noun
kraal
A traditional southern African village.
Families in the kraal gather outside their homes each evening.
Etymology
The Portuguese enclosure word entered southern African usage. Kraal broadened from the livestock pen to the settlement arranged around or associated with it.
More examples
- A narrow path connects the kraal to the main road.
- She returns to her family's kraal for a celebration.
- Several kraals share access to the same river.
Forms
kraal · kraals
Similar words
- village
- A broader term without the southern African cultural specificity.
- settlement
- Any established community, not necessarily a traditional village.