WeRead Powered by ReaderPub
The natives of British Central Africa cover

The natives of British Central Africa

Chapter 24: GLOSSARY OF NYANJA AND OTHER TERMS USED IN THIS BOOK
By Alice Werner
Open in WeRead

Explore more books like this:

Archaeology & AnthropologyHistory - Other

About This Book

This study surveys the landscapes, climates, and biodiversity of the Lake Nyasa basin and its rivers, then classifies the region's peoples and describes physical characteristics and body modifications. It examines spiritual beliefs and magic—including ancestor veneration, spirit practices, rain-making, charms, and witchcraft—and outlines lifecycles and social customs from childhood and initiation to marriage, household economy, and funeral rites. Industries and crafts such as agriculture, fishing, weaving, ironwork, pottery, and salt-making are detailed, followed by analysis of language structure, songs, riddles, storytelling and folk-tales, and finally clan organisation, leadership, justice, slavery, and migratory traditions.

GLOSSARY
OF NYANJA AND OTHER TERMS USED IN THIS BOOK

(Unless otherwise stated, the language is Nyanja)

  • Abusa, plural of mbusa, a herd-boy.
  • Adzukulu, grandchildren, also spelt ajukulu and azukuru. But it usually means the relatives or friends who make all the arrangements for burying a deceased person.
  • Afiti, plural of mfiti, a wizard.
  • Amabele (Zulu), ‘Kafir corn’—Holcus sorghum.
  • Amadhlozi (Zulu), plural of idhlozi, ancestral spirits, when they appear in the form of snakes.
  • Amatongo (Zulu), ancestral spirits manifesting themselves in dreams.
  • Antu, plural of muntu, a person.
  • Awilo (Yao). See Adzukulu.
  • Bango, a very common kind of reed—Phragmites communis.
  • Bwalo, the village place of assembly or ‘forum’; it is also used (see p. 122) for the unmarried men’s house.
  • Bwazi, a shrub (Securidaca longipedunculata) and the fibre procured from its bark.
  • Bwebweta, v., to rave or talk nonsense, as if possessed by spirits.
  • Chagwa, lit. ‘it has fallen’; name of a game. See p. 113.
  • Chamba, Indian hemp; also name of a dance.
  • Chifukwa, lit. ‘a fault,’ but used as a conjunction—‘because.’
  • Chikolongwe, a barbed fish-spear, or gaff.
  • Chikonyo, a cob of maize.
  • Chimanga, maize.
  • Chinamwali, the initiation ceremonies for girls.
  • Chinangwa (Yao), cassava.
  • Chipini, a metal ornament, like a stud, worn by women in the nose.
  • Chipongwe, impudence.
  • Chire, the bush.
  • Chiri, a steep bank.
  • Chirombo, a wild beast, a monster; also an insect or a weed.
  • Chirope, madness caused by shedding blood. See p. 67.
  • Chitalaka, red porcelain beads, white inside.
  • Chitowe, sesamum, the seed of which is used for making oil.
  • Dambo, a plain, or open grass-land in the Bush.
  • Dimba, a patch of alluvial soil beside a stream.
  • Dzombe, a locust.
  • Fumba, a sleeping-bag made of matting.
  • Garanzi, a small drum, beaten quickly.
  • Gome (nyumba ya), a square house.
  • Gowero, boys’ house in a village.
  • Gwape (gwapi), the klipspringer—Oreotragus saltator.
  • Imfe (Zulu), a kind of sorghum with sweet juice (S. sacharinum); Nyanja msale.
  • Inswa, ‘white ants,’ or termites.
  • Isigcogco or isicoco (Zulu), head-ring worn by men when of an age and standing to be called to the chief’s council.
  • Kokalupsya, the early rains which sweep away the ashes of the burnt grass and scrub (lupsya).
  • Kombe, the strophanthus creeper; the arrow-poison made from it.
  • Konde, keloids, or scars made by cutting, as tribal marks or for ornament.
  • Lisoka (Yao), the spiritual part of man; a ghost.
  • Lobola, v. (Zulu), properly, to arrange a marriage ‘by agreeing to deliver a certain number of cattle’ to the girl’s father or guardian.
