FSI - Lingala Basic Course - Student Text PDF

LINGALA
BASIC COURSE
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BASIC COURSE
PREFACE
Lingala is a trade language spoken along about a nine hundred mile stretch of the
Congo River from Leopoldville upstream. Most of the people who speak Lingala are
native speakers of other languages and use Lingala for communicating with persons
outside their own language group.
The Lingala Basic Course is one of a series prepared by the Foreign Service In-
stitute in its Special African Languages Program, coordinated by Earl W. Stevick.
This series is being produced under an agreement with the Office of Education, De-
partment of Health, Education, and Welfare, under the National Defense Education Act.
The course in its present form is based on classroom experience with a group of
Foreign Service Officers. It is designed to provide basic structures and vocabulary
for the situations in which the foreigner is most likely to need Lingala.
The linguist in charge of the project has been James E. Redden. He was assisted
by Frederic Bongo, Ernest Masakala, and Emil Zola, Language Instructors.
The tapes which accompany the text were prepared in the Foreign Service Insti-
tute Language Laboratory under the supervision of Gabriel Cordova.
~~~ Howard E. Sollenberger, Dean

School of Language and Area Studies
Foreign Service Institute
Department of State
III

LINGALA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents •••••.•.....•...•...•..•....••••..•..•..•••.•. lV
Introductlon
Identlflcatlon and locatlon ....•.. ' .....•.......•... x
Tone ..•••....•...........•........•..•.•••.......... Xl
S-ymbol Ilst ......•...•............•.•.....•.......•. Xll
Unlt 1
Dlaloguel 'Gr e e t lng s' •.••.........•••.•.....•.....• 1
Note: 1. Verb preflxe s .•.•......•••.......•....... 2
2. Partlcle /n~/, 'and', 'together wlth' .. ... 3
3• Partlcle /na/ after /-zala/ •...•......... 3
4· Partlcle /na/ and /ya/I Possesslon . 3
5. Partlcles /na/ and /ya/a Descrlptlon .•... 4
6. Response to yes-no questlons •...•.•...... 4
7. Intonatlon. statement vs. Questlon ...•.. 5
8. Nouns. Slngular and Plural . 6
9. /0/ before another vowel . 7
10. Drllls. Instructlons on How to Use •..... 7
Unlt 2
Dlalogue. 'Do you speak Llngala7 I •••••••••••••••••• 10
,
Note. 1. Negatlonl /te/
I
...•....•................. 11
2. Verb: Base and afflxes .......•.......... 12
3. Aspect. Perfectlve/Imperfectlve 12
4. Tense. Tlme Segments ....•••......... 12
5. Immedlate Pastl Permanent Statesl Present
Loca tlons •....•.•..............•....... 14
6. Habltual Actlon, Contlnued State 15
7. Temporary Habltual Present. Proxlmate Fu-
ture 16
8. Spelllng of long or double ldentlcal vowels 16
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BASIC COURSE
-------------------------------~-_ .. _-
9. Vowel Harmony •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 16
10. The Kltuba Language •••••••••••••••••••••• 18
Unlt 3
Dlaloguel 'Do you want to come to my house today~' •• 21
Notea 1. Inflnltlve preflxa /ko-/ •••••••••••••••• 23
2. Purpose a Immedlate Future ••••••••.••••.• 24
3• Immedlate Present •••••••••••••••••.••.••• 24
4. Potentlal Future •••••••••.•••..•.•••••.•• 25
5. Impera t 1 ve ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 25
6. Spe11lng of long ldentlcal vowels ••••••.. 25
7. PosseSSlve Constructlon wlth Inflnltlve •.• 30
8. Imme d la te Pa s t 0f / -1 ia / ••••••••••••••.•. 30
9. Order of Possesslve and Descrlptlve Phrases 30
Unlt 4
Dla10guel 'The Raplds' .................... ........ . 31
Note a 1. Noun Classes . ...... .................. .... 33
2. Verb SubJect PreflXes •••••••••••••••••••• 35
3. Nasal Homorganlc wlth fo1lowlng Consonant 36
4· AdJectlves ••••••••••••••••• e • • • • • • • • • • • • • 43
5. Promlnence of Inltla1 Sentence Posltl0n •• 44
Unlt 5
Dla1ogue: 'On the Way to Work •••••••••••••••••••••• 45
Note I 1. Nouns of deed or actlon, type 1 ....•....• 48
2. Independent or Emphatlc SubJect Pronouns • 48
3. Very Pollte Questlons and Requests ••••••• 49
4· Vowel Harmony In Noun PreflXes ••••••••••• 49
5. Recent Past: Recent Past Progresslve •.•• 49
6. Cardlnal and Ordlnal Numerals ••••.••••••• 50
7. Telephone Numbers ••••••••••••••••••••.••• 50
8. Plural of /mokama/ 'hundred' ••••••••••••• 50
9. 'Passlve' Plural •.•••••••••••••••••.•••.• 55

LINGALA
10. AdJectlve Subord1.nate Clauses ••••••••.•••. 55

11. /kosolola na/ .•••••••••••••••••••••...•••• 55
Unlt 6
Dlaloguel 'A t the Offlce' ••••••••.•••••••••.•••.•••• 56
Note: 1. Equatlonal Sentences ••••.••••••••.••.••••• 60
2. Non-anlmate Independent Pronouns •.•••.•••• 60
3. SubJunctlve ••••••..••••.•.••••••••.••...•. 60
4. Appllcatlve SufflX ••••••••.••.•....•...••• 61
5. Indlrect Dlscoursea Partlcle /te/ ••.••••• 61
Unlt 7
D1.aloguel 'A t the Ma r ke t' ••••••••••••••••••••••.•.•• 66
Note I 1. De s l derat l V e •.•.••.••••••••••••.•••.•••••• 69
2. Nomlnallzatlon of AdJectlves •••.••.•.••... 69
"'" •
.5 Interrogatlve Relatlve Pronouns •..•.•••..• 74
4. Pdtentlal Juncture Before Relatlve Clauses 74
5. I-tikala/ Plus ObJect •••••••••.•••...•••.. 75
6. Please •.•.•••••••..••••.••....•••..•.•••.• 75
Un1.t 8
Dlalogue. 'A t the Fllllng Sta tlon' ••••••••••.•.••..• 76
Note: 1. Vowel and Seml-vowel Ellslon •.••••.••••••• 80
2. Rever S l ve . 80
3. Reverslve Statlve •. d •••••••••••••••••••••• 80
4· Derlved Stems Wlthout Slmple Stems .•.•..•• 81
5. Causatlve ••.•.•...•.•••..••••••...••••••.• 81
6. Degree of Immedlate Past ••••.••••••..••.•. 81
7. Proverb Concordance •••.•..••••••..••..•... 82
8. Non-appllcatlve Verbs W1.th Two ObJects •••• 87
9. Functlonally-spec1.al1.zed Use of Imperat1.ve 87
Unlt 9
Dlalogue: 'The Houseboy' .•.•••.•.•.••••..•••.•..•..• 88
Notes 1. Comparlson of Intenslty •••••••.•••••••..•• 91
2. Deflnlte Condltlon •••••••••••••••••••••.•. 91
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BASIC COURSE
3. General Prohlbltlons ••••••••••••••.•.•.••.•• 91

4. Specla1 Meanlngs of Derlved Stems •...••••.•• 92
5. / t~~ / Fo110we d by /na/ .••••.••...••••...•..• 92
6. /llbos6/ Plus SubJunctlve .•.•••••.•.••••.... 97
Unlt 10
Dla10gue: 'The Telephoner ••.•.•.••..•.••.••..••••.•... 98
Note: 1. Hypothetlca1 SUpposltlon .•.•••••••.•...•.•.• 106
2. 'Passlve' Plural .•.••...••..••••••.••••.•.•• 106
3• Future In Non-lnltla1 and Subordlnate Clauses 106
Unlt 11
Dla10guel 'At the Doctor 's I ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 107
,
Note. 1. Empha tlC /wapl/ •.•.•••••••••••••••.•••••..•. 111
2. Spe11lng of /60/ ••.....•..•.....••..•.•..•.• 111
Unlt 12
Dla10gue: 'Mosqultoes ' .•.•••••••••••••.•••••••.•.•.•.. 117
Note: 1. Nouns From Derl\led Stems .•••...•••.•......•. 121
2. Agent Nouns 0." •• " • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 122
3. /wa/ • /ya/ . 122
4. Llterary Use of /nd~/ of Mark Future ...•.•.. 122
5. Hyperbole wlth / .•• may~lA
I 1
t~/
I
..•..••••...••. 122
6. Norms of Deed or Actlon, Type 2 •••....•..•.. 122
Unlt 13
Dla10gue. I The Wor kshop I •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 130
Note: 1. PaSSlve .•••••.•.••..•..•••.•••.•.••..•..•••. 134
2. Ingresslve Statlve. Reclproca1 .•. ~ .•.•.•... 135
3. /mlko10
, I
mlkoml mos lka/ ••••••••.••••.••..•..•• 135
4· Instrument NounS', Type> 1 •••••••••.•..•.•.••• 136
5. Locatlve Nouns, Type 1 •••••••••.••.•••••..•. 136
6. Avoldance of Base Repetltlon •••••.•••••••..• 136
7. Instrument Nouns, Type 2 . . 136
8. Instrlwent Nouns, Type 3 .................... 138
9. Exp1etlve .. .... . . .. . . . . . . . . ...... . ... . ... ... 138
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LINGALA
Unlt 14
Dlalogue I 'Electlons'. · . • . • . . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • . • . • • 143
Note: 1. Mlscellaneous Nouns .•...••.•.•.•••.•...•••.•• 146
2. / s e/ ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 147
3. Amblgulty of Agent and Indlrect ObJect ....•.. 152
4. Lovanlum Unlverslty •.•....••.......•...•.•••. 153
5. Leopoldvllle II ••..•.••..••••••.•.•.•.•...••. 153
Unlt 15
Dlaloguel 'Mllltary SerVlce' .....•..••••.••...••.•....• 154
Note: 1. Intermedlate Past •.••••••...•...•••.•.••...•• 157
2. Dlstant Past .•.••.•••.•••.••..•.•••..••••.••. 157
3. Comparlson of Intenslty ••••••.••••.•..•...... 158
4. Comparlson of Degree .•..••••.•.••....••••.•.. 158
5. InverSlon of SubJect and Verb ••••••..•••.•••• 158
Unlt 16
Dlalogue: 'Bulldlng a Road' " . "."" 164
Note. 1. SubJect Wlth Two Verbs ••. 0 " 169
2. Immedlate Past of /-longwa/ •..••...••..•....• 169
3. Indeflnlte Condltlon ••••• " 169
Unlt 17
Dlalogue: 'Trafflc Control' •.•••.••••••••..•••..•.•...• 175
Unlt 18
Dlalogue: 'A New House' •.••••••.•..••.•••...•.•...•.••. 184
No te : 1. / - zala ya / ..•.••••••••..•••••.••••.••••••..•. 188
2. Equatlonal Sentence wlth Emphatlc SubJect •••. 189
Unlt 19
Dlalogue: 'Leavlng For The store' •••.••••••.•..••••.••• 195
Note: 1. Reflexlve •..••••.•••••.•••••••••....••.•.•.•. 199
2. Compound Agent Nouns •••••••••••.••.•••.•..••. 203
3. Klnshlp Termlnology ••..•.•••••.•....•....•..• 204
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BASIC COURSE
Unlt 20
Dlalogue: ,A stu den t V1 sa' ........."..,...................... 205
Note: 1. /ifo/ plus SubJunctlve ...••.•.•••.•..•.•.•.. 208
2. Redupllcatlon for Intenslty ••.•••..••..•.•.. 208
3. Wlshes, Intentlons, Plans ..••.•.•.••••.•.•.. 208
Unlt 21
Dlaloguel 'A Lost Pencll' •..•..•••••..•••••...••.•.... 214
Note~ 1. Double Spatlal Relatlonshlps .•.•.....•..•.•. 217
2. Partltlve .........•••.•..•..•.••••.•••.•••.• 218
Unlt 22
Dlaloguel 'The Bus to Klmwenza' . 223
Note: 1. /longw~ awa tii na Klmw~nza/ •.••..•.....•... 226
2. /nslma ya mlkol0
I I
misatu/ ....••.•.......••... 226
Unlt 23
Dlaloguel 'A Weddlng' ..•••...•••..•...•••...••..••••.• 232
Note, 1. Suggestlve Cohortatlve •...••.•.•.........••. 236
2. Dlstant Indeflnlte Future .•••••...•.•...•... 241
Unlt 24
Dla10guel 'The Seasons' .
Glossary ................... ~ . 252
lX

LINGALA
Introductlon
L1ngala 1S a 11ngua franca or trade language spoken 1n the

areas on both sldes of the Congo R1ver from Leopoldv1lle up to
about a hundred m1les from stanleyv1lle. L1ngala, usually called
Mangala by Afr1cans, was or1glnally the language of the Bamangala,
a Bantu tr1be that has almost completely d1sappeared. Most speak-
ers of L1ngala are nat1ve speakers of another language and use
L1ngala as a means of commun1cat1ng w1th other tr1bal groups and
to a lesser extent w1th Europeans; however, there 1S a grow1ng
number of younger people, espec1ally 1n urban centers such as
Leopoldv1lle, whose nat1ve language 1S L1ngala. Slnce L1ngala 1S
spoken by so many people of var1ed llngu1st1c backgrounds, 1t 1S
1nvev1table that the language as spoken 1n d1fferent areas should
vary to a greater or lesser degree.
The speaker on whose speech these mater1als are based 1S from

Leopoldv1lle, a Ch1ld of parents who could not speak each other's
language and who consequently always spoke L1ngala w1th each other
and w1th the1r ch1ldren. L1ngala has been a wr1tten language for
qU1te some t1me, but unfortunately wr1tten or 'llterary' L1ngala
1S d1fferent 1n many ways from L1ngala as 1t 1S nearly always
spoken by Afr1cans. One can say w1thout hes1tat1on that 11terary
L1ngala 1S an 1nvent1on of Europeans who have tr1ed to 'lmprove'
on the language, because Afr1cans who speak L1ngala fluently have
trOUble understand1ng llterary L1ngala even when 1t 1S spoken.
Th1S manual 1S based str1ctly on L1ngala as spoken by the person
descr1bed above.
The transcr1pt1on system used 1n th1S manual 1S the orthog-

raphy regularly used to wr1te L1ngala plus d1acr1t1c mark1ngs to
1ndlcate tone, WhlCh 1S not usually wr1tten, and to make 1t clear
how a word or segment 18 pronounced 1n cases where the student
may have d1ff1culty lnterpretlng the orthograhy. Some words have
been respelled, but th1s 1S 1nd1cated 1n the footnotes the flrst
tlme the respelllng occurs.

BASIC COURSE
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -------
Llngala contalns many words borrowed both from Afrlcan and

European languages. It lS often dlfflcult, lf not lmposslble, to
recognlze words borrowed from other Bantu languages. Slnce most
of the people who speak Llngala are natlve speakers of some other
language, words from other languages are constantly used ln Llngala.
A number of Arablc words have come ln Vla Swahlll. Portuguese and
French words have been borrowed for several centurles, and many
such words have been so fully asslmllated lnto the sound system
that they too are very hard to recognlze. A number of Engllsh
words also have entered. French words are freely used ln everyday
speech ln a more or less unasslmllated form. Those persons who
speak French fluently also try to pronounce French words as they
would be ln French when these words are used ln Llngala. Asslm-
llated words occurlng In thlS text are spelled as pronounced ln
Llngala, and the flrst tlme they occur, the standard French spell-
' ,
lng lS glven ln parentheses, e.g., I letal (l'etat), 'government'.
Words recently borrowed and not aSSlmllated lnto the Llngala sound
system are glven the standard French spelllng In the Llngala text.
Unasslmlla ted French ltJords usually have a hlgh tone on the flnal
syllable. The dlaCrJtlc marks on French words are NOT tone marks,
but they are the same as those regularly used ln French spelllng.
Llngala, llke elmost all the languages spoken south of the

Sahara,lS a tone language. Each syllable has ltS own tone. Tone
lS as much an lntegral part of a syllable as vowels and consonants.
\fOI'ds are dlstlngulshed by tone, e .. g., /nga{l, 'I', 'me' (a low
and two hlghs), and Ingal/, 'scur(ness)', 'bltter(ness)' (three
lows). Llngala has two contrastlve or phonemlc tones: hlgh I;,
low I I (unmarked). However, ther'e are many speakers of Llngala
who use a stress system lnstead of tones. Most speakers who use a
stress system stress the penult:"l11abe syllable. Because of these
speakers and because tone has a silialler phonemlc Yleld, l.e.,
plays a sm.aller role, In LllJgala than In the great maJorIty of
Afrlcan languages, one can ubvlousl:'l communlCn. te ln Llngala Wl th-
out uSJ.ng 1 ts tone system.. But the rna Jorl ty of speakers of the
Xl

LINGALA
language do use tone, lncludlng the speaker used as the model for
thls manual,
Sentence lntonatlon, e.g., use of pltch to dlstlngulsh state-
ments and questlons, 1S also used 1n L1ngala. Thls lS descrlbed
In Note 1.7. In reference to the notes In thls manual, the flrst
numeral refers to the un1t and the second numeral refers to the
note.
In the four column chart glven below, column I glves the
orthography except for /e/
I
and /0/
I
(See footnote 3 below), column
II glves the phonemes, column III glves the phonetlc symbols, and
column IV 1S an approxlmat1on of the sound uSlng Amerlcan Engllsh
and French sounds for comparlson.
Symbol Phoneme Phonetlcs Approxlmatlon
p /p/ [pJ
.E ln
t /t/ rg) tIn
k /k/ (k] come
k p 4. /kp/ [kp, 'kp] sImultaneous k and .E
b /b/ (b) be
d /d/ [d]
,.., do
g /g/ [g] EO
gb4. /gb/ [gb, 'gb] S lmul ta ne QUS .B. and b
f /f/ [f] fee-
s /s/ [~] see
h /h/ [h) he
z /z/ [z,'J,
n
dz,dJ] zero
m Im/ (rn ] "" me
n In/ [ n~
n
lJ] EO, Sl!26
ny /r / [p v]
tI
::i.e
pJ' onounce d through
the nose
ngb4. / IrJ / [~] slmultaneous .!!! and .!J.
1 11/ (1 ]
'F'l
let
w /w/ (wJ 1rJe
Xll.

BASIC COURSE _..__ ....-
-.
Y /y/ [y] xes

vI. /v/ [v] Vlne
rl • /r/ [r, y, x] French ga.!:e
1 /1/ [1", '(] beat 2
-
e /e/ [r, e] balt 2
y3 /e/ [e, ee"] bet
a /a/ [a, a.] bottle
03
I
/0/ [ ';) ] bE.ught
0 /0/ [0, U ] boat 2
-
u /u/ (u", u] boot 2
/#/ step down ln
p1.tch on
preced1.ng
syllable and
pause
, /1/ pause
'l /U/ greater lnterval
between hlgh
and low than
for /#/ and
usually stress
on the precedlng
hlgh
A number of spec1.al symbols are also used as expla1.ned below.

( ) Encolosed Llngala elements are usually ellded at conversatlon
speed; or enclosed Engl1.sh elements are glven for clarlty of mean-
lng.
/ / In the chart above, thlS symbol means Llngala phonemlcs;

elsewhere, It means the symbollzatlon used In thlS grammar.
j I
Ordlnary Llngala orthography. Spaces between words to
mark word boundarles are the same as those used l.n the orthography
except as glven l.n the footnotes.
Xlll

LINGALA
NOTES
1. /v/ and /r/ are used only ln unasslmllated loan words.
2. There lS no y- or w-offgllde wlth Llngala vowels ln

contrast to Engllsh vowels WhlCh sound somewhat the same.
3. /e/
I
lS usually /e//, but sometlmes /I c //, /0/I
lS usually
10 /, but sometlmes /I a /I .
4· /kp/, /gb/, and /ngb/ are very rare. ThlS manual con-
talns only one word wlth /gb/ and no words wlth /kp/ of /ngb/.
They are usually exploslve, but some speakers are reported to use
lmploslves.
XlV

BASIC COURSE UNIT 1
Unlt 1
BaSlC Sentences
-A-
, ,
mbote
I I
greetlngs, good mornl.ng/
afternoon/evenl.ng
, ,
1. Mbote.
t I
Hello.
-B-
,
y~ yes
, , ,
2. Ee
I I , mbCft~. Hello.
-A-
-zala to be, eXl.st, ll.ve, Sl.t,
dwell
,
ozall. you (sg.) are
,
malamu good, well, fl.ne
, ,
3. Ozall. malamu? How are you?
-B-
,
nazall. I am
,
na and, wl.th, as well as, even
, ,
yc;, YCfC; you (sg.)
, nazall." "
4. Ee,
I I
malamu. Na yO?
I
I'm fl.ne. And you?

UNIT 1 LINGA LA
-A.-
, , ,
5. Ee, nazalJ. malamu.
•• I'm fJ.ne.
-B-
mama, ba- mother

mwana, ebana
' chJ.ld
na and, wJ.th; of, havJ.ng; con-
sJ.stJ.ng of; at, along, by
, , , ,
6. Mama na bana azalJ. malamu'Z How J.S your wJ.fe'Z
-A-
, , ,
7. Ee
I I ,
azalJ. malamu. She's fJ.ne.
-B-
,
mpe and, also, lJ.kewJ.se
, , ,
8. Na bana mpe'l And the chJ.ldren'l
-A-
,
bango they, them, those
,
bansoI all
, , , ,
9. Ee, bango bansoI bazalJ. They are all fJ.ne.
•• ,
malamu.
NOTES
1.1. Verb prefJ.xes.

Verbs have one of several prefJ.xes to mark: (1) person
(fJ.rst, second, thJ.rd), (2) number (sJ.ngular, plural), and (3)
other grammatJ.cal categorles whJ.ch wlll be dJ.scussed later. Note
the underlJ.ned prefJ.xes ln the chart below.

BASIC COURSE UNIT 1
ANIMATE SUBJECT PREFIXES OF VERBS
Slngular Plural
, ,
1st person nazall I am tozall we are
, ,
2nd person ozall you (sg.) are bozall you (pl. ) are
, ,
3rd person azall he, she, lt lS bazall they are
1.2. Partlcle /na/, 'and', 'together wlth'
At conversatl0n speed /na/ lS usually /na/, 1.e., low-toned,

but for emphasls or lf there lS amblgulty, lt lS /na/, l.e., hlgh-
toned, and lS stressed, l.e., louder than adJacent syllables, e.g.,
, / , 'he lS wlth the Chlld', or / tata" na mama"
/ azall" na mwana na ,
banal,
'the father and also the mother and the chlldren as well'. In a
questlon /na/ lS always hlgh.
1.3. Partlcle /na/ after /-zala/

The verb /-zala/ plus /na/ has a number of meanlngs from the
Engllsh pOlnt of Vlew. Most commonly /-zala na/ translates 'has'
or 'have', e.g., /azal{ na mwana/, 'he has a chlld', but a number
of other meanlngs are posslble, e.g., 'he lS wlth the Chlld', 'he
lS looklng after the Chlld'.
1.4. Partlcles /na/ and /ya/: Possesslon

One of the uses of the partlcles /na/ and /ya/ lS to mark
pOSSesslon. The noun precedlng the partlcle lS the possessed, and
the noun or pronoun followlng the partlcle lS the possessor. If
the possessor lS a noun, /ya/ occurs, e. g., /mwana ya mobal{/, 'the
chlld of the man/male/husband'. If the possessor lS a pronoun,
Ina/ usually occurs, e.g., /mwana na nga{/, 'my Chlld', 'Chlld of
me'. /ya/ does occur occaslonally before pronouns ln posseSSlve

UNIT 1 LINGALA
construct1ons. If the possessor 1S a pronoun, the 1ndependent

form of the pronoun occurs. See the chart below.
INDEPENDENT PRONOUNS
Slngular Plural
,, ,. ,
1st person nga1 blSU
, , , ,
2nd person y~, ,,
yoo b1nu
, , ,
3rd person ye, yee bango
1.5. Part1cles /na/ and /ya/: Descr1pt1on

In general 1f /na/ occurs between two nouns, 1t 1S understood
as 'and', 'In add1t1on'; but there are a few spec1al1zed construc-
t10ns llke /mama na banal, 'woman w1th ch1ldren, 'w1fe', 'lady'.
Th1S construct1on 1S used as a pol1te term of address 1f 1t 1S
known to the speaker that the woman be1ng addressed has ch1ldren.
Or 1t 1S used as a pol1te term of reference to the w1fe of the man
be1ng addressed. If 1t 1S not known to the speaker whether the
couple has ch1ldren, one would use /mwasi na y~/, 'your woman/w1fe/
female', as a term of reference and /mama/ 'mother/lady/madam', as
a term of address. Both terms are pol1te, but /mama na banal and
/mama/ establ1sh greater rapport 1f used. L1kew1se /tata na banal,
'husband/man/gentleman', and /tata/, 'father/gentleman/s1r f , occur
1n th1S type sltuat10n when referr1ng to a man.
In general lf /ya/ occurs between two nouns, lt 1S understood
as, 'of', 'belong1ng to'; but 1t may also 1nd1cate descr1pt1on or
qual1ty, e.g. /mwana ya mobal1/, 'boy', 'male Ch1ld', 'son'. Com-
pare note 1.4.
1.6. Response to yes-no quest1ons.

In answerlng a yes-no quest1on, lt 1S necessary to say /~~/,
'yes', or /t~/, 'no', even though the quest10n 1S answered w1th a

BASIC COURSE UNIT I
, , /
sentence, e.g., /Ozal1 malamu~ , 'Are you well?', 1S answered by
, " 1
lee,
I I
nazal1 malamu. I,. 'Yes, I am well. '
1.7. Intonat1on. Statement vs. Quest10n

Statements and quest10ns are d1st1ngu1shed by 1ntonatlon,
l.e., they have d1fferent pltch patterns or sentence melod1es. In
general, the p1tch level of a sentence becomes gradually lower. The
lnterval or amount of p1tch d1fference between h1gh and low 1S
greater 1n a quest10n than 1n a statement, especlally between the
last h1gh and the lows 1n the precedlng syllable and 1n the follow-
lng syllable, but 1n a long sentence the lnterval between h1gh and
low 1S no greater 1n the flrst several syllables than the 1nterval
In a statement.
INTONATION
Statement Quest10n
He llkes meat. Does he llke meat~

, ,
Al1ng1 nyama. Allng1 nyama?

UNIT 1 LING ALA
Though the p~tch does fall over a sentence, the second of

two low tones 1S S11ghtly h1gher 1f followed by a h1gh tone. The
last syllable of a statement lS consp1cuously lower In p1tch and
usually 1n ampl1tude, but at the end of a quest10n only a low tone
1S lower. A flnal hlgh In a statement lS usually Just a llttle
lower than a precedlng low. A flnal h1gh 1n a quest10n lS much
h1gher than a precedlng low; a flnal h1gh after a h1gh 1S approx1-
mately on the same level as or a I1ttle h1gher than the preced1ng
h1gh. A f1nal h1gh 1n a quest10n may be e1ther level or hlgh-r1s1ng
INTONATION
Statement Questl0n
He llkes man10C leaves. Does he l1ke man10C leaves~

, ,
Al1ng1 mP9ndu~
1.8. Nouns. Slngular and Plural

Nouns are marked for slngular and plural by preflXes. Most
nouns referrlng to persons have /mo-/ 1n the slngular and /ba-/ 1n
, . ,
the plural, e.g., /motu/, 'person', 'human', and /batu/, 'people'.
K1nsh1p terms usually have no preflx In the slngular, e.g., /tata/,
'father', but do have /ba-/ ln the plural, as In /batata/, 'fathers'
The plural preflx lS 11sted after a noun the flrst t1me the noun

BASIC COURSE UNIT 1
occurs. If the plural ~s ~rregular, the ent~re plural form ~s

,
g~ven, e. g., /mwana/, 'ch~ld', /0 bana,
' / rch~ldren' . Irregular
plurals are marked w~th the symbol o to d~st~ngu~sh them from al-
ternate forms of the s~ngular. The plural should be learned along
w~th the vocabulary ~tem. The plural of some (espec~ally abstract)
nouns rarely occurs. Rare plurals are g~ven ~n parentheses, e.g.,
/bola{, (ma-) /, rlength', rdepth' , 'he~ght ' • Also some nouns
occur only ~n the plural.
1.9. /0/ before another vowel.

/0/ before another vowel ~s regularly /w/, e.g., /#moana/,
~s /mwana/, rch~ldr.
1.10. Dr~lls: Instruct~ons on How to Use

In do~ng the dr~lls, the teacher ~s to g~ve the student the
f~rst sentence. After hav~ng the student repeat the f~rst sentence,
g~ve h~m the underl~ned port~on of the next sentence and have the
student g~ve back the new sentence composed of the underl~ned por-
t~on plus the requ~red parts of the preced~ng sentence. See model
below.
MODEL DRILL
, ,
Teacher: Nazal~ malamu.
, ,
Student. Nazal~ malamu.
,
Teacher: Ozal~
, ,
Student: Ozal~ malamu.
LEXICAL DRILL 1
, ,
1. Nazal~ malamu. I am f~ne.
, ,
2. Ozal~ malarnu. You (sg. ) are f~ne.

UNIT 1 LINGALA
, ,
3. Azall malamu. He/she lS flne.
, ,
4. Tozall malamu. We are flne.
, ,
5. Bozall malamu. You (pl. ) are flne.
, ,
6. Bazall malarnu. They c.R"lJe f J..ne.
LEXICAL DRILL 2
, ,
1. Azall malamu'l rHow "l S 'he~
, -, , ,
2. Mwana ;na 'yo
-I
azall malamu? How lS your Chl1d?
, ., , , ,
3. MWRS1 na ye azall malamu? How lS hlS wlfe?
, , , ,
4. Moball na ye azall malamu? How lS her husband?
, , , , ,
5. Tata na blnu azall malamu'l How lS your father?
, " ,
6. Mama na ban50 azall malamu~ How lS thelr mother?
, , , ,
7. Bana na Y9 bazall malamu? How are your chl1dren'l
, " , ,
B. Bamama na blSU bazall malamu? How are our mothers?
, , "
9. Bango
-
banso1 bazall malamu? Are they all all rlght?
, , "
10. Mama na bsna aza11 malamu. How 18 your wlfe?
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 1
Answer afflrmatlvely:
, , , , ,
1. Ozall malamu? Ee,
I 1
nazall malamu.
, , , , ,
2. Azall malamu? Ee,
1 ,
azall malamu.
, , , , ,
3. Bozall. malamu'l !ty, tozaJ.l malamu.
, , , , ,
4. Bazall malamutz Ee,
I ,
bazall malamu.
, , , , , , ,, , ,
5. Bana na yo, bazall malamu? If€(, bana na ngal bazalJ. malamu.
, , , , , , ,, , ,
6. Tata na Y'1 azall malamu? EI y , tata na ngal azall malamu.

BASIC COURSE UNIT 1
, , , , , , , , ,
7. Mama na bango azall malamu't Ee,
I I
mama na bango azall malamu.
, , , , , , , , ,
8. Mwana na ye azall malamu't Ee mwana na ye azall malamu.
I I '
, ,, , , , , , , ,
9. Bana na ngal bazall malamu't bana na yo bazall malamu.
~Y' I
~ ~
, , , , , , ,, , ,
10. MwaSl na yoI azall malamu't ~E(, mwaSl na ngal azall malamu.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 2
, ,
1. AzalJ. mwana. He lS young.
, ,
2. Nazall na mwana. I have a Chl1d.
, ,
3· Nazall na bana. I have chlldren.
, , ,
4. Bazall na bana. They are wlth the chl1dren.
, , , ,,
5. Bazall na mama na ngal. They are wlth my mother.
, , ,,
6. Tozall na mama na ngal. We are wlth my mother.
, , ,
7. Tozall na mwana na Y9. We are taklng care or your Chl1d.
, , , ,
8. Mama azall na mwana na Y9· Mother has your Chl1d.
, , ,
9. Mama azalJ. na bango banso. , Mother has all of them.
, , ,
10. Bozall na bango banso. I
You have all of them.

UNIT 2 LINGALA
UNIT 2
Bas1.c Sentences
-A-
-loba to speak, tell, say

,
1. Olobaka L1.ngala~ Do you speak L1.ngala~
-B-
,
-yeba to know, be acqua1nted w1.th;
may, be allowed to
,
na1.nu st111, yet
,
teI not, no
", , ,
2. Nayebl na1.nu malamu t y • I donrt know 1.t very well yet.
-A-
Fran9a1.s French
,
3. Olobaka Fran9a1.s mpe~ Do you speak French too~
-B-
,
kaS1 but
Angla1s Engl1sh
, , , , ,
4· Ee,
I I
kaS1 nayeb1 Angla1s tee
I
Yes, but I donrt speak Engl1sh.
-A-
,
nd1nga, n- language
wha t, wh1ch
,
ndako, n- house
, ,
5. Olobaka nd1.nga n1.n1. na
,
What language do you speak at
ndako~ home~
10

BASIC COURSE UNIT 2
-B-
,
leta (1 r~ta t) government, state
, ,.
KJ. tuba, KJ.kongo ya the KJ.tuba language
, ,.
Leta, Kutuba
, , ,.
6. Tolobaka LJ.ngala na KJ.tuba. We speak LJ.ngala and KJ.tuba.
-A-
,.
-yekola to study, learn
7. Naakoyekola
"
LJ.ngala.
#
I'm studyJ.ng LJ.ngala.
-B-
,
8. Malamu. That's fJ.ne.
NOTES
2.1 NegatJ.ona /t~/
The negatJ.ve partJ.cle /t~/

I
follows whatever J.t modJ.fJ.es. If
lt modJ.fJ.es a sentence, J.t occurs at the end of the sentence, e.g.,
/nay~b{ Angla~s t~/, 'I don't speak EnglJ.sh. r
2.2 Verba Base and AffJ.xes

olobaka
,. ,.
nayebJ.
These may be dlagrammed:
Stem
~
SubJect r Verbal ~ Aspect
PrefJ.x Base ExtensJ.on SuffJ.x
-
0- lob -ak -a
,. ,.
nayeb -J.
11

UNIT 2 LINGA LA
The base and aspect sufflX occur ln every verb form. Preflxes
and verbal extenslons mayor may not be present. The tone of the
flrst stem syllable lS flXed, l.e., always hlgh or always low; but
the tone of succeedlng syllables of the stem 1S the same as the tone
of the aspect sufflX.
2.3 Aspect, Perfectlve/Imperfectlve
There are two aspect sufflxes: the perfectlve and lmper-

fectlve. The tone of the aspect sufflX lS hlgh ln the past and
lmperatlve, but low ln the non-past and lnf1nltlve.
The perfectlve sufflX /-{/ marks a form regarded by the
speaker as lndlcatlng a completed actlon or state arrlved at by
the tlme referred to ln the sentence. Slnce /-{/ lS always a past,
lt always has hlgh tone.
The lmperfect1ve sufflX /-a/ marks a form regarded by the
speaker as lndlcatlng an actlon or state contlnued through an In-
deflnlte perlod of tlme. Slnce the lmperfectlve /-a/ occurs wlth
the past, present, and ~ture, lt has hlgh or low tone as descrlbed
above.
2.4 Tense: Tlme Segments

In addltlon to dlvldlng tlme lnto past, present, and ~ture,
L1ngala segments tlme ln a serles of steps from the present. The
borderllne between the varlOUS degrees of dlstance from the pre-
sent lS relatlve, l.e., cannot be stated exactly In hours or days.
The varlOUS tenses wlll be studled ln the followlng lessons. Com-
pare the Engllsh approxlmatlons of Llngala tlme dlvlslons In the
dlagram below.
12

DISTANT PAST
(A Long Tlme Ago)
INTERMEDIATE PAST
(Some Tlme Ago)
t-t
H
RECENT PAST (Recently) ~ ~

~ til
H
I-' 1-3 (')
W IMMEDIA TE PAST (Jus t ) H
~
()
PRESENT (Now)
IMMEDIA TE FUTURE (Abou t To)
t1
H
<:
H
(fJ
H
i
o
PROXIMATE FUTURE !2:
( Soon)
POTENTIAL FUTURE
(Plan To)
~
H
t-3
I\)

UNIT LING A LA
2.5 Immed1ate Past: Permanent states. Present Locat1ons
The perfect1ve suff1x /-{/ marks (1) the 1mmed1ate past, (2)
permanent or sem1-permanent states and 1nnate character1st1cs, and
(3) permanent or present locat10ns. (1) The 1mmed1ate past most
often refers to some t1me ear11er the same day as the moment of
speak1ng or some t1me the preced1ng day, but 1t may refer to any
t1me 1n the last three or four or more days 1f the speaker cons1ders
the event to have Just taken place. (2) Permanent or sem1-permanent
states and 1nnate character1st1cs are such th1ngs as sex, nat1ona11-
ty, name, profess1on, and mar1tal state. (3) A permanent locat10n,
1S a geograph1c or natural locat1on; a present locat1on 1S the pre-
sent temporary locat10n of anyth1ng movable. Compare the examples
below.
,
1. naza11 I have been, have become, have
reached the state of, have been
created as, 1.e., I am, am 1n
the act or state of, am by
nature.
, ,
Naza11 moba11. I am a man.
, ,
Nazal1 awa. I am here.
,
Naza11 koloba. I am speak1ng.
, ,
2. nayeb1 I have become acqua1nted w1th,
1.e., I know.
, , ,
Nayeb1 L1ngala. I speak L1ngala.
, , ,
Nayeb1 ye. I know h1m.

BASIC COURSE UNIT 2
, ,
3. nasal~ I have done, I d~d, have Just
done, recently d~d.
, , ,
Nasal~ yango. I made ~t.
, , , ,
Nasal~ mosala. I d~d the work.
2.6 Hab~tual Act~on: Cont~nued state
The comb~nat~on of the verbal extens~on /-ak-/ and the ~mper

fect~ve suff~x marks the hab~tual present, wh~ch ~nd~cates a regular
act~v~ty or usual part of the subJect's behav~or over a long, ~n
def~n~te per~od, ~nclud~ng the present. Compare the examples below.
1. nazalaka I am regularly, always,

hab~tually
,
Nazalaka na ndako. I'm always home.
, ,
Nazalaka na ye. I'm always w~th h~m.
2. nalobaka I regularly speak.

,
Nalobaka L~ngala. I(always) speak L~ngala, ~. e. ,
L~ngala ~s a habltual actlvlty
of m~ne.
,
3. nasalaka I regularly do.
, ,
Nasalaka b~lamba. I (hab~tually) make clothes,
l. e. , I am a tallor.
2.7. Temporary Hab~tual Present: Prox~mate Future
A long or double subJect-pronoun vowel wlth a hlgh tone on the

second element plus (or m~nus) a /ko-/ preflx to the verb stem, whlch
15

UNIT 2 LINGA LA
In turn has the lmperfectlve sufflX, marks (l) the temporary hablt-
ual present and/or (2) the proXlmate future. The /ko-/ preflx lS
optl0nal, but lt nearly always occurs. (l) A temporary habltual
present lndlcates an actlvlty WhlCh lS a regular part of the sub-
Ject's behavlor for a rather short temporary perl0d lncludlng the
present; (2) a prOX1mate fUture 18 80methlng that wll1 take place
soon, e.g., /Naakoy~kola L1ngala/, 'I'm studylng Llngala', 'At
the present tlme, one o~ my regular actlvltles lS studylng Llngala',
or 'I'm gOlng to be stud71ng Llngala In the near future'.
