In the movie The Interpreter, Kidman's character is an interpreter for the UN who speaks Ku. At one point she says to the secret serviceman who is assigned to watch over her:

Silvia: We're Kepela: It means: "Standing on opposite sides of the river."

Link.

Is this a real word? I wonder if it means something more than simply: "chalk and cheese."

Ku is a constructed language invented for the movie. I suppose if you got hold of a comparative dictionary of Bantu languages you might be able to determine what the root was that they used.

Man do I feel silly.

Hi Hydra, "Kepela" is not far off the Zulu word "BEKELA" for "oppose", or "on opposite sides of the river" (my paraphrase). It is a fun word to bring into our conversation, particularly when we are not seeing eye to eye with someone on something. We could say: "Are we having a "bekela" moment?"
all the best. Loys

Welcome Loys, yet the thread you found died in 2006. Please
feel welcome to find an up to date thread and join us.