Ecstasy And Paralysis – Getting Used to Life Without Electricity

In half or more of Uganda’s local languages, electricity is called masanyalaze. Now, the same word is used to mean paralysis and, contradictorily, extreme ecstasy.

A couple of years ago and before, anyone debating the question would have thought of ecstasy, for electricity really brings joyful energy. Mind you, they have words for shock, but they never used it for electricity. Apparently, since electricity only gives a shock as an accident, they chose not to name it “shock,” and opted for what it does by design, what it is expected to do. However, if debating the origin of our local name for electricity were to take place this year, many people would say that our forefathers were thinking of paralysis. For we only see electricity in terms of messing up our lives and the economy today.

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