2.8 Spelllng of long or double ldentlcal vowels.

The Llngala orthography does not usually lndlcate long or
double vowels of the ~ quallty, e.g., /naakoy~kola/ lS usually
jhakoyekola~. But Slnce thlS spelllng lS the same as that of the
potentlal future (See Note 3.2), sometlmes an acute accent lS added
to the vowel of the subJect pronoun, e.g., /naakoy~kola/ 18 some-
tlmes jhakoyekola#. Those cases when the regular orthography
wrltes a long vowel wlll be indlcated In the notes.
2.9 Vowel Harmony

There are certaln llmltatl0n as to WhlCh vowels can precede
or follow other vowels. These llmltatlons are called vowel harmony.
There are two serles of vowels: prlmary and secondary.
prlmary vowels 1 e a 0 u
secondary vowels e 0 (a)
• •
/a/ lS often a secondary vowel ln verbal extensl0ns and ln the
lmperfectlve sufflX, but /a/ lS almost always prlmary ln a base.
The relatl0nshlp of these two serles lS perhaps eaSler to see ln a
vowel trlangle.
16

BASIC COURSE UNIT 2
Front Back
Hlgh u
(Hlgh MJ.d
l
e o
} Prlmary
~oW Mld oI Secondary

Low a Prlmary (-Secondary)
Vowel Harmony Rules
I. If the flrst syllable of a stem contaJ.ns a prJ.mary vowel, all

succeedlng mld vowels wlll be prlmary, l.e., hlgh mld, e.g.,
/naay~kola/, 'I'm Studylng. '
II. If the flrst syllable of a stem contalns a secondary vowel,

all succeedlng mld vowels wlll be secondary, l.e., low mld, unless
a hlgh vowel occurs after the secondary vowel, In whlch case suc-
ceedlng mld vowels wlIl be prlmary, e.g., /natikil{/, 'I sold for
(someone) " but /nabong{s~l{/,
..L __ 'I repalred for (someone)' •
III. When a secondary vowel occurs In a syllable before /a/ In

e1ther habltual extenslon /-ak-/ or the lmperfectlve suffJ.X /-a/,
the same secondary vowel as In the precedlng syllable also usually
occurs In the extenslon and the lmperfectlve sufflx, e.g., /nak~n
deke/,
..L J,,;
'I go', 1S the more common form, but /nakendaka/,
.J.
'I go',
1S also fa1rly common. If both the hab1tual extens10n and the
1mperfect1ve suff1X occur, both the extens10n and the suff1X have
the same vowel, 1.e.~ /·nakindlka/ does not occur.
IV. A low m1d vowel 1mmed1ately followed by a hlgh vowel 1S often

replaced by a hlgh m1d vowel, e.g., /om9n{/, 'I see' lS the more
" / 'I see' 1S fa1rly common.
common form, but / omon1,
In bases end1ng 1n a vowel, a form w1th two pr1mary vowels
occurs, e.g., /nakei/, 'I went', not ~nak1{/. If /a/ occurs 1n
17

UNIT 2 LINGA LA
thlS envlronment, lt acts as a secondary vowel, e.g., "/

/ nayel,
'I came', not ;*nayai./.
V. Verb preflxes are not lnfluenced by vowel harmony.
VI. Some noun preflxes are subJect to vowel harmony lnfluence of

the flrst syllable of the base ln the same ways as descrlbed above
for vowels followlng the lnltlal base syllable. ThlS wlll be fur-
ther studled In Note 4.3.
2.10 The Kltuba Language

Kltuba lS a Ilngua franca spoken to the west and south of
Llngala. Many speakers of Llngala also know Kltuba, and conversely.
Llngala and Kltuba share many words and grammatlcal structures.
, ,
Kltuba lS also called Klkongo ya Leta; but sometlmes Kltuba lS re-
strlcted to mean that dlalect of the language spoken ln the eastern
, ,
or Kwango-Kwllu reglon, and Klkongo ya Leta restrlcted to mean that
of the western or lower Congo reglon.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL I
,
-yoka to hear, Ilsten, feel
understand
,
moky , ml- small, thln; a Ilttle;
a blt, few
,
1. Olobaka Llngala'l Do you speak Llngala'l
,
2. Olobaka Fran9 als mpe'l Do you speak French too'l
, , ,
3. Nayebl Fran9als mpe. I speak French t00.
, , , ,
4. Nayebl Llngala make.
•,
I speak a Ilttle Llngala.
, , ,
5. Bayebl Llngala make.t
They speak a Ilttle Llngala.
18

BASIC COURSE UNIT 2
, , , ,
6. Bayebl. malamu tee
I
They don't speak l.t very well.
, , , , ,
7. Toyokl. Y9 malamu tee
I
We dl.dn't understand you very
well.
, , , ,
8. Toyokl. yoI mokEt· We understood you partly.
, , ,
9. Boyebl. Anglals moke.
I
You (pl. ) speak a ll.ttle Engll.sh.
, , ,
10. Boyebl. malamu. You (pl. ) know l.t very well.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 2
, , ,,
1. Nazall. na ndako ya ngal. . I'm at home.
, , ,
2. Nazall. na ndako ya bango. I'm at thel.r house.
, .' ,
3. Azall. mwana ya bango. He l.S thel.r chl.ld.
, , ,
4· Azall. mwana malamu. He's a good chl.ld.
, , , ,
5. Toyebl. Ll.ngala malamu. We speak Ll.ngala well.
, , , ,
6. Toyebl. Ll.ngala ---+moke. We speak a ll.ttle Ll.ngala.
, , ,
7. Ozall. mwana mOky. You are a small chl.ld.
, , , ,,
8. Ozall. mwana ya mama ya ngal. • You are a chl.ld of my mother.
, , , ,,
9. Azall. tata ya mama ya ngal. • He l.S my mother's father.
, , ,,
10. Azall. tata ya ngal.. He l.S my father.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 3
, , ,
1. Naakoyekola Llngala. I'm studyl.ng Ll.ngala.
, , , , ,
2. Naakoyekola ndl.nga na bl.nu. I'm learnl.ng your language.
, , , , ,
3. Nayebl ndlnga na blnu. I know your language.
, , ,
4· Nayebl Anglals tee I
I don't speak Engllsh.
, , ,
5. Ayebl. Anglal.s tee
t
He do~sn't know Engll.sh.
19

UNIT 2 LING A LA
, , ,
6. Aye b1. ;[!j.. He knows you.
, , ,
7. Bayok1. yo. I
They hear you.
, , ,
8. Bayokl malamu. They feel f1.ne. (1..e. , They
have recovered.)
, , , ,
9. Oyeb1. L1.ngala malarnu. You speak Llngala well.
, , , ,
10. Oyebl Llngala na Franc;als. You speak Llngala and French.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 4
", , ,
1. Nayebl ye malamu t y • I don't know hlm very well.
", , ,
2. Nayebl mwana na ye ya moball. I know hlS son.
" , ,
3. Azall mwana na ye ya moball. He lS her son.
, , ,,
4· Azall na ndako na ngal. He lS at my house.
, ,
5. Tolobaka Kltuba na ndako na
,,
We speak K1.tuba at my house.
ngal.
, ,
6. Tolabaka K1.tuba na Fran9a1.S We speak K1.tuba and French
,
mpe. also.
7. "
Bayebl "
Kltuba ,
na Fran9als mpe. They know Kltuba and French
also.
, , , , ,
8. Bayeb1. nalnu malamu tee
I
They don't know (how) very well.
, , ,
9. Bayeb1 Angla1.s moke.
I
I speak a Ilttle Engl1.sh.
, , ,
10. Azal1 mwana moke.
t
He 1S a small Ch1ld.
20

BASIC COURSE UNIT 3
Unlt 3
BaslC Sentences
-A-
-llnga to want, llke; be almost
on the pOlnt of
,
-yaa to come, become
,
lelo
I I
today
, , ,
1. Ollngl koyaa lelo na Do you want to come to my house
, ,, I
I
ndako na nga 1? today7
-B-
"
soko, "
SOkl
I I I
,
-zwa to get, recelve, flnd, meet
, ,
ntangu, ntango tlme, hour, clock, sun
, , " ,
2. Sako
I I
naZWl ntangu nakoyaa. If I get tlme, I wl11 come. If
nothlng prevents me, I'll come.
-A-
to eat
, , ,
3. Ollngl kolla nlnl~ What do you 11ke to eat~
-B-
, ,
nsoso chlcken
,
loseI I
" , ,
4· Nsoso na loso.
I I
Chlcken and rlce.
-A-
, ,
5. Na nlnl~ And wha t else~
21

UNIT 3 LINGALA
-B-
,
mblSl flSh
,
mpondu
I
manloc leaves (used as a
vegetable)
nyama meat
, , ,
6. MblSl, mpondu
I
na nyama. F1Sh, manlOC leaves wlth meat.
-A-
,
-lamba to cook, prepare food
, ,
7. Malamu, nakolamba. Good, I'll flX It.
to drlnk, suck up, smoke

B. What would you llke to drlnk7
-B-
,
Vlnu Wlne
masanga Wlne, beer
,
mblla palm tree, palm nuts
, ,
9. Vlnu na masanga ya mblla. Some Wlne and palm Wlne.
-A-
-koka to be able, can, be suffl-
clent, be more than a
glven number
, ,
-yaa na to brlng, come wlth
, , , "
10. Okokl koyaa na mwaSl na Can't you brlng your wlfe~
, ,
yoI te7
I
-B-
, ,
ml bale two
, " , ,
11. Tokoyaa blSU mlbale. Werll both come.
22

BASIC COURSE UNIT 3
-A-
, ,
12. Kende
I I
malamu. Goodbye.
-B-
, , ,
13. Na Y9 mpe. Goodbye.
" , , , ,
Pesa mama na bana mbote.
I I
Say hello to your wlfe for me.
-A-
, , " , ,
Pess mpe bana monte.
I I
And remember me to your chlldren.
-B-
,
16. Melesl. Thanks.
NOTES
3.1 Inf1n1tlve pref1x: /ko-/

Verbal nouns, here called lnf1nlt1ves, are marked by the pre-
f1X /ko-/ added to the lmperfectlve verb stem, e.g., /kosala/, fto
do', 'do1ng'. TIllS preflX may be added to any 1mperfectlve verb
stem, so that, for example, there lS also a form /kosalaka/, fto do
hab1tuallyf. Inflnltlves are lnvarlable and, llke other nouns, may
be subJects of verbs, e.g., /kosala eza1{ malamu/, fIt's good to
work', lWork lS a good thlng'. (The verb preflx /e-/ lS descrlbed
In Note 4.2.)
Inflnltlves often occur after a maln verb much llke a comple-
mentary lnflnltlve In Engllsh, and the meanlng of such a construc-
tlon lS usually ObV10US, e.g., /okok{ koyaa/, 'you are able to come'.
But sometlmes the meanlng lS dlfflcult for a speaker of Engllsh to
guess. In such cases a footnote lS glven.
A verb of motlon plus an lnflnltlve lndlcates purpose, e.g.,
/ay~{ kol{a/, 'he has come to eat', 'he has come In order to eat'.
23

UNIT 3 LINGALA
£ £
3.2 Purpose: Immed~at.e Future~
/-llnga/ followed by an lnflnltlva.e4~~esses (1) purpose

and/or (2) lmmedlate future. (1) Purpose 18 a deslre or a want;
(2) the lmmedlste fUture 18 somethlng about to happen, e.g.,/ollng{
koyaa/, 'you want to come,' or 'you are about to come', 'you wll1
come very soon'. Compare also /ballng{ kolobs Llngala/, 'They want
to speak Llngala', or 'They wl11 (soon be able to) speak Llngala,
(but they can't speak 1t now) " 'They have nearly reached the state
of be1ng able to speak Llngala'. Somet1mes 'almost ready to' lS a
good translatlon.
Immedlate Present
/-zal{/ plus an lnflnltlve marks the 1mmedlate present, 1.e.,
someth~ng ~aklng place at the moment of speaklng, e.g., /nazal{
kol{a/, 'I am eat1ng', 'I am ln the act/process/state of eatlng at
thlS moment'.
Though the temporary habltual present (See Nute 2.8) and the
lmmedlate present both usually translate 'I am ••• lng' and though
both may _often be used to descrlbe the same event, they often con-
trast, e.g., /naakol{a/, 'I'm eatlng J , l.e., 'I'm studylng (or
whatever) but from tlme to tlme I eat somethlng even though at thlS
moment I may not have food ln my mouth', /nazal{ kOlla/, 'I am eat-
lng somethlng rlght at thls moment'.
The lmmedlate future (See Note 3.2) and the lmmedlate present
are both used to descrlbe somethlng WhlCh lS gOlng to happen very
soon. If the lmmCG1ate present 1S used, the event 1S so near that
1t 1S consldered to have already begun, e.g., /azal{ kokende/,
I I
'He
lS gOlng', 'He lS already start1ng to leave', /al1ng{ kOkynd y/,
'He's about to go', 'He's gOlng to leave 1n Just a llttle blt'.

BASIC COURSE UNIT 3
3.4 Potentlal Future

The preflx /-ko-/ plus the lmperfectlve sufflX wlth low tone
form the potentlal future. The potentlal future may be any tlme
ln the future, but lt lS rather lndeflnlte, 1.e., lt lS much less
sure to take place than the lmmedlate and proxlmate futures, e.g.,
/nakoy~a/, 'I wll1 come', 'I plan/lntend to come'.
3.5 Imperatlve.
The lmperatlve (commands) slngular conslsts of the verb stem
plus a hlgh tone lmperfectlve sufflX, e.g., /Kend~/,
I I
'Go', 'Go
away.
The lmperatlve plural conslsts of the preflx /bo-/ plus the
lmperatlve slngular, e.g., /bosal~/, 'work' (speaklng to more than
one person). However, the lmperatlve slngular lS often used when
addresslng more than one person.
/-y~a/ lS lrregular In the lmperatlve, e.g., /yak~/, 'Come',
/yak~k~/, 'Come regularly'.
3.6 Spelllng of long ldentlcal vowels

/koyaa/ lS //koya~ Compare Note 2.9
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 1
, ,
1. Nallngl kolla. I want to eat.
, ,
2. Nallngl mblsl. I 11ke flSh.
, , ,
3. Nallngl kolla mblsl. I want to eat flSh.
, ,
4. Nallngaka kolla mblsl. I llke to eat flSh.
, ,
5. Nallngaka mP9ndu na nyama. I often ea t manl0C leaves wlth
meat.
, , ,
6. Nakolamba mpondu
I
na nyama. I'll cook manlOC leaves wlth meat.
7. ,
Nakolamba ""
nsoso na loso. I'll flX chlcken and rlce.
I I
25

UNIT 3 LINGALA
" , , ,
8. Bal~ng~ nsoso na loso.
I I
They l~ke ch~cken and r~ce.
, ,
9. Bal~ng~ koloba L~ngala. They are go~ng to speak L~ngala.
, ,
10. Azal~ koloba L~ngala. Hers speak~ng (~n) L~ngala.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 2
1. Tozal~
,
" koyekola L~ngala. We are study~ng L~ngala.
2. " ,
Tozal~ bana na ye. We are h~s ch~ldren~
" ,
3. Bozal~ bana na ye. You are h~s ch~ldren.
,
4. Bozal~ kokyndy. You are leav~ng.
,
5. Al~ng~ kOkE(ndE(. He wants to leave.
, , , " ,
6. Al~ng~ koyaa na mwas~ na ye. He wants to come wlth hlS w~fe.
, , , " ,
7. Akok~ koyaa na mwas~' na ye. He can come w~th hlS wlfe.
" ,,
8. Akokl kol~a na ngal. He can eat wlth me.
" ,,
9. Bal~ng~ kol~a na ngal. They want to eat wlth me.
10. They want to leave today.
Questlon and Answer Drlll 1
Answer the quest~ons w~th a ~~ll sentence as dlrected by the

underl~ned cue s .
, , , ,
1. 011ng~ koyaa ly19 na ndako Do you want to come to my house
,,
na ngal 'l today'l
, " ,
Ee, nal~ng~ koyaa lelo na Yes, I want to come to your house.
~ , , It
ndako na yo.
t
2. "
Okozwa ntangu ya koyaa, na
W~ll you have t~me to come to my
, ,,
nda ko na nga 1 'l house'l
, " ,
~, nakozwa ntangu ya koyaa Yes, Irll have t~me to come to
, ,
na ndako na yo. I
your house.
26

BASIC COURSE UNIT 3
, , ,
3. Bollngl kolla nlnl~ What do you (pl.) want to eat~
, , ",
Tollngl kolla nsoso na We want chlcken and rlce.
,
loso.
I I
,. ,.
4. Balambaka nlnl~ What do they usually prepare~
, , ,
Balambaka mblsl, mP9ndu They usually prepare flSh and
,
na nyama. manlOC leaves wlth meat.
5. "
Baakolamba ,
nlnl~ What are they gOlng to prepare~
" , ,
They are gOlng to prepare flSh
Baakolamba mblsl, mP9ndu
,
na nyama. and manlOC leaves wlth meat.
, , , ,
6. Akokl koyaa na bana na Can't he brlng hlS chlldren~
, ,
ye te~
I
, , , , ,
~, akokl koyaa na bana na No, he canrt brlng hlS chlldren.
, ,
ye t y •
, " , "
7. Bokokl kokende
I I
blnu mlbale te.
I
Can't you both go~
, , , ,
Te,
-+ ,
tokokl kokende blSU No, we both canrt go.
, , I I
mlbale t y •
8. Ozall" na nlnl na ndako~

, What do you have In the house~
, , ,
Nazall na Vlnu na masanga I have Wlne and palm Wlne In
, ,
ya mblla na ndako. the house.
,
9. Ome, la ka nlnl ~ What do you usually dlrnk~
,
Namylaka masanga ya mblla. I usually drlnk palm Wlne.
, ,
10. Bolobaka ndlnga nlnl~ What language do you usually
speak~
,
Tolobaka Llngala. We usually speak Llngala.
27

UNIT 3 LING A LA
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 3
, , ,
1. Okayaa lyl~ na ndako You wlll come to my house
,,
na ngal. tomorrow.
, , "
2. Okoyaa kolla nsoso na You wlll come to eat chlcken
nyama. and meat.
, , ,
3. Nakolamba nsoso na nyama. I wlll prepare chlcken and meat.
, , , , ,
4. Nakolamba soke I I
naZWl ntangu. I wll1 flX (some) If I get tlme.
, , , ,
5. NakokEtndE(
, lEt Ie; soke
I I
naZWl I'll go today If I have tlme.
ntangu.
, , ,
6. Nakokynd y lelaI na ndako na ye • I'll go to hlS house today.
• , ,
7. Bakozala na ndako na ye. They wlll be at hlS house.
, , , ,,
8. Bakozala na mwaSl na ngal. They wlll be wlth my wlf'e.
, , ,
9. Nakokynd y kom¥l~ na mwaSl I'm gOlng out drlnklng wlth
,,
na ngal. my wlf'e.
,
10. NakokE(nd y komyl y Vlnu na I'm gOlng out to drlnk Wlne
,
masanga ya mblla. and beer.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 4
, , ,
1. Allaka mpondu
1
na nyama. He always eats manlOC leaves
and meat.
,, , ,
2. AIel mpondu
I
na nyama. He ate manlOC leaves and meat.
,, , ,
3. AIel nsoso. He ate (the) chlcken.
, , , ,
4. Bokokl kozwa nsoso. You (pl.) can have (the) chlcken.
, , , ,
S. Bokokl kozwa mblSl na nyama. You (pl.) can have (the) flSh
and also (the) meat.
, , ,
6. Ballngl mblSl na nyama. They want (the) flSh and (the)
meat too.
28

BASIC COURSE UNIT 3
, ,
7. Bal~ng~ na ndsko.
kokffnd~ They are about to go home.
, ,
8. Tozal~ kokynd y na ndako. We are on the way home.
, ,
9. Tozal~ kolamba nyama. We are cook~ng the meat.
, , ,
10. Ayeb~ kolamba nyama. She knows how to f~x the meat.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 5
, , , , , ,
1. Mams aakolamba nsoso na Mother ~s go~ng to f~x ch~cken
,
10so.
1 1
and r~ce.
, , , , , ,
2. Mama akolamba nsoso na loso.
1 1
Mother w~11 f1.x ch~cken and rlce.
, , , , , , ,
3. Mama 81ambJ. nsoso na 10so.
1 I
Mother f~xed ch~cken and r~ce.
, , , , , ,
- -4. Mama alambaka nsoso na loso.
1 t
Mother flxes chlcken and rlce.
qUlte often.
, , , , ,
5. Mama azall kolamba nsoso
, ,
Mother l.S i'l.xl.ng the chl.cken
na loso. and rJ.ce now •
I
•
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 6
, ,, ,
1. Mwana na nga~ ya mobal~ My son wl.ll leave today.
,
akokende1 lit
lela.
, ,, ,
2. Mwana na ngal ya moball. My son left today.
, ,
akel. lela. I I
, ,, ,
3· Mwana na ngal. ya moball. My son l.S leavl.ng (later) today.
, ,
aakokende
----+.-0+1
lela.
1 I
, ,, ,
4· Mwana na ngal. ya moball.
, ,
My son l.S leavl.ng (rl.ght away)
_a_z_a_l_l._k_o_k_e+.n_d+¥ 1 y1« • today.
, ,, ,
5. Mwana na nga~ ya mobal~
, ,
My son regularly leaves at
akyndaka ntango nY9ns9. th~s tlme.
29

UNIT 3 LINGALA
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 7
, ,
1. Kynd y malamu. Goodby.
, ,
2. Kende
I I
ndako. Go home. Go to the house.
, ,
3. Kende
I , kolamba nyama. Go fJ.x the meat.
, ,
4· KendeI koyekola.
I
Go study.
, , ,
5. , I kozwa loso.
Kende I I
Go get some rJ.ce.
3.7 PosseSSlve Constructlon WJ.th InfJ.nJ.tlve.

, ,
ntangu ya koyaa
When an J.nfJ.nltlve J.S the pos~essor noun 1n a posses~ve con-

structlon, the J.nfJ.nJ.tJ.ve J.S descrJ.ptJ.ve and usually translates
as (1) a compllmentary J.nfJ.nJ.tJ.ve, (2) 'for' plus a gerund, or
(3) present partJ.cJ.ple, e.g., /nt~ngu ya kol{a/, (1) 'tJ.me to
ea t ' , (2) 'tJ.me for ea tJ.ng " or (3) , ea tlng tlme'.
3.8 Immedlate Past of /-l{a/

/-l{a/ has an lrregular J.mmedJ.ate past /-l~{/.
3.9 Order of Possesslve and DescrJ.ptJ.ve Phrases

, ,, ,
mwana na ngaJ. ya mobalJ.
It both a possessJ.ve and a descrlptJ.ve phrase modlfy a noun,

the possessJ.ve phrase comes flrst, as J.n the phrase above, 'my son'.
30

BASIC COURSE UNIT 4
UnJ.t 4
BasJ.c Sentences
-A-
,
dJ.J. f'rJ.end, comrade
to see, f'eel
'chutes', (ba-) rapJ.ds
, ,
boongo thus, so
-teleme
• 1 I
to stop, stand up; J.nsJ.st
,
wapJ. where
1. ,
DJ.J., nalJ.ngJ." komona Say, I'd lJ.ke to see the rapJ.ds.
" • ,
bachutes, boongo nakokJ. Where can I go to get a good
, ,
koteleme
• I 1
wapJ.? vJ.ew of' them"1
-B-
" ,
2. OyebJ. ndako ya 'PresJ.dent' Do you know the PresJ.dent's
,
na BJ.nza"1 house at BJ.nza"1
-A-
, ,
3. nayebJ. • Yes, I do.
-B-
-mata to go up, clJ.mb, rJ.se

,
mwaa small, IJ.ttle, f'ew
, ,
ngomba, n- hJ.ll, mountaJ.n
, ,
eSJ.ka, bJ.- place
, ngomba
" "
4· Okomata mwaa eSJ.ka ya You clJ.mb the hJ.ll where the
'monument' ya 'Stanley' monument to Stanley J.S.
,
ezalJ..
31

UNIT 4 LINGALA
-A-
nS1ma, n- back, rear, later,
afterwards
na nS1ma then, next
,
5. Na nS1ma? And then wha tcz
-B-
, ,
loboko,
I I I
11boko,
I I
ma- arm, sleeve, slde
, ,
mwas1, ba- left, female
, ,
11banga, ma- rock, stone
, , , ,
lolenge, ndenge, n- sort, k1nd; manner, way;
qual1ty; character, makeup
, ,
6. Na nS1ma okomona
I
na loboko Then you w111 see all sorts of
" " , I ,I
ya mwas1 mabanga ndenge rocks on the left.
, ,
na ndenge.
-A-
,
mele Sl (merc1) thanks
tikala to stay, remaJ.n
, ", ,
7. Meles1, t1kala malamu. Thanks, goodbye.
-B-
, ,
8. Kende
• I
malamu. Goodbye.
32

BASIC COURSE UNIT 4
CLASSROOM EXPRESSIONS
, ,
Kanga ndako. Close the door.
, ,
Kanga monoko
I I I
ya ndako. Close the door.
, , ,
Fungola llnlnlsa. Open the wlndow.
" ,
Fungola buuku. Open your book (s).
, ,
Loba llSUSU. Say 1 t agaln.
, ,,
Loba nSlma na ngal. Repeat after me.
" ,
Yoka malamu. Llsten carefully.
, "
Zonglsa "
na motuna oyo. Answer the questlon.
-kanga to stop, cease; close, shut,

take, grasp, wrap up
monoko,
I I I
ml- mouth, openlng; word, message
-fungola to open, release, unlock
,
llnlnlsa, ma- wlndow
,
llSUSU agaln, anew; besldes, moreover
,
buuku, (ba- ) book
,
-zonglsa to send/glve back, answer
,
motuna, ml- questlon
,
oyo thlS, these, the
4.1 Noun Classes
Llngala nouns are dlvlded lnto several classes, WhlCh are

dlstlngulsehd by class preflxes. The MO-BA and the ¢-BA classes
were lntroduced In Unlt 1. Besldes klnshlp terms, the ¢-BA class
contalns most recently-borrowed words, e.g., /chutes/, /bachutes/,
'raplds'. The plural preflx appears after each noun the flrst
33

UNIT 4 LINGA LA
tlme lt occurs. All the nouns beglnnlng wlth /mo-/ ln the prevlous
lessons belong to the MO-BA class except /mob~ll/ and /mok~/, WhlCh
are MO-MI class. All the nouns ln prevlous lessons beglnnlng w1th
a nasal consonant (m or B) plus another consonant are N-N class.
There lS now a rather strong tendency among younger people to put
nouns of the N-N class lnto the ¢-BA class, l.e., lnstead of
/nd~ko/, 'house' and/or 'houses', some young people say /nd~ko/,
'house' and /bandako/, 'houses', but the N-N pattern 1S stlll the
domlnant one for th1S class of noun.
The varlOUS noun classes are 11sted below. Note WhlCh Sln-
gulars go w1th WhlCh plurals.
NOUN CLASSES
PREFIX CLASS SINGULAR PLURAL
MO-BA motu (person) batu

, ,
¢-BA tata (father) bata ta
, ,
MO-MI monene
I I
(blg) m1nyn y
, , , ,
LI-MA llbanga (rock) mabanga
, ,
BO-MA bob1na (dance) mablna
LO-MA lokolo (leg, foot) makolo
E-BI ebale (rlver) b1bale
, , , ,
LO-N lopyt y (rlng) InPyt y
, ,
MO-N mosuk1 (ha lr) nsukl
, ,
N-N nzete (tree) nzete
,
KO kobota (to glve blrth to) -----
34

BASIC COURSE UNIT 4
4.2 Verb SubJect Pref1xes
In Un1t 1 the verb pref1xes for an1mate subJects were 1ntro-

duced. An1mate 1S here restr1cted to men and an1mals. In the th1rd
person an1mate/1nan1mate 1S d1st1ngu1shed. In the s1ngular, the verb
pref1x 1S /a-/ 1f the subJect 1S an1mate, but /e-/ 1f the subJect 1S
1nan1mate. In the plural, the verb pref1x 1S /ba-/ 1f the sUbJect
18 an1mate, but 1S the same as the pref1x on the noun 1f the subJect
18 1nan1mate w1th the except10n that the 1nan1mate N-N class has the
plural verb pref1x /m1-/, e.g., /ndako m1zal{ ••• /, 'the houses are •• '.
If there 1S an adJect1ve after a plural noun, the pref1x to
the verb 1S 1n concord w1th the adJect1ve pref1X, e.g., /mabanga/
,
mlnene
, ,
m1za11...
/ , 'the b1g rocks are ••• '
- I I
VERB SUBJECT PREFIXES
PERSON SINGULAR PLURAL
1 st na- to-
2 nd 0- bo-
3rd an1mate a- ba-
3rd 1nan1ma te e- m1-

e- ma-
e- b1-
35

UNIT 4 LINGALA
CONCORD OF NOUN AND VERB PREFIXES
SINGULAR PLURAL
PERSON SUBJECT VERB SUBJECT VERB
3rd anlmate mo- a- ba- ba-

¢- a- ba- ba-
3rd lnanlmate mo- e- ml- ml-

11- e- mama-
bo- e- mama-
10- e- mama-
10- e- n- ml-
e- e- bl- bl-
n- e- n- ml-
ko- e- --- ---
CONCORD OF NOUN AND VERB PREFIXES
, ,
1. Mwana azall ••• The Chlld 1 S•••
, ,
2. Bana bazall ••. The chlldren are •••
, ,
3. Moball azall ••• The man lS •••
, ,
4· Mlball bazall ••• The men are •••
" ,
5. Llbanga ezall ••• The rock lS •.•
" ,
6. Mabanga mazall ••• The rocks are •.•
, ,
7. Motuka ezall ••. The automoblle lS •••
36

BASIC COURSE UNIT 4
, ,
8. Mltuka £zall ••• The automoblles are •••
, ,
9. El<j>kC( ~zall .... The thlng lS •••
, ,
10. Blloko blzall ••• The thlngs are •••
- ,
I I
,
11. Ndako ezall ••. The house lS •••
, ,
12. Ndako mlzall. ••• The houses are •••
In some dlalects of Llngala, especlally up-rlver from Leopold-

v1.11e, the verb preflx ~n the thlrd person In both the slngular and
the plural lS the same as that of the pref~x of the l.na-nlmate noun
subJect except that the N-N class has /e-/ sg. and /-1/ pl. for the
verb sufflX. Wrltten Llngala usually follows up-rlver Llngala In
thlS respect.
4.3 Nasal Homorganlc wlth FolloWlng Consonant.

"
lolenge, "
ndenge
Only certaln comblnatlons of nasal consonant plus anothJr

conso~~nt occur. A nasal consonant lS homorganlc wlth the follow-
lng consonant, l.e., 1t 18 made 1n the same mouth pos1tl.On as the
followlng consonant.
NASAL BEFORE CONSONANT
lablal m p, b, f
dental n t, d, s, z
velar lJ k, g
/n/ plus /1/ 1S /nd-/, e.g., /lolenge/, 'k1.nd', /ndende/,

'k1.nds'. However, the plural form of th1.s word 1S often used as
a collect1.ve s1ngular.
/n/ plus /y/ 1.S /nz/, e.g., /n-/ plus /-yembo/ 1S /nz~mbo/,
I song' • Wha t 1.S wr1. tten /ny/ 1n the orthography as In /nyama/,
37

UNIT 4 LINGALA
'meat', represents a slngle sound, an [yJ, l.e., a palatal nasal.

Th1S sound can be approxlmated by pronounclng ryr through the nose.
/nz/ 1S a sequence of two sounds, /n/ plus /z/.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 1
,
moball, ml- rlght, male
,
11boso, ma- front; before
, ,
1. Tol1ngl kokende
I I
komona
I
We want to go see the raplds.
bachutes.
, ,
2. Bazal1 kokynd~ kom9na They are about to see the raplds.
bachutes.
, , ,
3. Bazal1 komata ngomba. They are cllmglng the mountaln.
, , , ,
4. Boyebl komata ngomba. You are acqualnted wlth mountaln
cllmblng.
" ,
5. Boyebl ndako ya rpresldent'.You know where the Presldentrs
house 1St
, , ,
6. ' Namon1 ndako ya rPresldent '. I saw the Presldentrs house.
I
, , , ,
7. Namon1
I
tata ya bango. I saw thelr father.
, , , , ,
8. Na t1kal1 na tata ya bango. I'm rema1nlng wlth thelr father.
, , , ,
9. Na t1kal1 na ndako. I'm staYlng home.
, , ,
10. Azal1 11boso na ndako. He's ln front of the house.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 2
, ,, , ,
1. Tata na ngal allngl komona My father lS comlng to see the
, I
ndako. house rlght away.

, , , , ,
2. Mama na blSU allngl komona Our mother 1S comlng to see the
, I
ndako. house rlght away.

38

BASIC COURSE UNIT 4
, , , ,
3. Mama na blSU akotlkala na
,
Our mother wlII stay In the
ndako. house.
, , ,
4. Mwana mok y akotlkala na
,
The small chlld wlIl stay In
ndako. the house.
, , , "
5. Mwana moky azall na llbanga. The small chlld has a rock.
, , , "
6. Moball na ye azall na llbanga. Her husband has a rock.
, , , ,
7. Moball na ye azall llboso na
,
Her husband lS In front of
ndako. the house.
, , , ,
8. Bana ya Y9 bazall llboso Your chlldren are In front of
,
na ndako. the house.
, , , ,
9. Bana na yoI bazall kolamba
, ,
Your chlldren are cooklng
nsoso. chlcken.
, , , , , ,
10. Basl bazall kolamba nsoso. The women are cook~ng chlcken.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 3
, ,
1. Nazall na ndako. I'm at home.
, ,
2. Nazall na ndako. I have a house.
, , , ,
3. Nazall na bana mlbale. I have two chlldren.
, , , , ,
4· Azall mama ya bana mlbale. She lS the mother of two
chl1dren.
" , ,.
5. Azall mama ya tata na Y9. She lS your father's mother.
, " , ,
6. Lela
I I
tomonl
I
tata na yo.
I
Today we saw your father.
, " " , ,
7. Ly19 tom9nl mabanga ndenge
, ,
Today we sawall klnds of
na ndenge. rocks.
, ,
8. Na nSlma okomonaI
na loboko
I
Then you wlll see all sorts
" " , I ,I
ya mwaSl mabanga ndenge. of rocks on the left.
, ,
na ndenge.
39

UNIT 4 LING A LA
, ,
9. Na nS1.ma okornona na loboko Then you w1.11 see the1.r house
, , •, I I , I
ya mwa s 1. nda ko ya bango. on the left.

, , ,
10. Na l1.boso okomona na loboko Before that you w1.11 see the1.r
, ,• • ,I
I
ya moball. ndako ya bango. house on the rl.ght.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 4
PluralJ.ze all nouns poss1.ble and concord1.ze the verbs.
, , ,
1. Mwana make, akot1.kala na The small ch1.1d w1.11 stay 1.n
,
ndako. the house.
, , ,
Bana trllke bakot1.kala na The small ch1.1dren w1.11 stay
, 1
ndako. 1.n the houses.

, ,, , ,
2. Tata na nga1. al1.ng1. kornona
I
My father 1.S com1.ng to see the
-'
ndako. house.
, , , ,
Batata na bl.sU bal1.ng1. Our ~athers are com1.ng to see
, ,
komona ndako. the houses •
•
, , ,
3. Moball. na ye azal1. na Her husband has a rock.
, ,
l1.banga.
, "
M1.bal~ na bango bazal1. The1.r husbands have rocks.
, ,
na mabanga.
, , ,
4· Mama na yo akolamba nyama.
I
Your mother w1.11 prepare the
meat.
, , , ,
Bamama na b1.nu bakolamba Your mothers wl.ll prepare the
nyama. mea ts.
" ,
5. Azal1. mwana malamu. She 1.S a good ch1.1d.
" ,
BazalJ. bana malamu. They are good ch1.1dren.
, , ,,
6. Azal1. tata ya ngaJ.. He 1.S our father.
, , , ,
Bazal1. batata ya b1.su. They are our fathers.
40

BASIC COURSE UNIT 4
, , , ,
7. Nayokl. mwana na ye ya
, ,
I dl.dn't understand hl.s son.
moball. teeI
,. , , ,
Toyokl. bana na bango ya We dldn r t understand thel.r
, ,
ml.ball. t y. sons.
, ,
8. Balobaka ndl.nga nl.nl. na What language l.S spoken at
,
Leo'l Leopoldvl.lle'l
, ,
Balobaka ndl.nga nl.nl. na What languages are spoken at
,
Leo'l Leopoldvl.lle'l
, ,, , ,
9. Mama na ngal. aakotl.kala My mother l.S staYl.ng wl.th the
,
na mwana. chl.ld.
, , , , ,
Bamama na bl.sU baakotl.kala Our mothers are stayl.ng wl.th
,
na bana. the chl.ldren.
, , , , ,
10. Ll.banga mokeI ezall. ll.boso There l.S a ll.ttle rock l.n
,
ya ndako. rront or the house.
, , , , ,
Mabanga ml.ky ml.zall. ll.boso There are ll.ttle stones l.n
,
ya ndako. rront or the house.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 5
Plurall.ze all nouns possl.ble and concordl.ze the verbs.

, , , , ,
1. Moball. azall. na lopete
I I
moke.
r The man has a ll.ttle rl.ng.
, , , , ,.
Ml.ball. baza11 na mpyt y ml.ke.
I
The men have ll.ttle rl.ngs.
, , , ,
2. Ll.banga monynE( eza1l. na There l.S a bl.g rock at thl.s
, , ,
eSl.ka oyo. place.
, , , ,
Mabanga ml.nynE( ml.zall. na There are bl.g rocks at thl.8
, , ,
eSl.ka oyo. place.
" , , "
3. Mwasl. azall. ll.boso ya ll.banga The woman l.8 l.n front or a
,
monyny• bl.g rock.
41

UNIT 4 LINGALA
, , , ,
BaSl bazall 11boso ya The women are In front of blg
, , "
mabanga mlnene.
, I
rocks.
, , , ,
4· Mwana azall na loboko
, , , , , I
ya The Chlld lS on the left slde
mwasl ya ndako. of the house.
, , , ,
Bana bazall na loboko ya The chlldren are on the left
, , , I I I
mwasl ya ndako. slde of the house.

, ,
5. Motu akofunga 11nlnlsa. Someone wl1l close the wlndow.
, ,
Batu bakofunga manlnlsa. Some people wll1 close the
wlndows.
, " ,
6. Mwana ya moball aakozonglsa The boy lS asklng a questl0n.
,
na motuna.
, " ,
Bana ya mlball baakozonglsa The boys are asklng questl0ns.
,
na ml tuna.
", , ,
7. Mwasl ayokaka moball na ye. The woman obeys her husband.
", ,
Basl bayokaka mlball na The women obey thelr husbands.
,
bango.
" ,
8. Nzete ezall nSlma ya ndako. There lS a tree behlnd the
house.
" ,
Nzete-mlzall nSlma ya ndako. There are trees behlnd the
house (s) •
, , , , ,
9. Mwana mwasl akel na boblna. The glrl went to a dance.
, , , , ,
Bana baSl bakel na mablna. The glrls went to dances.
, ,
10. Motu akangl buuku. Someone has closed (hlS) book.
, ,
Batu bakangl babuuku. Some people have closed (thelr)
books.

BASIC COURSE UNIT 4
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 6
, , ,, " ,
1. MwaSl na ngal ayebl ndako. My wlfe knows where the house
lS.
, , ,, , ,
2. MwaSl na ngal azall na ndako My wlfe owns two houses.
, ,
mlbale.
, , , , ,
3. Tata na blSU azall na ndako Our father has two houses.
, ,
mlbale.
, , , , , ,
4· Tata na blSU azall na loboko Our father lS on the rlght
, , I I
ya moball ya ndako. slde of the house.

