Word.ws English Dictionary

rondavel

UK/ɹɒnˈdɑːv(ə)l/

rondavel noun: a traditional circular design of house, typically with a conical roof, commonly thatched. Still used in rural regions, but also popular as a theme in the ambience of resorts, either as chalets or as cheap utility buildings.

rondavel: a traditional circular design of house, typically with a conical roof, commonly thatched. Still...
Image: Barry haynes, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Noun

rondavel (plural rondavels)

  1. (South Africa) A traditional circular design of house, typically with a conical roof, commonly thatched. Still used in rural regions, but also popular as a theme in the ambience of resorts, either as chalets or as cheap utility buildings.
    • For instance those households which only have a single dwelling unit may use it as a kitchen, living room and sleeping room whether it be a hut, a rondavel or a house.1963, Basutoland. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural implements and storage facilities
    • The buildings consisted of two iingxande (or rectangular houses) and seven stately rondavels (superior huts), all washed in white lime, dazzling even in the light of the setting sun.1994, Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela, London: Abacus, published 2010, page 18

Forms of rondavel

pluralrondavels

Origin of rondavel

From Afrikaans rondawel.

Questions about rondavel

What does rondavel mean?
Rondavel means a traditional circular design of house, typically with a conical roof, commonly thatched. Still used in rural regions, but also popular as a theme in the ambience of resorts, either as chalets or as cheap utility buildings.
What part of speech is rondavel?
Rondavel is a noun.
How do you pronounce rondavel?
Rondavel is pronounced /ɹɒnˈdɑːv(ə)l/ (UK).
What is the plural of rondavel?
The plural of rondavel is rondavels.

Words near rondavel in the dictionary

  1. rondaches
  2. rondalla
  3. rondallas
  4. Rondan
  5. Rondas
  6. rondavel
  7. rondavels
  8. rondawel
  9. rondawels
  10. ronde
  11. ronde-bosse

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: rondavel (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this entry: “rondavel.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/rondavel. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.