Vlei
Pronunciation
- SAfr IPA: /fleɪ/, /fliË/
Origin 1
Borrowing from af {{2}}, from Dutch vallei ("valley").
Full definition of vlei
Noun
vlei
(plural vleis)- (South Africa) A shallow wetlands or minor lake, generally a seasonal one, or the lowland where such a wetlands appears seasonally.
- 1861, Charles John Andersson, Lake Ngami, , page 301The country thereabout was a succession of vleys or gulleys, then filled with excellent clear water, teeming with water-fowl.
- 2010, Jeremiah Allen, Namibia (Other Places Travel Guide), page 199Although rare, it takes an unearthly amount of rain to fill the Tsauchab River and penetrate the dune area, bringing water into the vlei. During these rare times, the vlei takes on a life of its own, much different than in the absence of water...
Pronunciation
- US IPA: /vli/, /fli/
Origin 2
From dialectical Dutch vallei ("valley").