, , , , ,
5. Bana na blnu bazall na loboko
, , t I
Your chlldren are on the
ya moball ya ndako. rlght slde of the house.
, , , "
6. Bana na blnu ballngl kolla Your chlldren want to eat
,
na nSlma na ndako. behlnd the house.
, "
7. Batu nY9ns9 ballngl kolla
,
Everyone wants to eat ln back
na nSlma na ndako. of the house.
, , , , ,
8. Batu nY9ns9 bat~l~ml llboso Everyone lS standlng ln front
,
na ndako. of the house.
, , ", ,
Bana mlk¥ batyl~ml llboso The small chlldren have
,
na ndako. stopped before the house.
, " ,
10. Bana mlkeI bazall komata mwaa The llttle chlldren are
, ,
ngomba. cllmblng the hlll.
4.4 AdJectlves
Llngala has only a few adJectlves, but lS ln the process of
developlng several new ones. An adJectlve follows the noun lt mod-
lfles, e.g., /mw~na mOk~/, 'a small Chlld'. New adJectlval con-
structl0ns are formed by /ya/, /mw~na ya mob~ll/, 'male Chlld',
'son'. Many such constructlons now regularly occur wlthout /ya/,
so that /mw~na moball/, 'male Chlld', 'son', lS now the preferred
form for many younger persons.
43

UNIT 4 LING A LA
Nearly all adJect~ves are ~nvar~able, but there are a few

wh~ch are marked for s~ngular and plural, such as /mok~/, /mlk~/.
4.5 Promlnence of In~tlal Sentence Pos~tl0n.
For emphasls an element of a sentence may be placed ~n~t~ally,

e. g., /Lyl<j', tom<j'nl
" ta ta, na y<j'' j , 'Today we saw your fa ther ' • ThlS
glves an addltlonal b~t of emphasls to /lyl?/, 'today', In contrast
to some other day.

BASIC COURSE UNIT 5
UnJ. t 5
BaS1C Sentences
-A-
, ,
1. OzalJ. kokende
I I
wapJ.~ Where are you gOJ.ng~
-B-
, ,
mosala, mJ.- work, Job, trade, occupatJ.on
, , ,
2. NazalJ. kokynd y na mosala. I'm on my way to work.
-A-
,
-sala to work, do, make, tJ.II,
farm
, ,
3. Osalaka wapJ.~ Where do you work~
-B-
,
'mecanJ.cJ.en' mechanJ.c
,
CEGEAC C.E.G.E.A.C., a new-car
dealer that J.mports
AmerJ.can-made cars
, "
4. NgaJ., nazalJ.
, mecanJ.cJ.en Me, I'm a mechanJ.c at CEGEAC.
na CEGEAC.
-A-
-banda to start, commence; Slnce
" , ,
5. Mosala ya bJ.nu ebandaka
, , What tJ.me do you beJ.ng work~
ntangu nJ.nJ.~
-B-
ngonga, n- tJ.me, hour, bell, gong,

clock
nsambo seven
45

UNIT 5 LING A LA
, ,
ntongo, n- mornJ.ng, forenoon
, , • •, ,
6. Mosala ya b1SU ebandaka na Our work starts at seven J.n the
ngonga ya nsambo na mornJ.ng.
, ,
ntongo
•
-A-
, , "
7. Nakok1 koyeba eS1ka M1ght I know where you work~
, ,
osalaka te'l
I
-B-
,
'secreta1re ' secretary
'ambassade' embassy
, , ,
8. Nga1, nazal1 secreta1re Me, I'm a secretary at. the
,
na ambassade ya Amer1que. Amer1can Embassy.
-A-
,
awa here
moko 10, mJ.- day
, , ,• • • ,
9. OyakJ. awa mokolo
I I I
n1nJ.~ When dJ.d you arr1ve~
-B-
,
mP9s9 week, Saturday; salary, pay
, , , ,
mJ.sa to, mJ.sa tu three
, , , ,
10. Oyo mP9s9 ya m1satu. Th1S lS my thJ.rd week.
-A-
-solola to talk, converse, speak,
tell
, ,
mpo, mpoo, m- th1ng, affa1r, matter;
because, on account of
, ,
mbango, mbangu, m- speed, sW1ftness
46

BASIC COURSE UNIT 5
, ,
11. Malamu, mokolo
I , I
nlnl toko- Well then, we can have a chat
I ,
solola malamu, mpoo, one of these days; but now
, ,
naakokynd y mbangu na Irm In a hurry to get to
, ,
mosala. work.
-B-
,
-pesa to glve, provlde wlth
numer6 (numero) number
,
-yeblsa advlse, lnform, make
known
, ,, ,
12. Pesa ngal numero ya Glve me your telephone number
, ,
telephone na yo, mpo so Irll have It.
, , , I
nayeblsa yoI mokolo.

I I I
-A-
,
13 ...· Numero qua tre-vlngts 8352.
trols, clnquante deux.
N1JMERALS
, ,
moko
I I
one
, ,
mlba1e two
, , , ,
mlsa to, mlsa tu three
,
mlnel four
, , , ,
ml tano, ml tanu flve
, ,
motoba SlX
nsambo seven
mwambe, mwambl elght
,
Ilbwa nlne
47

UNIT 5 LING A LA
,
zom~ ten
, , ,
zom1 na moko
I I
eleven
, "
zom1 na m1bale twelve
" , ,
ntuku m1bale twenty
" " , ,
ntuku m1bale na moko
I •
twenty-one
, , , ,
ntuku m1sato thlrty
, , , , , ,
ntuku m1sato na mlbale thrl.ty-two
, , ,
ntuku m1ne1 forty
, , , ,
nkama, monkama, mokama, (m1-) hundred
, , ,
nkama m1tano flve hundred
,
nkoto thousand
,
nkoto nsambo seven thousand
NOTES
5.~ Nouns of deed or act10n, type 1.

A I1m1ted number of nouns meanlng the act or deed of the verb
base are formed by the MO-MI preflx class plus a hlgh-tone /-a/
sufflX, e.g., /mosala/, 'work', 'Job', 'occupatl0n'.
5.2 Independent or Emphatlc SubJect Pronouns •

, " ,
Nga1, nazall 'mecan1Clen' na CEGEAC.
In Un1t 1 the lndependent pronouns were 1ntroduced wlth the

tones they have In possesslve construct1ons. All lndependent por-
nouns except /nga{/ are lnvarlable; but when an lndependent or
emphatlc sublect Ing~~J 18 /nga{/, as ln /Nga{, nazal{ 'm~canlclenr
, ,
na CEGEAC/, 'Me, I'm a mechanlC at CEGEAC.'
48

BASIC COURSE UNIT 5
•
5.3 Very Pollte Quest10ns and Requests
, , ", ,
Nakok1 koyeba eS1ka osalaka t~?
To ask a quest10n or make a request 1n a very pol1te way,

/-kok{/ prefaces the quest10n or request, Wh1Ch 1S expressed w1th
an 1nf1n1t1ve, and /t~/ occurs at the very end, e.g., /Nakok{
koyeba es{ka osalalaka t~~/, 'M1ght I know where you work~',
'Would you be so k1nd as to tell me where you work~'
5.4 Vowel harmony 1n noun pref1xes.

mokolo
I , ,
When a noun pref1X conta1n1ng a m1d vowel occurs before a

secondary vowel 1n the f1rst syllable of a base, the pref1x vowel
1S for many younger speakers low m1d, e.g., /m9k~19/' 'day', ex-
cept the 1nf1n1tlve Wh1Ch has a prlmary vowel ln the preflx, e.g.,
/komono/,
I I
'to see'.
5.5 Recent Past: Recent Past Progresslve

, , , ,
okak1 awa mokolo
I • I
nlnl~
The comblnatlon of the extenslon /-~k-/ and the perfectlve

sufflX /-{/ forms the recent past. The recent past most often
refers to somethlng WhlCh took place no later than the day before
yesterday but wlthln the last month; however, lf the speaker con-
slders the event to have happened recently, the recent past may
refer to a few months ago, or ln some cases even a few years ago.
Llkewlse, lt may refer to a tlme later than the day before yester-
day lf the speaker wants to lmply recentness but not somethlng
WhlCh has Just taken place. In the example glven above from the
dlalogue, the questloner lmplles that he knows that the Amerlcan
has arrlved only recently ln Leopoldvllle, e.g., /oyaki awa mokolo
I I I
ninl~/, 'When dld you arrlve~ " 'You have arrlved only recently,
haven' t you~ , •
49

UNIT 5 LING A LA
For verbs or state or eXlstence, the recent past 1mpl1es a

state eX1st1ng 1n or arr1ved at ln the recent past, e.g., /nayebaki/,
'I kpew', 'I came to know', or /ekokaki/, 'lt was enough', 'lt came
to be suff1c1ent'.
The recent past often 1nd1cates someth1ng Wh1Ch happened
before someth1ng else 1n the past and thus translates 11ke an
Engl1sh past perfect, e.g., /allakl ntangu na nayak{/, 'He had
eaten before I came'.
The past progress1ve 1S composed of the recent past of /-zala/
plus an 1nf1n1t1ve, e.g., /nazalakl kOlla/, 'I was eat1ng'. The
past progresslve 1ndlcates somethlng that was gOlng on or contlnulng
to happen for an lndef1nlte short or temporary perlod, whereas the
recent past 1ndlcates a pOlnt ln or defln1te block of tlme, e.g.,
/nazalak1 kolla ntangu ayakl/ 'I was eatlng when he came.'
5.6 Cardlnal and Ord1nal Numerals.

, , ,
mposo
I I
ya mlsatu
Cardlnal numerals llke other adJect1ves follow the noun they

modlfy, e.g., /mP9s9 mlsatu/, 'three weeks'; but unllke many ad-
Jectlves,/ya/ may not be 1nserted between a numeral and the noun
lt modlfles wlthout a change of meanlng because /ya/ plus a numeral
, , , /
1S an ord1nal, e.g., /mP9s9 ya m1sato , 'the th~:r.d week'.
5.7 Telephone Numbers

Telephone numbers are glven In French 1n tWO-d1g1t numbers,
e.g., 'quatre-vlngts trols, clnquante deux', '8352'.
5.8 Plural of /mokama/, 'hundred'

/m1kama/, 'hundreds', 1S used only ln /mlkama na mlkama/,
'hundreds and hundreds'; elsewhere, the slngular form 1S used,
, , /
e.g., /mokama nsambo , 'seven hundred'.
Other numerals do not have plural form.
50

BASIC COURSE UNIT 5
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 1
, ,
1. Azal1 kokende
I I
wap1~ Where lS he gOlng~
, , , ,
2. Ot1k1 secreta1re wap1~ Where d1d you drop off the
secretary~
" ,
3· Bakendek1
I I
wap1 ~ Where d1d they go~
, ,
4· Ake1 wap1~ Where lS he gOlng~ Where has
he Just gone~
,
5. Bozalaka wap1 ~ Where do you Ilve~
, ,
6. Bal1aka wap1 ~ Where do you usually eat?
, , , "
7. Ndako ya b1nu ezal1 wap1~ Where lS your house~
, ,
8. Osalaka wap1 ~ Where do you work~
, , ,
9. Balobaka L1ngala wap1~ Where lS L1ngala spoken?
, ,
10. 011ng1 kok¥nd~ wap1~ Where do you want to go~
Where are you about to go?
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 2
, "
1. Nake1 mosala I'm on the way to work.
, " ,
2. Nake1 na eS1ka nasalaka. I'm gOlng to the place where
I work.
, , , ,
3. Azal1 mecan1C1en na eS1ka
, He lS a mechan1c at the place
nasalaka. where I work.
, , ,
4· Azal1 na ntangu malamu. He's on t1me.
, , ,
5. Azal1 Ilboso na ntangu. He's early.
, ,
6. Azal1 nS1ma na ntangu. He's la te.
, , , ,
7. Azal1 kok~nd~ mbangu na mosala~ He's hurry1ng to work.
, ,
8. Secreta1re azal1 kokende The secretary lS hurry1ng to
, , , I I
mbangu na mosala. work.

51

UNIT 5 LINGALA
, , ,
9. Secretalre azalakl kosolola The secretary was talklng
,,
na ngal. to me.
, , ,
10. MecanlClen azalakl kosolola The mechanlc was talklng to
,,
na ngal. me.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 3
"
Ozalakl ",
kokende wapl~ Where were you gOlng~
1. , 1
" , ,
2. Ozalakl komono
1 1
nlnl~ What were you looklng at~
" , ,
3. Ollngakl
-
komono
1 1
nlnl~ What dld you want to see~
, , ,
4· Ollngakl kokynd y kom~n~ Dld you want to go see the
monument ya Stanley~ monument to Stanley~
, , ,
Baza1akl kokende komono Were they go~ng to see the
- - - - - - + 1 -....' I'
monument ya Stanley~ monument to Stan1ey~
, , ,
6. Baza1akl kokende ko1amba Were they 1eavlng to flX
, 1 •
mbls1~ the flSh~

, , ,
7. Mwana aza1akl kok~nd~
, ,
Was the Chl1d leavlng to flX
ko1amba mbls 1 ~ the flSh~
, , , ,
8. Mwana azalakl na mp~ndu Dld the Chl1d have manlOC
,
na nyama. leaves and mea tcz
, , "
9. Mama na -yo azalakl na Dld your mother have manlOC
, ,
I
mpondu
I
na nyamaCZ lea ve s and mea t~
, , ,
10. Mama na yo1 akotlkala na Is your mother gOlng to
,
ndakoCZ stay In the house~
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 4
Read the numbers horlzonta11y.
a) 18 80 28 b) 40 .50 4 .5
17 70 27 14 15 45 54
16 60 26 60 70 6 7
1.5 .50 2.5 16 17 67 76
14 40 24 20 30 2 3
52

BASIC COURSE UNIT 5
c) 19 90 29 d) 36 63 33 66
16 15 13 25 52 22 55
20 50 40 67 76 77 66
25 22 27 19 99 9 11
38 68 18 8 88 38 78
e)
200 102 202 f) 200 300 400
600 604 640 1500 1600 1700
317 307 371 1808 1919 2000
869 879 829 1962 2116 2473
403 402 430 8217 5353 4962
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 5
Read the fo11owlng tlmes In Llnga1a accordlng to the model

glven below.
-koma to arrlve; become; begln

, , ,
mlnutu, mlnltl, mlnutl IDlnute(s)
, , ,
Tokoml na ngonga ya moko na It's 1:20
, , , , I
I
mlnutu ntuku mlbale.
6:20 10:55
5:10 11,55
2:00 7:35
4:05 2,10
12.30 6.25
7115 12:50
53

UNIT 5 LING A LA
8:40 9:00
9:50 4:30
1.05 5:45
3135 3:50
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 6
- bak1sa to add
-longola to take away, remove
1. "
Moko ""
bak1sa moko, "
ekok1 One and one lS two.
I ,I , • I
m1bale.
, ", ,
2. M1tano bak1sa m1sato, F1ve and three lS e1ght.
,
ekok1 mwambe.
"
Nsambo bak1sa Ilbwa, "
, ekok1
Seven and n1ne lS slxteen.
3· , ,
zom1 na motoba.
4. ,
M1ne1 "m1bale,
bak1sa " " ekok1 Four and two lS SlX.
,
motoba.
5. L1bwa bak{sa motoba, ek~k{ N1ne and SlX lS f1fteen.

, , ,
zom1 na m1tano.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 7
1.
"
M1bale longola m9k9,
, , "
Two m1nus one lS one.
, "
etlkal1 "
moko. I I
2. ,
M1ne1 ""
longola m1bale, Four m1nus two lS two.
, " , ,
et1kal1 m1bale.
" " , ,
3. Ntuku mlbale longola Twenty m1nus ten lS ten.
, " ,
~, et1kall zom1.
54

BASIC COURSE UNIT 5
,.,. ,.,. ,. ,.
4· Ntuku mlsatu longola
,.,. ,.,. ,.,.
Thlrty mlnus twenty-one lS
ntuku mlbale na m9k9, nlne.
,. , ,. ,.
etlkall llbwa.
,. ,. ,. ,.
5. Ntuku mwambe longola
,. , ,. ,. ,.
Elghty mlnus seventy lS ten.
ntuku nsambo, etlkall
,.
zoml.
5.9 'PaSSlve' Plural

,. ,.
Balobaka Llngala wapl~
That somethlng 'lS done' lS often expressed by the thlrd

person plural, e.g., /Balobaka Llngala wapl~/, 'Where lS Llngala
spoken~', 'Where do they speak Llngala~' See also Note 10.2.
5.10 AdJectlval Subordlnate Clauses.

,. , ,,. ,
Nakel na eSlka nasalaka.
AdJectlval subordlnate clauses are not lntroduced by a

relatlve, but are placed after the noun they modlfy Just llke any
other adJectlve. Note /nasalaka/ In /Nake{ na es{ka nasalaka/,
'I'm gOlng to the place where I work. '
5.11 /kosolola na/

, ,. ,. ,. ,
Secretalre azalakl kosolola na ngal.
If followed by an obJect, /kosolola/ requlres the partlcle

/na/, e.g., /Secr~talre azalaki kosolola na nga{/, 'The secretary
was talklng to me'.
55

UNIT 6 LING A LA
Unlt 6
Basle Sentences
-A-
# # # # #
1. Mb~ty, mwana mwaSl. Good afternoon, Mlss.
-B-
Good afternoon.
-A-
'bureau r offlce
,
3. Oyo bureau ya Monsleur Is thlS Mr. Antolne's offlce?
Antolne'l
-B-
much, many
,
yango lt, they, them
" ,
4. Yango, kaSl azall na
", ,
It lS, but he's very busy today.
mosala mlngl lelo.
I I
-A-
llkambo, ma- dlfference, dlspute, case,
affalr
, , ,
5. Nallngl naloba na ye I would llke to tell hlm somethlng
llkambo.
-B-
-lobela to speak to
te tha t ••.
" , /
6. Nalobell yoI te allngl I Just told you that he doesn't
, "
komono motu teI lelo want to see anyone at hls
I I
, I I
na bureau na ye. I
offlce today.
56

BASIC COURSE UNIT 6
-A-
,
-tuna to ask, quest10n
, ,
-kota,
I
-koto
I I
to go/come 1n
, , , , ,
7. Okok1 kotuna ye te soko
I I
Would you ask h1m 1f I can come
, "
a11ng1 nakota'l
I
1n'l
-B-
" ,, ,
8. Lobela nga1 11kambo o11ng1. Tell me what you want.
-A-
,
-tala to look, look at,
stare at; guard
keep; concern; V1S1t
9.
" " , , , ,
Eta11 b1SU m1bale, yoI tee
I
It concerns only us, not you.
-B-
,
-boya to refuse, reJect, not
want, desp1se
"
10. Soko "
oboy1, ,
okokota na If you refuse (to tell me), you
I •
, I
,
bureau na ye tee
I
can't go 1n.
-A-
, ,
11bota, ma- fam1ly, household; descent
, , ,
11. Eza11 11kambo ya Ilbota It concerns h1s fam11y.
,
na ye.
-B-
motu, moto, ba- person, human be1ng,

man) one, someone,
somebody
,
-kufa to d1e
"
12. Motu moko "
akuf1'l Has someone d1ed?
I I
57

UNIT 6 LING A LA
-A-
, ,
noko, ba-
I I
maternal uncle (see Note
19.3.)
,
mpasJ., m- slckness, sufferlng, paln,
mlsery, dlfflculty
,
makasJ. strong, hard, dlfflcult,
troublesome
, , , , ,
13. Noko na ye aza1J. na mpasJ. H1S uncle J.S gravely J.11.
I I
,
makasJ. •
-B-
,
too or
, e '
lopJ.talo, balopJ.talo hospJ. tal
(l'hopltal)
, , "
14. Azal1 wap1, na ndako too
,
Where lS he, at home or at the
na lopJ. talocz ho SpJ. talCZ
-A-
slka now, Just now) new, recent
" ,
15. Bakel na ye na lopltalo They have taken hlm to the
,
slka oyo. hospltal Just now.
-B-
-zlla to walt, walt for

, , ,
16. Zlla nayebJ.sa ye. Walt and I'll tell h1m.
-A-
,
17. Melesl. Thanks.
-B-
,
18. Llkambo tee
I
You are welcome. Don't mentlon
It. It's nothlng.
58

BASIC COURSE UNIT 6
USEFUL PHRASES
, ,
Mokolo
• I I
ezall. malamu. The l'1ea ther l.S nl.ce.
, , ,
Ll.kolo ezall. malamu. The sky l.S clear.
, ,
Mokolo
I I I
ezall. mabe. The weather l.S bad.
, , ,
Ll.kolo ezall. mabe .. The sky l.S cloudy.
, , ,
LylC( mpl.9 ml.ngl.. It's cold today.
, , ,
LylC( mpl.oI maka Sl.. It's cold today.
, , ,
Lelo
I I
mol. ml.ngl. • It's hot today.
, , ,
Lelo
I I
mol. makasl. • It's hot today.
, , ,
Lelo
I I
molunge ml.ngl.. It's hot today. It's stl.flJ.ng
today.
, ,, ,
Ll.kolo eyel. kl.toko.
I I
It's clearl.ng up.
, ,, ,
Ll.kolo eyel. mabe. It's cloudl.ng up.
, , ,
Mbula ezall. konoka.
I I
It's ral.nl.ng.
, , ,
Mbula eekonoko.I I
It's ral.nl.ng.
,
ll.kolo, ma- sky, heaven; upstream;
outsl.de, exterl.or; on top,
over, on, above; surface;
because of
,
mabe bad, eVl.I, ugly
cold
,
mol. sun, sunll.ght, dayll.ght,
the heat of the sun
,
molunge, ml.- warmth, heat; fever,
swea t; s tl.flJ.ng
,
kl.toko
I I
beautl.ful, pretty, fl.ne;
dell.cl.ous, clean, neat
59

UNIT 6 LINGALA
,
mbula, m- raln, year, ralny season
, ,
-net ' , ,
-noko to ral.n
6.1 Equatl.onal Sentences

,
Oye bureau ya MonSleur Antolne~
Equatl.onal sentences are sentences whl.ch have no verb l.n

whl.ch (1) two nouns are equated, e.g., /Mosal~ na ngai mecanlc1en/,
'I am a mechan1c, r (2) a pronoun and noun are equated, e.g., /6 yo
bureau ya Mo~sl.eur Antolne~/, 'Is thlS Mr. Anto1ne's offl.ce~ or
(3) pOSseSSl.on 1S demonstrat1ve, e.g., /Ndako ya tata na bange/,
'The house belongs to thelr father'. In all three types there 1S
an optl.onal a~d equally current expreSS10n wlth the same meanl.ng
.
In Wh1Ch the two parts of the equatl0n are llnked by /-zal{/, e.g.,
~ // ~, /
(Mosala na ngal. ezall meCanlCl.en, 'I am a mechanl.c'.
6.2 Non-anlmate Independent Pronouns

,
Yango
In Unl.t I the lndependent forms of the anlmate pronoun were

lntroduced. There 1S also an lndependent lnanlmate pronoun /yango/,
'lt', 'they', 'them', WhlCh has the same form for slngular and plu-
",
ral, e.g., /Pesa ye yango'/ , 'Gl.ve It to hl.m', 'Gl.ve them to hl.m'.
6.3 Sub Junctlve

Nall.ng1 naloba na y~ llkambo.
The subJunctl.ve lS marked by a h1gh tone on the pronoun pre-
flX and a low tone lmperfectlve sufflX, e.g., /naloba/, 'that I
talk', as ln /Nallng{ naloba na y~ llkambo/, 'I would llke to tell
hlm someth1ng', llterally, 'I want that I tell to hlm somethlng'.
U81ng the subJunctlve 18 a very po11te way of mak1ng a request,
'I want to tell hlm somethlng', would be construed wl.th an lnfln1-
tlve after /-llnga/, as In /Nal1ng{ koloba na y~ llkambo/.
60

BASIC COURSE UNIT 6
' ,
The subJunctlve lS also used as an lmperatlve, e.g., / Bolla/,
'Eat' (speaklng to more than one person), or as a cohortatlve, e.g.,
/T61ia/, 'Letts eat'.
The subJunctlve lS also used to ascertaln what another person
wants done, e.g., /Nalia~/, 'Do you want me to eat~' or 'Do you
thlnk I should eat~'
To lndlcate obllgatl0n, l.e., 'should', 'ought to', /ekoki/
plus the sUbJunctlve 1S used, e.g., IEkoki ak~ndy/, 'He should go',
'He ought to go', 'It lS flttlng that he go'.
6.4 Appllcatlve SufflX

" ,
Nalobell y?
The appllcatlve SUrrlX /-el-/ means 'to do somethlng ror or
to someone', e.g., Inalob~li Y9 1, 'I told (to) you'. The same
meanlng can be expressed by Ina/ as by I-el-I, e.g., /nalobl na
y6I I , 'I to 1d (to) you'.
6.5 Indlrect Dlscourse. Partlcle /te/.

" , " ,
Nalobell yoI te allngl komono
I I
motu tee
1
Indlrect dlscourse lS orten lntroduced by the optlonal par-

tlcle Itel, 'that', as ln INalob~li Y~ te allngl kom7n~ motu t~/,
'I told you that he dldn't want to see anyone.' Itel, 'that', lS
II 'tell to dlstlngulsh 1 t form It~/, 'not', WhlCh lS II tell .
Itel sometlmes occurs In lndlrect d1scourse even lf there 1S
another part1cle at the beglnnlng of the dependent clause, e.g.,
IOkoki kotuna y~ te s6k6
I I
ollngl nak6ta~/,
I
'Can you ask hlm (that)
lf I can come ln~'
61

UNIT 6 LINGALA
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 1
,. ,. "
1. Mosala na yoI n1n1~ Whatrs your occupatlon~
,. ,. ,. ,. ,
2. Mosala na ngal mecan1C1en. I am a mechanlC.
, ,.
3. Ndako ya mecan1C1en. The house belongs to the
mechanlc.
,. ,. ,.
4· Ndako ya tata na bango. The house belongs to the1r
father.
,,. ,.
5. Azal1 tata na bango. He lS the1r father.
, , ,.
6. Azal1 kokende
, , na mosala. He lS on h1S way to work. He
has (already) left for work.
,. , ,.
7. Nal1ng1 kokynd~ na mosala. I'm about to leave for work.
8. Nal1ng{ kok~nde
'I
kozwa nyama.
-
I want to get some meat.
,., ,
9. Bana bazal1 kokende
• I
kozwa The chlldren are g02ng to get
nyama. some meat.
,. , , ,
10. Bana bazal1 komata mabanga. The chlldren are c11mblng the
rocks.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 2
,., ,,.
1. Oyo bureau ya Monsleur Zola. ThlS lS Mr. Zolars off1ce.
" ,.,.
2. Oyo ndako ya Mons1eur Zola. Th1S 1S Mr. Zola's house.
,. ,. ,.
3. Oyo ndako monene.
I I
Th1s 1S a blg house.
,.,., ,
4. Pesa ye ya monyny. G1ve h1m the b1g one.
,,., ,,.
5. Pesa ye mosala. G1ve hlm a Job.
,.
6. Tozal1 kokende
I •
na mosala We are gOlng to work.
,. ,.,.
7. Tozall kokende
I I
kotuna ye.
-
We are gOlng to ask h1m.
,. ,. ,. , ,.
8. Mwas1 akokl kotuna ye. The woman can ask h1m.
62

BASIC COURSE UNIT 6
,
# , ,
9. Mwas1. akok1. koboya koloba The woman can refuse to talk
,
na mobal1.. to the man.
, , #
10. Mwana azal1. koboya koloba The ch1.1d 1.S g01.ng to refuse
,
na mobal1.. to speak to the man.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 3
# # , ,
1. Nalobel1. yoI te nazal1. na I Just told you that I'm busy.
, #
mosala.
2. "
Nalobel1. ye" aZ1.1a. I told h1.m to wa1.t.
, # "
3. ~ ye aZ1.1a. Ask h1.m to. wa1. t.
4.
# , " ,
Tuna bango bak9ta. Ask them to come 1.n.
, #, ,
5. Al1.ng1. bango bak7ta. He wants them to come 1.n.

, ,
6. Al1.ng1. kokynd y na ndako. He wants to go home.
, , #
7. Al1.ng1. akende
I I
na ndako. He's leav1.ng for home r1.ght
away.
, , , ,
8. Al1.ng1. ayeba 11.kambo n1.n1. He wants to know what 1.t 1.s.
,
ezal1..
# , # " ,
9. Allng1. ayeba s9k9 okok1. He wants to know 1.f you can
, ,
kosala yango. do 1. t.
, " " ,
10. Al1.ng1. ayeba soko osalaka He wants to know 1.f you work
, I I
na CEGEAC. at C.E.G.E.A.C.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 4
, ,
1. Tokynd y kol1.a. Let's go eat.
, ,
2. Tokende
I I
kozwela ye nyama. Let's go get h1.m some meat.
, ,
3. Tokende
I I
na ndako. Let's go home.
63

UNIT 6 LING A LA
, , ,
Tol1.a na ndako. Let's eat at home.
, , ,
Tol1.a 11.boso ya kok~nd~. Let's eat before g01.ng.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 5
, , ,
1. Bal1.ng1. baloba na yo. I
They would ll.ke to talk to you.
, ,
2. Bal1.ng1. koloba na yo.
t
They want to talk to you.
, ,
3. Bal1.ng1. kok~nd~ na yo.
t
They want to go W1.th you.
, , ,
4. Bal1.ng1. bakende na yo. They would l1.ke to go wl.th you .
, •
t '
, ,
5. Bal1.ng1. kol1.a na yo.
I
They want to eat W1.th you.
, , , ,
6. BaI1.ng1. bal1.a na yo.
I
They would 11.ke to eat W1.th you.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 6
, , , ,
1. Mosala na yo n1.n1. ~
I
What's your occupat1.on~
, , , ,
2. Mosala na yot mecan1.C1.en. You are a mechanl.c.
, , , , ,
3. Mosala na yoI ezall. maka s 1.. Your work 1.S d1.ff1.cult.
, , , ,
4. Ndako oyo ezal1. makasl. • Th1.s house 1.S well-bu1.lt.
, , , ,
5. Ndako oyo , ezal1. ya tata Th1.s house belongs to the1.r
ya bango. father.
, "
6. Oyo ndako ya tata ya bango. Th1.s 1.S the1.r father's house.
, ,
7. Kyndy kolobela
,
tata ya Go talk to the1.r father.
bango. Go talk on behalf of the1.r father.
, ,
8. K~ndy kolobela ye te Go tell h1.m a member of h1.s
motu moko " "
akuf1.. fam1.1y has d1.ed.
t •
, ",
9. K9nd~ kotuna 1e 8Q k9 Go ask h1.m l.f a member of h1.8
mo tu moko" "
akuf1.. fam1.1y has d1.ed.
t
,t ", ,
10. K~ndy ~ot~na ye s~k~ azal1. Go ask h1.m l.f she 1.S at home or
na ndako" too ns lop1.talo.,
at the hosp1.tal.
64

BASIC COURSE UNIT 6
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 7
, , ,
1. Na1J.ngJ. na10ba na ye IJ.kambo. I would IJ.ke to tell hJ.m
somethJ.ng.
, " , ,,
2. NalJ.ngJ. ayaa kotala ngaJ.. I want hJ.m to come see me.
, , , ,
3. NalJ.ngJ. oyebJ.sa ye. I want you to J.nform hJ.m.
, , , ,
4. ZJ.1a oyebJ.sa ye. WaJ.t to advJ.se hJ.m.
, " ,
5. ZJ.la otuna ye. WaJ.t to ask hJ.m.
, " ,
6. A1J.ngJ. otuna ye. He wants you to ask her.
, , , ,
7. A1J.ngJ. a1J.a sJ.ka oyo. He would IJ.ke to eat rJ.ght
away.
, , , , ,
8. AtunJ. a 1 J.a s J.1m oyo. He asked to eat rlght away.
9. "
AtunJ. DBaJ. "
" nayaa. He asked me to come.
10. "
Ba tunJ. nga" J. nayaa.
" I was asked to come.
65

UNIT 7 LINGALA
Un~t 7
Bas~c Sentences
,
Na zando At the market.
-A-
to sell
,
1 J. tungulu., ma- on~on, leek
, ,
bon1 how much, how many
1.
" ot~ka ma tungulu
Ta ta, , How much are you askJ.ng for
, ,
nsambo bonl? seven onlons? What do you
want for seven onlons?
-B-
falanga, fa lanka (franc) franc(s)
, , , ,
2. Oyo ya m~n~n~ falanga zom~ The blg ones are s~xteen francs.
, ,
na motoba.
-A-
, ,
boongo thus, so, llkewlse,
therefore
" , And the Ilttle ones?
3• Boongo, ya m~ky?
-B-
,
4· Falanga mwamb~. Elght francs.
-A-
, " ,
5. Nal~ng~ m~bale ya mlnyny
, ,
I'd l~ke two b~g ones and four
na mlnel ya mlke.
I
l~ttle ones.
-B-
, , ,
6. Nakanga motoba'l Should I wrap up the SlX?
66

BASIC COURSE UNIT 7
-A-
~
7. Ee.
• I
Yes.
-B-
~ ~ ~
8. Pesa falanga nsambo. That wlll be seven francs.

~
-somba to buy
red pepper; (black pepper)
~ ~ ~
9. Osomba plllPlll ty~ Don't you want to buy any

peppers~
-luka to hunt, search for

-lukela to get for someone
~
mpata flve-franc plece

matabisl (matablche) tlP, gratulty, advantage,
proflt, matablche, some-
thlng extra glven as an
lncentlve to buy
,, ~ , ~
10. Lukela ngal ya malamu, Plck me out some good ones for
, , , ,
ya mpata mlbale, na ten francs. Also add the
,
ma tablsl. matablche.
-B-
,
-zonga to go/come back
, ~ "
11. Lelo
I
matablsl ezal1 te, There's no matablche today,
,I " •
~
zonga 10bl. come back tomorrow.
USEFUL PHRASES
~ ,, ~ , ,
1. Mwasl na ngal akoyaa lel0 My wlfe lS comlng thlS mornlng.
, , I I
na ntongo.
I I
, , ,, , ,
2. MwaSl na ngal akoyaa lelo My wlfe lS comlng thlS afternoon.
, I I
na mpokwa.
67

UNIT 7 LINGA LA
, , " , ,
3. Mwasl na ngal akoyaa lelo
, I •
My wlfe J.S comlng tonlght.
na butu.
, , ,, , ,
4. Mwasl na ngaJ. akoyaa lelo
, I
•
My wJ.fe J.S comJ.ng at noon.
na mldJ..
, , , , ,
5. MwasJ. na ngaJ. akoyaa lyle;
, ,
My wJ.fe J.S comJ.ng at mJ.dnJ.ght.
na mJ.dJ. ya butu.
, , ,, ,
6. Mwa s J. na nga J. akoyaa na My wJ.fe wJ.ll arrJ.ve thlS week.
, ,
mp«s9 oyo.
, , ,, ,
7. Mwa s J. na nga J. akoyaa na
, , ,
My wJ.fe wJ.l1 arrJ.ve thlS month.
sanza oyo.
, , ,, , , ,
8. MwasJ. na ngaJ. akoyaa 10bJ. My wJ.fe wJ.ll arrJ.ve the day
, •
ekoyaa. after tomorrow.
, , ,, , , , ,
9. MwasJ. na ngaJ. ayakJ. 10bJ. My wJ.fe arrJ.ved the day before
, •
elekJ.. yesterday.
, , ,, , ,
10. MwaSl na nga J. ayakJ. na My wJ.fe arrJ.ved last week.
, ,
mposoI I
elekJ..
, ,
ntongo,
I I
n- mornJ.ng, forenoon (5-11)
,
mldl noon (11-2)
,
mpokwa, n- afternoon (2- 6)
,
butu nlght (6-5)
, ,
mJ.dJ. ya butu mJ.dnJ.ght (11-1)
, ,.
sanza moon, month
-leka to go past, past by; dle;
surpass, excel, be more
than
68

BASIC COURSE UNIT 7
7.1 Deslderatlve
, , , ,
oteka
I
ma tungulu nsambo bonl 'l
The deSlderatlve lS marked by a low tone lmper~ectlve SU~~lX

and means 'to want to', 'to expect to', 'to care to', /Ot~ka matun-
~lu nsambo bon{'l/, 'What do you want for seven onl0ns'l', 'What do
you expect to get ~or seven onl0ns'l', or /ol{a/, 'Do you want to
eat'l', 'Would you care to eat'l', 'Would you care for somethlng to
eat'l', 'You want/would 11ke to eat ••• '
7.2 Nomlnallzatl0n of AdJectlves

Both slngle-word and phrasal adJectlves are nomlnallzed by
the partlcle /ya/, e.g., Iya MonSleur Antolne/, 'Mr. Antolne's',
/ya nga{/, 'mlne', and /ya mon~ny/, 'a blg one'. Nomlnallzed ad-
Jectlves occur In the sentence 11ke any other noun, e.g., /Ya
mon~ne
I I
ezall kltoko/,
I I
'The blg one lS beautlful'. In the plural,
the verb pref1X lS /bl-/ or sometlmes /ml-/, e.g., /Ya mln~ny
, / , 'The blg ones are beautlful'.
blzall, kltoko
I I
PATTERN DRILL 1
who
, , ,, ,
1. Lobela ngal 11kambo ollngl. Tell me what you want.
, , ,, , , ,
2. Labela ngal akEtnd y kl wapl. Tell me where he went.
, , ,, , ,
3. Lobela ngal azall wapl. Tell me where he lS.
, , ,, , ,
4· Lobela ngal azall nanl. Tell me who he lS.
, , ,, , , ,
5. Labela ngal soko
, I I
azall na Tell me lf he lS home.
ndako.
" ,, ,
6. Lobela ngal 11kambo oyo Tell me wha t he dl(cl.
, ,
asa11.
7. "
Lobela
,
kolla.
ngal "
.
" SOkl Ollngl
-
, Tell me 1f you want to eat.
69

UNIT 7 LINGALA
8. "''- , , Tell me how your mother J.S.

Lobela ngaJ., mama na yet
, ,
azalJ. malamu.
9. ""
Lobela ngaJ., okoyaa" lobJ., Tell me J.f you're comJ.ng to my
, ,,
DR ndako ya ngaJ.. house tomorrow.
10. "
Lobela "
ngaJ., ",
oyakJ. awa Tell me when you arrJ.ved.
, ,
ntango nJ.nJ..
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 1
,. , ,,
1. Nakoteke
I I
ndako na ngaJ.. I wJ.ll sell my house.
, " ,,
2. Nakot~k~lx Y9 ndako na ngaJ.. I wJ.ll sell my house to you.
, , ,
3. Nakot~k~l~ Y9 matungulu. I wJ.ll sell you some onJ.ons.
, ,
4. Akosomba ma tungulu. He wJ.ll buy some onJ.ons.
, , ,
5. Akosomba 17s~ na Y9. He wJ.ll buy rJ.ce from you.
, , ,
6. BakotJ.kala na loso
I I
na yo
•• They wJ.II keep your rJ.ce.
, , ,
7. BakotJ.kala na mbJ.sJ. na yo. I
They wJ.ll look after the fJ.sh
for you.
B. ,
Tokosombela yet" mbJ.sJ.. We wJ.II buy the fJ.sh for you.
, " ,
9. Tokosombela yoI nsoso. We wJ.Il buy the chJ.cken for you.
10. , "
Akokangela Y9 nsoso. He'll wrap up the chJ.cken for
you.
QUESTION AND ANSWER DRILL I

, , , ,
1. Oyo ya mJ.n~n~ bonJ. ~ How much are the bJ.g ones?
, , , ,
Oyo ya mJ.n~ne mpata mJ.ne J.. The bJ.g ones are twenty francs.
