/ ˈlɑːpə; NAmE / noun
( SAfrE ) a shelter without walls on all sides, usually made of wooden poles and covered with thatch (= dry grass) , especially used as a place for relaxing and eating meals
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WORD ORIGIN
from Sotho lelapa . Sotho is the group of Bantu (Niger-Congo) languages spoken by the Sotho people who live mainly in Botswana, Lesotho and northern South Africa.