Table 3.
Anogenital-Related Terms in Luganda, Shona, and Zulu
| Terms | Possible Meanings | Acceptability/Ambiguity |
|---|---|---|
| Luganda | ||
| akabina | Buttocks/behind | Impolite but not deeply offensive; ambiguous |
| ekinyo/ekinnyo | Anus/vagina/tooth (negative connotations of being big/ugly) | Offensive and ambiguous |
| okupama (okunia) | Defecate/pass feces | Impolite |
| omunio/omunyo/ekinio | Feces/anus (in certain contexts) | Offensive |
| ettako | Buttocks/bum | Offensive |
| Shona | ||
| mhata | Buttocks/vagina (depending on dialect) | Acceptable but ambiguous and unspecific |
| mukosho | Anus/asshole | Acceptable to Karanga ethnolinguistic subgroup but offensive to others |
| kumashure | “At the back” | Acceptable but ambiguous |
| mukodo/mufongo | Sexual intercourse “from the back”/dog style | Ambiguous—can be interpreted as PAI or PVI |
| kudhodhana | Asshole (derived from fecal matter) | Offensive |
| dako | Buttocks/bums | Impolite |
| Mudhidhi/horo/mutinhi/mupedzazviyo | Anus/hole | Ambiguous |
| Zulu | ||
| ezinqeni | Bum/buttocks | Acceptable but ambiguous |
| umqundu/ngquza/umdidi | Asshole | Offensive |