, , , ,
2. Oyo ya mJ.k~ bonJ.? How much are the small ones?
, , , ,
Oyo ya mJ.keI falanga zomJ. • The small ones are ten francs.
70

BASIC COURSE UNIT 7
, "" ,
3. Nanl asombell yoI matungulu? Who pald you for the onlons?
, " oyo asombell
Mwasl " " ngal, Thls woman pald me for the
,
matungulu. onlons.
, , ""
4· Ntango nlnl asombell Y9 When dld she pay you for the
,
matungulu? onlons?
, " ,, " ,
Asombell ngal yango lobl. She pald me for them yesterday.
, " ,
5. Osombakl nlnl? What dld you buy?
, " ,
Nasombakl plllplll. I bought some peppers.
" ,
6. Matablsl nlnl ollngl What matablche wlll (would)
, , ,,
opesa ngal? you glve me?
, " , ,
Nallngl napesa Y9 plllplll I'll (I'd) glve you three
, ,
mlsa tu. peppers.
, " ",
7. Ollngl napesa yoI bonl? How many would you llke?
, , , ,, ,
Nallngl opesa ngal zoml. I'd llke ten.
, ,
8. Nakanga yango? Should I wrap them?
, , , , ,
SokoI ollngl,
I -
kanga yango. Please wrap them.
9. , "
Osombakl nyama yango" ntangu When dld you buy that meat?
, " , ,
Nasombakl yango 1~19. I bought It today.
LO. "
Nakokl" kosomba plllplll zoml How much wlll ten peppers cost?
, , ,
falanga bonl?
" , ,
Okokl kosomba falanga zoml
,
na mlbale.
, -- You can buy (them) for twelve
francs.
71

UNIT 7 LING A LA
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 2
eta be, bJ.- banana

#
111ala, ma- orange
,.
,
madesu beans
, ,
mbala, m- potato
,. II ,. ,
1. Mwasl azalJ. na madesu The woman has large beans.

•
II " , ,
2. Nasombakl madysu ya mlnyny . I bought some large beans.
, " ,
3. Nasombakl bltabe na
,
I bought some bananas and some
matungulu. onlons.
, , ",
4. Mwana moball azalakl koteka
, • ~
The boy was selllng bananas
bl ta be na rna tungulu. and onlons.
, II " ,
5. Mwana moball azalakl kot~ka
,
The boy was selllng peppers.
plI lP 111..
, , ,I'"
6. Moto moko • , at
akangell
-
ngal
-
Someone wrapped up the peppers
pl11P1lJ. • for me.
,., ,,., ,
7. Moto m~k9 at~ky11 ye Somebody sold hlm some nlce
,. ,
malala y8 malamu. oranges.
,.,. ", ,.
8. Lukela ngal malala ya malamu. Plck me out some nlce oranges.
,., " " ,
9. Lukela ngal mbala ya mlnyny • Plck me out some large potatoes.
,. , , ,
10. Nakanga -
mbala ya mlnene~
I I
Shall I wrap up the large pota-
toes.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 3
, , ,, ,
1. Osombela ngal matungulu Buy me ten franc's worth of
, , ,
ya mpa ta mJ.ba Ie • onlons.
, , ,, ,
2. Osombela ngal mbls1 na Buy me some flSh at the store.
,.
magaz1ru.
72

BASIC COURSE UNIT 7
, , ,
3. Naakozlla y~ na magazlnl. I'll be waltlng for you at
the store.
, , ,
4· Naakozlla y~ na ndako ya I'll be waltlng for you at
,
Polo. Paul's house.
, , , , ,
5. Allngl asomba ndako ya Polo. He would llke to buy Paul's
house.
, , , , ,
6. Allngl asomba madysu na Y9 He'd llke to buy all of your
,
nY9 ns c;. beans.
" , ,
7. Akokl kosomba madesu
I
na yoI He can sell all of your beans.
, " ,
8. Akokl kosomba loso na tata He can sell the rlce to my
,, I I
ngal. father.
", , ,
9. Akokakl kotyke ya mlky t y • He couldn't sell the Ilttle
ones.
, , ,
10. Akokakl kokanga ya mlny~ He couldn't wrap up the blg
,
te.
--+
ones.
PATTERN DRILL 2
" ,, " ,
1. Lukela ngal mlsatu ya malamu. Plck me out three good ones.
" ,, , ,
2. Lukela ngal mlnel ya mlnyny • Plck me out four blg ones.
" ,, " ,
3. Lukela ngal mltanu ya mlk y • Plck me out flve Ilttle ones.
4. "
Kangela ngal" mltanu
" ya mlky, • Wrap me up fJ.ve llttle ones.
, , " ., , ,
5. Osombela ngal mltanu ya mlk~. Sell me flve Ilttle ones.
, , ,, ,
6. Osombela ngal matungulu ya Sell me the onlon for ten
, , ,
mpata InJ.bale. francs.
, , ,, " ,
7. Osombela ngal yango lobl. Buy them for me tomorrow.
, " ,, " ,
8. Osombell ngaJ. yango lobl. You bought them for me yester-
day.
73

UNIT 7 LING A LA
, , , , ,
9. NalJ.ngJ. napesa Y9 yango I'd IJ.ke to gJ.ve them to you
, ,
lobJ.. tomorrow.
, , , ,, ,
10. NalJ.ngJ. opesa ngal. falanga I want you to gJ.ve me ten francs.
,
zornJ..
PATTERN DRILL 3
,
1. OlJ.a etabe'l· Would you care for a banana'l
,
h, nalJ.a etabe. Yes, I'd IJ.ke a banana.
, , ,
2. Otyka madysu ty'l Don't you want to sell the beans'l
" , ,
T~, kasJ.' natyka malala. No, but I'd IJ.ke to sell the
oranges.
, ,,
3. Oyaa na ngaJ. na KJ.sanganJ.'l Do you want to go to stanleyvJ.lle
WJ. th me'l
, , ,
:!ty' nalJ.IlgJ. , koyaa na Y9 Yes, I'd IJ.ke to go to StanleyvJ.lle
na KJ. sanganJ. • wJ.th you.
, , ,
4· Asomba mbala'l Would he lJ.ke to buy some potatoes~
, , ,
~' asomba mbala. Yes, he'd IJ.ke to buy some pota-
toes.
7.3 InterrogatJ.ve relatJ.ve pronouns

""
Lobela ",
ngaJ. akyndykJ. wapJ..
Interrogatl.ve relatJ.ve pronouns occur at the end of the sub-

ordJ.nate clause, e.g., /Lob~la nga{ akynd~k{ wapJ./, 'Tell me where
he went', lJ.terally, 'Tell me he went where.'
7·4 PotentJ.al Juncture Before RelatJ.ve Clauses

"
I
" ", , ,
Lobela ngaJ., oyakJ. awa ntango nJ.nJ..
There J.S a potentlal Juncture, J..e., optJ.onal pause, between
74

BASIC COURSE UNIT 7
the ma~n and subord~nate clauses. Th~s Juncture ~s marked by a

comma I , I.
The Juncture nearly always occurs ~r the subord~nate
clause has more than about seven or e~ght syllables.
7.5 I-t{kalal Plus ObJect

, , ,
Bakot~kala na l<j>s<j> na Y9.
I-t{kalal has the part~cle Inal ~r rollowed by an ObJect,

' , ,
e.g. , / Bakot~kala na loso na yol, 'They w~ll keep your r~ce. '
•• •
Please
, , , , ,
Soko
I I
ol~ng~, kanga yango.
IS?k9 ol~ng{,I, 'Ir you are w~ll~ng', ~s used ror pol~teness,

much l1ke Eng11sh 'Please, " or French 's'~l vous pla1t ' •
75

UNIT 8 LING A LA
UnJ.t 8
BasJ.c Sentences
NA POMPI YA ESSENCE AT THE FILLING STATION
-A-
to put, put 1n, set,
pour ln
, ,
-tJ.ela, -tJ.yela, to put· for (someone)
,
- tJ.la
r 1J.tre r 11ter
'essence' gasollne
, "",
1. Mwana, tJ.ela ngaJ. 1J.tres Boy, put In flve 11ters of
, , , ,
mJ.tanu ya essence, S9k? gaso11ne for me, please.
,
olJ.ngl.
-B-
, , "
meya, 10meya 50-centlme p1ece
ItJ, , " "
2. Pesa mpata mJ.bale na meya. That wll1 be 12.5 francs (12,5F.).
-A-
,
mafuta 011, grease, fat
,
maJ. water
" ,
3. Na nSJ.ma tala mafuta After that, look at the 011
, ,
na maJ.., and water.
-B-
,
aJ. oh, hey
,
- sJ.la to flnlsh, be done, flnlshed
, , , ,
4. Al, mafuta eSl11. Hey, there's no 011.
76

BASIC COURSE UNIT 8
-A-
IJ.nzanza, ma- metal box, tJ.n can,
J.ron sheet
, , , , , ,
5. TJ.ya IJ.nzanza moko
, , I I
ya ntuku Put J.n a 50-centJ.IJ.ter can.
mJ.tanu centJ.IJ.tres.
-B-
,
IJ.susu agaJ.n, besJ.des, else, other
" , ,
6. Boongo na nSJ.ma nasala What else can I do for you~
, ,
1 J. SU su nJ.nJ. ~
-A-
-bongo,
t t
-bonga
t
to be sUJ.table, be J.n
order, come along well
-bongJ.sa
I
to put J.n order, arrange,
prepare, repaJ.r,
straJ.ghten, organJ.ze
lokolo, ma- leg, foot; tJ.re, wheel
" , ,
wana, waana tha t J there
,
-zanga to be lackJ.ng, mJ.ss, be
wJ.thout; be absent, skJ.p,
mJ.ss, omJ.t
mopypy, mJ.- aJ.r, wJ.nd
, , ,
7. ObongJ.sa
t
lokolo wana ya FJ.x that back tJ.re that J.S flat.
" ,
nSJ.ma ezangJ. mopypy. Have that back tJ.re fJ.xed that
J.S fla t.
-B-
, , "
8. Boongo, okozJ.la mwaa moke.
t
All rJ.ght, (but) you wJ.ll (have
to) waJ.t a IJ.ttle whJ.le.
, , , -A-
9. TeI nakeJ., nakozonga na nSJ.ma. No, I'm leavJ.ng, I'll come back
later.
77

UNIT 8 LING A LA
USEFUL PHRASES
", ,
Ayeb1 kotambw1sa motuka. He knows how to dr1ve.
" ,, , ,
Ayeb1 epa1 bakok1 kozwa He knows where you can get
, ,
ebende ya motuka. automoblle parts.
" , ,
Ayeb1 ndenge ya kobong1sa He knows how to repa1r auto-
, I
motuka. mob1les.
, , ,
Ayeb1 llkambo ntlna. He understands the matter.
, , ,
Nas1l1 kosukola motuka. I've already washed the car.
, , ",
Nas1l1 nasukol1 motuka. I've Just now f1n1shed wash1ng
the car.
, , ,
Naut1 kosukola motuka. I've Just th1s 1nstant f1n1shed
wash1ng the car.
" , ,,
Mesa oyo eb~ng1 na nga1. Th1S table lS sU1table for me.
, , , ,,
B1lamba oyo b1b9ng1 na nga1. These clothes look good on me.
" " , ,
Kltl oyo ebong1
I
na mesa wana. Th1S cha1r goes well w1th that
table.
, ,
Kanga motuka. Lock the car.
" ,
Kangola motuka. Unlock the car.
, ", ,
Sembola L1ngala, L1ngala Look after L1ngala, and L1ngala
, ,
llkosembola yo.
t
w1Il look after you.
Use good L1ngala, and L1ngala
w1II serve you well.
,
-tambola to take a walk, travel
move, make progress,
hurry up
,
-tambw1sa to cause to progress,
dr1ve a car, spread
put In motl0n, start
78

BASIC COURSE UNIT 8
,
motuka, ml- automoblle, truck
,,
epal, bl- slde; part; dlrectlon;
dlstrlct; where
,
ebende, bl- plece of metal, lron,
cOln, metal part
,
ntlna, n- root; basls; meanlng
reason, slgnlflcance,
prlnclple
,
ntlna na because of, on account of,
therefore
-sukola to wash, clean} tell
someone off
,
-uta to come from, be on the
way from
from, Slnce
,
mesa table
chalr
-kangola to release, let go of,
loose, open, unroll,
unlock, unfasten
,
-semba to extend, be rlght,
be uprlght
,
-sembola to put rlght, stralghten
up, make vertlcal
79

UNIT 8 LINGA LA
NOTES
8.1 Vowel and Seml-vowel Ellsl0n.

/y/ between vowels lS orten ellded, e.g., /-t{yela/, 'to
put ror someone,' lS orten /-t{ela/.
/e/ arter /1/ lS orten ellded, e.g., /-t{ela/ lS orten
/-t{la/ •
8.2 Revers1.ve
The reverSlve extens1.on /-01-/ has two functl0ns: (1) neg-
atlve, and (2) dlrectlve. (1) The negatlve reverSlve lndlcates
the OPPoslte or negatlve or the verb base, e.g., /-kanga/, 'to
rasten', 'lock', 'hold', /-kangola/, 'to unrasten', 'unlock',
'release'. (2) The dlrectlve reverSlve lndlcates dlrectlon away
rrom or orr or, e.g., /-kaba/, 'to glve', 'state', 'dlvlde',
'shave', /-kabola/, 'to hand out', 'dlstrlbute', 'd~vlde up',
'separa te' j-palola/, 'to skln', 'peel', 'scrape (orr)', /-pasola/
'to tear (off) t, t cleave t , t SpIlt (off)', t saw', r clear (away)',
/-papola/, 'to make thlnner', 'shave ofr', 'remove an excess'.
8.3 ReverSlve Statlve

The extensl0n /-w-/ before a vowel or /-u-/ before a con-
sonant marks eXlstence ln the reverse statec of the base, e.g.,
/-kangwa/, 'to be open(ed) " 'be unlocked', or /-s~mbwa/, 'to be
ln an uprlght posltl0n', -pasuka/, 'be worn out'. Though the
reverSlve statlve SUfrlX occurs wlth many common bases, the stu-
dent should avold uSlng stems wlth lt that he has not prevl0usly
seen because lt lS lncompatlble wlth many bases and occurs wlth
many others only ln comblnatlon wlth certaln other extenslons.
ThlS wl11 be studled further ln Notes 13.1 and 13.2.
80

BASIC COURSE UNIT 8
8.4 Der~ved stems W~thout Slmple stems

There are many derlved stems, ~.e., base plus verbal exten-
slons, for WhlCh there lS no correspondlng slmple stem, 1.e., base
wlthout verbal extens~on(s), e.g., /-y~kola/, 'to study; ~-y~ka/
does not occur. Because of thls the student should not make ana-
10glcal back formatlons of slmple stems from derlved stems. Th~s
lS espec~a11y true of derlved stems wlth /-01-/ or /-w-/.
8.$ Causatlve
, , ,
Obonglsa
t
10kolo wana.
The causat~ve extensl0n /-lS-/ means 'to cause to do', 'to

'
make someone do', 'have someone do', e.g., / Ob9ng~sa , /,
lokolo wana
'F1X that tlre', 'Have that t~re flxed', 'Make someone flX that
tlre ' •
When /-lS-/ occurs after a reverSlve extensl0n, some stems
take /-01-/ as the revers~ve, others take /-w-/, and others take
both wlth dlfferent mean~ngs, e.g., /-tambwlsa/, 'to dr~ve a car',
but!-tambollsa/, 'to take a person for a walk'. In general, /-01-/
lS used wlth anlmate obJects and /-w-/ lS used wlth lnanlmate ob-
Jects, but there are many exceptlons.
8.6 Degree of Immedlate Past

In Note 2.5. the lmmedlate past was characterlzed as some-
thlng that has 'Just' happened, but ~t was also shown that the
perlod of tlme covered by the lmmedlate past lS often somewhat
longer than what we mean In Engllsh by 'Just' happened, e.g.,
/Nas{l{ kosukola motuka/, 'I've already washed the car', 'I've
Just washed the car'. ThlS could even mean several days ago. To
lndlcate that somethlng has been done In the last flve or ten
mlnutes or so, one uses /Nas{l{ nasukol{ motuka/, I've Just now
flnlshed washlng the car'. But to lndlcate even more lmmedlateness,
one uses /Na~t{ kosuko1a motuka/, 'I've Just thlS ~nstant flnlshed
81

UNIT 8 LINGALA
washlng the car', Ilterally 'I have come from washlng the car',
l.e., rthe last thlng I dld before the moment of speaklng was wash
the car'.
8.7 Proverb Concordance

"" , , ,
Sembola Llngala, Llngala llkosembola Y9.
Proverbs are a Ilterary form very hlghly regarded In Afr~ca.
In Llngala proverbs, sUbJect preflxes to the verb take the Ilter-
ary style of preflx concordances, e.g., In the proverb above the
Ilterary form /llkos~mbola/ occurs and not the usual form /~kos~m
bOla/. Compare Note 4.2.
GRAMMA.TICAL DRILL 1
, , ,
1. Na nSlma tala mafuta. After that, look at the 011.
, , , ,
2. Na Ilboso tala mafuta. Before that, look at the 011.
, , ,
3. Na Ilboso mwana atl Ilnzanza
, ,
Before that, the boy put In a
, , , ,
moko ya ntuku mltanu ya 50-centlllter can of 011.
• , I
mafuta.
" , "
4. Nalobell
, ,
mwana
,
atlya
"
Ilnzanza I told the boy to put ln a
moko ya ntuku mltanu cen- 50-centlllter can of 011.
I I ,
tllltre ya mafuta.
5. "
Nalobell ,
mwana "
atlya Iltres I told the boy to put In twenty
" , ,
ntuku mlbale ya essence. Ilters of gasollne.
, , ,
6. Motu wana allngl Iltres That man wants twenty Ilters of
" , ,
ntuku mlbale ya essence. gasollne.
, , "
7. Motu wana allngl bob9nglsela
, ,
That man wants to have hlS tlre
ye lokolo ya motuka. flxed.
, , "
8. Tata na Ie allngl bob9nglsela H1S father wants to have hlS
, ,
ye lokolo ya motuka. tlre repalred.
82

BASIC COURSE UNIT 8
, , , , ,
9. Tata na ye allngl nazlla ye. H1S father wants me to walt
for hlm.
, , ,, , ,
10. MwaSl na ngal allngl nazlla My wlfe wants me to walt for
,
ye. her.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 2
Answer the questlons accordlng to the cues.
", ,
1. Ok~nd~kl ntango nlnl~ What tlme dld you leave~
, , ,
Nakynd~kl na ngonga ya mlnel. I left at four o'clock.
, , "
2. Osalaka nlnl na ntongo~ What do you do In the mornlng~
, , ,
Nayekolaka na ntongo. I study mornlngs.
, , , ,
3. Oyakl mokolo
I I I
nlnl na Leo~ When dld you arrlve In Leopold-
vllle~
, , , ,
Nayakl na mp7s9 elekl. I arrlved last week.
", , , ,
4· Nasala nlnl na nsoso oyo
, , ,
What should I do wlth the rest
etlkall ~ of the chlcken'1
'" , ", , , ,
Pesa ye nsoso oyo etlkall. Glve hlm the rest of the
chlcken.
, , ,
Bozalakl koloba nlnl'1 What were you talklng about"
, ,
Tozalakl koloba llkambo We are talklng about women.
, ,
ya basl.
, , ,
6. Ballngl lltres bonl ya How many llters of gasollne
essence" do they want"
"
Ballngl, Iltres ntuku "
mlsatu They want thlrty Ilters of
ya essence. gasollne.
, ", , , ,
7 Falanga bonl apesl na mwasl'1 How many francs dld he glve
the woman"
83

UNIT 8 LINGALA
"
Apesl ye, nkama
" "
mako.
I I
He gave her one hundred.
, , ,
8. Otlkl lokolo na motuka Where dld you leave the tlre'l
,
wapl'l
, , , , ,
Natlkl yango na eSlka ya I left lt at the fll1lng statl0n.
,
kotyka essence.
9.
, "
Obandl mosala'l Have you started worklng'l
Nabandl, mosala
"" uta ngonga I started worklng at one o'clock.
, ,
ya moko.
- I I
I have been worklng Slnce one
o'clock.
, ", ,
10. Obandl mosala ntangu nlnl'l How long have you been worklng'l
Nabandl, mosala
"" uta ngonga I have been worklng for one
, ,
moko.
--...-. hour.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 3
1. Natllsl ,
" " ye mafuta na I had hlm put some 011 In the
,
motuka • car.
", , , ,
2. Natllsl ye 11tres ntuku I had hlm put In thlrty 11tres
, ,
mlsatu ya essence. of gasollne.
", ,
3. Natllsl ye lokolo ya slka
,
I had hlm put a new tlre on
na motuka. my car.
, "
4· Tosombakl lokolo ya slka
,
We bought a new tlre for the car.
na motuka.
, " ,
5. Tosombakl makolo na motuka. We bought some tlres for the car.
, , " "
6. Ab9nglselakl blSU makolo ya He repalred the tlres for us.
,
motuka.
, , " " ,
7. Abonglselakl blSU motuka
I
, , ,
He repalred the car for us whlle
ntangu tozalakl kom~la we were drlnklng a Coke.
Coca-Cola.
84

BASIC COURSE UNIT 8
, , " " ,
8. Abonglselakl blSU rootuka He repalred the car for us
I
, , ,
ntangu tozalakl kozlla. whlle we were waltlng.
, , " " ,
9. Abonglselakl
I
blSU rootuka He repalred the car for us
,
ntangu " kolla
tozalakl " roldl. whl1e we had lunch.
, , " " ,
10. Abonglselakl b~su rootuka He repalred the car for us
I , , , ,
ntangu robula ezalakl whlle lt was ralnlng.
,
konoko.
I •
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 4
, , , ,
1. Alobakl na rowana aloba She told the Chl1d to say It
,
11SUSU. agaln.
, , , ,
2. Alobakl na rowana akanga She told the ch1ld to close
,
ndako. the door.
, , , , ,
3. Akanglsakl ndako na rowana. She had the Chl1d close the
door. She had the door
closed by the Chl1d.
, , , , ,
4. Akanglsakl buuku na bana. She had the chlldren close
thelr books.
, , , , ,
5. Bapesakl buuku na bana. They gave the chlldren soroe
books.
, , , , , , ,
6. Bapesakl b~nu rolnlt~ zorol They gave you ten rolnutes to
, , , ,
ropo na kOSlllsa roosala. flnlsh the Job.
, " ,, ,
7. Bapesakl ngal motuka
, ,
They gave me another car to
mosusu ya kotarobwlsa. drlve.
" ,
8. Nallngl rootuka roosusu ya I need another car to drlve.
,
kotarobwlsa.
,
9. Nal~ng~ essence na I1nzanza I want some gasollne ln thlS
,
2Jl2. • can.
,, ,, ,
10. Tlela ngal 11tres zoml ya Put ten 11ters of gasollne In
,
essence na l1zanza oyo. thlS can for roe.
85

UNIT 8 LINGALA
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 5
, , ,
1. Naslll kobonglsela moball I've already repalred the tlre
, I
,
oyo lokolo ya motuka. for the man.
, , , " ,
2. Naslll nabonglsell moball I've Just now flnlshed repalrlng
, I
,
oyo lokolo ya motuka. the tlre for the man.
, , ,
3. Nautl kobonglsela
I
moball I've Just thls lnstant flnlshed
6y o lokolo ya m6tuka. repalrlng the tlre for the
man.
, ~, , ,
4. Nautl kotlya lltres mltanu
,
I've Just thls lnstant fln-
ya essence na motuka. lshed puttlng flve llters
of gasollne In the car.
", , ,
5. Naslll kotlya lltres mltanu
,
I've already put flve Ilters
ya essence na motuka. of·gasollne In the car.
" ,, , ,
6. Naslll natll lltres mltanu I've Just now put flve llters
,
ya essence na motuka. of gasollne In the car.
7.
" ",
Naslll natall mafuta na mal.
, I've Just now looked at the oll
and water.
" , , ~
8. Naslll kotala mafuta na mal. I've already looked at the oll

and the water.
" , , ,
9. Nautl kotala mafuta na mal. I've Just thls lnstant looked
at the oll and the water.
, , ,
10. Nautl kosukola motuka. I've Just thls lnstant flnlshed
washlng the car.
PATTERN DRILL 1
, , ,
1. Ayebl kobonglsa
I
motuka. He knows how to repalr cars.
, , , ,
2. Ayebl eloko
I I
akosala. He knows what to do.
, , , ,
3. Ayebl kotambwlsa motuka. He knows how to drlve.
86

BASIC COURSE UNIT 8
, , , ,
4. Ayeb~ l~kambo n~n~ ezal~. He knows what's the matter.
" ,, ,
,
5. Ayeb~ epa~
, ,
kozwa
bakok~ He knows where to get parts
ebende ya motuka. f'or automoblles.
, , , ,
6. Ayeb~ m9k919 n~n~ akozonga He knows what day she returns
,
na Leo. to Leopoldv~lle.
", ,
7. Ayeb~ mpo na n~n~ batu He knows why the men stopped
"
bat~k~ "
mosala. work~ng.
", , ,
B. Ayeb~ ntangu n~n~ bake~. He knows when they lef't.
" , " ,
9. Ayebl ndenge nln~ bakokl He know how to unlock the door.
,
kofungola m9n9k9 ya ndako.
, , , , ,
10. Ayeb~ na ngonga bon~ bakok~ He knows how fast lt can be
, , ,
kosll~sa mosala. done.
, , ,
11. Ayeb~ l~kambo ntlna. He comprehends the problem.
8.8 Non-apllcatlve Verbs W~th Two ObJects.

" , ", , , ,
Pesa ye nsoso oyo et~kal~.
' ,
Certaln verbs, such as / -pesa/, 'to glve', take two obJects
even though the verb doesn't have the appllcatlve extens~on, e.g.,
/p~s~ y~ ns~s~ 6yo etlkall/, 'Glve hlm the rest of the chlcken'.
8.9 Functlonally-spec~allzedUse of Imperat~ve.

, "" , ,
Nabandl mosala uta ngonga ya moko.
- II
Certaln verbs lndlcatlng stoPPlng, startlng, orlg~n, or des-

tlnatlon, are used In the lmperatlve to mark the beglnn~ng or end
of an lnterval of t~me or space, e.g., the sentence above, 'I have
been worklng Slnce one o'clock', Ilterally, 'I started worklng
begln(nlng) one o'clock'.
87

UNIT 9 LING A LA
Unlt 9
BaslC Sentences
-A-
, "
1. Ollngl mosala7 Are you looklng for work~
-B-
,
2. Nallngl. I am.
-A-
" ",.
3. Qyebl mosala nlnl~ What do you know how to do~
-B-
-ngoma to 1ron, press

, ,
4. Kolamba, kobonglsa
I ,
ndako,
,
Cooklng, house work, washlng,
kosukola bllamba, mpe and lron1ng.
kongoma ..
-A-
, , , ,
5,. Malamu, mosala na Y9 Flne, your Job (wlll be) the
,
kosukola bllamba. laundry.
, , "
6. Nakopesa yoI na sanza I wlll glve you one thousand
, " ,
nkoto moko.
I I
Ollngl~ francs per month. Is that
sa t1sfactory~
-B-
, , " ,
7. Elekl moke,
I
bak1sa llsusu That's too llttle, add three
"
nkama "
mlsatu. hundred francs more.
B. "
Soko "
osal1 ,
malamu, "
boongo If you do good work, I'll
, I
,
nakobaklsa. lncrease you.
9. 011ngl, kobanda mosala
" "
lobl? Do you want to start to work
tomorrow~
BB

BASIC COURSE UNIT 9
-B-
" ,
10. Ty, kasl nallngl kobanda No, but I want to start the
"
mosala "
lobl ,
ekoyaa. day after tomorrow.
-A-
,, ,, ,
tll, tee-, tl untll; a long tlme; far
, , , ,
11. Malamu, mosala na y~ Good, your worklng hours wlll be
, ,
ekozala uta ngonga ya from 7,00 A.M. to 5.00 P.M.
, , ,
nsambo ya ntongo, tee
, ,
na ngonga ya mltanu ya
,
mpokwa.
, ,
12. Kokomaka nSlma ya ntangu Don't get In the hablt of belng
,
te.
I
la tee
-B-
, , ,
13. Ty , nakoyaa na ntangu No, I won't. I '11 be on tlme.
,
malamu.
USEFUL PHRASES
, " ,,
Llmbl sa nga 1. Excuse me. Pardon me.
" ,,
Leklsa ngal. Let me pass. Let me by.
, , ",
Lata bllamba mpymb y. Put on clean clothes.
, , " ,
Longola bllamba mblndu na nzotu. Take off your dlrty clothes.
,
LongwaJ ScramJ Get lostJ
, ,
Tanda mbetu. Make the bed.
, ,
Tanda mesa. Set the table.
" ,
Sukola basanl. Wash the dlshes.
", , ,
Sukola tasl na sanl ya taSl. Wash the cup and saucer.
", ,
Sukola kopo
I I
na lutu. Wash the glass and spoon.
89

UNIT 9 LINGALA
""
Sukola mbell, ,
kanya, na nkele. Wash the knlves, forks, and
I
spoons.
, , , ,, , ,
Kltlsela ngal sanduku na nse. Send my sUltcase down.
, , ,, , ,
Memel
I I
y ngal sanduku na nse. Brlng my sUltcase down.
, , ,, , ,
Memel
I I
y ngal sanduku na llkolo. Brlng my sUltcase up.
, , , ,, , ,
Butlsela ngal sanduku na llkolo. Send my sUltcase up.
, , , ,, , ,
Butlsela ngal sume na sabonl. Send me up some towels and soap.
, , ,
Komela
I
llkaya tee
I
No smoklng.
, ,
Kokota te.
I I
Do not enter.
,
-llmblsa to forglve, pardon, excuse
,
-lata to dress, put on clothes
, ,
nzotu, nzoto, n- body
-tanda to spread, stretch out
,
mesa table
, ,
mbetu, mbeto, m- bed, pallet
,
sanl, ba- dlSh, bowl, plate, basln
,
ta s 1 (ta sse) cup
,
kopo
I I
glass, tumbler, cup
,
lutu spoon
,
mbell
I
,
kanya, nkanya, (n-) fork
,
lokele, n- spoon
-klta to go/come down, descend;
decrease, dlmlnlsh
,
sanduku, (ba-) box, chest, trunk, sUltcase,
,
nse, n- earth, world; bottom; down,
under, beneath
90

BASIC COURSE UNIT 9
-mymE( to carry, transport

-buta to r1se, ascend, cl1mb
(up), creep (up), go
up, 1ncrease
suma (essu1e-ma1n) towel, wash cloth
sabon1. (savon) soap
, ,
11kaya, ma- tobacco, .c1garette, c1gar
NOTES
9.1 Compar1son of Intens1ty
The 'compar1son' of 1ntens1ty, l.e., 'to be very', 'to be

too', 1S expressed by the verb /-leka/, e.g., /Elek{ mOke/, 'It
•
1S too 11ttle', 'It's very small', 11terally 'It surpasses small-
ness'. See also Note 15.3.
9.2 Def1n1te Cond1t10n

" ", ,
Soko
I I
osal1 malamu, nakobaklsa.
If a proposlt10n 1S true or aff1rmed to be true, the 1f-

clause has the 1mmed1ate past and the result clause the future,
e.g., /S~k~ osali malamu,nakobak1sa/, 'If you do good work,
(then It 1S certa1n that) I'll ra1se your pay'.
9.3 General Proh1b1t1ons

, "
Kokomaka nS1ma ya ntangu tEt.
" ,
Komyla 11kaya t y •
The comblnatlon of an 1nf1n1t1ve plus /ta/ 1S used for gen-
•
era1 proh1b1t10ns, e.g., /Kom y1a 11kaya t~/, 'No smok1ng'.
91

UNIT 9 LING A LA
9.4 Spec1al Mean1ngs of Der1ved stems

" ,
okok1 kotyk1sa yango
Der1ved stems often have a spec1al1zed mean1ng that cannot
be guessed and therefore must be learned as a vocabulary 1tem, e.g.,
/kot~k1sa/,
I
'to resell at a prof1t', as 1n /Sak{
I
obongis{
I
ndako ayo,
okok{ kot~k1sa yanga/, 'If you have th1S house repa1red, you can
resell 1t at a prof1t'.
9.5 /t~~/ Followed by /na/

,, , , ,
tee na ngonga ya m1tanu ya mpokwa
When preced1ng a temporal phrase, /t~~/ 1S followed by /na/,
as 1n the phrase above, 'unt1l 5:00 P.M. '
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 1
, ", ,
1. Osukolak1 11SUSU bllamba~ Have you washed the clothes yet~
, , , , , ,
2. Naslll nasukolak1 bllamba. I have Just f1nlshed washlng the
clothes.
, , ,
3. Naslll kob9nglsa ndako. I've already stralghtened up the
house.
" ,
ye" ab9nglsa ndako.
4· Lobela Tell hlm to stralghten up the
the house.
5. "
Lobela ye" angoma bllamba, Tell hlm to press the clothes
,
slka oyo. rlght away.
, ", ,
6. Loba na ye s9k9 allng1 Ask h1m lf he can press the
, ,
kongoma bllamba slka oyo. clothes rlght away.
, " , ,
7. Loba na ye soko
, , I I
allngl
,
Ask h1m lf he can come thlS
koyaa lela na mpokwa. afternoon.
- 'I -
92

BASIC COURSE UNIT 9
8. " "
Oyebl soko
,
akoyaa lelo,
,
Do you know lf he can come
I, I 1
na mpokwa'l thlS afternoon'l
"
Oyebl "
soko azal1, 11SUSU
, na
9. Do you know lf he lS home yet'l
, • I ,
ndako na ye'l
" , " , ,
10. Ayebl t¥, s~k9 azal1 11SUSU He doesn't know lf he lS stl1l
, ,
na ndako na ye. home.
PATTERN DRILL 1
" ", ,
1. S9ko oyel lyl~, nakopesa If you corne today, I'll gJ.ve
yo,I nkama
" "
moko. you one hundred francs.
I I
" , , " ,
2. SOkl
•
osombl moko,
I •
nakopesa If you buy one, I'll gJ.ve you
yo,I nkama
" "
moko. one hundred francs.
I a
" , , "
3. SOkl
a
osombl moko,
,a I
bako- If you buy one, I'll have the
bongJ.sa
, - mosusu. other repaJ.red.
, , ""
4. S9k1 ob~nglsJ. ndako oyo,
,
If you have thJ.s house repalred,
bakobongJ.sa
I
mosusu. they wJ.ll repaJ.r the other one.
, , ""
5. SOkl
I
obongJ.sJ.
I
ndako oyo, If you have thJ.s house repaJ.red,
" ,
okokJ. kot yklsa yango. you can resell J.t at a proflt.
, , "" ,
6. SRk~ OZJ.ll sanza m~k9' If you walt a month, you can
" ,
okokJ. kotykJ.sa yango. sell them at a profJ.t.
"
7. SokJ. oZllJ." ",
sanza moko, If you waJ.t a month, you can
I , I I
okokynd~ na Leo. go to Leopoldvll1e.
, , , , "
8. SokJ. ozalJ. na nkoto moko, If you have a thousand francs,
• , I I
okokynd y na Leo. you can go to LeopoldvJ.lle.

, , , , "
9. SokJ.
I
ozalJ. na nkoto moko,
I
If you have a thousand francs,
" ,I
okokJ. kosomba bllamba. you can buy some clothes.
" , , ,
10. Soko okeJ. na Leo, okokJ. If you go to LeopoldvJ.lle, you
I I , ,
kosomba bJ.lamba. can buy some clothes.
93

UNIT 9 LINGALA
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 2
, , ",
1. Mosala na blSU eSllaka na We get off from work at 5:00
, , ,
ngonga ya mltanu ya mpokwa. P.M.
2. "
Mosala ""
na blSU eSlll na We flnlshed our work early.
, ,
ntangu malamu.
, , , ,
3. Tokoml na ndako na ntangu We arrlved home early.
,
malamu.
, , , ,
4. Tokoml na ndako Ilboso We arrlved home before It
" ,
mbula ebanda konoko.
, , started to raln.
, , ", , ,
5. Toslllsakl kosomba blloko
• •,
We flnlshed shopplng before It
, "
llboso mbula ebanda konoko.
• I
started to raln
, , ", , ,
6. Toslllsakl kosomba blloko We flnlshed shopplng and went
, , , I I
mpe tokel na ndako. home.

, , , , , ,
7. Mosala ekakakl na blSU There weren't enough Jobs for
, "
ny~ns9 t y ntlna na all of us, and therefore we
, , ,
yango tokel na ndako. went home.
, , " ,
8. Mosala elekakl makasl The work was too hard, and be-
, "
ntlna na yango tokel cause of that we came home.
,
na ndako.
" " , ,
9. Mosala elekakl makasl ntangu The work lS so hard that there
, , , ,
ya kom~la llkaya ezalakl t y. lsn't (even) tlme to smoke.
, , " , ,
10. Mosala elekakl makasl ntangu There's so much work that there
, ",
ya kalla ezalakl t y • lsn't (even) tlme to eat.
94

BASIC COURSE UNIT 9
1 GRAMMATICAL DRILLS 3
, , " ,, ,
1. BOl
I
akangolell ngal ndako. The houseboy opened the door
for me.
, , " ,, ,
2. BOl asukolell ngal bllamba. The houseboy washed my clothes.
f
, , ", ,
3. Nasukolellsl bOl I
bllamba. I had the boy wash my clothes.
, , ", ,
4· Nasukolellsl bOl bllamba I had the boy wash the sheets.
, I
ya mbetu.
, ", ,
Angomlsell b9l bllamba ya She had the boy lron the sheets.
,
mbetu.
, ", , ,
6. Angomlsell Ie elamba ya mesa. She had hlm lron the tablecloth.
, , , ,
7. Alongolakl elamba ya mesa. She put away the table cloth.
, " ,
8. Alongolakl basanl ya slka. She put away the new dlshes.
, ", ,
9. Azonglsakl basanl ya slka. She put back the new dlshes.
, " ,
10. Akama takl basanl ya slka. She got out the new dlshes.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 4
", ,
1. Longollsa bana bllamba Have the chlldren take off
, ,
mblndu na nzotu. thelr dlrty clothes.
, " , ,
2. Longollsa bana bllamba Have the chlldren take off
" ,
thelr clean clothes.
mpymbe na nzotu.
, " , " ,
3. Latlsa bana bllamba mp~mby. Have the chlldren put on thelr
clean clothes.
, , , , ,
4. La tlsa mama mp~t9 na ye. Have mother wear her rlng.
, , , ,
5. ME(myl)i mama mp~ty na ye. Brlng mother her rlng.
, , ,, ,
6. Mym~l<t nga1. sanduku na Brlng my sUltcase up.
,
llkolo.
95

UNIT LING A LA
, "" ,
7. Butl.sela ngal. sanduku. na
,
Have my sUl.tcase brought up.
ll.kolo.
, " ", ,
8. Butl.sela ngsl surne na sabonl.. Send me some towels and soap.
, ," ,
9. Mvmele
I I
ngal. sume na sabonl. Brl.ng me some towels and soap.
, " " ,
Kl.tl.sela ngal. sume na sabonl
10. Send me down some towels and
,
na nse. soap.
PATTERN DRILL 2
, , , ,
1. Nautl. (na) masala. I'm Just returnl.ng from work.
I'm on my home from work.
I've Just returned from work.
2. "
Nautl. "
kosala. I've Just returned from work.
3. I've Just come from Leopoldvl.lle.

I'm on my way from Leopoldvl.lle.
, , ,
4. Nakoml. (na) Kl.nsasa. I've arrl.ved from Leopoldvl.lle.
I've come from Leopoldvl.lle.
, , ,
5. Nakel. (na) Kl.nsasa. I'm leavl.ng for Leopoldvl.lle.
I'm on the way to Leopoldvl.lle.
