A vocabulary of landscape — a landscape of words 1083 entries donga DONG-ah A steep-sided, dry gully or ravine carved by erosion into the southern African landscape — often in soft soil, deepening with every rain. Etymology Zulu and Afrikaans: donga, washed-out ravine. From Zulu udonga (bank, wall of earth). Afrikaans geology terrain ← Previous doldrums Next → dook Search · Browse · Surprise Me With a Word