Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bonsella

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: bon-sel-la
IPA

10

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

In a transaction, something extra on the side.

noun

A tip or gratuity.

noun

noun

Example Sentences

"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"."

Etymology

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

Origin

Source language: Afrikaans

Word Breakdown

Root: bonsela, bansela

Inflected Forms

bonsellas (plural) bansela (alternative)

Questions

What does bonsella mean?: In a transaction, something extra on the side.
Where does bonsella come from?: It is traced to Afrikaans.

How to pronounce bonsella

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “bonsella”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “bonsella”.
Repeat and practice — Say “bonsella” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.