I'm gOl.ng to Leopoldvllle.
PATTERN DRILL 3
, , ,
1. Nall.ngl. bolongola mafuta I want the 011 changed.
ya ll.boso, botl.ya
"
ya sl.ka.
2. Nsll.ngl." kotarnboll.sa mwana

,
I want to take my son for a walk.
,, ,
na ngal. ya moball..
96

BASIC COURSE UNIT 9
, ,
3. Nallng1 kokynd y kotambola I want to go for a dr1ve.
,
na motuka.
4. Nallng1" kotambw1sa motuka

,
I want t~ dr1ve my daughter's
, ,, , ,
ya mwana na nga1 ya mwas1. car.
, , , ,
5. Nal1ng1 motu moko
, I I
asukola I want someone to wa"sh my car.
motuka •
9.6 /llbos6/ Plus SubJunct1ve

, , , " , ,
Tokom1 na ndako 11boso mbula ebanda konoko.
I I
When nouns such as /11bos6/, 'front', are used to 1ntroduce

temporal clauses, the verb of the temporal clause 1S 1n the sub-
Juntlve, as 1n the sentence above, 'We arr1ved home before 1t
started ra1n'.
97

UNIT 10 LING A LA
UnJ.t 10
BasJ.c Sentences
-A-
1. Ala! (allo) Hello.
-B-
, , ."
2. Alo, nanJ. wana? Hello, who's speakJ.ng?
-A-
., ,
3. Ngal, BonJ.fasJ.. ThJ.S 18 BonJ.face.
-B-
, , ,
4. DJ.J., BonJ.fasJ., olJ.ngJ.
,
HJ., BonJ.face, what do you want?
nJ.nJ. 'l
-A-
,
- tJ.nda to send, order, command
, , , ,,
5. NalJ.ngJ. otJ.ndela ngaJ.
, , ,
I'd l1ke you to send me your
buuku na YCf ya LJ.ngala. LJ.ngala book.
-B-
6. " , ",
Boongo ya YCf, otJ.kJ. wapJ.? Where dJ.d you leave yours?
-A-
,
- bosana to forget; be m1staken,
make a mJ.stake
,
kela SJ. (cIa sse) class, classroom, school
, , , , ,
7. NabosanJ. yango na kalasJ.. I forgot and left J.t J.n the
classroom.
98

BASIC COURSE UNIT 10
-B-
, , ,
8. Bon~, nakot~nde1a yoI Bon~, I'll send ~t to you by
, ,
yango na mwana. my 1~tt1e brother.
-A-
,
9. Me1es~. Thanks.
-B-
,
10. L~kElmbo t~. Don't ment~on ~t.
-A-
11. ,
~~, kokanga na~nu
" tyJ Hey, don't hang up yetJ
, ,
12. Ok~nd~ wap~ 1~19 na Where are you p1ann~ng on go~ng
,
mpokwa'i th~s even~ng'i
-B-
-kana to resolve, ~ntend,
prom~se, threaten
-kan~sa to th~nk, reflect,
s~nema (c~n~ma) mov~es
13. Nakan{si (te) nakokynd y I th~nk I'll go to the mov~es

, , ,
na s~nema 1elo
I ,
na mpokwa. th~s even~ng.
-A-
" , ,
Ol~ng~ tok~nd~ b~su Would you l~ke for me to go
, ,
m~ba1e'i w~th you'l
-B-
-b~ma to go out, come out, go

for a walk, emerge
, ,
15. Jty, na1~ng~, nako b~ma na Yes, of course, I'm leav~ng
~gonga ya mwamb~. at e~ght o'clock.
99

UNIT LINGALA
, ,
-A-
16. Na ntangu mosusu. See you then.
,
17. Malamu. F~ne.
USEFUL PHRASES
Y~k~ (na) telef~n.

I T I
Answer the phone.
, ,
Kanga telefon.
I I I
Hang up the phone.
Z~ngisa (na) tylyf~n. Hang up the phone.

, , , ,
Benga ye na telefon.
1 I I
Call h~m up.
" , ,
Baakobenga yoI na telefon.
I I I
You're wanted on the phone.
, " ,
Bf(tyla ye s~nga. Call h~m up.
, , ,
Telefon
I I I
ezal~ kobyt y . The telephone ~s rlnglng.
, , , ,
Mondele
I I
abet~ ngonga.
I
The European rang the bell.
, , , , ,
Mondele
I I
azal~ kobyt y mas~n~. The European lS typ~ng.
, , , , ,
Mondele azal~ kobete maboko. The European lS clapPlng hlS
I I I I I I
hands.
, , , , , ,
Mondele azal~ kobytE( mal. The European lS sWlmmlng.
I I
, , , , , ,
MondeleI I
azall kobete
I I
bondlkl. The European lS shoot~ng a gun.
, , , ,
Nkombo na yo, nanl~ What's your name~
, , ,, ,
Nkombo na ngal Ngol. My name lS NgOl.
" , ,
Bapesl ye Monokomolal.
I I I
They nlcknamed hlm Blg Mouth.
telefon
I 1 I
(telephone) telephone
,
-benga to call, summon; call,
name; order (merchan-
dlse)
, ,
- bete
I I
, -beta
I
to hlt, strlke, knock,
beat
slnga cord, rope, wlre, cable,

band, belt

, ,
mondE( lE(, ml.- whl.te man, European
masinl. (machl.ne) machl.ne, mechanlcal
l.nstrument, tral.n
,
bondokl., ma- gun, rl.fle
, ,
nkombo, n- name, honor, reputatl.on
long, large, deep, hlgh
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 1
, " ,
1. Natlndl mwana mpo na I sent the boy for the book.
,
buuku.
, , , ,
2. Natlndl buuku na mwana. I sent the book to the boy.
, "
3. Nakotlndela y~ buuku na I'll send the book to you by
,
mwana. the boy.
, " , ,
4. Nakotlndela y~ buuku lobl
, ,
I'll send the book to you In
na ntongo. the mornlng.
, ", , ,
5. Natl.ndelakl. y~ buuku I sent the book to you yesterday
, , "
lobl. na ntongo. mornlng.
6. , "" ,
Natlndelakl y~ matungulu I sent you the onl.ons yesterday.
, ,
lobl.
, " ", ,,
7. Natl.ndakl. y~ osombela nsal I sent you to buy me some
, "
ma tungulu lob].. onlons yesterday.
, " ", ,,
8. Natlndakl. Y9 osombela ngal I sent you to buy a can of meat
ll.nzanza ya nyama. for me yesterday.
, ,
9. Akosombela ye llnzanza He wl.ll buy a can of meat for
ya nyama. her.
10.
,
Akosombela ye" ndako. He wl.ll buy the house for her.
101

UNIT 10 LINGALA
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 2
, ", ,
1. Nabosanl ndako na ye. I've forgotten where hlS house
lS located.
, " , ,
2. Nabosanl, ye nanl. I've forgotten who he lS.
, ", , ,
3. Nabosanl ntangu nlnl tokoml~ I forgot what tlme lt lS.
, " " ,
4. Nabosanl nkombo na ye. I've forgotten hlS name.
, ", ,
5. Nabosanl bana na ye. I forgot about hlS chl1dren.
, " ,
6. Nabosanl ndlnga alobaka. I've forgotten what language
he speaks.
, " " ,
7. Nabosanl mosala na ye. I've forgotten what he does
(for a 11v lng) •
8. , " " ,
Nabosanl n9k9 na ye. I've forgotten who hlS uncle lS.
, " " ", ,
9. Nabosanl epal natlkl buuku. I've forgotten where I left my
book.
10. , "
Nabosanl " ekel.
epal ,
I've forgotten where he went.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 3
1. Nakoblma na ngonga ya I'm gOlng out at SlX o'clock.

, ,
motoba.
, , ,, ,
2. MwaSl na ngal akokoma na My wlfe wl11 arrlve at SlX
, ,
ngonga ya motoba. o'clock.
, , ,, ,
3. MwaSl na ngal akokoma na My wlfe wl11 arrlve In Leopold-
, , ,
Leo lelo
I I
na mpokwa. vl11e thlS evenlng.
, , ,
4. Bakotlka Leo lelo
, , I
na We wll1 leave Leopoldvl11e thlS
mpokwa. evenlng. (lmpersonal we)
,
5. Bakotlka BrazzaVl11e na
, , , ,
We wl11 leave Brazzavl11e at
ngon~a ya moko na ntongo. 11100 A.M. (lmpersonal we)
• •
102

, ,, , ,
6. Bana na ngal bazalakl na My chlldren were at Brazzavllle
Brazzavllle na ngonga at 1:00 A.M.
, , "
ya moko
I I
na ntongo.
, ,, , ,
7. Bana na ngal bazalakl
, , , ,
My chlldren were leavlng when
kokende
I I
ntango-
nakomakl. I arrlved.
", ,
8. Bakangakl ndako ntango The house was locked up when
, , ,
nakomakl. I arrlved.
", ,
9. Bakangakl ndako mpe motu The house was locked and no
" ,
azalakl t€(. one was there.
" , " ,
10. Natunl kasl motu azalakl t y • I called out, but no one was
there.
PATTERN DRILL 1
" " ,
1. S9 k 9 oyakl 1~19, mb~l~ If you had come today, I would
, "
napesakl yo,I nkama
" "
moko.
I I
have glven you a thousand
francs.
2. "
SOkl , "
osombakl "
moko, mbele If you had bought one, I would
I I I I I
, "
napesakl "
yo,I nkama "
mako. have glven you a thousand
I I
francs.
3. "
SOkl , " "
osombak~ moko, mbele If you had bought one, they
I
, " I
,I I I
babonglsakl
I -
mosusu. would have had the other
repalred.
, , , " , ,
4. S7kl ob7nglsakl ndako oyo, If you had had thls house
, " ,
mbele
I I
babonglsakl
I
mosusu. repalred, they would have
repalred the other one.
, , , " , ,
SOkl
I
obonglsakl
I
ndako oyo, If you had had thlS house
" ,
mbele
I I,
okokakl koteklsa
I
repalred, you could have
yango. sold lt at a proflt.
" "", ,
6. Soko
I I
oZllakl sanza moka, I ,
If you had walted a month,
" ,
mbele
I I,
okokakl koteklsa
I
you would have been able
yango. to sell lt at a proflt.
103

UNIT 10 LINGALA
, , , , , , , ,
7. Soko oZllakl sanza moko,
, ,
If you had walted a month, you
I
•
mbele
, ,
okendekl na
I I
Klnsasa. could have gone to Leopold-

I I I I
vllie.
, , , , , , , ,
B. SOkl ozalakl na nkoto moko, If you had had a thousand
I ., ., I
,• ,
mbyl y okendekl
I I
na Klnsasa. francs, you could ha.ve
gone to Leopoldvllie.
9. "
SOkl "
ozalakl ""
na nkoto moko, If you had had a thousand
I I •
" ,
mbele okokakl kosomba francs, you could have
I I
,
bllamba. bought some clothes.
, , , , , ,
10. S~k~ ok¥ndykl na Klnsasa If you had gone to Leopoldvllle,
" ,
mbyl y okokakl kosomba you could have bought some
,
bllamba. clothes.
PATTERN DRILL 2
, , , , ,
1. Moto mako ayakl koluka Someone came looklng for you
, I I ,
yoI na mldl. at lunchtlme.
, , , , , ,
2. Moto moko asolo1akl na ye Someone talked to hlm on the
, ,I I ,
lobl na tel~fon. phone yesterday.
, , ,• •
3· Moto moko aakoblma na Someone lS gOlng out at SlX
I t ,
ngonga ya motoba. " o'clock.
, , , , , , ,
4· Moto moko
, t
I
a tlndelakl YC( Someone sent you a rlfle.
bondokJ..
, , , , , ,
5. Moto moko
I, •
abosanl buu~
,
Someone has forgotten hlS
na ye ya LlpSala" Llngala book.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 4
, , ,
1. Luka numero na bango ya Look up thelr phone number.
" ,, ,
2. Lukela nsal numero na Look up thelr phone number
, ,
bango ya tyl~f9n. for me.
104

, ", ,
3. Lukel1sa ye numero ya
, ,
Have her look up the1r phone
bango ya tylyf7n. number.
, ", , ,
4. Lukel1sa ye numero ya bango
, , ,,
Have her look up the1r phone
ya tylyf9n mpo na nga1. number for me.
, " , ,
5. Lukel1sa ye buuku ya
, , ,,
Have her look for the phonebook
t~l~f9n mpo na nga1. for me.
PATTERN DRILL 3
, , , ,
1. Ndenge na ye ya kol1a He has good table manners.
, ,
ezal1 malamu.
, , , ,
2. Ndenge na ye ya kolata He always looks n1cely dressed.
, , ,
b11amba ezal1 malamu.
, , ,
3. Ndenge na ye ya koloba H1S manner of speak1ng 1S pol1te
, ,
ezal1 malamu. and easy to understand.
, , , ,
4. Ndenge na ye ya
, ,
kosala He always does a good Job.
ezal1 malamu.
, , , ,
5. Ndenge na ye ya
, ,
kotambola He walks well.
ezal1 malamu.
PATTERN DRILL 4
, , ,
1. Nakan1s1 akoyaa. I th1nk he's comlng.
, , , ,
2. Nakanlsl akoyaa t y • I th1nk he's not comlng.
, , , ,
3. Nakan1S1. t~ akoyaa. I don't thlnk he's comlng.
, , ,
4. Nakan1.Sl te akoyaa. I thlnk that he's comlng.
, , , ,
5. Nakan1.Sl te te akoyaa.
•
I don't thlnk that he's comlng •
105

UNIT 10 LINGALA
10.1 Hypothet1cal Suppos1t10n.

"
Soko ",
oyak1 le10, mbele , "
napesak1 yo,I nkama
" "
moko.
II 11 II II
Hypothet1cal Supposlt10n or contrary-to-fact condlt1on 1S

expressed by the recent past 1n both clauses and by the part1cle
/mbyl y/ at the beg1nn1ng of the ma1n clause, e.g., /S9k9 oyaki
lelo,
,.
mbele
• I
nap~saki y6• nkama mOko/,
• ,
'If you had come today, I
would have glven you a thousand francs. '
In the var10US L1ngala d1alects, a numbe~ of other part1cleA
are used 1n the same way as descr1bed above for /mb~l~/, e.g.,
/t1ki/, /t1k~/, /ka/, /kana/, /~nte/, /nde/, /mb y /.
10.2 'Passlve' Plural

, , , ,
Bakot1ka Leo lelo
I •
na mpokwa.
The th1rd person plural bes1des express1ng what 1S commonly
done (Note 5.9) also 1S used 11ke 1mpersonal or ed1toral we 1n
Engl1sh, e.g., /Bakotika Leo 1 1 19
na mpokwa/, 11terally and often,
'They w1ll leave Leopoldv111e th1S even1ng', but 1t 1S also often
used much 11ke Eng11sh, 'We, 1.e., that group of passengers, or
my plane, etc., w111 leave Leopoldvllle thls even1ng.'
10.3 Future 1n Non-1n1t1al and Subord1nate Clauses.

, , ,
Nakan1s1 akoyaa.
Verbs 1n non-1n1t1al and subord1nate clauses, Wh1Ch refer
to a future tlme, are 1n the future tense, e.g., /Nakanisi akoyaa/,
'I th1nk he's com1ng', 11teral1y, 'I th1nk he w111 come'. Speakers
of Engl1sh often make the error of uSlng a present tense 1n such
clauses In L1ngala.
106

Un~t 11
Bas~c Sentences
-A-
to hurt, suffer, be s~ck

, , ,
1. Ookob yl y wap~~ Where do you hurt~
-B-
,
-lala to sleep, l~e down;
stay, rema~n
# ,
monganga, m~- phys~c~an, European

doctor
, ", ,
2. Na butu nalal~ t y ' monganga. I d~dnrt sleep all n~ght,
doctor.
, , ,
mutu, motu, moto, m~- head; bunch
l~bumu, ma- stomach, belly, womb
mob~mba, m~- ent~re, whole

, ,
3. Mutu, l~bumu, nzotu My head, stomach, and whole
,
mob~mba mpas~. body hurts.
-A-
,
moto
I I
f~re, hot
" , ,
4. Ookoyoka nzotu moto~
I I
Do you have a fever~
-B-
,
wap~ by no means, no, noth~ng
" , ,
5. Nayeba monganga.
wap~, How could I know, doctor~
, ",
6. Nazal~ na thermometre t y I don't have a thermometer at
,
na ndako. home.
107

UNIT 11 LINGA LA
-A-
,
sJ.mJ.sJ. (chemJ.se) shJ.rt
", , ,
7. Longola naJ.no sJ.mJ.sJ. na Y9. Take off your shJ.rt fJ.rst.
, , "
8. TJ.ya thermometre oyo na Put thJ.s thermometer J.n your
monoko.
I I I
mouth.
-B-
, ,
9. MelesJ., monganga. O.K., doctor.
-A-
, " ",
fJ.~f~l~, fJ.~v~l~, fever
(fJ.~vre)
, , , , ,
10. 00, ozalJ. na fJ.yfyl y , Paul. Oh, you have a fever, Paul.
-B-
,
- salJ.sa to help, take care of,
employ, J.nstruct
,
ko J.ndeed, come onJ go
aheadJ
,. " " , ,
11 •. SalJ.sa ngaJ. ko monganga. Help me, doctor.
-A-
, , , ,, , ,
12. , r nJ.nJ.
Eloko
, , , ,
olJ.akJ. too What dJ.d you eat or dFJ.nk
omylakJ. 10bJ.CZ yesterdayCZ
-B-
,
kaka only, alone
,
tJ.J. tea
,
lJ.mpa, ma- bread, pJ.ece of bread
, , ,
13. Kaka tJ.J. na mampa. Only some tea and bFead.
108

, , , , , ,
F1~f~1~ yango ezal1 makas1~ Is my fever very h1gh~
(The fever, (1 t lS very h1gh~)
-A-
,
mpenza really, truly, only,
completely, alone
, "
Ty , mpenza t~. No, not really.
k1nin{ (qu1n1ne) qU1n1ne
" ", ,
16. Kamata k1n1n1 oyo, m~la Take two of these qU1n1ne
"
m1bale ,
slka oyo, "
mlbale pl1ls rlght away and two
, , ,
mosusu 11boso ya kolala. before gOlng to bed.
-B-
, ,
17. Meles1, monganga. Thanks, doctor.
-A-
,
-blka to recover, 11ve,
be recued
18. "
SOkl "
lobl "
Oblkl ,
te, If you have not recovered by
, I
, "
zonga awa. tomorrow, come back.
USEFUL PHRASES
, ,
Ly 1« mokolo
I , ,
n1nl~ What day 1S 1t~
, ,
Ly lC( mokolo
II ,
ya lomlngo. Today 1S SUnday.
,
, , moko10
Lelo I , ,
ya eyenga. Today JoS Sunday.
I
,
Lelo
•
, · . ..
mokolo
,
Lyl« mokolo
,
ya
, , , ,
mosa1a mcko.
, ., ,
ya mosala m1ba1e.
•, •
Today lS Monday.
Today lS Tuesday.
, , , , ,
, • mokolo
Lelo ya mosala m1satu. Today lS Wednesday.
·.
, • I I , , ,
LE(l~ mokolo la mosala mlne1.
,
Today lS Thursday.
109

UNIT 11 LING A LA
~ ~ ~
, ,
Lelo mokolo ya mosala mltanu. Today lS Frlday.
• • I • I
~
, ,
Lelo mokolo ya mP9s9· Today lS Saturday.
• , • I • ,I , ,
Mposo
• I
elekl nazalakl na I spent last weekend at
Brazzavllle. Brazzavl11e.
, "
Na nsuka ya mposo oyo nakokende ThlS weekend I am gOlng on a
, • , •, • •
mobembo na Mpoto. trlp to Europe.
, ,
Naakolengele mobembo na I'm gettlng ready for a trlp
, • I I
ntango ya elanga. durlng the dry season.
, ,
Abell • He's slck. He's gotten slck.
• , ,
Azall na malall. He's slck.
,
Nazokl na mokongo. I've lnJured my back.
,
I
,
' •
Nazokl na llnu. I've lnJured a tooth.
,
Nazokl na mosal. I've lnJured my flnger.
, ,
Azal1 kosonoI bllamba. She's maklng clothes.
, • ,
,Azal1 kosono
I I
moplla. She's maklng an undershlrt.
, ,
Azall kosono
I I
patalo. She's maklng some trousers.
, ,
Azall kosono kaleso. She's maklng some shorts.
,
I • ,
Azall komeka kazaka. He's trylng on a coat.
,
Azall komeka ekotl.
I
He's trylng on a hat.
, ,
Azall komeka sosetl. He's trylng on some socks.
, ,
Azall komeka sapato. He's trylng on shoes.
,
lomlngo Sunday
eyenga festlval, feast day;
Sunday, weekend
,
nsuka, n- end, termlnatl0n
,
-bemba to travel
,
mobembo trlp, Journey
110

"
Mpoto, "
Mputu (Portugal) Europe
-lyngyl y to prepare, get ready
elanga fleld, garden; dry season,
year
, ,
malall, ma1adl (maladle) 11lness, slckness
-zoka to be lnJured, be touched
mosal, ml- flnger, toe
-sono
, I
to sew, make clothes
,
momplla, ml- undershlrt, teeshlrt,
vest, swea ter
,
patalo (pantalon) shorts, underwear
-meka to measure, welgh, try
(out), test
,
kazaka coat, Jacket, vest
ekotl,
I
bl- (man's) ha t
,
sosetl (chaussette) sock, stocklng
, ,
sapa to , sapa ta shoe(s)
NOTES
" ,
Nayeba wapl'l
/wap{/, 'where', plus the subJunctlve expresses emphatlc

denlal of the abl1lty and/or opportunlty to do somethlng, e.g.,
In~yeba Wapl'l/, tHow could I know (If) ••• 'l', 'I don't knew whether
or not ••. " 'I don't know anythlng at all about ••• '.
11.2 Spell1ng of /00/
/001 lS /oh/.
111

UNIT 11 LINGALA
LexJ.cal DrJ.ll i
, , , ,
1. Naakoyoka mutu mpasJ.. I have a headache.
, , ,
2. Naakoyoka IJ.bumu mpasJ.. I have a stomach ache.
, , ,
3. Naakoyoka mokongo
I I •
mpasJ. I have a backache.
, , ,
4. Naakoyoka loboko
I I •
mpasJ.. I have a pa l.n 1.n my hand.
, , , ,
5. Naakoyoka IJ.nu mpa s 1. • I have a toothache.
Lex1.cal Dr1.11 2
, ,
1. NaakobEtl y na mutu. I have a headache.
,
2. Naakobele
I I
na l1.burnu. I have a stomach ache.
,
3. Naakob y l y na mokongo.
I' I
I have a backache.
,
4. NaakobEt 1 y na loboko.
I I
•
I have a pa1.n J.n my hand.
, ,
5. Naakobele
I I
na IJ.nu. I have a toothache.
LexJ.cal DrJ.ll 3
, ,
1. Nasalaka na butu. I work at nJ.ght.
, ,
2. Nasalaka na mOl. I work durJ.ng the day.
, , ,
3. Nasalaka na ntongo.
I I
I work In the mornJ.ng.
, ,
4. Nasalaka na mpokwa. I work J.n the afternoon.
, , ,
5. Nasalaka na ntangu ya mbula. I work durJ.ng the raJ.ny season.
, ,
6. Nasalaka na ntangu ya elanga. I work durlng the dry season.
112

Lexlcal Drl11 4
, , ,
1. Longola SlmlSl. Take off your shlrt.
., , ,
2. Longola sapa to. Take off your shoes.
, , ,
3. Longola pa talo. Take off your trousers.
., , ,
4. Longola kazaka. Take off your coat.
, , , ,
5. Longola kazaka ya mbula. Take off your ralncoat.
Lexlcal Drl11 5
, , ,
1. Zonglsa sosetl. Put on your socks.
, , ,
2. Zonglsa kaleso. Put on your shorts.
, ,
3. Zonglsa ekotl.
I
Put on your hat.
, ,
4. Zonglsa pull-over. Put on your swea ter.
, ,
5. Zonglsa cravate. Put on your tle.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 1
1. "
Pesa " nsoso
ngal " moblmba. Glve me a whole chlcken.
" , ,
2. Okolamba lelo na mldl Today for lunch flX a whole
, , I I
nsoso moblmba. chlcken.

" , ,
3. Okolamba nsoso moblmba F1X a whole chlcken for lunch
, ,.
lelo
I I
na ml.dl. today.
" , , ,
4. Okolamba tll. mpo na monganga. Fl.X some tea for the doctor.
, , ,, ,
5. Kende
I ,I
kosomba tl.l mpo na Go buy some tea for the doctor.
monganga.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 2
", ",
1. Ayakl. ntango nazalakl. kolala. He arrl.ved whl.le I was asleep.
,,~ ",
2. Ayakl ntango nazalakl. kolla. He came whl.le I was eatlng.
113

UNIT 114 LINGA LA
, , , , ,
3. Alongolakl bl1amba na ye He undressed whl1e I was
, ",
ntango naza1akl kolla. eatlng.
, , , , ,
4. A1ongolakl bl1amba na ye
, , , ,
He undressed when he was In
ntango azalakl 1lboso wlth the doctor.
,
ya monganga.
, , , ,
Aza1akl na mpasl ntango He was sufrerlng when he was
, , , ,
aza1akl 1lboso ya monganga. In wlth the doctor.
, , , ,
6. Aza1akl na mpasl ntango He was slck when he went to
~ ~', ,
ak~nd~kl epal 1a monganga. the doctor's.
, , , " ,
7. Aza1akl na rl~ryl~ ntango He had a rever when he went
" ,, ,
ak ynd ykl epal ya monganga. to the doctor's.
, , , " ,
8. Aza1akl na rl~ryl~ ntango He had a rever when I saw hlm.
, " ,
namonakl
I
ye.
-
, " " , ,
9. Nam?nakl ye ntango azalakl I saw hlm whl1e he was taklng
, "
kosallsa tata na ye. care of hlS rather.
, ", " ,
10. Natlndelakl 1e mampa ntango I sent hlm some bread durlng
azalakl"kosallsa
, tata" na ye. the tlme he was carlng for
hlS father.
Pattern Drl11 1
", ,, "
1. Soko
I •
SlmlS1 na ngal eyakl If my shlrt hadn't got dlrty,
" ,
mblndu t~, kana tokel then the two of us would
" , ,
Klsanganl blSU mlba1e. go to Stanleyvll1e.
", ,, "
2. Soko
• t
SlmlS1 na ngal eyakl If my shlrt hadn.t got dlrty,
"
mblndu t y, kana nakel, I would go see the doctor.
, ,
kotala monganga.
, , , , ,
3. Soko
I I
nazalakl
, ,
na
,
malall kana If I were slck, I would go
nakel kotala monganga. see the doctor.
, , , , ,
4. Soko
I •
nazalakl
"
na
,
malall
,
kana
--
If I had been slck, I would
nakendekl
I I
kotala monganga.
- -
have gone to see the doctor.
114

BA 81 C COURSE UNIT 11
5. "
Soko " " te, kana
nablkakl If I hadn't got better, I would
I
I
" ,, ,
nak y nd y kl kotala monganga. have gone to the doctor.
6. "
Soko " " te, mbe nakel,
nablkakl If I hadn't got better, I would
I I , , 1 --II~---
kotala monganga. go to see the doctor.

, , , , , , ,
7. Soko
I ,
nazalakl na flev
, , I
le,
,y I
If I had a fever, I would go
mbe nakel kotala monganga. see the doctor •
, ,• , , , , ,
B. S~k7 nazalakl na fl y v 1 y ,
, , 1 If I had a fever, l'd go to
mb y nalall. bed.
If I were slck, I'd go to bed.
" ", ,
10. Soko nabelekl, mbe namell If I were slck, I'd drlnk some
' I, I ', I I
tll -ya moto.
, hot tea.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 3
" , , , ,
1. Tlnda motu moko abengela Send someone to get me a doctor.
,, , I I
ngal monganga.
2. "
Lobela ye" akynd y kotala , Tell hlm to go see the doctor.
,
monganga.
" ", ,,
3. Lobela ye abengela ngal Tell her to get them on the
, ,
bango
-
na telefon.
I I I
phone for me.
, " ", ,,
4. Natunakl ye abengela ngal
, ,
I asked her to get them on the
bango na t~lyf~n. phone for me.
, " " ,
5. Natunakl ye alongola SlmlSl
,
I asked hlm to take off hlS
na ye. shlrt.
, , ,
6. Ballngl alongola SlmlSl They wanted hlm to take off
,
na ye. hlS shlrt.
, , , ,
7. Ballngl koyeba eloko nlnl They wanted to know what I
," ,I I ,
nalel too nam21l ly19. had eaten and drunk today.
, " ,
8. Monganga allngl koyeba e17k7 The doctor wanted to know what
, ,, , " ,
nlnl nalel too namell ly17. I had eaten or drunk today.
115

UNIT 11 LINGALA
, , , ,
9. Monganga allngl atlya The doctor wanted me to put the
, ,
thermometre oyo na thermometer In my mouth.
monoko.
I I •
" , , ,
10. Ntlna nlnl bol1ngl atlya Why do you want me to put the
, ,
thermometre oyo na thermometer In my mouth~
monoko~
• I I
116

Unlt 12
BaS1C Sentences
-A-
-konza to rule, manage
mokonzl, ba- chlef, klng, boss,
supervlsor
wa of, belonglng to, at,
from
" ,
1. Alobe, oyo azall mokonzl Albert, thlS lS our chlef.
, ,
wa blSU.
-B-
, ,
2. Mbote,
I I
Mokonzl. Good mornlng, Chlef.
-C-
, ,
3. Mbote.
I I
Good mornlng.
-B-
, ,
-fwanda, -fanda to Slt, be seated;
llve, reslde
, , " ,
4· Fwanda soko
I I
ollngl. Slt down, please.
-C-
,
Melesl. Thanks.
-B-
nsango, n- news, report

mb~ka, m- vlllage~ reglon, dlstrlct;
trlbe, race; resldence,_
address
117

UNIT 12 LINGALA
" ,
kolongonu
I I t
health
, ,
6. MokonZl, nsango bOnl na Chlef, what's new at home"
mboka"
, , "
7. Bango bansoI bazall nzotu Is everybody well"
" ,
kolongonu"
I I I
-c-
,
mP9ngl, m- sleep
mongungl, monkungl, n- mosqulto
,
mayele
I I
understandlng, lntelll-
gence, lntellect, mlnd,
slyness, craftlness,
manner, means
,
nde only, however, although
, , ,
8. Nsango te, kaka nde na Nothlng new, however, we haven't
, I , , ,
butu tOZWl mpongl
I
tee
I
gotten any sleep lately.
, , ,
9. Ngungl awa mayele
I I
te.
I
There are more mowqultoes than
you can lmaglne.
-B-
-keba to pay attentlon, be

attentlve
,
-swaa to blte, stlng
, ,
10. Keba na bangungl baswaa Be careful that the mosqultoes
, , , ,
bana te, mpo bakokl don't blte the chlldren
, I ", ,
kozwa flefele
I I I
makasl. because they would get a
bad fever.
, " ,
11. Ee nayebl. Ntlna na Yes, I know. Tha t rS why I've
I I ' , ,,
yango nayel. come.
118

-B-
nklSl, n- medlClne, charm

, " "
12. Ollngl napesa Y9 pompl Do you want me to glve you any
,
na nklsl ya ngungl~ sprays Wl th DDT~
talas~ (terrasse) dl tch, canal
, ,
mpembenl slde, edge; around,
near
13. Ozal{ na mal t~, na talas~ Don't you have water In the
, , ,
na mpembenl ya ndako~ dltches around the house~
-C-
kerosene
-sopa to pour (out), splll;
talk nonsense
~e , ma'l ezall' , ka'sl tozall'
~ Yes there lS, but we have enough
I I
, ,
na pltolo mpo na kosopa kerosene to pour on (the
,I ,
llkolo. dltches).
-B-
'volture' automoblle
, ,
kuna over there, yonder
, ",
15. VOlture na yoI ezall kuna~ Is your car out there~
, , ,
16. Nakokl kotllsa pompl na Can I put the sprays In your
vOlture~ car?
-C-
, ,
17. Ee
I , '
melesl. Ye s, thanks.
-B-
masanga Wlne, beer

18. Mokonzl, omelaka masanga Slr, what do you usually drlnk~
, I
nlnl ~
119

UNIT 12 LINGA LA
-c-
,
mbl.la, m- palm nuts, palm tree
,
19. Namelaka masanga ya mbl1a. I usually drlnk palm Wlne.
•
-B-
, , ,
20. AndeleJ Kenda kozwa Andre! Go get some drlnks.
•
masanga.
USEFUL PHRASES
,
Nazall na nzala. I'm hungry.
, , , ,
Nazall na mposa ya mal. I'm thlrsty.
,
Nalembl. I'm tlred •
• , , ,
Nalembl
I
na kokengele
I" I
bana. I'm tlred of looklng after
chlldren.
, ,
Naakoyoka mP9ngl. I'm sleepy.
" ,
Naakoyoka molunge. I 'm hot.
" ,
Naakoyoka mallIl. I 'm cold.
, ,
Abekl mosolo na yo. He borrowed the money from you.
t " I
", ,
Adefl mbongo na yo. He borrowed the money from you.
I' ,
" , ,
Abeklsl yoImbongo.
tt
He loaned the money to you.
, " ,
Adeflsl yo, mosolo.
I I •
He loaned the money to you.
", ,
AYlbl mbongo
t I
na yo.
I
He stole the money from you.
, ,
Kanga mOylbl! stop the thlef J
, ,
Landa mOYlblJ Follow the thlef!
, ,
Ozall na falanga ya mbuma ya Do you have change for a
, "
nkoto moko'l
• I
thousand francs"
,
Kende
I t
kosanglsa masanga. Go ID1X some drlnks.
120

nzala hunger, famlne

, ,
mposa urge, deslre
-lembe
I I
to be(come) tlred,
weary; tender, done
,
-kenge
I I
to take glances at,
watch
,
-kengele
tIt
to watch, guard
,
mallll cold; shade, cool place
,
- beka, - def'a to borrow, buy on credlt
,
-beklsa, -deflsa to lend, sellon credlt,
pay ln advance
mosolo,
I I I
ml- money; wealth, dowry
,
mbongo,
t I
m- money
,
-Ylba to steal, take away
,
mOylbl, ba-
-landa to follow, pursue;
presecute; sue; woo,
court
mbuma, m- frult; sore, bOll)
graln, seed; change
-sanga to assemble, come
together
NOTES
12.1 Nouns From Derlved Stems.

Nouns as well as verbs are formed from both slmple and
derlved stems. ThlS lS extremely productlve, l.e., very many
words are formed ln thlS manner. In the followlng lessons, the
structure of the varlOS classes lS descrlbed; but beglnnlng wlth
121

UNIT 12 LINGALA
thlS lesson, many such new words are 1ntroduced ln the exerC1ses
wlthout bU11d-up or exp1anat10n. Slnce the structure of such words
and the roots and aff1xes have been prevlously explalned, 1t 1S up
to the student to recognlze and analyze these new words wlth only
the help of the Engl1Sh translat1on. The student must be able to
do th1S 1f he 1S to control Llngala.
12.2 Agent Nouns

The MO-BA pref1x class and the /-1/ sufflX mark agent nouns,
e.g., /mokonz1/, 'ruler', 'manager', 'chlef' from /-konza/ 'to rule',
'manage' •
12.3 /wa/s /ya/

" , ,
Oyo azal1 mokonzl wa b1SU.
Var10us alternates of the part1~le /ya/ occur, e.g., /wa/,
/ma/, /mwa/.
12.4 L1terary use of /nde/ to Mark Future

In 11terary Llngala /nd~/, 'only', 'although', 1S somet1mes
used as a future marker, e.g., /nd~ nake{/, 'I w1ll go'. Slnce
•
th1S use of /nde/ 1S restrlcted to certa1n spec1al styles of wrltten
materlal, the student should cont1nue to AVOID 1t ENTIRELY even lf
he becomes fluent ln L1ngala.
12.5 Hyperbole w1th / ••• may~le

I I
t~/.
I
, , ,
Ngungl awa mayele tee
I' •
To express overabundance of somethlng / ••. mayele tel lS
•• •
used, e.g., /Ngungl awa mayele
• I
t~/,
I
'There are more mosqultoes than
you could lmag1ne/count, than there 1S sand ln the sea.'
12.6 Nouns of Deed or Actlon, Type 2.

The BO-MA pref1x class and the suff1X /-1/ form a large
number of nouns of deed or actlon, e.g., /bole1/, 'meal', /boyel/,
122

'arr1val', 'com1ng'. Slnce the plural of nearly all these words

lS qU1te rare, 1t 1S g1ven 1n the vocabulary 1n parentheses, e.g.,
/bobandl, (ma-)/, 'beglnnlng', 'lntroductlon'.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 1
, , , , , ,
1. Nal1ngl opesa nga1 falanga I need change for a thousand
, , ,
ya mbuma ya nkoto moko.
I I
francs.
, , , ,, ,
2. Nal1ngl opesa nga1 mb9ng~ I need the money I loaned you.
, , , , ,
nadef1sak1 Y7·
, ,
3• Nazall na besoln ya mbongo I need the money I loaned you.
, , , , I I
nadeflsakl yo.
f
, ,
4· Nazal1 na beSOln ya p1t<;1'l
, ,
I need some kerosene for water.
mpo na mal.
' , , , ,
5. Ayel kotuna pltolo
, I I
mpo He has come to ask for kerosene
na mal.. for spreadlng on water.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 2
, , , ,
1. NklS1 ya ngungl ya bJ.nu ekokl.. You have enough DDT.
, , ,
2. Essence ya bJ.su ekokJ.. We have enough gasol1ne.
, ,
3. Mosolo
I I I
ya bango ekokl. They have enough money.
, , ,
4. Bllarnba ya ye blkokJ.. She has enough clothes.
, ,
5. Masanga ya yc; rnakokJ. . You have enough beer.
123

UNIT 12 LING A LA
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 3
Plurallze all nouns posslble and concordlze verbs.
" ,,
1. Mokonzl alobell ngal te The chlef told me to go buy a
, , , ,
nakende
I I
kosomba nsoso. chlcken.
"
BakonZl baIobell "
blSU te The chlefs told us to go buy
, , , ,
tokende
I •
kosomba nsoso. some chlckens.
, " ,,
2. Mosall afwandl epal ya The worker lS slttlng by the
,
ndako. house.
, " ,,
Basall bafwandl epal ya The workers are slttlng by
,
ndako. the house(s).
, , ,
3. Mosalell akolambela yo The servant wlll prepare the
•
nyama. meat for you.
, , , ,
Basalell bakolambela blnu The servants wlll prepare the
nyama. meat for you.
4·
"
Mwana "
oyo ya moball ayebl, Thls boy doesn't know the name
nk~mb~ ya mos~mbl t~.
I
of the purchaser.
" , , ,
Bana oyo.ya mlball bayebl These boys don't know the
" , ,
nkombo ya basombl t~. names of the purchasers.
, , ,
5. Motekl
I
aakofwandaka
, , ,
nSlma The trader lS Slttlng behlnd
ya blloko
t I
na ye. hls thlngs.
, , ,
Batekl baakofwandaka nSlma The traders are slttlng behlnd
t , , ,
ya blloko
I I
na bango. thelr thlngs.
, " ,
6. Motall allngl kotlkala tet The spectator dldn't want to
mp~ na mb~la. stay because of the raln.
, "
Ba tall ballngl kotJ.kala The spectators dldn1t want to
" ,
te mpo na mbula. stay because of the raln .
