiphilile

I am not well Andiphilanga

illness isifo

immune cell siiseli zamajoni omzimba

immune system amajoni omzimba

infant imveku

infect ukosulela

infection usuleleko

injection/injections isitofu / izitofu

information ukwazisa

informed consent imvume eyazisiweyo

medical unyango

medical research uphando-nzulu lwezonyango

medication/medications iyeza / amayeza

miscarriage ukuphuma isisu

nausea isicaphu

nurse (n)umongi / umongikazi

nurse (v)onga / ukonga

operation/operations uqhaqho / iingqaqho

oxygen umoya ophefumlwayo

participant umthathi-nxaxheba

pain iintlungu

painless alubuhlungwanga

patient isigulane

pill/pills ipilisi / iipilisi

plasma iplasma

problem ingxaki

problems iingxaki

procedures iinkqubo

protection ukhuselo

records iirekhodi

research uphando-nzulu

results iziphumo

sample isampuli / intwana

sanitation ugutyulo

sex isini

syphilis i-syphilis

study uphando / uphononongo

take blood utsalo-gazi

test/tests uvavanyo/iinvavanyo

therapy unyango

treatment unyango

twin samawele (similar to Manwele right?)

ultrasound i-ultrasound

viral load umthamo wokondela kwentsholongwane

virus intsholongwane

visit undwendwelo

weight ubunzima

womb isibeleko

Uxolo lube nani

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