Shaka

Zulu kingdom creator

Shaka is a hand gesture made by extending the thumb and pinky while curling the three middle fingers, then shaking the hand.

Associated with Hawaiian surf culture, it signals friendly acknowledgment, approval, or a laid-back attitude: He threw up a shaka as he paddled past.

The gesture has spread beyond Hawaii to surfing communities worldwide. (Capitalized Shaka is also the name of the famous Zulu king.)

Zulu

kingdom

Monarch's ruled territory

warriorsPeople engaged in battle
spearPole with sharp point
shieldHandheld defensive armor

Zululand · chieftain · South Africa · Bantu · cattle · ancestors · tribe · indigenous · colonialism · monarch

gesture

hang loose

Slang for staying calm

surfingRiding waves standing up
alohaHawaiian multipurpose greeting
HawaiiPacific island state

greeting · waves · beach · chill · stoked · friendly · good vibes · shred · ocean · island life

Opposites

military conquest and empire-building

ShakaMahatma Gandhi

pacifist · peacemaker · Nelson Mandela · Desmond Tutu · Martin Luther King Jr.

indigenous African power vs. colonial domination

Shakacolonial administrator

Overseas territory's governing official

colonial governor · conquistador

leadership style and governance

Shakaconstitutional monarch

Sovereign bound by law

servant leader · puppet ruler · figurehead

Phrases

shake handsMutual palm-grip greeting
shake offRemove by vigorous motion
shaking handsMutual grip greeting
shake it offDismiss and move on
shaken upEmotionally disturbed or reorganized
salt shakerSeasoning dispenser with holes

Family

shake, shakes, shaking, shaken, shaker, shakers, shaky, shakily, shakiness

Familiarity: Top 1,000,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Rated G