•
124

, , , , ,
7. Moyekol~ azalak~ na buuku rook,_ The student had a small book.
, " , ,
Bayekol~ bazalak~ na buuku m~k~. The students had small books.
, , , ,
8. Molobel~ atun~ motu oyo motuna. The speaker asked the man a
quest~on.
, , ,
Balobel~ batunl batu oyo The speakers asked the men
,
m~ tuna. quest~ons.
9. ,
Mosal~s~ apesak~
"" "
mwasr nk~s~. The ass~stant gave the woman
the medlclne.
,
Basal~sl bapesak~
" "basl
" nk~sl. The asslstants gave the women
the med~c~ne.
, ,, , ,
10. Tata na nga~ azall na mosala My father doesn't have a Job.
,
tee
I
, , , ,
Batata na b~su bazal~ na Our fathers don't have Jobs.
" ,
m~sala te.
r
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 4
, " ,
1. Natlndell mokonZl mafuta I sent the chlef some 011 by
,
na rowana. the boy.
, " ,
2. Natlndell basall nyama. I sent the workers some mea t.
3. "
Natlndl basall nyama.
, I sent the workers for some
meat.
, , ,
4· Nat~ndl vOlture ekende
• I
I sent the car for the chlef.
kokamata mokonzl.
" ,, ,
5. Atunl ngal vOlture mpo
,
He asked me for a car to go
akende
I I
kokamata mokonzl. get the chlef.
" ,, ,
6. Atunl ngal vo~ture mpo He asked me for a car to go
, , ,
akende
• r
na Klnsasa. to Leopoldvllle.
125

UNIT 12 LINGALA
" ,, " ,
7. Atunl ngal natlnda pompl He asked me to send the spray
, ,
na Klnsasa. guns to Leopoldvllle.
" ,, " ,
B. Atunl ngal natlnda pompl
, , , ,
He asked me to send the sprays
na ndako na ye na Klnsasa. to hlS house In Leopoldvllle.
, , , , ,
9. Natlkall na ndako na ye na I'm staYlng at hlS house In
, ,
Klnsasa. Leopoldvllle.
, , , , ,
10. Natlkal1 na mosala. I'm staYlng at work. I have
stayed at work.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 5
1. Mosonl asombi masinl ya The tallor bought a sewlng

• •
kosono bllamba. machlne.
• • , ,
Basonl basombl maSlnl ya The tallors bought sewlng
• ,
kosono
I ,
bllamba. machlnes.
, ,
2. Motambwlsl ya motuka The chauffeur wll1 take the
akokltlsa mobotlsl mldwlfe to the hosplta1.
,
na lOPl talo.
, ,
Batambwlsl ya mltuka The chauffeurs wlll take the
,
bakokltlsa babotlsl mldwlves to the hospltal.
,
na lOPl talo.
, ",
3. Mo1ambl ayebl ntangu ya The cook doesn't know the tlme
, ,
bokoml ya mokonZl tee
I
of the arrlva1 of the chlef.
, ",
Ba1ambl bayebl ntangu ya The cooks don't know the hour
, ,
bokoml ya bakonZl t y • of arrlval of the chlefs.
" ,,
4· Momeml
I ,
aakotle1a ngal
,
The porter lS puttlng the trunk
sanduku na rnotuka. In the car for me.
" , ,
Barneml baakotle1a blSU The porters are puttlng the
• , ,
basanduku na rnltuka. trunks In the cars for us.
126

, , , ,
Moyembl ayeblsl mokonZl The slnger submltted h1S reslg-
, ,
botlkl ya koyemba. nat10n to the choral d1rector.
, , , ,
Bayembl bayeblsl bakonZl The slngers submltted thelr
, ,
botlkl ya koyemba. reslgantlon(s) to the choral
dlrector.
, ,, " ,
6. Mobot1 na nga1 atun1 ntango My parent asked the departure
, ,
ya boke1
,
ya noko.
, I
tlme of my uncle.
, ", ,
Babot1 na blSU batunl Our parents asked the departure
, , ,
ntango ya bok~l ya ban9k9. tlme of our uncles.
7. ,
Moyekoll "
aakoyekola "
ndenge The student lS studylng
,
ya bobot1S1. obstetrlcs.
,
Bayekoll "
baakoyekola "
ndenge The students are studylng
,
ya bobot1S1. obstetr1cs.
, ,,
8. Bomek1 ya motuka na nga1 I trled out my new car
, , ", ,
ya slka ezalak1 lobl. yesterday.
, , ,
Bomekl ya mltuka na blSU We trled out our new cars
"
ya slka ezalak1 "
lobl. yesterday.
,
9. Na nS1ma ya bolel, molobell After the meal, the speaker
, , ,
azalak1 kolobela batu mpo talked to the people about
,
na boband1 ya kelaSl. the beglnnlng of school.
,
Na nS1ma ya bolel, balobell After the meal, the speakers
, , ,
bazalak1 kolobela batu mpo talked to the people about
,
na bobandl ya kelaSl. the beg1nnlng of school.
, ,
10. Mobongls1 ya motuka akangl
,,
The mechanlc stopped the car
,
motuka mpo na motu ya because of a pedestrlan.
makolo.
, ,
,,
Babongls1 ya
,
mltuka bakang1 The mechanlCS stopped the cars
m1tuka mpo na batu ya because of the pedestrlans.
makolo.
127

UNIT 12 LINGALA
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 6
, , ,
1. Llboso na bolel, ,
namell Before the meal, I smoked a
"
11kaya "
moko. clgarette.
t •
, , , ,
2. Llboso na bolel, nasukoll Before the meal, I took a bath.
,
nzotu.
, , , ,
3. Llboso ya bokel,
,
nasukoll Before leavlng, I took a bath.
nzotu.
, , ,,
4· Llboso ya bOk y l, atll Before leavlng, he alred up the
mop~py na motuka. tlres.
,
NSlma ya bokangl motuka, After stoPPlng the car, he
,
atll mopepe.I •
alred up the tlre(s).
,
6. NSlma ya bokangl motuka, After stopplng the car, he
,
ablml. got out.
, ,,
7. NSlma ya kotala blpal
,, ,
After looklng all around, he
na blpal, ablml. got out.
, ,,
8. NSlma ya kotala blpal na After looklng all around, he
,, " ,
blpal, azongl na motuka. got back In the car.
, ,
9. NSlma ya kosolola, azongl After talklng a whlle, he got
,
na motuka. back In the car.
, ,
10. NSlma ya kosolola~ akotl After talklng a whlle, he went
, , •
na ndako 11SUSU. back In the house agaln.
Questlon and Answer Drl11 1
, , , ,
1. Ndlnga na Y9 ya mboka nlnl~ What lS your natlve language~
, ,, ,
Ndlnga na ngal ya mboka My natlve language lS Llngala.
, ,
ezall Llngala.
,, , ,
2. Oyel kosala nlnl~ What dld you come for~
,, , , ,
Nayel kotuna y~ bollmblsl. I've come to ask your forglveness.
128

" ,
3. Ndenge na ye ya bozall Wha t k1.nd of personall ty does
, "
ezall bonl'Z he have'Z
" ,
Ndenge na ye ya bozall He has a nlce personallty.
, ,
ezall malamu.
, ,
4. Bolongoll mokonZl na mosala
, , ,
Is the removal of a chlef
na ye ezall makaSl'Z dlfflcult'Z
,
Ee, bolongoll mokonZl na Yes, the removal of a chlef
-t-+
" , , ,
mosala na ye ezall makasl. lS dlfflcult.
, , ,
Botall llboso ya llnlnlsa Is the Vlew from the wlndow
, ,
ezall kltoko'Z
, I
beautlful?
1i, botall llboso ya llnln{sa
, , ,
No, the Vlew from the wlndow
ezall kltoko
I •
tee
I
lsn't beau tlful.
, , ,
6. Bakyng yll'baza1l Wapl~ Where are the guards'Z
,
Bakengell
"
bateleml llboso
f ,
The guards are standlng In
f ,
---t+~f""'-----
ya ndako mOnyny • front of the blg bUlldlng.

, ,
7. Nanl aza1l kosanglsa masanga'Z Who lS mlx1ng the dr1nks'Z
, , , ,
Mwana ya mosala azall The house boy lS flxlng the
kosanglsa masanga. drlnks.
8. Ollngl, napesa
"
yo" nlnl'Z What do you need'Z
, , , •, , ,
Nallngl opesa ngal nklSl I need some DDT.
ya ngungl.
, ,
9. OZWl nsango ya mboka'Z Have you had any news from
home lately?
, ,
Ee, lyl), naZWl nsango ya Yes, today I recelved news
•• ,
mboka. from home.
, , , , ,
10. Oyo kuna ndako na yo'Z Is that your house over there'Z
, , , • ,,
Ee
f I '
yango ndako na ngal. Yes, that's my house.
129

UNIT 13 LINGA LA
Unlt 13
BaSlc Sentences
-A-
, , ,
1. Ookosala nlnl~ What are you dOlng~
-B-
-koma to wrlte, copy, enroll,

engrave, slgn
, ,
monlnga, ba- frlend, companlon, peer,
colleague
,
mokanda, ml- letter, paper, document,
sheet of paper
, , ,
2. Naakokomela monlnga na I'm wrltlng my frlend a letter.
,, ,
ngal mokanda.
mos{k~, (ml-) dlstance, dlstant, removed,
far off
,
-yokana to hear (from) one another,
understand each other,
agree
3. Mlkolo "
mlkoml "
moslka It's been a long tlme Slnce
I t
" ,
tookoyokana 11SUSU we've heard from one another.
,
nsango t y _
-A-
Wha t's thlS~
-B-
chec check
,
magazlnl (magasln) department store
, , " ,
5. 00, nabosanl
, kotlnda chec Oh, I forgot, to send a check
na magazlnl. to the department store.
130

nyongo, n- debt
6. "
Batunl ,, "
ngal soko nakozlla They asked me why I'm waltlng
, , • I ,
nlnl mpo nakofuta nyongo before I pay them.

,
na bango.
-A-
, " ,
7. Osombakl nlnl~ What dld you buy~
-B-
,
esalell, bl- tool, lnstrument
, ,
tallye, talye (ateller) shop, workshop, workroom
, , ",
B. Mwaa blsalell moko mpo na Just some tools for my workshop.
, , ,I I
tallye na ngal.
-A-
,
esalelo, bl- shop, workshop, workroom,
place to/for work
, , ,
9. Osalaka nlnl na esalelo What do you make In your shop~
,
na yo~
I
-B-
ekeko, bl- plcture, sculpture, statue
, ,
mpymb y , m- whlte; chalk; lvory
nzoku, n- elephant
, ,
Ilbaya, ma- wood, board
, ,
10. Blkeko ya mpembe ya nzoku Sculpture In lvory and wood.
, ,I , ,
na ya mabaya.
-A-
, ,
11. Nakokl kotala yango na Can I V1Slt your shop durlng
, , ,
ntangu ya mosala~ worklng hours~
131

UNIT 13 LINGALA
-B-
llloba, ma- word; order (for

merchandlse)
, , ,
12. Mpo na nlnl te"
I
Why not"
, "" ,
13. Tozall na blloko mlngl teI We don't have many thlngs to
, r , I
,
ya kot~ka, kasl okokl sell, but you can order what
, , "
kopesa maloba mpo tosala you want us to make.
, ,
eloko
I I
ollngl.
-A-
, , , ,
14. Ntangu bonl okokl kozlla How long do you have to walt
, , , ,
mpo ozwa yango" for them?
-B-
, , , ,
15. Kaka mlkolo mlbale too Only two or three days.
, , r I
mlsatu.
-B-
, ,
16. Bofungolaka ntangu nlnl'Z What hours are you open?
-A-
,, ,
17. Na hUlt heures tll na mldl,
, ,,
From elght untll noon, and from
mpe na trolS heures tll three untll seven In the after-
,
na sept heures ya mpokwa. noon.
-B-
, , ,
18. Malamu. Lobl. Flne. See you tomorrow.
-A-
, ,
19. Lobl. See you tomorrow.
132

USEFUL PHRASES
, ",
Kl.1l.YoI ebukanl.. The pencll l.S broken.
, ,
Ekomell. ya mal. ya mokanda The pen l.S broken.
'1/'
ebukanl..
, ",
Ll.fungo1a ebukanl.. The key l.S broken.
, ,
Posl.ta efungwamaka ntangu What hours l.S the post offl.ce
I .,
nl.nl. 'Z open'Z
, , , ,
Tembe1e
11.
na katl. ya Kl.nsasa How much does l.t cost to send a
, "
n ta 10 bonl. 'Z letter wl.thl.n Leopoldvl.lle'Z
, " ,,
Tembele na KlnsaEa tll. na How much does l.t cost to send a
'1
I
, "
letter from Leopoldvl.lle to
Kl.sanganl. ntalo bonl.'Z
Stanleyvl.lleCZ
, " ,
PalatoI atl.kl. ml.kanda. The postman left some mal.l.
, ,, ,
PalatoI ayel. na ml.kanda. The postman brought the mal.l.
, , , "
ESl.ka ya kobwaka ml.kanda ezall. There's a mall box/post offl.ce on
, , ,
na nsuka ya balabala. the corner of the street.
, , ,
Nazwl. maSl.nl. ya koseba kl.ll.oI I got a pencll sharpener at the
1/ , ~,
na eSl.ka ya kotyka buuku. bookstore.

" , ,
Nasengl. bl.fandell. mpo na I ordered some seats/desks for
I ,
kela Sl.. the school.
" , " ,
Ll.boke etl.ndaml. na avl.o. I
The package was sent by al.rmal.l.
, ,
kl.ll.Yo,
I
kl.ll.oI (crayon) penell; legal eharges, costs
ekomell., bl.- wrl.tl.ng l.nstrument, wrl.tl.ng
rna terl.al
,
ll.fungola, ma- key
,
pOsl.ta (poste) post offl.ce, postal servl.ce,
mal.l box
133

UNIT 13 LINGALA
,
tembe1e (tlmbre) postage-stamp
, "
,
ka tl In, lnslde (of), In the
mldd1e of, among, center,
mldd1e, lnslde
, ,
ntalo, ntalu, n- prlce, number
,
pala toI errand boy, messenger, postman
,
- bwaka to throw; reJect, renounce,
throw-out, dlsown
, ,
balabala street, (broad) road
-seba to sharpen, flle, whet; draw
palm Wlne
, ,
-sE(ng~, -s~nga to ask for, beg, order
(merchandlse)
,
efandell, bl- sea t, cha lr
, ,
Ilboke, ma- bunch, group, pack, package,
swarm
,
aVlO (avlon) alrplane, alrmall
NOTES
13.1 PaSSlve
" , " ,
Llboke etlndaml na aVlO.
I
The passlve extenslon I-ami refers to somethlng done by some-

one/somethlng
- -
other than the subJect of the verb, e.g., /Monoko
I I I
ya
ndako ekangwam{ na mwana/. 'The door ls/has been opened by the
chl1d.' The paSSlve also occurs wlthout an expressed agent, l.e.,
wlthout Inal and the doer of the actlon, e.g., ILlbok~ et{ndam{ na
aVl61,
I
'The package was sent by alrplane.' Ina aVlolI
lS not the
agent, but the means used by the unexpressed agent.
134

/-am-/ after prlmary vowels In some verbs lS /-em-/, e.g.,

/Monoko
I I I
ya ndako ekang~m{/, 'The door has been closed'. /-am-/
after secondary vowels lS /-em-/
I
or /-om-/
I
as determlned by vowel
harmony.
13.2 Ingresslve statlvel Reclprocal

" " " , ,
Mlkolo
I I
mlkoml moslka tookoyokana IlSUSU nsango tee
T
, " , ,
Nabosanl kotlnda chec na magazlnl.
The lngresslve statlve extenslon /-an-/ refers to somethlng
that gets done, reaches or attalns a certaln state, becomes In a
certaln condltlon often wlth the help of the subJect of the verb.
The lngresslve statlve can be very confuslng to speakers of Engllsh
and French because It translates lnto a number of thelr grammatlcal
categorlesl as (1) a passlve, (2) a statlve, (3) a reclprocal, or
(4) a reflexlve. But regardless of the translatlon, the student
must remember that the baslc ldea lS that of becomlng or arrlvlng
at the state glven In the verb stem, e.g., /Nam9nan{ na y~./, 'I
was seen by hlm', or 'I ~ seen by hlm'~ 'I was seen wlth hlm',
or 'I ~ seen wlth hlm! 'We saw each other', or 'we ~ seen by
each other'. Conslder also /Monoko
I I I
ya ndako ekangwan{./ 'The
door lS open', 'The door ~ open', 'The door has come open'.
The £lural of the lngresslve statlve lS usually reclprocal,
l.e., 'to do for one another', as In the dlalogue /Mlkolo
I I
mlk~m{
mos{ka t06koy6kana IlS~SU nsango t~/,
I
'we haven't heard from each
other for a long tlme. " or 'we haven't been heard from (let our-
selves he heard from) for a long tlme. '
13.3
/mlkolo
I I
mlk6m{ mos{ka/, 'It has been a long tlme Slnce
that' ••• , lS a flxed expresslon, l.e., no changes or Substltut~ons
can be made In thlS constructlon, e.g., /mb~la/, 'years', cannot
be Substltuted for /mlkolo/,
I I
'days'.
135

UNIT 13 LING A LA
13·4 Instrument Nouns, Type 1

,
esalel1
Instrument nouns of most commonplace thlngs have the E-BI
preflxes, the appllcatlve extenslon, and an /-1/ sufflX and mean
the lnstrument or tool of the base, e.g., /esalel1/, Ilterally
'doer', 'thlng to do wlth', l.e., 'tool', 'lnstrument', and
/ezalell/, 'th1ng to Sl t ln', 'sea t', 'chalr'.
13.5 Locatlve Nouns, Type 1

,
esalelo
Locatlve nouns have the E-BI preflxes, the appllcatlve
extens1on, and an /-0/ suff1X and mean the place to do or for d01ng
somethlng, e.g., /esalelo/, Ilterally 'place to work', l.e., 'shop',
'workroom r •
13.6 Avoldance of Base Repet1t1on

, , ", , ,,
Mwaa blsalell moko
I I
mpo na tal1ye na nga1.
Llngala usually avo1ds the repet1tlon of the same base ln a
sentence. In the sentence above from the d1alogue, the French
loanword /tallye/, 'workshop', lS used 1nstead of /esalelo/, 'work-
shop', because the base /-sal-/ lS used earl1er ln the sentence In
/b1s~lell/, 'tools'.
The same appl1es to havlng a verb and lts obJect from the
same base. Any such comblnatlon as '~o walk a walk', wlll be
avolded and words from dlfferent bases wlll be used or the obJect
wlll be omltted. However, ~t lS not uncommon for both the subJect
and the verb to have the same base.
13.7 Instrument Nouns, Type 2

Some lnstrument nouns are marked by the LI-MA preflx class
and elther an /-a/ or /-a/ sufflX, e.g., /11fung61a/, 'key', and
/llsala/, 'cultlvated fleld'.
136

13.8 Instrument Nouns, Type 3

Some abstract lnstrument nouns have the LI-MA preflxes and
an /-1/ sufflX, e.g., /lltallsl/, 'demonstratlon', 'a showlng'.
13. 9 Expletlve
Bakosala Iltallsl na llsala.
The thlrd person plural lS used as an expletlve, l.e.,
translates 'there ls/are', e.g., /Bakosala Iltallsl na llsala./,
'There wlll be a demonstratlon'. Compare Note 10.2.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 1
Plurallze all nouns posslble and concordlze all verbs.
, , ,
1. Nazall kokomela monlnga I'm wrltlng a letter to my
,, ,
na ngal mokanda. frlend.
, , ,
Tozall kokomela banlnga We are wrltlng letters to
, , ,
na blSU mlkanda. our frlends.
, " , , , ,
2. Asombakl mwaa esalell moko
I I
He bought a tool for hlS shop.
, "
mpo na tallye na ye.
, ", ,
Basombakl mwaa blsalell They bought some tools for
", ,
, , mpo, na batallye
moko the lr shop s .
na bango.
, "
3. Motu oyo azall kosala The man lS maklng a wooden
, ,
ezalell ya mabaya. chalr.
, "
Batu oyo bazall kosa1a The men are maklng chalrs
, ,
blza1e11 ya mabaya. out of wood.
, ,
4· Bakosala Iltallsl na There wlll be a demonstratlon
, ,
llsala ya Plerre. In Plerre's fleld.
, ,
Bakosala matallsl na There wl11 be demonstratlons
, ,
masala ya Plerre. In Plerre's fle1ds.
137

UNIT 13 LINGALA
, ,
5. Mokonzl atlndl monoko
, I I I
The chlef sent a message by
na mwana. the boy.
, ,
BakonZl batlndl mlnoko The chlefs sent messages by
, I I
na bana. the boys.

, , ,, ,
6. Okokl kopesa ngal Ilsalls1~ Can you glve me some help~
, , " ,
Bokok1 kopesa b1SU Ilsal1s1~ Can you glve us some help~
, , "" ,
7. Tata atlndell ngal mokanda
, ,
My father sent me a letter
na mbongo
r r
na ka t1. w1th money In 1t.
, "",
Batata bat1ndell blSU Our fathers sent us letters
m1kand~ na mb~ngo
I I
na k~tl. wlth money In them.
, , " ,
8. Atun1 na motu oyo epal He asked the man where he
,
alalaka. Ilves.
, , " ,
Batun1 na batu oyo epa1 They asked the men where they
,
balalaka. Ilved.
, , ,
9. Naakokomela monlnga na I'm wrlt1ng a letter to my
,, ,
nga1 mokanda. fr1end.
, , ,
Tookokomela banlnga na We are wr1t1ng letters to our
, , ,
b1SU m1kanda. fr1ends.
" , ,
10. Apes1 yor esalel1. He gave you the tool.
"
Bapesl "
b1nu ,
blsalel1. They gave you the tools.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 2
, , ,
1. Naakokomela mon1nga na I'm wr1t1ng my fr1end a letter.
,, ,
ngal mokanda.
, , ,
2. Naakokoma nkombo ya I'm wr1tlng the names of the
bay~kol1. students.
" ,
3· Magaz1nl nY9ns9 b1zal1 All the stores have the names
" ,
~ nkombo ya bayekol1. of the students.
138

" ,
4. Magazlnl nY9ns9 blZall na
, , ,
All the stores have small
blkeko ya mlk y ya mabaya. wood sta tues.
, ,
5. Awa basalaka blkeko ya
, , ,
Here they make Ilttle wooden
mlk y ya mabaya. statues.
" ,
6. Awa basalaka mlk9 1 9 nY9ns9. Here they work every day.
, , "
7. Awa batykaka mpymb¥ ya Here they sell lvory every
8.
,
nzoku mlkolo nyonso.
,
"
Awa batekaka mpembe
"
,
, . ya nzoku
day.
Here they sell lvory only
, 1 ,
,
kaka mokolo
• 1 I
ya mposo.
- -I I
on Saturday.
, ,
9. Nazalaka na ndako kaka Ifm at home only on Saturday.
,
mokolo
1 • ,
ya mpo, SO, •
10. Nazalaka na ndako nSlma I am home after seven P.M.
ya ngonga ya nsambo ya
,
mpokwa.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 3
, ,
1. Nayekwlsl bayekoll kokoma. I taught the students how
to wrlte.
, , ,
2. Alobl na bayekoll bakoma. She told the students to
wrlte.
, , , ,
3· Alobl na bana basallsana. She told the chlldren to
help each other.
, , , ,
4· Tollngl bana ba sallsana. We want the chlldrren to
help each other.
, , ,
5. Tollngl kolallsa bana. We want to put the chlldren
to sleep.
, , ,
6. Bazall kolallsa bana. They are puttlng the chlldren
to bed.
,
7. Bazall koblmlsa vOlture. They are gettlng the car out.
139

UNIT 13 LING A LA
,
8. Azall koblmlsa vOlture. He lS gettlng the car out.
, ,,
9. Azall koblmlsela ngal He lS gettlng the car out for"
vOlture. me.
, , , ,
10. Nalobel1 ye ablmlsela I asked hlm to get the car out
,,
ngal vOlture. for me.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 4
, , , ,
1. Slka oyo ekoml ntangu It's tlme to start to work.
, ,
ya mosala.
, , , ,
2. Slka awa ekoml ntangu It's tlme to start to work.
, ,
ya mosala.
" ,
3. Slka awa tOkynd y ntangu
,
It's tlme to go.
ekokl.
" ,
4. Slka oyo
,
tokende
, I
ntangu It's tlme to go.
ekokl.
, ,
5. Ntangu ya kOkynd y ekokl. It's tlme to go.
6. ,
Ntangu "
ya kolla ekokl. It's tlme to eat.
, "
7. Ntangu ya kosal1sa bana
,
It's tlme to help the chl1dren.
ekokl.
, ,
8. Ntangu ya kobanda kelasl It's tlme to start class.
,
ekokl. It's tlme to leave for school.
,
9. Ntangu ya kofungola It's tlme to open the store.
, ,
magazlnl ekokl.
, ,
10. Ntangu ya kokanga magazlnl It's tlme to close the store.
,
ekokl.

GRAMMATICAL DRILL 5
, , ,
1. Monoko
1 1 ,
ya ndako ekangeml. The door lS closed.
The door has been closed.
, , ,
2. Monoko
I , ,
ya ndako ekangwanl.
-
The door lS open.
The door has come open.
, , ,
3. Monoko
, , 1
ya ndako ekangwaml.
-
The door lS opened.
The door has been opened.
, , ,
4· , , , ya ndako ezalakl
Monoko
,
The door was open(ed) when
ya kokangwama ntangu I arrlved.
, , ,
nakomakl.
, ,
5. Monoko
, 1 ,
ya ndako ezall The door comes open.
kokangwana. The door won't stay shut.
, ,
6. Monoko
I I ,
ya ndako ezall The door opens/swlngs/pushes
kokangwana. open. (though It lS closed).
, ,
7. Monoko
I I 1
ya ndako
,
ezall ya
-
The door lS closed (but not
kokangwama tEte locked) .
, ,
8. Monoko
I , ,
ya ndako ezall -ya The door lS opened back/stand-
kokangwama. lng open.
, , , ,
9. , , , ,
Monoko ya ndako efungwamakl
- The door was opened by the
na moyekW'lsl. teacher.
,
10. , , " , ya ndako efungwamaka
Monoko -
,
The door lS always opened by
ntangu-
nyonso
-I I
na moyekwlsl.
-
the teacher.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 6
, , , ,
1. Mlkanda mlkomamakl na The letters were wrltten by
,
bayekoll. the students.
, ",
2. Blkeko blsombamakl na The statues were purchased by
,
bayekoll. the students.

UNIT 13 LINGALA
, ",
3. Blkeko blsombamakl na
,
The statues were bought by
pala tC(. the postman.
, , , ,
4· Mafungola mazwamakl na
,
The keys were taken by the
pala to. postman •
,• , , ,
5. Mafungola mazwamakl na
,
The keys were taken by the
basall. workmen.
, , , , ,
6. T~mbyly blm9namakl na The stamps were found by the
,
basall. workmen.
, , , , ,
7. Tymbyl y blm9namakl na The stamps were found by my
" ,,
monlnga na ngal. frlend.
8. " ", "
Llboke etlndaml na monlnga The package was sent by my
,,
na ngal. frlend.
" , " ,
9. Llboke etlndaml na aVlO. The package was sent by alrmall .
•
10. "
Llboke , "
etlndaml na The package was sent from
, ,
Bruxelles mpo na Kongo. Brussels to the Congo.

UnJ.t 14
BasJ.e Sentences
-A-
mbala, m- tlme, tlmes, often,
mostly
1.
"
Mbala bonJ. ,
basalaka electJ.on How often do you have electJ.ons
, , ,
na mboka na bJ.nu'Z In your country'Z
-B-
, ,
2. Electlon ya presJ.dent too Electlon for presldent or for
ya bourgrnestres'Z mayors'Z
-A-
, "
3. Nyonso mlbale. Both.
• •
-B-
, , ,
4· Dyo ya presldent ezall na
, ,
The one for pres1dent 1S every
nSlma ya mbula mlnel four years, the one for
, ,
ny?ns?, eyo ya babourg- mayors every two years.
,
mestres nSlma ya mbula
, ,
mlbale.
-A-
,
Bozall na baParlementalres How many members of Parllament
, ,
bonl 'Z are there'l
-B-
6. "
Nakanlsl "
ntuku nsambo too, I belleve seventy or elghty.
mwambe.
-A-
'voter' to vote
143

UNIT 14 LINGALA
, ,
7. Banan1 bakok1 kovoter Who can vote 1n the elect1on'l
na elect1on'l
-B-
, , , ,
8. Batu bazal1 na mbula ntuku Those who have reached the age
, , , ,.,
"
m1bale na moko t11 na of twenty-one and over.
, • •
11kolo.
-A-
,
ekolo, b1- trlbe, race, raglon of
orlg1n, people of same
place or language
9. Mp 6 na kovoter, batalaka W1th regard to vot1ng, 1S trlbe
,
ekolo? cons1dered'l
-B-
se tha t .••
, " " ,
10. T~, wana t y, kaka se mbula No, not that, only the age and
, ,
na ndenge ya motu okovoter. competence of the person you
w1ll vote for.
-A-
, ,
11. Elect10n ya nS1ma ezalak1 When was the last electlon'l
, ,
ntango n1n1'l
-B-
, , , ,
12. Ezalak1 na mbula elek1. It was last year.
-A-
, "
13. Elect10n yango ezalak1 Was that elect10n for pres1dent
" ,
mpo ya pres1dent too ya or for mayors'l
babourgmestres'l
144

-B-
" ,
14· Ezalak~ mpo ya bourgmestres. It was for mayors.
15. Mpa ya pres~dent, ayo mbula The one for presldent was
, ,
m~satu. three years ago.
USEFUL PHRASES
, " ,
Aakolak~sa bana ndenge ya He's teach~ng the ch~ldren
, ,
kobete
1 I
ndembo. how to play soccer.
, " ,
Aakolak~sa bana ndenge ya He's showlng the chlldren how
, ,
koz~nga bolang~t~. to fold the blankets.
, " ,
Aakolak~sa bana ndenge ya He's showlng the ch~ldren how
kosakana. to amuse themselves.
, " ,
Ek~pe ya Lovan~um elong~ na The team from Lovan~um won
l~sanu. the game.
, ,
Ayamb~ ndembo. He caught the ball.
,, "
At~~ monyama. He made a goal.
,, ,,
At~~ ntembe na nga~. He dlscussed ~t wlth me.
, , ,
Ndambo ya batu bamatak~ na Part of the men got on the
,
masuwa. boat.
, , ,
Ndambo ya batu bab~mak~ na Part of the men got off the
,
masuwa. boat.
, , , ,
Ndambo ya batu bakotak~ na Part of the men got ~n the
, I
OtOblS~. bus.
, , ,
Ndambo ya batu bak~tak~ na Part of the men got out of
,
otob~s~. the bus.
-laka to glve advlce; set a

tlmeJ promlse;order
-laklsa to show, dlsplay, teach,
~nstruct
145

UNIT 14 LING A LA
,
ndembo, n- rubber, ball
,
-zlnga to fold (up), roll (up);
surround, enclrcle
, ,
bolangltl, bolanglsl blanket
- sakana, sana to play, amuse oneself, have
a good tlme
team, squad, crew, gang
,
-longa to be successful, wln, be
proved rlght
llsano, llsanu, ma- game
-yamba to accept, belleve, recelve,
entertaln, welcome, gUlde,
steer, catch
, ,
monyama, ml- net
ntembe, n- dlscusslon, argument, doubt,
SUsplclon, hesltatlon
,
ndambo, n- part, plece, share, half
,
masuwa boa t, shlp
,
otoblsl (autobus) bus
14.1 Mlscel1aneous Nouns

,
ekolo ekeko
A number of dlfferent klnds of nouns, such as col1ectlves
and human artlfacts, are marked by the E-BI preflx class and an
/-0/ or /-~/ sufflX, e.g., /ekolo/, 'trlbe', 'regl0n or orlgln',
/-kola/, 'to grow (up)', /ekeko/, 'plcture', 'statue', /-keka/,
'to see', 'look', 'examlne'.

14.2 /se/
/se/ 1ntroduces subord1nate clauses and freely Subst1tutes
w1th /te/. Compare Note 6.5
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 1
" ,
1. Mbala bon1 basalaka elect10n~ How often are elect10ns held~
2. "
Mbala bon1 "
oS111 oke1, na How many t1mes have you been 1n
,
Kongott 1n the Congo~
3. "
Mbala bon1 "
oS111 oke1, na How many t1mes have you been
K1sangan1~ to Stanleyv11le~
, " "
4. Mbula bon1 osal1 na How long have you been 1n
K1sangan1~ Stanleyv1lle?
, " " ,
5. Mbula bon1 osal1 na Matad1tt How long have you been 1n
Ma tad1 tt
, , , ,
6. Ntango n1n1 ozalak1 na How long were you at Matad1~
,
Ma tad1 tt
, , , , ,
7. Ntango n1n1 ozalak1 na Leo~ How long were you at Leopold-
v11le~
, " , ,
8. Mbula bon1 okosala na Leo~ How long w1ll you be 1n
Leopoldv1lle?
, " , ,
9. Mbula bon1 okosala na Boma? How long w11l you be 1n Boma~
, , , ,
10. M1koloI ,
bon1 okosala mpo How long w1ll 1t be unt1l you
I , -
okokoma na Boma~ arr1ve 1n Boma~
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 2
" ,
1. Batu nY9ns9 m1ne1 balek1 All four of the men are over
, ",
mbula ntuku m1ne1. forty years old.
" , ,
2. Batu nyonso m1ne1 bazalak1 All four of the men were here
, I , I ,
awa mb1ila elek1. last year.
147

UNIT 14· LINGALA
, , ,
3. Ndambo ya batu bazalakl
, , ,
Some of the men were here last
awa mbula e1ekl. year.
,
4· Ndambo ya batu bakoza1a
, , ,
Some of the men wlll be here
awa mbu1a ekoyaa. next year.
, ,
5. Blkolo nY9ns9 blkozala
, , ,
All of the trlbe wlll be here
awa mbula ekoyaa. next year.
" , ,
6. Blkolo nyonso blzalakl The whole trlbe was present at
, I I
na ndako ya mokonZl. the chlef's house.
,
7. Bourgmestre ya Leo deux
, , ,
The mayor of Leopoldvllle II
azalakl na ndako ya was at the ehlef's house.
mokonzl.
,
8. Bourgmestre ya Leo deux The mayor of Leopoldvllle II
, ,
aakokonza malamu. does a good Job of managlng.
, , ,
9. Mokonzl ya mboka ya blSU The chlef of our vlllage rules
, ,
aakokonza malamu. well.
, , ,
10. Mokonzl ya mboka ya blSU The chlef of our vlllage would
, ,
allngl ndako ya slka. llke to have a new house.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 3

, " ,
1. Llyeblsl etlndaml na The announcement was sent to
molaklsl. (or by) the teacher.
, " ,
Mayeblsl matlndaml na The announcements were sent to
balaklsl. (or by) the teachers.
, , , ,
2. M9b9nglsl blbende abosanakl The mechanlc forgot hlS hammer.
, ,
ebetell
t I
na ye.
, , , ,
Babonglsl blbende babosanakl The mechanlcs forgot thelr
I
, ,
blbetell
I •
na bango. hammers.
148

, , ,
3. Ekangell ya monoko
I I I
ebukanl. The door handle got broken.
, , ,
Blkangell ya mlnoko
I I
blbukanl. The door handles got broken.
, ,, "
4· Llfuta na ngal ekokl t y na
, ,
My salary lsn't sufflclent for
llbota moblmba. my entlre famlly.
, , , "
Mafuta na blSU mokokl teI na Our salarles aren't sufflclent
, ,
mabota moblmba. for our entlre famllles.
There lsn't enough cooklng 011
for our entlre famllles.
, ,
5. Na makanlsl na ye, allngl
, ,
It's hlS lntentlon to glve
kopesa ndlnglsa ya koblna. permlssl0n for the dance.
, ,
Na makanlsl na bango, ballngl It's thelr lntentlon to glve
, ,
kopesa ndlnglsa ya koblna. permlssl0n for the dance.
, ,
6. Mokoml ya mokanda oyo The wrlter of thlS document
, " ,
ayebanl t y • lS unknown.
, ,
Bakoml ya mlkanda oyo The wrlters of these documents
, " ,
bayebanl teeI
are unknown.
, , , ,,
7. Atlyanl ntembe na ngal. He dlscussed It wlth me.
, , , , ,
Batlyanl ntembe na blSU. They dlscussed It wlth us.
, ,
8. Azall kOZlla mbotama ya She lS awaltlng the blrth of
, , ,
mwana na ye'ya Ilboso. her flrst Chlld.
, ,
Bazall kOZlla mbotama ya They are waltlng for the blrth
, , ,
bana na bango ya 11boso. of thelr flrst chlldren.
, , , ,
9. Moyekoll akanlSl te ke1aSl The students thought school
, ,
ekangeml. was closed.
, , ,
Bayekoll bakanlSl te bakelaSl The students though the schools
, ,
blkangeml. were closed.

UNIT 14 LING A LA
, , , ,
10. Mosalel~ aakopalola mbala. The servant ~s go~ng to peel
the potato.
, , , ,
Basalel~ baakopalola mbala. The servants are go~ng to peel
the potatoes.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 4
, ,
1. Nan~ azal~ mokonz~ ya Who lS the ch~er of your
, , ,
mboka ya b~nu'l vlllage'Z
, ,
2. Banan~ bazal~ na mokonzl Who ~s w~th the chlef of your
, , ,
ya mboka ya blnu'Z vlllage?
, ,
3. Banan~ bakokl kovoter na Who can vote ~n the electlons?
electlon?
, , ,
4. Bananl bakok~ kosal~sa
, ,
Who can help the employees?
batu ya mosala'Z
, , , ,
5. Banan~ bakok~ kosala na leta? Who can work for the government?
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 5
", " ,
1. ,
Ebongak~ naz~la mbula mlsatu I had to walt three years
l~boso ya kok~ndy na MpUtu. before go~ng to Europe.
2. " "
Eb~ngl nazlla mbula mlsatu
, I have to walt three years
, , ,
Ilboso ya kokynd y na Mputu. berore go~ng to Europe.
" ,,
3. Ebong~ nazlla tll mokolo ya
I • • , -
I'll have to wa~t untll Monday
" ",
mosala moko ropo
,
na kosomba to buy those clothes.
, I ,-'
I -
bl1amba wana.
" ,,
4. Ebongl
,
nazlla t~l mokolo I I'll have to wa~t unt~l
", ,I ,
ya mosala mlnel ropo na Thursday to buy those
, , "
kosomba bllamba wana. clothes.
1$0

S9" kl oyakl
" tE(, "
, mbE( nazllakl If you hadn't corne, I would
,, " ,
tll mokolo ya mosala mlnel have had walt untll Thursday
" I I I
, ,
mpo na kosomba bllamba wana. to buy the clothes.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 6
, ", , ,
1. Banda akE(ndykl nalnu akomell Slnce he left, he hasn't
, , "
blSU mokanda t y • wrltten us a letter.
2. Banda" mbula elekl" nalnu He hasn't wrltten us a letter
"
akomell "
blSU mokanda" t y • Slnce last year.
", " , ,
3. uta mbula elekl nalnu akomell He hasn't wrltten us a letter
, , "
blSU mokanda t y • Slnce last year.
,., " "
4· uta mbula elekl nalnu nabetl
I
I haven't played soccer agaln
,
11SUSU ndembo" teeI
Slnce last year.
,, , , ,
Tll na mbula ekoyaa nakobyta I won't play soccer agaln
,
11SUSU ndembo" teeI
untl1 next year.
,, , ,
6. Tll na mbula ekoyaa electl0n There won't be another electlon
, ,
mosusu ekozala t¥. untll next year.
