Colour words in Xhosa

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mnyama - black

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mhlophe - white

Expressions

• ihobe elimhlophe - (white) dove
• mhlophe gede - white as snow

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bomvu - red

Expression

• Ukuba bomvu - to be illiterate (to be red)

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lubhelu / mthubi - yellow

Expression

• icesina emthubi - yellow fever

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luhlaza - blue; green; raw; rude; uneducated

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ntsundu - brown

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bomvana / pinki - pink

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orenji - orange

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ngwevu - grey

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mfusa - purple

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tyheli - amber

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bomvu-gwanqa - auburn

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zulu - azure

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ibala elilubhelu-bungwevu - beige

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umbala wobhedu - bronze

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nocwambu - cream

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ngqombela - crimson

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limfusa-mdaka - puce

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