  • Lululuta, v., or luluta, ‘to utter the cry called ntungululu on the return of men from war or hunting, or any other exciting occasion. The sound is produced by vibrations of the tongue intermitting the cry or whistle by the lips.’
  • Lundu (Rundo), paramount chief.
  • Lupsya, burnt grass, etc. See Kokalupsya.
  • Mabisalila, the witch-finder woman. See p. 89.
  • Maere, a small kind of millet—Eleusine.
  • Makani, a debate or discussion.
  • Malimwe, the winter.
  • Mankwala, medicine.
  • Mapira, Sorghum vulgare.
  • Mapondera, the man who pounds the poison for the mwavi ordeal.
  • Maseche (plural of tseche), rattles made from the hard-shelled fruits of a certain tree.
  • Masuku, the fruit of the msuku tree—Napaca kirkii.
  • Matekenya, plural of tekenya, the jigger—Sarcopsyllus penetrans.
  • Matondo, fruit of the mtondo tree.
  • Mbawa, the mahogany-tree—Khaya senegalensis.
  • Mbidzi, a zebra.
  • Mbulu, the wild dog—Lycaon pictus.
  • Mchombwa, the game of msuo or mankala.
  • Mdzi, a village. Also mudzi. Zulu umuzi.
  • Mdzodzo, a kind of black ant emitting an offensive smell.
  • Mfiti, a wizard.
  • Miiko, plural of mwiko, which see.
  • Mlandu, a ‘case,’ discussion or trial.
  • Mlungusi, a kind of thorn-tree.
  • Moa, native beer.
  • Momba, a straight fish-spear.
  • Mono, a basket-trap for fish.
  • Moto, fire.
  • Mpakasa, autumn; the beginning of the dry season.
  • Mpeza, a kind of caterpillar.
  • Mphiyu (Tonga), a kind of medicine for effecting the transformation of people into animals.
  • Mpingo, the ebony-tree—Diospyrus.
  • Mpini. See Konde.
  • Mpira, india-rubber, or a ball made of it.
  • Msale. See Imfe.
  • Msampa, a kind of trap.
  • Msuku, the tree Napaca kirkii.
  • Msuo. See Mchombwa.
  • Mtanga, a kind of basket.
  • Mtumbamtumba, a large kind of black and white, strong-smelling ants.
  • Mvula, rain. Yao ula.
  • Mvunguti, a tree (Kigelia) with large cucumber-shaped fruits, 1 to 2 feet long.
  • Mwavi, the poison prepared from the bark of Erythrophleum guineense; the ordeal in which it is used.
  • Mwiko, a prohibition of some particular food to an individual or family.
  • Myombo, a tree like an ash—Brachystegia longifolia.
  • Mzinda, the head village of a district.
  • Namwali, a girl who has been initiated.
  • Nchito, work. Nchito ya amuna, ‘work of men (males).’
  • Ndiwo, anything eaten as relish with porridge.
  • Ng’ama, red oxide of iron.
  • Nguluwe, a bush-pig.
  • Njinga, a reel or spindle.
  • Nkaka, the scaly ant-eater, Pangolin.
  • Nkalango, a thicket; a clump of trees left standing to shelter the graves.
  • Nkata, a grass ring or pad used in carrying loads on the head.
  • Nkokwe, a corn-bin or granary made of basket-work.
  • Nkole, the initiation ceremonies (the word used at Likoma). See Unyago.
  • Nsanja, the shelf or stage above the fireplace in a Nyanja hut.
  • Nsengwa, a small round basket.
  • Nsima, porridge made of maize or mapira meal.
  • Ntengu, a small blackbird.
  • Nyanja, a lake or river.
  • Nyasa (Yao), a lake or river.
  • Nzama, a kind of bean, resembling a ground-nut.
  • Peka, v., to make fire by drilling.
  • Pelele, a lip-ring worn by women.
  • Rundo. See Lundu.
  • Sonkwe, a kind of hibiscus, from which fibre is obtained.
  • Tengo, the bush.
  • Tsanchima, a masked performer in the zinyao dance.
  • Ufa, flour.
  • Ulendo, a journey; also a party making the journey, a caravan.
  • Unyago (Yao), the initiation ceremonies for young people. See Nkole.
  • Wodiera, an eater, literally ‘(one) of eating,’ contracted from wa ku diera.
  • Zikonyo, plural of chikonyo, which see.
  • Zinyao, the dance at the mysteries, in which the performers dress up with masks, etc., as animals.

Transcriber’s Note: Click map for a larger version.