,~ " ,
7. Tll nSlma ya mbula mlsatu,
, ,
There won't be another electlQn
electlon mosusu ekozala t y • for three years.
,, " ,
8. Tll nSlma ya mbula mlsatu You wl1l llve here for three
, , , ,
bokolala na eSlka oyo. years.
,, ,
Tll na ebandell ya mbu1a You wl11 I1ve here untl1 the
, ,
ekoyaa, bokolala na beglnnlng of next year.
, , ,
eSlka oyo.
,, , , ,
10. Tll na nsuka ya mbula ekoyaa, You wl11 11ve here untl1 the
, , , ,
bokolala na eSlka oYO. end of next year.
151

UNIT 14 LINGALA
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 7
" ,
1. Bana baakosakana na katl The chlldren wlll play lnSlde
, , ,
ya ndako mpo na mbula. because o~ the raln.
" ,
2. Bana baakosakana na I1banda The chl1dren wl11 play outslde
, , , ,
ropo l1kolo eza11 malamu. because the weather lS nlce.
, " ,
3. Bana batlndaml na molaklsl The chl1dren were sent out to
, , , ,
basakana na 11banda ropo play by the teacher because
, , ,
na 11kolo ezall malamu. the weather lS nlce.
, " ,
4· Bana batlndaml na molaklsl The chlldren were sent to see
, , ,
bamono 11tallsl. the eXposltlon by the teacher.
• •
, "" ,
5. Bana batlndaml bamono
, • •
The chl1dren were sent wlth the
bltal1s1 na molaklsl. teacher to see the eXposltlon.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 8
, " , ,
1. Madesu
I
malambaml na bOl. I
These beans were prepared by
the houseboy.
" ,
2. Tookoyokama na b~l. We wlll be (over) heard by the
houseboy.
" ,
3. Tookoyokana na b91. We are on frlendly terms wlth
the houseboy.
, , ,
4· Tookoyokana na batu mlngl. We have a lot of frlends.
, , , ,
5. Presldent ayebaml na batu
,
The Presldent lS known by many
mlngl. people.
14·3 Amblgulty of Agent and Indlrect ObJect

, " ,
Llyeblsl etlndaml na molakls1.
The above sentence would usually be understood to mean,
'The notlce was sent by the teacher', however, lt could mean, 'The
notlce was sent to the teacher'. To speclfy only 'to', Imp~ nal

lS used, e.g., /11y~b1sa et{ndam{ mp 6 na molak1s1/, 'The not1ce

was sent to the teacher. t
14.4 Lovan1um Un1vers1ty

Lovan1um, the nat10nal un1vers1ty of the Congo, lS beaut1-
fully la1d out on a plateau about e1ght m11es from downtown Leo-
poldv111e.
14.5 Leopoldv111e II
Leopoldv111e lS d1v1ded 1nto 'communes' each w1th a 'bourg-
mestre'. Though the communes are part of a larger mun1c1pa1 or-
gan1zat10n, they do have a great deal of autonomy.
153

UNIT 15 LING A LA
Unlt 15
Baslc Sentences
-A-
, ,
mokolo, ba- grown person, adult
, , ", ,
1. Okosala nlnl, soko okoml What are you gOlng to do when
, , I •
mokolo'Z you are grownCZ

-B-
'mlnlstre' mlnlster (cablnet post)

,,
2. Na makanlsl na ngal, nallngaka In my 0plnlon, I'd 11ke to be
, ,
nakoma mlnlstre. a cablnet mlnlster.
-A-
,
soda, ba- soldler
, "
3. KaSl 11boso okosala But flrst, aren't you gOlng to
, , ,
mosala ya soda? do ml11tary serVlceCZ
-B-
, , , , , ,
4. TE( tata, mosala wana
, , ,
No, Slr, I don't want that Job.
nallngl yango t y •
-pusa to surpass, exceed, be
very, be too much
,
-nyokolo
• • I
to mlstreat, torture,
annoy, oppress
5.
,
,
,
EPUSl monyokoll ..
,
mlngl. That's much too wearlsome.
-A-
, " ",
6. Z11a, nayeblsa y~ ndenge Just a mlnute, I'd 11ke to tell
, , , ,
,
ya mpasl tomonaka. you how we used to suffer.
154

-B-
, " ,
7. Ozalaka soda~ You used to be a soldl.er~
-A-
" ,,
8. Aa, mwana na nga l., ko 10 ba Oh, my chl.ld, don't mentl.on
, , , " ,
t~, mosala ya soda ekoml. that, ml.ll.tary serVl.ce has
, , ,
mosala ya mb~ng9. become a well-paYl.ng occu-
patl.on.
9. "
Ezalaka "
bl.su, makambo In our tl.me, everythl.ng was
, ,
nY9ns9 mpasl.. dl.ffl.cult.
-B-
" , ,
10. Obandaka soda na mbula At what age dl.d you start
, ,
bonl. ~ ml.ll.tary serVl.ce~
-A-
", , "
11. Nayeba wapl.. Ntangu wana I have no l.dea. In that tl.me
, ,
makambo ya kokoml.sa nkombo the names (bl.rths) of chl.ldren
, , ",
ya bana na buuku ezalaka tE(. were not recorded.
-B-
12. "
Boongo "
bozalaka ,
kosala Well then, how dl.d l.t use to
, , ,
ndenge nl.nl. ~ be done?
-A-
,
-umela to remal.n, stay on,
stay away
13. "
Tl.ka "
nasl.ll.sa elamba, ya Go away and let me fl.nl.sh thl.s
, " ,
batu eumell. ml.ngl.. garment.
-B-
, ", ,
Tl.kala malamu, nakel. na Goodby, I'm gOl.ng home.
,,
ngal..
155

UNIT 15 LINGALA
, , " -A-
15. Kynd y malamu, oyaka
, ,, ,
Goodby, come to see me agaln
kotala ngal ntangu some tlme.
,
mosusu.
USEFUL PHRASES
, ,
Azall kobolose sokoto. He's brushlng the unlform.
, , , ,
Azall kotlya s11asl na sapato. He's pollshlng hlS shoes.
, , ,
Azall kongeng1sa
I
Ilfungu. He's sh1n1ng the buttons.
, ,
Azal1 kotonga buto. He's sew1ng on a button.
, , , ,
Mat1t1 ya boloS1 mas1l1. The brush lS worn out.
, ,
Abunaka na etumba. He fought 1n the war.
" ,
Babomaka ye na etumba. He was k1lled In the war.
, ,
Azall mobange. He's an old man.
, "
Azall mokuse. He's short.
, ,
Azal1 mabe, He's ugly.
, , ,
Eza~l motuya malamu. It's cheap.
" ,
Ezal1 ntalu makasl. It's expens1ve.
-bolos~ (brosser) to brush
,
boloS1 (brosse) brush
sokoto unlform, m1l1tary Jacket/
clothlng
POl1Sh, shoepollsh
-ngyng y to sh1ne, blaze
-tonga to blnd, tle, JOln, tWlst,
brald, plalt, weave, sew,
expand, enlarge
but6I (bouton) button
156

,
Iltltl, ma- blade of grass, sheet of paper,
halr, fUr, down, brlstle
- buna, - bunda to flght, wage war, wrestle,
struggle
etumba, bl- war, flght, battle, confllct
-boma to klll, murder, hunt, catch,
damage badly, destroy, ex-
tlnqulsh, erase, w1pe (off),
do away wlth
,
mobange, ba- old person
, ,
mokuse, ml- short, small
,
motuya, ml- prlce, value, number
NOTES
Intermed1ate Past
" ", , ",
Nayeblsa y~ ndenge ya ropasl tom~naka.
The lntermedlate past 1S marked by the I-ak-I

extensl0n and
a hlgh-tone lmperfectlve suff1X I-al,
e.g., Itom~nakal, 'we saw', ,
'we used to see'. In general, the 1ntermed1ate past refers to
somethlng that happened more than a month ago but not more than
about thlrty years ago. However, as wlth the other tenses, the
t1me referent lS not exact and refers to somethlng that took place
between recently and a long tlme ago. It very often translates
'used to' ln Engllsh and lnto the 1mperfect 1n French.
D1stant Past
The dlstant past 1S marked by a h1gh tone lmperfectlve
suff1X I-al and refers to someth1ng that took place (usually)
more than a gene~atlon ago, l.e., a long tlIDe ago, e.g., lakllfal,
'he dled (a long tlIDe ago) '.
157

UNIT 1$ LINGALA
15.3 Compar1son of Intens1ty

, , ,
EPUS1 monyoko11
I I I
m1ng1.
Intens1ty or excess degree of someth1ng lS expressed by
/-pusa/, 'to surpass', 'be very', 'be too much', e.g., /Epus{
,
monyokol1 ,
m1ng1 / , 'It's much too wear1some', 11terally, 'It exceeds
I I I
wear1ness much'. See also Note 9.1.
15.4 Compar1son of Degree

A1ek{ mw~s{ na mon~ne.
I I
Compar1son of degree lS expressed by I-leka/, 'to pass by',

'exceed', /A1ek{ mw~s{ na mon~n~/, 'He's b1gger than h1s w1fe',
11terally 'He exceeds h1S w1fe 1n b1gness'.
The 'superlat1ve' lS shown by I-leka/ plus InY9ns91, 'all',
'every', /Aleki m1bal1 ny~ns9 na molai/, 'He's the tallest of the
men', 11terally, 'He exceeds all the men In length'.
Inversl0n of SubJect and Verb

"
Ezalaka "
blSU, "
makambo nyonso mpasl.
I t
One way of formlng temporal subordlnate clauses lS to re-

verse the order of the sUbJect and verb. In th1S type of construc-
tlon, the verb preflX lS Ie-I. In the sentence from the dlalogue,
/ezalaka b{su/ means 'when we were', fdurlng the tlme we were',
f 1n our t 1me r •
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 1
, " , ,
1. Bambula elekl mlng1 mokolo Th1S man was a soldler many
, ",
oyo azalaka soda. years ago.
, " , ,
2. Bambula elekl ro1ngl nazalaka Many years ago I lived In
, ,
na ndako oyo. that house.
, ",
3. Ntangu nazalaka rowana When I was a Chlld, I llved
, , "
nazalaka na ndako oyo. 1n that house.
158

, ",
4. Ntangu nazalaka mwana,
, , , ,
When I was a Chlld, there
banyama mlngl bazalaka awa. were many anlmals here.
, , , ,
Ntangu tok¥ndaka na mboka, When we moved from the vlllage,
, , , ,
banyama mlngl bazalaka awa. there were many anlmals here.
, , , ,
6. Ntangu tokendaka
I
na mboka, When we left the vlllage, my
, " " , ,
tata atlka1aka na mosa1a father was a soldler.
,
ya soda.
, " , , ,
7. Ntangu mama akufaka, tata
, , , , , , ,
When mother d~ed, father was
atlkalaka na mosala ya soda. stll1 a soldler.
, " , , ,
8. Ntangu mama akufaka, naza1aka
, , ,
When mother d~ed, I was stlll
nalno mwana mok¥. a small ch~ld.
, , ", , ,
9. Tata asombaka ndako na blSU Father bought our house when
,
ntangu ""
nazalaka nalno mwana I was st~11 a small ch~ld.
,
mOky.
10. Tata as6mbaka ndako na b{s~ Father bought thlS house when
, , , ,
ntangu ayaka na Leo. he came to Leopoldv~lle.
Pattern Dr~ll I
, , , ,
1. Alekl mwas~ na monyn~. He lS b~gger than hlS w~fe.
, , , ,
2. Alek~ mwaSl na' mola~. He lS taller than h~s w~fe.
, , , ,
3. Alek~ mwaSl na bambula. He lS (a llttle) older than
h~s wlfe.
, , , , ,
4. Alek~ mwas~ na mokuse. He ~s shorter than h~s wlfe.
, , , ,
5. Alek~ mwas~ na mobange. He lS (much) older than hlS
w~fe.
Patte:rm Drll1 2
, , " ,
1. Mo tuka oyo e lek~ wana Th~s car ~s prettler than
,
k~toko. that one.
I I
159

UNIT 15 LING A LA
, , , ,
2. Motuka oyo elekl. wana na Thl.s car l.S better-bul.1t than
,
makasJ. • that one.
, , , , ,
3. Motuka oyo elekl. wana na Thl.S car 1.S more expenS1.ve
,
nta1o. than that one.
, , , , ,
4· Motuka oyo elekl. wana na
,
Thl.s car runs faster than
kotambola. that one.
, , , , ,
5. Motuka oyo elek1. wana na
,
Thl.s car 1.S longer than that
molal. • one.
Pattern Dr1l1 3
, , , ,
1. Motuka oyo epUSl k1toko.
I I
Th1S car lS very beaut1ful.
, , , ,
2. Motuka oyo epUS1 makaSl. Th1S car lS very well-bu1lt.
, , , ,
3. Motuka oyo epUS1 ntalo. Th1S car lS too expenS1ve.
, , , ,
4· Motuka oyo epUS1 kotambola. Th1S car lS very fast.
, , , ,
5. Motuka oyo epus1 molal. Th1S car lS too long.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 2
, , , , ,
Ntangu nazalaka na Klnsasa, When I Ilved 1.n Leopoldvllle.
" , " ,
nazalaka kofanda epa1 na ye. I stayed at h1S house.
, ",
2. Ntangu nazalaka moyekol1, When I was a student, I used
" , " ,
nazalaka kofanda epal na ye. to Ilve at h1S house.
, ",
3. Ntangu nazalaka moyekol1,
, , ,
When I was a student, I used
nazalaka koblma mlng1. to go out a lot.
, ", , ,
4. L1boso tata akufa, nazalaka
,
Before my father d1ed, I
kob1ma m1ngl. used to go out a lot.
, ", ",
5. L1boso tata akufa, apesaka
,, ,
Before my father d1ed, he
nga1 motuka. gave me a car.
160

,. ,. ,. ,.,. ,.
6. Ntangu naslllSaka kelaSl, After I flnlshed school, he
,.,. ,. ,. ,.
apesaka ngal motuka. gave me a car.
,. ,. ,. ,.,. ,.
7. Ntangu naslllsaka kelasl,
,.,. ,.,
After I flnlshed school, I
nalukaka mosala. looked for a Job.
,. ,.,. ,. ,.
8. Ntangu nazongaka na Amerlque, After I returned from Amer1ca,
,.,. ,.,
nalukaka mosala. I looked for a Job.
,. ,.,. ,. ,.
9. Ntangu nazongaka na Amerlque, After I returned from Amerlca,
,. ,. ,. ,.
nazalaka kokomela banlnga I used to wr1te to my fr1ends
,. ,.
ntangu mosusu. occaslonally.
,. ,. ,. ,
10. Ntangu nazalaka na ntangu, When I had t1me, I used to
, ,. ,. ,.
nazalaka kokomela banlnga wr1te to my fr1ends occa-
,. ,.
ntangu mosusu. slonally.
Pattern Dr111 4
,. ,. ,. ,. ,.
1. Mwana na nga1 alekl oyo ya My son 1S older than yours.
,. ,.
yoI na mbula.
,. ,. , ,. ,.
2.' Mwana na nga1 alek1 oyo ya My daughter 1S smarter than
,. ,.
Y9 na may~le. yours.
, ,. ,. , ,.
3. Mwana na nga1 alek1 oyo ya My daughter lS prettler than
, ,.
yoI na kltoko.
I
yours.
,. ,. ,. ,. ,.
4. Mwana na ngal alekl
,. ,.
oyo ya My son lS taller than yours.
yoI na molal.
,. ,. ,. , ,.
5. , Mwana na ngal alekl
,. ,.
oyo ya My son lS stronger than yours.
yo, na makasl.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 3
,. ,. , . , . ,.
1. Nazalaka kokende kolla epal I went to eat at thelr house
, . I, I ,.
na bango ntangu mama when mother went to the
,. ,. ,. ,
akotaka
I
loplta10. hospltal.
,.,.,. ,. ,.
2. Naza1aka nalnu mwana ntangu I was stl11 a Ch11d when the war
etumba ekw~y~k~ na mb6ka. took place 1n our country.
161

UNIT 15 LINGALA
", "
3. Azalaka kaka na mbula ZOml He was only ten years old when
, , , ,
ntangu etumba ekweyaka the war took place In our
,
na mboka. country.
", "
4· Azalaka kaka na mbula zoml
, , ""
He was only ten years old when
ntangu tata na ye akufaka. hlS father dled.
" "
kozwa, mosala ,
5. Amekaka
, " , ,
ntangu He trled to get a Job when hlS
tata na ye akufaka. father dled.
6. "
Amekaka kozwa, mosala
" nSlma He trled to get a Job after
, , , ,
1a mb<;tama na mwana. the blrth of hlS son.
, , , ,
7. Ayaka na Klnsasa nSlma ya
, , , ,
He came to Leopoldv1lle after
mbotama na mwana. the blrth of hlS son.
, , ",
8. Ayaka na Klnsasa ntangu He came to Leopoldv1l1e whlle
", ,
azalaka kosal~ na masuwa. he was worklng on a rlverboat.
" , ye" ntangu azalaka
Nayebaka "
9. , , I knew h1m wh1le he was work1ng
kosala na masuwa. on a r1verboa t.
, '" , ,
10. Nayebaka ye Ilboso alongwa I knew hlm before he left
na Klnsanganl. stanleyv1lle.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 4
, " ,
1. Basoda bazlngl mboka. The soldlers surrounded the
v1llage.
, " ,
2. Basoda baakot1ya sllas1 The sold1ers are pol1shlng
,
ya sapato. thelr shoes.
, ,
3. Momem1 akendekl koluka
. , I' , The porter has gone to get
sllas1 ya sapato. some shoepollsh.
, ,
4. Momem1
I ,
akendekl
I I
koluka The porter has gone to get some
buto ya sokoto. buttons for hlS unlform.
, , , " ,
5. Soda oyo ang7nglsakl buto Th1S soldler sh1ned hlS un1form
ya sokota. buttons.
162

, , , , ,
6. Soda oyo alekJ. wana na ThJ.s soldJ.er J.S taller than
,
mala J.. that one.
, , , , ,
7. Motuka oyo elekJ. wana na
,
ThJ.s car J.S longer than that
molaJ. • one.
, , , ,
8. Motuka oyo epusJ. ntalo. ThJ.s car J.S too expensJ.ve.
, , , , ,
9. BolosJ. wana epusJ. ntalo. That brush J.S too expensJ.ve.
, , , , , ,
10. BolosJ. wana ekomJ. ya kala. That brush J.S old.
163

UNIT 16 LINGALA
Un1t 16
Bas1c Sentence
-A-
, , , , ,
1. L1boke ya batu wana ezal1 What lS that group of men
" ,
kosala n1n17 d01ng7
-B-
-pasola to tear, SpIlt, cleave,

saw, tear up, break up,
cut through
nzel~, nZ11~ road, way, path, means,
perm1ss1on
, ,
2. Bazal1 kopasola nzela. They are bU1ld1ng a road through.
-A-
" ,,
3. Nzela yango ekende tl1 How far lS the road supposed
, • •
wap17 to g07
-B-
", , ,,
4. Nakan1s1 eekokoma t11 na
,
I belleve 1t'S gOlng as far
Ma tad1. as Ma tad1.
-A-
, , ,
5. Bakosala m1kolo bon1 na
• •
How long w111 lt take to bU1ld
may~le
I •
na yo,'. in your est1mat10n7
-B-
, ,
nguya, n- strength, power, abl11ty,
qual1ty
164

, , , , , ,
6. Soko
I I
na nguya, bakokl
bazal~ If they keep at It, they can
, "" ,
kosa1a sanza m~satu too do It In three or four
,
mlnel. months.
-A-
, ,, ,
7. Awa tll na Matadl bak11o- How many kllometers ~s It
, "
me tre s bonl CZ ~rQm here to Matadl~
-B-
8. Na aVloI too na motuka~ By plane or by car~
-A-
,
9. Na motuka. By car.
-B-
10. Nakan~s~
""
nkama ,
m~ne~ I bel~eve It'S four hundred
kllometres. kl1ometers.
-A-
" ,
11. Boongo na aVlo'l And by plane~
-B-
" " , ,
12. Nkama mlsatu na ntuku Three hundred slxty-flve
, , , ,
motoba na mltanu. kl1ometers.
-A-
, ",
13. Nzela ya ndenge n~nl What k~nd of road are they
,
bakosala'1 bUlldlng'1
-B-
,
s~metl (c~ment) cement
, " ,
14· L~boso,
, ,
mabanga
bakot~ya
,
F~rst, they w~ll pour stone(s)
basangls1 na slmetl. mlxed wlth cement.
165

UNIT 16 LINGALA
,
-tuta to strl.ke, beat, mash,
crush, bump (agalnst)
,
-slmba to hold, sel.ze
,
ll.bende, ma- rod, post, pole, tampe~
tamplng stlck
, , ,
15. Bakotuta na ll.bende mpo
, ,
They wlll beat l.t out (smooth)
te eSl.mba makasl.. wlth a tamper to make It hold
(together) tlghtly.
-A-
, ,
16. Boongo na nSlma'1 And then?
-B-
-sopa to pour, splll overturn,

spread, unload
,
mokobo, ml- color, palnt
,
-Ylnda to become dark, black,
dl.rty
, ,
mWlndu, ml.ndu, black, dark, Negro; bad
,
mOlndo character/l.ntentlon;
wlth dl.sllke/averslon
, ,
17. Bakosopa mokobo ya mWl.ndu They'll spread some black
" ,
llkolo mpo te Sl.metl. na colored materl.al on top
" , ,
mabanga blSl.mba makasl. so the cement and rocks
wlll bond together well.
-A-
18. ,
Mokobo yango" " nlnl.?
nkombo What's the name of the black-
colored materl.al~
-B-
,
falanse French
'goudron' tar
166

" ,
19. Nkombo na yango na Itrs called rgoudron r In
,
fa1anse goudron. French.
-A-
,
putulu clnders, ashes, dust,
powder
" ,
20. Slmetl nlnl bakotlya, ya What klnd of cement are they
putulu" too ya mal-mal~
" to use, 11qUld or dry~
-B-
, "
21. Oyo ya mal-mal. LJ..quJ..d.
USEFUL PHRASES
, " ,
Dzeke eekotoka mabele. The steamshovel lS dlggJ..ng up
the ground.
, " , ,
Dzeke eekotlmola 11bulu. The steamshovel lS dlggJ..ng a
hole.
, " ,
Dzeke eekotondlsa mabele na The steamshovel lS fJ..lllng
,
kamlo. the trunck wJ..th earth.
, " , ,
Mlball baakotlmola 11bela ya The men are dJ..ggJ..ng a well
, , ,
mal na Pl0Sl na mpau. wlth plcks and shovels.
, " ,
Mlball baakotlmola I1bela ya The men are dlggJ..ng a tOl1et
, , ,
kablne na Pl0Sl n~ mpau. wlth plcks and shovels.
"
Mlball baakokunda tlyo" ya mal. The men are burylng a water
plpe.
" ,
Ml ball baakokunda tlyo ya gaz. The men are burylng a gas plpe.
" ,
Mlball baakoplka nzete ya The men are settJ..ng up a
,
telefon.
I I I
telephone pole.
, ,
Bllel blzall el yngl. The food tastes good.
, "
Bllel blzall sVka11. The food tastes sweet.
167

UNIT 16 LINGALA
, ,
Bllel blZall ngal. The food tastes sour.
, ,
Bllel blZall bololo. The food tastes bltter.
, ,
BlleJ. blZall ya kopolo., I
The food lS rotten.
, , ,.
Bllel blZall na mongwa. The food lS salted.
, , , ,
BJ.lel blzalJ. na rnongwa mJ..ngJ... The food J.S too salty.
,
dzeke steamshovel; earth mover,
dump truck
,.
-taka to draw water, dJ.g out/up
,.
mabele earth, ground, floor
-tlmola to dJ..g (up), turn over
the sOJ..l
,. ,.
IJ.bulu, ma- well, Plt, hole, trench,
tOllet
-tonda to be(come) full, fllled,
flll
,.~
Ilbela, rna- well, Plt, hole, trench,

tOllet
,
kam10 (cam~on) truck
,. ,.
mpau, rnpao, rn- shovel, spade
,.
PlOS)., (ploche) plck, pJ.ckaxe
,
kablne (cabJ.net) tOllet; excrement
-kunda to bury, plant
tJ..Y-O (tuyau) plpe, tube, hose, gas
'gaz' gas
,.
nzete,. n- tree, stlck, plce of wood
elengJ. pleaslng to the senses,
good taste/smell; beauty
168

,
sukall sugar, candy; sweet
ngal sour(ness)
bololo bltter(ness), sour(ness)
-polo to be(come) wet, soggy,

• •
rotten} be beaten, defeated
,
mongwa, ml- salt
NOTES
16.1 SubJect wlth two verbs.

"
Batu balalaka "
awa bakendekl "
lobl.
• •
Many subJects WhlCh have two verbs In Llngala translate
lnto Engllsh and French as subJect plus two verbs} but very often
such a L1ngala constructlon translates as subJect plus adJect1val
relatlve clause plus verb, e.g., /Batu balalaka awa bakynd~k{ lob{/,
'The people who llve here left yesterday', 11terally, 'The people
they 11ve here they left yesterday'. Note that lt 1S the f1rst
verb In th1s type of sentence that translates as a relat1ve clause.
16.2 Immedlate Past of /-longwa/

", " , ,
Alongwel epal azalak1 kofwanda llboso.
The 1mmed1ate past of /-longwa/ has /-e/ before the tense

marker, e.g., /alongwe{/, 'he has gone away'. See Note 2.9. Rule
IV.
16.3 Indef1n1te Condlt10n

"
SOk1 , "
osombaka "
moko, " " mosusu.
mbe.le1 babong1saka
I • I I
Indef1n1te or 1mprobable cond1t1on 1S expressed by the

lntermed1ate past In both clauses and a part1cle such as /mbyl y/
at the beg1nnlng of the result clause, e.g., /Sak{
•
osambaka maka
I I
169

UNIT 16 LINGALA
mbele
••
babong{s~k~
I
mos~su/, 'If you were to buy one (but you prob~
ably won't), then they would have the other one repalred'.
Some dlalects of Llngala also express lndeflnlte condltlon
wlth the lmmedlate past In the If-clause and an lndeflnlte partlcle
and the future In the result clause. Thoush the student may read
or perhaps hear thls, he should not use It because It does not usu-
ally occur In speech and lS Ilkely to be mlsunderstood.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 1
, , , ,
1. Nzela oyo eekoleka na Boma. Thls road goes to (through)
Boma.
, , , , ,,
2. Nzela oyo eekokoma tll na Thls road goes to (as far as)
,
Boma. Boma.
, , , ,,
3. AVlO eekokoma tll na Boma.
--+-
The alrplane lS gOlng as far
as Boma.
, "
4. AVlOI ekoml. The alrplane has (Just)
arrlved.
, , ,
5. Bayekoll ya slka bakoml. The new students have (Just)
arrlved.
, ,
6. Bayekoll ya slka bazall The new students are all
, ,
bans9 balndu. Afrlcans/Negroes.
" ,
7. Batu balalaka awa bazall
, ,
The people who llve here are
bans9 balndu. all Negroes/Afrlcans.
" , ,
8. Batu balalaka awa bakendekl The people who Ilve here left
, , I I
10bl. yesterday.
, , " ,
9. Basall bapasolakl nZlla The workers who bUllt the road
"
bakyndE(kl "
lobl. left yesterday.
, , , , ,
10. Basall bapasolakl nZlla The workers who bUllt the road
, , ,
bakozonga lobl. wlll return tomorrow.
170

GRAMMATICAL DRILL 2
, , , , ,
1. Mpo na n~n~ l~boke ya bana Why ~s that group of ch~ldren
" ,
oyo eekoz~la l~susu~ st~11 wa~ t~ng'l
, , " ,
2. L~boke ya bana oyo eekoz~la The group of ch~ldren ~s
molak~s~. wa~t~ng for the teacher.

, ,
3. Bana bakelas~ bakosukola
,
The students w~ll clean up
ndako ya molak~sl. the teacher's house.
, ,
4· Bana bakelas~ bakosukola The students wll1 wash off
b~zalel~. the cha~rs.
, " ,
Babo~
I
baakot~ya
-
mokobo na The houseboys are palnt~ng
b~zalel~. the cha~rs.
" , ,
6. Bab?~ baakosopa mabanga The boys are spreadlng rock
,
na nzela. on the walkway.
" ,
7. Bango bans9 baakosopa They are all spread~ng stone
" ,
mabanga na nzela. on the roadway.
8. " ,
Bango bansoI baakokende na They are all go~ng to Coqu~l
I + ,
Coq
-
na av~o.
I
hatv~lle by plane.
, ,, ,
9. Mwana na nga~ aakok~ndy My son ~s go~ng to Coqu~lhat
,
na Coq na av~o.
I
v~lle by plane.
, ,, ,
10. Mwana na nga~ azal~ na My son ~s very strong.
" ,
nguya m~ng~.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 3
, ,, , ,
1. Alongwe~ epal azalak~ He (has) moved. He (has)
, ,
kofwanda l~boso. changed hlS address.
171

UNIT 16 LINGA LA
/1 /1
2. Alongwel. na Lovanl.um He has moved from Lovanl.um

/1
,.
/1 /1
akoml. na Kl.nsasa. l.nto the old sectl.on of
Leopoldvl.lle.
/1 /1 /1
3. Alongwel. na mosala. He qUl.t hl.S Job.

/1 /1
4· Alongwel na eteyelo. He has qUl.t school.

/1 /1 /1 /1
5. Alongwel. na mosala ya soda. He has resl.gned from the army.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 4
/1 , /1 ,
1. Atl.kl kom~la ll.kaya. He qUl. t smokl.ng.
/1 , /1 ,
2. Atl.kl motuka na ye. He parked hl.s car.
, /1 , /1
3. Aboyl. motuka na ye. He abandoned hl.s car.

/1 ,/1 /1
4· Aboyl. mwasl.. He has left hl.s wl.fe for good.

/1 , , /1
5. A.tl.kl. mwasl.. He has left hl.s wl.fe at home.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 5
, /1' ,
1. Dzeke eekotl.ya mabele na The steamshovel l.S loadl.ng dl.rt

,
kaml.o. l.nto the truck.
, . , /1
2. Basall. baakosopa mabele The workmen are unloadl.ng dl.rt

,
na kaml.o. from the truck.
" ,
3. Basall baakoblmlsa bl.loko
, , I
The workmen are unloadl.ng the
na maSlnJ.. ral.lroad car.
4. "
Basall. baakosope mabanga
/1 ,
/1 ,
The workmen are spreadl.ng rock
ne balabala. on the road.
172

, , , ,
KamlO eekosopa mabanga The truck lS dumplng rock on
, ,
na balabala. the road.
6. " ,
Kamlo ezall komema nzete The truck 18 carrYlng telephone
, I
ya telefon.
I I I
poles.
" ,
7. Basall baakoplka mabende
,
The workmen are settlng up
ya telefon.
I T I
telephone poles.
, , , , ,
8. . ,
Mlball batelemlsl mabende The men set up the telephone
ya telefon.
I 1 I
poles.
, , " ,
9. Mlball batelemlsl
,I r
madesu
, The men set up stlcks for the
na nzete.
• I
beans.
10. ,
Mlball ""
batond18akl "
11bulu The men fl11ed the hole wlth
,
na mabele. dlrt.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 6
, ,
1. AkeJ. nSlma ya ndako. He went to the tOl1et.
, , ,
2. Akel na Boma na motuka. He went to Boma by car.
, , ,
3. Akel na Boma na motuka He went to Barna by car by the
,
na nZl1a ya sJ.ka. new route.
, , ,
4. Akel na Boma na nZl1a ya
,
He went to Boma by traln.
maSlnl.
, ,
5. AkaJ. na Brazza na masuwa
,
He went to Brazzavl11e on the
ya nsuka. last boat.
Pattern DrJ.ll 1
, ,, ,
1. OtoblS1 ekEtnd y tll wapl'l How far J.S the bus supposed
to go~
, , ,, ,
2. OtobJ.8J. ekoma tJ.J. wap1~ How far 18 the bus supposed
to go~
173

UNIT 16 LINGALA
, , ,,
3. OtOblSl ekoma tll na
,
The bus lS supposed to go far
Lovanlum. as Lovanlum.
, " ,
4. OtOblSl eutl na Lovanlum The bus came from Lovanlum.
" ,
5. OtoblSl eutaka na Lovanlum. The bus comes from Lovanlum.
Pa ttern Drlll 2
1. "
Soke "
oyaka , mbele
lelo, If you were to come today, I'd
I , I I I I
, " , "
napesaka yoI nkama moko.
"
glve you a thousand francs.
I I
2. "
SOkl , "
osombaka "
moko, mbele If you were to buy one, I'd glve
I I I I I
, " , "
napesaka yo nkama moko. "
you a thousand francs.
I I I
SOkl" , "
osombaka "
moko, mbele If you were to buy one, they
I
, " I
,I I I
bab~nglsaka mosusu. would have the other one

repalred.
, , , " , ,
4. S~kl ndako oyo,
ob~nglsaka
, " ,
If you were to have thlS house
mbele
I I
babonglsaka
I
mosusu. repalred, they would have the
other one repalred.
, , , , , , ,
5. SOkl
I
obonglsaka
I
, ,
ndako
,
oyo, If you were to repalr thlS house,
mbyl y okokaka koteklsa you would be able to sell at
, I
yango. a proflt.
" "", ,
6. Soko
, ,
oZllaka sanza moko,
I I
If you were to walt a month, you
"
mbele okokaka ,
koteklsa would be able to sell lt at
I ,I I
yango. a proflt.
, , "", ,
7. Soke
I I
oZllaka sanza moko,
, , I ,I
If you walted a month, you would
mbele
I'
okendeke
I I I
na Leo. be able to go to Leopoldvllle.
, , , , ", ,
8. SOkl ozalaka na nkoto moke, If you had a thousand francs,
I
, , ,I I
mbele
I I
okendeke
I I I
na Leo. you could go to Leopoldvllle.
, , , , ", ,
9. SOkl
I
ozalaka na nkoto moko, I I
If you had a thousand francs,
" ,
mb y 1 y okokaka kosomba you could buy some clothes.
,
bllamba.
, , , , ,
10. Soko okende na Klnsasa, If you went to Leopoldvllle,
•• , , • • " ,
mbe1e okokaka kosomba you could buy some clothes.
,
bl1amba.
174

Unlt 17
BaSlc Sentences
-A-
,
sofele,
I I I
ba- drlver, chauffeur
(chauffeur)
, , , ,
1. EeJ Sofyle,
I,
kanga motuka HeyJ Drlver, stop your car
I ,I ,
na yoI kuna. over there.
-B-
, , , , ,
2. Eloko nlnl nasall ko Well, offlcer, what dld I do"
I I
,
gendarme'l Naboml moto'l Dld I klll somebody'l
-A-
,
mWlnda llght, lamp
, ,
motane brlght red/yellow/orange
-pela to be on flre, burn, be Ilt
, , , ,
3. Ozall kom9na mWlnda ty'l Dldn't you see the red llght'l
, , , "
4· Oyo ya motane epell ropo What (do you thlnk) red llghts
are for'l
, , ,
5. Oyebl kot yl ymy ropo nakozlla
, ,
Don't you know to walt'l
moky ty'l
-B-
, " ,
6. Pardon, nam9nakl mWlnda I'm sorry. I dldn't see the
, ,
malamu tee
I
llght very well.
-A-
" , ,
7. Omonl
I
malamu te'l
I
You dldn't see It very well"
'permlS de condlure' drlver's llcense
" ,,
8. Laklsa ngal permls de Show me your drlver's llcense.
,
condulre na yo.
I
175

UNIT 16 LING A LA
-B-
" , ,
9. Ezall te, ropo nabandl I don't have any because I've
, I ,
koyekola kotambwlsa only Just started to learn
, ,
motuka kaka slka. to drlve.
-A-
, , ,
mpaku, mpako, m- tax, corvee labor
, " , ,
10. Boongo buuku na yc; ya mpaku" And your ldentlflcatlon boo~
11. Ozal{ mp~ na yango t~7 Don't you have lt elther"
-B-
,
ma Here J Take 1 t!
,
-futa to pay; atone, make
up for
, , , , ,
12. Ma, yango oyo. KaSl nalnu Here, take It. But I haven't
", ,
nafutl mpaku ya mbula pald my tax thlS year yet.
, ,
oyo tee
I
-A-
, ,,
13. Landa ngal na Commune ya Follow me to the Kalamu Commune.
,
Kalamu.
-B-
,
kOmlSyl y (commlssalre) commlssloner, poIlceman
, " ,
Te, Komlsele, motuka ezall No, Offlcer, the car doesn't
I ,, ,
I I
ya ngal t y. belong to me.

lomande (n-) (amende) flne, penalty
, , , ,
15. Lomande ya bOUl ollngl
, ,
How much of a flne do you want
nafuta" me to pay"
-A-
,
POSl (poche) pocket, pouch, sack
, , "
16. Ozall
,
na nkoto
,
moko
I
slka
~
Do you have a thousand francs
oyo na POSl na Y9" ln your pocket rlght now"
176

-B-
avas1. (avance) advance, part payment,

depos1.t
~ " , "
17. Te,
I ,
napesa avas1., boongo
,
No, let me g1.ve a deposlt and
nakynd y koluka ndambo then let me go home to get
, ,
mOSUSu na mboka. the rest.
-A-
,
boloko,
I I
ma- Jall, prlson
quarrel, argument, sound
of v01.ces, n01.se
18. ,
Mwana, ""
soko ,
ol1.ng~ boloko Boy, If you don't want to go to
, " I I
, ,I I
t y , t1.ka makyl~ly mpe Ja1.l, shut up and follow me.
, ,, , ,
landa nga1.. ES1.l1.J And that's flnalJ
-B-
", ,
19. Nayok1. Y7' Kom1.s l l y • I understand you, Offlcer.
USEFUL PHRASES
, , ,
ObUngl mlbeko ya nZ1.1a. You've broken the trafflc laws.
, , ,
Obungl mateya. You donrt know your lesson.
, , , ,
Obungl nZlla ya mboka. Yourve lost your way home.
, , , ,
Obungl nZ1.1a ya kozonga na Leo. You've lost the road to Leopold-
vllle.
Polisl aboI tali palakl ya motuka The pollce conflscated hls auto
, I
na ye. plates.
, , " , ,
Polls1. abotoll motuka na ye The pollce conflscated h1.s car
, ,
I I
" ,
mpo azw1. 11.kama na motuka. because he had an accldent.
, , , ,
Mopaya akangl motuka mpembenl The stranger parked hls car on
, ,
na balabala. the s1.de of the street.
177

UNIT 17 LINGA LA
, , ,
Mopaya akang1. motuka na nsuka The stranger parked h1.s car at
, ,
na balabala. the corner or the street.
"
Mopaya akot1.s1.
, ,
motuka na kat1. The stranger parked h1.s car 1.n
,I
ya lopango. the yard/dr1.veway.
, ", "
Kom1.s yl y apes1. ye kovokas1.o mpo The pol1.ce orr1.cer gave hlm a
, ", , ,
atambw1.s1. motuka mbangu makas1.. t1.cket because he was speed1.ng
, ", " The pol1.ce orr1.cer gave h1.m a
Kom~syly apes1. ye kovokas1.o mpo
", , , ,
akang1.s1. motuka eS1.ka ya mabe. t1.cket because he was parked
1.llegally.
, ", "
Kom1.sele apes1. ye kovokas1.o mpo The pol1.ce off1.cer gave h1.m a
,I ,I ,
atut1. motu ya nk1.nga. t1.cket because he ran lnto
a man on a b1.cycle.
