Dictionary

bonsella en · NOUN

Etymology

Borrowed from Afrikaans bonsela, from Xhosa bansela meaning "showing thanks with a gift", related to Zulu umbhanselo a "tip".

Meanings

1. (South-Africa) In a transaction, something extra on the side.
   • A lekker dictionary containing all the bakgat South African words has hit the bookstores. The collection of about 1,500 local words is a bonsella published in the latest edition of the Concise Oxford Dictionary, "the ultimate authority on South African English". 2002 September 9, Peroshni Govender, “Hau, my china, it's bakgat”, in Independent Online, archived from the original on 29 Mar 2018:
2. (South-Africa) A tip or gratuity.
3. (South-Africa) A handout.
4. (South-Africa) A bribe.

Forms