,
-bunga to forget; make a m1.stake,
be wrong; lose, get
lost, lose one's way;
d1.e
,
mobeko, m1.- law, regulat1.on, obl1.ga-
t1.on, duty
,
11.teya, ma- lesson
polis1. (pol1.ce) pol1.ceman, pol1.ce
,
-botolo
, .. to take/snatch away,
conf1.scate, 1.mpound,
p1.1lage
,
palak1. (plaque) plate, plaque, auto
l1.cense pIa te
, ,
l1.kama, ma- acc1.dent, danger;
pun1.shment
mopaya, ba- stranger, guest, v1.s1.tor,
hO'st
178

, ,
mpemben1, m- slde, edge; bes1de, along,
next to, around, near
,
lopango, m- enclosure; fence; plot
of land, place of
res1dence
,
kovokas1o (convocat1on) not1ce, summons, traff1c
t1cket
,
nk1nga, n- b1cycle
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 1
, , " , , ,
1. Atylym1S1 motuka mpemben1 He parked the car bes1de the
,
na ndako. house.
" , , ,
2. Akang1s1 motuka mpemben1 He stopped the car bes1de the
,
na ndako. house.
" , ,
3· Akang1s1 motuka llboso ya He stopped the car at the red
, , ,
mW1nda motane. 11ght.
" , ,
4. M1tuka m1nsoI m1kangaml
, , , ,
All the cars are stopped at
Ilboso ya mW1nda motane. the red llght.
" ",
M1tuka m1nS? m1kangam1 ropo All the cars are stopped
, , , ,
mW1nda motane epel1. because the 11ght 1S red.
, " " ,
6. Motuka mon~n~ etylym1 mpo The b1g truck stopped because
, , , ,
mW1nda motane epel1. the 11ght 1S red.
, " , ,
7. Motuka monyn y etylym1
,
The blg truck stopped beh1nd
nS1ma ya magaz1n1. the store.
, ,
8. Nzela ezal1 nS1ma ya There 1S a street beh1nd the
,
magaz1n1. store.
" ,
9. Nzela ezal1 na batu m1ng1. There are many people on the
street.
179

UNIT 17 LINGALA
~ , ~ ~
10. Mboka na blSU ezall na There are many people In our

~
batu IDlngl. vlllage.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 2
" ,, , , ,
1. Banlnga na ngal baakotambola My frlends are In a hurry.
~
mbangu.
" ,, ",
2. Ban1nga na ngal bafutel1 My frlends pald the flne for
, , ~
nga1 lomande. me.

, " ,,
3. Mokonz1 afutel1 ngal
,
The chlef pald the flne for
lomende. me.
" ,
4· Mokonz1 amon1
I
mWl.nda The chlef dldn r t see the red
" ,
motane ty. llght.
, ,,~
Basall bamon1 mW1nda The workers d1dn't see the

" ,I
motane t y • red llght.
, , , ~
6. Basal1 bakel. koluka mb9ng9 The workers have gone to get

, ~
ya sanza. thelr (monthly) pay.

, ,
7. Mokakls1 akel. koluka mbongo
, , I I
The teacher has gone to get
ya sanza. hl.S salary.
, , ,
8. Molak1s1 aakopellsa mabaya. The teacher lS burn1ng the wood.
" , ,
9. Bana aakopel1sa mabaya. The boys are burnlng wood.
, " ,
10. Bana baakoyekola kotambw1sa The boys are learn1ng to dr1ve.
,
motuka •
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 3
, , ,
1. Bolangl.t1 ekuf1. The blanket lS worn out.
, , ,
2. Bolang1t1 epasuk1. The blanket lS torn up/worn out.
~
, ,
3. Sapato epasuk1. The shoes are torn up/worn out.
, , , ~
4. Sapa to ekom1 ya kala. The shoes are old.

180

, , , ,
5. Patalo ekom1 ya kala. The pants are old.
, , , ,
6. Patalo ezal1 m0tuya malamu. The pants are 1nexpenS1ve.
, , , ,
7. Kazaka ezal1 motuya malamu. The Jacket 1S cheap.
, , ,
8. Kazaka eut1 na Bruxelles. The coa t 1S from Brussels.
, , , ,
9. L1boke eut1 na Bruxelles. The package came from Brussels.
, , , , , , ,
10. L1boke et1ndamak1 na aV1O.
I
The package was sent by a1r.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 4
, , , ,
1. K1110I n1n1 ozal1 na yango. What penc11 do you have"
, , , ,
2. K1110I ya nan1 ozal1 na yango" Whose penc11 do you have"
, , , , ,
3· K1110, ya ndenge n1n1 ozal1 What k1nd of penc11 do you
,
na yango" have"
, , , , ,
4. Motuka ya ndenge n1n1 ozal1
,
What k1nd of car do you have"
na yango"
, , , ,
5. Motuka n1n1 ozal1 na yango" What make of car do you have"
Pattern Dr111 1
, , ,
1. Naband1 koyekola kotambw1sa I've only Just started to learn
, , ,
motuka kaka slka oyo. to dr1ve.
, , ,
2. Naband1 kosukola ndako kaka I've only Just started to clean
,
slka oyo. up the house.
, ,
3· Naband1 kopakola mokobo na I've only Just started to pa1nt
,
mesa. the table.
, ,
4. Na band1 kobong1sa
, ,I
maSln1
,
ya I've only Just started repa1r1ng
m1kanda kaka slka oyo. the typewr1ter.
, ,
5. Naband1 kok1t1sa b11oko
, , , I I
na I've only Just started unload1ng
kam10 kaka slka oyo. the truck.
181

UNIT 17 LING A LA
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 5
, " ,
1. KOmlsE(ly aboyl kozwa The pollceman refused to
,
mbongo.
I I
accept the money.
, , " , ,
2. Komlsele
' 1,
abotoll
I I
ye
-
buuku The pollceman took away hlS
ya mpaku. ID card.
3. Bourgmestre ya Commune ya The mayor of Kalamu Commune
, "",
Kalamu abotoll ye buuku conflscated hlS ID card.
, I I
ya mpaku.
4. Bourgmestre ya Commune ya
, " ,
The mayor of Kalamu Commune
Kalamu aboYl makylE(ly. doesn't llke nOlse.
, , , , ,
5. Mobange oyo aboyl makylyl y • The old man doesn't Ilke nOlse.
, , ", ,,
6. Mobange oyo afwandl awa tll The old man has been slttlng
, ,
na ntongo.
I - I
here Slnce thlS mornlng.
" ", ,,
7. Mopaya wana afwandl awa tll
, ,
That stranger has been slttlng
na ntongo.
I I
here Slnce thls mornlng.
8. "
Mopaya wana abungl " nzela, That stranger can't remember
, ,
ya mboka na ye. the way back to hlS vlllage.
9. Motu ya mabaya " "
abungl nzela, The carpenter can't remember
, ,
ya mboka na ye. the way back to hlS vl11age.
Motu ya mabaya " ",
abotoll The carpenter took the hammer
10.
, , I •
ebetell
I I
na mwana. away from the Chlld.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 6
, , , ,
1. Atutanl na nzete. He walked lnto a tree.
, , , ,
2. Motuka etutl nzete. The car crashed lnto a tree.
, , , ,
3. Motuka etutl motu ya nklnga. The car hlt a man on a blcycle.
, , ,
4· POllSl akangl motu ya nklnga. The pollce arrested a man on
a blcycle.
182

, , ,
Pollsl akangl sof~l~ a1ekl The po1lce arrested the dr1ver
, , ,
mWlnda motane. who ran the red llght.
, , , ,
6. Tozall koluka sofele alekl We are look1ng for the dr1ver
, , , •
mW1nda motane. who ran the red 11ght.
, , ,
7. Tozal1 ko1uka moball akangl
,
We are look1ng for the man who
lopango. fenced the plot of ground.
8. " " , ,
Mopaya ayebl moball akang1 The v1s1tor knows the man who
,
lopango. lS gett1ng engaged.
, ,
9. Mopaya ayeo1 kopel1sa The stranger knows how to 11ght
,
mWlnda. the lamp.
" ",
10. Natunl mwaSl apellsela I asked the woman to 11ght the
,, ,
ngal mWlnda. lamp for me.
183

UNIT 18 LING A LA
Un~t 18
Bas~c Sentences
-A-
,
-tonga to bu~ld, construct
, , ""
1. Nayok~ te otong~s~ ndako I've heard that you've had a
ya slka. new house bUllt.
-B-
, ,
soolo true, real, rlght; truth
" I
, "
2. Ee, ezal~ ya soolo. Ye s , tha t 's true.
I • •• •
-A-
brlck
-tumba to burn, set f~re, to

roast over/ln a flre
, ,
3. Ezal~ ya br~kl ya kotumba Is lt made out of flred brlcks
too ya slm~tl" or cement"
-B-
, ,
4· Ezal~ ya br~k~ ya It's made of f~red brlcks.
kotumbama.
-A-
,
eten~, lJ..L- plece, part, share; room
How many rooms do you have"

,
ndako"
-B-
, "
6. Bltenl mltanu. Flve rooms.
184

-A-
to choose, select, elect

,
langl. pal.nt, color
, " ,
7. Nanl. aponl. langl. ya ndako~ Who chose the pal.nt for your
•
house~
-B-
, " ,
8. Mama moto aponakl.
. I
yango. It was mother who chose l.t •
, , <:'>'
ll.so, ll.su, ml.so, eye, (l.n pl.) wl.th eyes
<:'>' open, wl.th good vl.sl.on/
ml.SU
taste, unafral.d
", , , ,
9. Oyebl. t y te basl. bazall. na Don't you know that women have
, ,
ml.SU malamu~ excellent taste?
-A-
,
lokola, (n-) kl.nd, sort~ also, ~oo;
as, ll.ke, such as,
sl.ml.lar, same sort
10.
"
Olongl., ezall., ya soolo.
"
I I I
You're rl.ght, l.t's true.
, , , ,
11. Na katl. mpe eza11 lokola Is the l.nterl.or also the same
, ,
na ll. banda? color as the outsl.de~
-B-
12. For what reason/why should l.t be~
, , ,
i3. Na ndako ya koll.a, ezall.
, ,
In the dl.nl.ng room, l.t's green.
mal. ya mpondu.
I
sOkola (chocolat) brown, dark red

, ,
14· Na ndako ya kosolola, sokola. In the ll.vl.ng room, brown.
, , ,
15. Na bandako mosusu, mWl.ndu, In the other rooms, gray,
too, mpembe,
" too" mal. ya whl.te, or orange.
, I I
malala.
185

UNIT 18 LING A LA
-A-
, " , ,
16. Bozall bonl na 11bota~ How many are there ln your
famlly~
" ,
17. Nanl mwana ya 11boso, Who lS the oldest Chlld, a glrl
" , ,
mwaSl too moball~ or a boy~
-B-
, " ,
17. Tozall motoba, mwana There are SlX of us (chlldren).
mwas{ moto azal{ Ilboso. The oldest lS a glrl.
-A-
" ,
18. Blnu nyonso bokendeke Do you all go to school or do
, I I
"
I I I
,
ke1asl, too bana mlSUSU some of the chlldren stay
, , ,
batlkala mpo na kopesa home to glve your mother a
, ,
mama maboko~
I I
hand~
-B-
, , "
19. Mlsatu ya mlkf( nalnu The three smallest haven't
, , , ,
bakomlsl bango na started to school yet.
, ,
kelaSl tee
I
-B-
,
-kuta to meet, flnd, come upon
, " ,
20. Malamu, nakel nalnu kolla, Good, I'm gOlng to eat now,
tokoklltana nSlma. we'll see each other later.
, ,
21. K1nd¥ malamu. Goodby.
USEFUL PHRASES
, , "
Etenl ya kobomba bllamba eza11 The closet lS (palnted) yellow.
, ,
motaneso.
Et~nl ya kobomba b1l~ko
, ezal{ The storage room 18 tan.
, ,
motaneso.
186

, , , ,
Etenl ya kobomba bllel ezall The pantry J.S blue.
,
bule.
, , ,
Komba
I
ndako. Sweep the floor.
, ,
Sukola ndako. Mop the 1'loor.
, , , , , ,
Pupola putulu llkolo ya mesa Dust 01'1' the f'urn1ture.
,
na k1t1.
, ,, , ,
Kulutu na nga1 aakotanga My older brother lS readlng
,
zulunalo. the paper.
, ,, " ,
Lekl na nga1 aakotanga zulunalo. My younger brother lS readlng
the paper.
, ,, , ,
Bok1lo na ngal aakotanga My father-ln-law lS readlng
,
zulunalo. the paper.
, ,, " ,
Koko na nga1 aakotanga zulunalo. My grandfather lS read1ng the
paper.
,, , ,
Mbanda na ngal aakotanga My co-wlfe 1S read1ng the paper.
,
zulunalo.
, , , "
B1SU na ye tokom1 mbanda. We no longer 11ke each other.
(llt.) We have become 1n-Iaws.
, J
Ake J. ndoI bo.
I
He has gone f1shlng.
,
Ake1 bok1la. He has gone hunt1ng.
"
Aakokallnga make1" na kuku. She's 1'rylng eggs 1n the kltchen.
, "
Aakotok1sa
I
make1 na kuku. She's b01l1ng eggs 1n the k1tchen.
,
Aakotumba nyama. She's roastlng meat over the f1re.
,
-bomba to hlde, keep, store, pre-
serve, shelter; observe,
obey (law, custom)
, ,
motaneso 11ght yellow/tan/belge
blue
- k6mbo,
I I
- komba
I
to sweep, clean house, empty
187

UNIT lB LINGALA
-pupa to blow, fan, wJ.nnow, make

clean by blowJ.ng/shakJ.ng
,
kulutu, ba- older brother/sJ.ster
,
-tanga to read, count, enumerate,
add up
newspaper, magazJ.ne
,
lekJ., ba- younger brother/sJ.ster
, e> '
bokJ.lo, bakJ.lo parent-ln-law, brother/sJ.ster-
J.n-law, good frlend, acquaJ.nt-
ance
,
koko, ba- grandparents, grandchJ.ld
mbanda, ba- co-wJ.fe; brother-J.n-law marrJ.ed
to wJ.fe's sJ.ster, sJ.ster-J.n-
law marrJ.ed to husband's
brother; people who don't
lJ.ke each other
,
ndobo,
I •
n- fJ.shJ.ng, fJ.shhook
bokJ.la, ma- hunt ( J.ng)
, ,
-kalJ.nga, kalanga to fry, bake, roast
,
IJ.kel, ma- egg
,
kuku kJ.tchen
-toka
I I
to bOJ.l, be bOJ.IJ.ng
NOTES
IB.l /-zala ya/

, "
Ezall ya soolo.
I I I
, , , , ,
EzalJ. ya brJ.kJ. ya kotumba too ya sJ.metJ.~
/-zala ya/ meanA 'to consJ.st of', 'be made out of', as J.n
IBB

the sentence above. 'It 1S true', lltera1ly 'It cons1sts of the

truth'; 'Is lt made out of f1red brlcks or cement~
18.2 Equat10nal Sentence wlth Emphat1c SubJect

, , , ,
,
Mama moto aponak1 yango.
Equat1ona1 sentences (See Note 6.1) whose second element
beg1n wlth /moto/ or /bato/ are used to glve speclal emphasls to
o
the subJect. In thls type of sentence, /moto/ often translates,
'the one who', ~the person who', as ln the sentence above, 'Mother
(lS) the one who chose It. '/aP7nak{ yango/ lS an adJectlve re1atlve
clause (See Note 5.10) 1n th1S sentence.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 1
, , , ,
1. L1bota ezall na etenl The fam1ly 1S 1n the d1nlng
,
ya kolla. room.
, , , ,
2. Llbota ezal1 na eten1 ya The fam11y lS 1n the k1tchen.
, ,
kolamba b1loko.
, I
, , ,
3. Bakulutu na Y9 ya mlball
,
Your older brothers are In
.,
bazal1 na etenl ya the kltchen.
, ,
kolamba b1loko.
I ,
, , ,
4· Bakulutu na yoI ya mlbal1 Your brothers are In thelr
, ,
bazal1 na bltenl ya bedroom.
,
kolala.
, ,, ,
5. Balekl na nga1 bazal1 na
, ,
My younger brothers and
b1ten1 ya kolala. slsters are In thelr
bedrooms.
, ,, ,
6. Balek1 na nga1 bazal1 My younger brothers are
,
kotumba br1k1. f1rlng brlcks.
, ,
7. Batu bazal1 kotumba br1k1. The men are flr1ng br1cks.
189

UNIT 18 LINGALA
, , , ,
8. Batu batongakl ndako na The men bUllt the house of
,
brlkl ya kotumba. flred brlck.
, , , , , ,
9. Ndako etongamaka na brlkl The house was bUllt out of
ya kotumba. flred brlck.
, , , , , , ,
10. Ndako etongamaka na mabanga The house was bUllt out of
, , ,
na mabaya. stone and wood.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 2
, " , , ,
1. Mwana amonanaka Ilboso The boy was seen In front of
, I
ya ndako. the house.

, , , , , ,
2.
, ,
Motuka emonanaka Ilboso The car was seen In front of
ya ndako. the house.
, , , , ,
3. Motuka ebonglsamaka
, I -
na The truck was repalred by
mecanlClen. the mechanlc.
, , , , ,
4. AV10
----+ ,
ebonglsamaka
, na The plane was repalred by
mecanlClen. the mechanlc.
, "" ,
5. AV19 eyokamaka na bana. The alrplane was heard by
the chlldren.
, , , , ,
6. Basalel1 bayokamaka na The servants were heard by
,
bana. the chlldren.
, , , , ,
7. Basalell batunamaka na The servants were questloned
mokonZl. by the chlef.
, , , , ,
8. Basall batunamaka na The workers were questloned
mokonzl. by the chlef.
, "
9. Basall bazall kotunama The workers are belng questloned
na gendarme. by the pollceman.
" , ,
10. MwaSl azall kotunama na The woman 18 belng questloned
gendarme. by the pollce.
190

GRAMMATICAL DRILL 3
1. Olong{, ndako na bango You're r1ght, the1r house lS

, , , ,
ezall ya brlkl motane. bUllt out of red brlcks.
, ,
2. Olongl na llkambo olobl. You're correct 1n what you
sa1d.
" ,
Nasala nlnl na llkambo What should I do about the
3· ,
olobl~ thlng you Just mentloned?
" , ",
4· Nasala n1nl. mpoo nayeba How should I go about learn1ng
,
koloba L1ngala'l L1ngala'l
" ,, , ,
5. Lak1sa nga1 may~le mpoo
, , ,
Show me a good system for
nayeba koloba L1ngala. learn1ng L1ngala.
" ,, ,
6. Lak1sa nga1 mayele va Show me how to cook man10C
, ,I I~
kolamba mpondu. -I
leaves.
, ,
7. Tokotuna nSlma ya kolamba
,
We'll d1SCUSS 1t after f1X1ng
mpondu.
1
the man10C leaves.
, ,
8. Tokotuna nS1ma ya ndobo. I 1
We'll d1SCUSS lt after f1shlng.
, , , ,
9. Nakangak1 mb1s1 m1ng1 na
,
I caught a lot of f1Sh w1th a
ndobo.
I I
hook and 11ne.
, , , ,
10. Nakangak1 mbls1 m1ng1 na I caught a lot of f1Sh 1n
ebale. the r1ver.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 4
, , , ,
1. Bokynd y kopesa mama mab9k9. Go glve mother a hand.
, , "
2. Bokende kopesa tata nk1nga Go glve your father the b1cyc1e
,I I , , -
akende
1 1
mosa1a. so he can go to work.
, " , ,
3· B7ng1se1a tata nk1nga F1X the blcycle for your father
, , ,
akende
I I
mosa1a. so he can go to work.
, " , ,
4. B~ng1sela ye lokolo ya sapatu. Repa1r the shoes for hlm.
191

UNIT 18 LINGALA
, ", ,
5. Babunglsell ye lokolo ya H1S shoes were lost.
sapatu.
, "" ,
6. Babunglse11 mwana ndembo. Somebody lost the Ch1ld's ball.
, , ,
7. Tata y8 Polo aakok¥nd,
, , , Paul's father lS gOlng to buy
kosorobe1a rowana ndembo. the Ch1ld a ball.
, , ,
8. Tata ya Polo aakokende Paul's father 18 gOlng to the
, , ,. • ,•
kosombela ngal makel market to buy me SOme eggs.
, , ,
ya nsoso na zandu.
, ,
9. Mbanda aakokende kosombela ~y co-wlfe has gone to the
,, , • I
, ,
nga1 makel "'18: nsosO na market to buy me some eggs.
,
zandu.
,
10. Mbanda atumb1 nyama na My co-w1fe roasted the meat
,
kuku. 1n the kltchen.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 5
, , " , ,
1. Nakot1s1 m~)tuka na ndako I put the ear 1n the garage/
,
na" yango. carport.
, ", , ,
2. ,
Nakot1s1
,
motuka na kat1 I parked the car 1n the yard/
1a lopango. dr1veway.
" 1';'
3. Bana baakosakana na katl
,
The chlldren are play~ng 1n
ya lopango .. the yard.
" , ~
4. Bana baakosakana na 11banda The boys are gOlng to play at
la Stade Baudouln. Stade Baudouln.
s. , ,
The game lS gOlng to be played
I1banda ya Stade at Stade Baudou1n.
Baudou1n.
192

GRAMMATICAL DRILL 6
, ,
1. Nazalaka na ndako ya nsuka. I lJ.ve J.n the last house.
, ,
2. Nazalaka na ndako ya IJ.boso. I IJ.ve J.n the fJ.rst house.
, , ,
3· Nazalaka na ndako wana ya I IJ.ve J.n the fJ.rst whJ.te
, ,
mpymb y ya IJ.boso. house.
, , ,
4· Nazalaka na ndako wana na
, ,
I IJ.ve J.n the house on the
loboko
I I I
ya mwasJ. • left.
, , ,
5. Nazalaka na ndako wana na
,
I lJ.ve J.n the house on the
loboko
I I I
ya mobalJ.. rJ.ght.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 7
, , ,
1. Eteyelo ezalJ. ya brJ.kJ. The school J.S made of fJ.red
ya kotumba. brJ.cks.
, " " ,
2. Eteyelo etongamakJ. ntangu The school was bUJ.lt durrng
ya elanga. the dry season.
, " ",
3· Ndako ya kolala etongamakJ. The bedroom was bunlt durJ.ng
,
ntangu ya elanga. the dry season.
, , "
4· Ndako ya kolala ezalJ. maJ.
,
The bedroom J.S green.
ya mp<;ndu.
, "
5. EfandelJ. ya kalasJ. ezalJ.
, ,
The desks are green.
ma J. ya rnpondu •
•
, "
·6. EfandelJ. ya kelasJ. ezalJ. The desks are brown.
,
sokola.
, , ,
7. EtenJ. ya kobomba bJ.leJ.
, ,
The pantry J.8 palnted brown.
ezalJ. sokola.
193

UNIT 18 LING A LA
, , ,
8. Etenl ya kobomba bl1el The pantry has been swept.
, ",
ekombamakl.
I
" ,
9. Ndako nY2ns9 ya kolala All the bedrooms had been
, ",
blkombamakl.
I
swept.
10. "
Ndako nyonso ,
ya kolala All the bedrooms were mopped
I, ,I , ,
blsukwamakl na bakulutu by my older slsters.
,, , ,
na ngal ya basl.
194

Unlt 19
Baslc Sentences
-A-
,
1. Monlka J MonlqueJ
-B-
,
2. Mamal Yes, Mother.
-A-
, ,
3. Wapl yo'l Where are you'l
•
-B-
, , ,
4. Nazall komlsukola nzotu. I'm taklng a bath.
-A-
,
nokl
t
fast, qUlck, prompt
, , , , , ,,
5. Sala nokl
,I
osombela
,
ngal Hurry up and go get me some
bllokoI na zandu. thlngs at the market.
•
-B-
-zoka to be lnJured, to be
touched
mosal, monsal, flnger, toe
mosapl, ml-
" , " , ,
6. Tlnda Marla, namlzoklsakl Send Marle, I hurt my flngers
, ,
lobl na mlnsal. yesterday.
195

UNIT 19 LINGALA
-A-
, ", ,
7. Omlzoklsakl na nlnl? What dld you hurt yourself wlth~
-B-
, ,
8. Na mbe1l
I
ya mesa. Wlth a table knlfe.
-A-
Where were you?
-B-
'vllle' Clty, town, downtown

, , , , ,
10. Lobl na ndako ya monlnga Yesterday at one of my frlend's
,, "
na ngal moko
I I
na vl1le. house In town.
-A-
11. , " Ookozl1a nlnl
Boongo, " mpo Well, why are you waltlng to
, ,
okende
I I
na munganga~ go to the doctor's?
-B-
, ,
12. Nakokende nSlma soko I'll go later when I've flnlshed
,I " I ,
I ,
naslllsl komlsukola. taklng my bath.
-A-
, ,
kltunga, lltunga, ma- a basket wlth a lld
, " ,
13. Marla, kamata kltunga Marle, take the market basket
, , ,, ,
osombela ngal blloko and go buy me some thlngs
, , I
na zandu. a t the market.
-B-
,
llputa, ma- pagne, long wrap-around
sklrt
lltamba1a, kltambala, handkerchlef, towel, cloth,
ma- napkln
196

,. ,. ,. ,.
14· Mama,
,.,.
nakom~sombela
,.
mpe I'll also buy myself the pagne
l~puta na l~tambala and headscarr that I saw.
,. ,. ,.
namonak~.
I
USEFUL PHRASES
,. ",.
Motu ya kab~nda aakokata The carpenter ~s draw~ng a
, ,.
monkoloto
t • I
na kl11yO.
I
l~ne wlth a penc~l.
,. ,.,.,
Motu ya kab~nda. azengl ndambo The cablnetmaker cut off a
,. ,.
ya l~baya. p~ece of the wood.
,. ,,.,. ,
Motu ya kablnda aka boll l~baya The carpenter cut the plece of
,
na bl tenl. wood In half..
,. ,. ,.
MopeI akangl gbagba foto. The prlest took a plcture of
the brldge.
,. ,., ,.
MopeI akangl bwatu foto. The prlest took a plcture of
the dugout canoe.
, ,. ,.
Mope akangl mokl11 foto na The prlest took a plcture of
• ,.
masuwa. the ma~nland from the boat.
, ,,, ,
MopeI azall koluka hwatu. The prlest lS row~ng the boat.
, ,,, ,,
Mope.. azall koluka nkal. The prlest ~s rowlng.
, , . ""#' ,.
Mama mokengell aakopusa mwana The governess 1.S push1ng the

,. I ,.,
moky na pusupusu. baby In the stroller.
,., ,.
Mama mok~ngel~ aakom~l~sa The babysltter lS feed1ng the
,
mwana moke"ml11kl
" • baby mllk.
•
,.
Mama mobokoll
,. t I I
,.
mwana moket b1lamba.

.
,.,
aakolatlsa
,.
The governess lS dress1ng the
baby.
, , ~
Mama mobokol1 t ,.
aakolaklsa The babys1tter 1S teaCh1Dg the
,. t i ,.
mwana kokata mal. Ch11d to SWlm.
, ,,1* .", ,
Abongol1 Angele na Llngala. He translated It fram Engl1Sh

"
lnto Llngala.
197

UNIT 19 LING A LA
, ,
" ,
Abongol~ kawa na sukal~. He stlrred sugar lnto h1.S coffee.
, " ,
Abongol~ kltl. He turned the chalr around.
,, ,
Akwel na kl tl. He turned over In the chalr.
He fell out of the chalr.
" , ,
Akwe~sl k~t~ na mabele. He turned the chalr over.
,
kablnda, ba- carpenter, cablnet-maker
,
-kata to cut, chop
,
monkoloto,
I I ,
ml- llne
,
-zenga to cut off, chop off
" ,
mOPr' momp~, ba- (mon pere) prlest (Cathollc)
gbagba brldge
foto (photo) photograph, plcture
, 0'
bwatu, matu dugout canoe, natlve boat
moklll, ml- malnland, land, lnterlor,
lnland, world
-luka to row/paddle a boat
,,
nkal, n- paddle, oar
,
-pusa (pousser'l) to push, shove
pusup~su (pousse-pousse) pushcart, baby carrlage,
stroller
mllk
,
-bokolo
• I I
to brlng up, ralse, rear,
feed, breed (anlmal)
,
Angele (anglals) Engllsh
,
kawa coffee
,
-kweya to fall; be lnvolved In/lose
a lawsult
198

NOTES
Reflex1.ve
Nazali komisukola nz~tu.
The reflex1.ve pref1.x /-mil means 'to do someth1.ng to/for
oneself'. I-mil 1.S pref1.xed to the base and occurs w1.th all per-
sons, e.g., /Nazali komisukola nzotu/, 'I'm tak1.ng a bath', 11.ter-
ally, 'I'm wash1.ng myself the body'.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 1
, ,
1. Nam1.sukolaka nzotu na I take a bath every morn1.ng.
, , ,
ntongo
I I
nyonso.
I I
, ,
2. Nam1.sukolaka nzotu na I take a bath every even1.ng.
, ,
mpokwa nyonso. I I
, ,
3· Am1.sombelaka nyama na He buys some meat for h1.mself
, ,
mpokwa nyonso. I I
every even1.ng.
, , ,,
4· Am1.sombelaka nyama epa1.
,
He buys meat for h1.mself at
ya bat~k1.nyama. the butcher's (meatsellers').
, " ,, ,
Am1.zok1.s1. epa1. ya batek1.- I
He 1.nJured h1.mself at the
nyama. butcher's.
, " ,
6. Am1.zok1.s1. na mb~l1. ya He 1.nJured h1.mself w1.th a
,
mesa. table kn1.fe.
, , ", , ,
7. Am1.salel1. ekeko na mbel1.
,
He made h1.mself a statue w1.th
ya mesa. the kn1.fe.
, , ", , ,
8. Am1.salel1. ndako ya mabaya. He bU1.1t h1.mself a frame house.
, , ,
9. Tokom1.sombela ndako ya We are g01.ng to buy ourselves
, ,
mabaya. a frame house.
, , ,
10. Tokom1.sombela b1.1amba ya We are g01.ng to buy ourselves
s1.ka. some new clothes.
199

UNIT 19 LING A LA
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 2
, , , ,
1. Ndako ya b~su ezal~ Our house lS near the road.
, , ,
mpemben~ na nzela.
", ,
2. Tomon~ bana bakelas~ We saw some school chlldren
• , , ,
mpemben~ na nzela. near the road.
", ,
3. Tomon~ bana bakelasl na We saw some school chl1dren
I , ,
motel na bango. wlth thelr teacher.
, , ,
4· Bayekoll bak¥nd~kl na vllle The students have gone lnto
, ,
na motel na bango. town wlth the~r teacher.
, , ,
5. Bayeko11 bakendekl
, , I •
,
na vllle The students have gone lnto
komlsombela sapatu. town to buy themselves some
shoes.
, ,, ,
6. Kulutu na ngal azall kozlla My brother lS waltlng to buy
, , , , ,
mpo amlsombela sapatu. some shoes.
, ,, ,
7. Kulutu na ngal azall kozlla
,, ,
My brother lS waltlng ror me
ngal na nzela. out on the street.
, , ,, ,
8. Atlkl ngal na nzela. He let me out at the road.
, , , ,
9. Atlkl bllamba na ndako. He lert the clothes at the
house.
, "" ,
10. Atlndell ngal bllamba na She sent me the clothes at
,
ndako. the house.
Pattern Drlll 1
, , , , , ,
1. Nazall komltuna sokoI mbula I wonder If lt'S ralnlng.
, , •
ezall konoko.
I ..
, , , , , ,
2. Nazall koml tuna soko akoyaa. I wonder If she's comlng.
, , ,
I
,
• ,
3. Naza11 komltuna mpo na nlnl I wonder why he came yesterday.
, , , ,
ayakl lobl.
200

, , , ,, ,
4. Nazall koml tuna epal azall. I wonder where he lS.
, , , , , ,
5. Nazall komltuna
,
soko
I I
azall I wonder who he lS.
nanl.
, , , ,, , ,
6. Nazall koml tuna epal natlkl I wonder where I put my keys.
,
mafungola.
, , , , , ,
7. Nazall komltuna
, , ,
ndenge nlnl I wonder how he got here.
akoml awa.
, , , , ,
8. Nazall komltuna ntangu nlnl I wonder when he'll get back.
,
akozonga.
, , , , , , ,
9. Nazall koml tuna soko ayebl I wonder If he knows where we
,, , I I
epal tozall. are.

, , , , ,
10. Nazall koml tuna soko aZWl I wonder If he recelved the
, I I
makanda. Ie tter.
GRAMMATJCAL DRILL 3
, "" ,
1. Mope amlsombell maSlnl The prlest bought hlmself a
I I
,
ya foto. camera.
, " , ,
2. MOpy abongoll makanda ya The prlest translated the
, ,
Angele na Falanse. letter from Engllsh to French.
, " , ,
3. Moyekwlsl abongoll mokanda The lnstructor translated the
, ,
ya Angele na Falanse. letter from Engllsh lnto
French.
, ,, ,
4· Moyekwlsl akwel na kltl. The lnstructor turned over In
hlS chalr.
, ,, ,
5. Mofutell akwel na kltl. The tenant turned over In hlS
chalr.
, , , ,, ,
6. Mofutell apeSl ngal mbCfng<; The tenant pald me the rent.
,
ya ndako.
201

UNIT 1 LINGALA
, , , ,, ,
7. Kablnda apeSl ngal mbongo
, I •
The carpenter pald me the rent.
ya ndako.
, , , , , ,
8. Kablnda abongolakl ebombell The carpenter turned the book-
,
ya buuku. case around.
, , , , , ,
9. BOl apupoll katl ya ebombell The houseboy dusted the lnslde
I ,.
ya buuku. of the bookcase.
, , , , ,
10. BOl apupoll llkolo ya The houseboy dusted the outslde
I , ,
ebombell ya basanl. of the chlna cablnet.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 4
, " , ,
1. Abongoll kawa na sukall. He stlrred sugar lnto hlS coffee.
2. ,
Monlka " " kawa na
abongoll Monlque stlrred sugar lnto her
,
sukall. coffee.
, , ,
3. Monlka allngl Iltambala na
,
Monlque wants a pagne and
Ilputa. kerchlef.
, ", ,
4· Lekl na ye aakosomba mpe
, ,
Her younger slster lS also
lltambala na Ilputa. gOlng to buy a pagne and
kerchlef.
Lekl na ye aakosomba mpe Her younger slster lS also gOlng
,
mbell
, ya kUku. to buy a butcher knlfe.
, , ,
6. Namlkatl monsal na mbell I cut my flnger wlth a butcher
, I
ya kuku. knlfe.
, ,
7. Namlkatl monsal na monoko
, I I I
I cut my flnger on the door.
ya ndako.
, , ,
B. Tokotlya mokobo ya mal ya We wlll palnt the door ag~ln.
, ,
mpondu
- I
na monoko
III
ya ndako.
, , ,
9. Tokotlya mokobo ya mal ya We are gOlng to dye the new
mP9nd~ na bllamba ya slka. dress green.
, , ,
10. Tokotlya mokobo ya mal ~ We are gOlng to dye the new
malala na bllamba ya slka. dresses orange.
202

GRAMMATICAL DRILL 5
1. Mama" moky ng y ll aakopusa

" The babysltter lS pushlng the
, , "
mwana moky na pusupusu. baby In the buggy.
, "" ,
2. Koko mwaSl aakopusa mwana The grandmother lS pushlng the
, "
m~ky na pusupusu. baby In the buggy.
, "" ,
3. Koko mwaSl aakolatlsa mwana
, ,
The grandmother lS dresslng
mokeI bl1amba. the baby.
, ", , ,
4· Tata mwaSl aakolatlsa mwana The (baby's) aunt lS dresslng
, ,
moky bl1amba. the baby.
, " "
Tata mwaSl aakolelsa mwana
,
The (baby's) aunt lS feedlng
,
moke.I
the baby.
6. ,
Kulutu ""
mwaSl aakolelsa The (baby's) older slster lS
, ,
mwana moke • feedlng the baby.
, , •, "
7. Kulutu mwasl akangl mwana
, ,
The (baby's) older slster took
moky :roto. a plcture of the baby.
, " ,
8. MOPy akangl mwana mokE( The prlest took the baby's
,
foto. plcture.
, ",
9. MOpE( azalakl kotanga The prlest was readlng today's
, ,
zulunalo ya ly19. paper.
, ",
10. Kablnda atongl ndako ya The carpenter who bUl1t our
, , " ,
blSU azalakl kotanga house was readlng today's
, ,
zulunalo ya lelo.I t
paper.
19.2 Compound Agent Nouns

, , ,, ,
Amlsombelaka epal ya bateklnyama.
I
/bat~klnyama/ lS a compound agent noun, meanlng 'meatsellers'.

The agentlve element lS flrst and the quallfylng noun second, e.g.,
/bat~klnyama/ lS I1terally 'sel1ersmeat', and /moluklnyama/, 'hunt-
er' lS 11terally 'searcheranlmal'. Both nouns ln thlS type of com-
pound have thelr class preflxes, slngular and plural, as the case
203

UNIT 19 LINGALA
may be. Such a compound noun 1S wrltten as a slngle word 1n th1s

manual, but regular orthography wr1tes two words.
19.3 Klnshlp Term1nology.

, " " , ,
Tata mwaSl aakole1sa mwana mOk y •
The system of class1fy1ng relat1ves used by speakers of
L1ngala 1S qU1te d1fferent from that used by speakers of Engl1sh.
Consequently, translat10n of k1nsh1p terms can only be approx1mated.
In the example above, iThe (baby's) aunt lS feed1ng the baby',
Itata, mwaSl
"1 corresponds only part1ally to 'aunt'. It means 'fa-
therts slster' and certa1n other female relatlves of one's father,
e.g., 'paternal grandfather's brother's daughter'.
One's mother's slster lS Imamsl l.e., 'mother', llkewlse
Itatal lS also 'father's brother.' There lS a spec1al term for
'ma ternal uncle', In9k91, (Cf. Dlalogue 6.)
There lS not suff1clent space ln thlS manual for a detalled
dlScusslon' of socla1 organ1zatlon and klnshlp termlnology. Inter-
ested students can read a standard anthropolog1cal work, such as
Murdock, G.P., Soclal structure, Macmlllan, New York, 1949.
204

Unlt 20
Baslc Sentences
-A-
'ambassade I embassy
, ,
1. Awa Ambassade ya Amerlque~ Is thlS the Amerlcan Embassy~
-B-
, , ,
2. Yango mpenza. Ookoluka Indeed lt lB. What do you
,
nlnl ~ want~
-A-
vlsa
,
mobembo, . ml- Journey, trlp
,, , ,
3. Nayel mpo na Vlsa. Nallngl l've come for a Vlsa. I want
, , ,
nak~ndy mobembo na Amerlque. to make a trlp to Amerlca.
-B-
, , "
4. Okende
I I
kosala nlnl kuna~ What do you lntend to do there?
-A-
, ,
5. Nakel koyekola. 1 m leavlng to go to school.
'
-B-
" , " , ,
6. OSlll omlkomlsl nkombo na Have you already been admltted
, ,
unlverslte oyo okokynd y ? to the unlverslty to WhlCh
you are gOlng'Z
-A-
7. ~Y' na Unlverslte ya Yes, at the Unlverslty of
Callfornla. Callfornla.
205

UNIT 20 LINGALA
-B-
,
8. ," , nlnl
Eloko okoyekola~ What are you gOlng to study?
-A-
,
9. SClences economlques. Economlcs.
-B-
, " , , ,
10. Mbula bonl okoumela kuna~ How many years are you gOlng
to stay~
-A-
, " ,
11. Mlnel too mltanu. Four or flve.
-B-
, , , ,
12. Nanl akofutela yoI kelasl, Who wlll pay for'youp school-
,
ba botl ~ lng, your parents?
-A-
,
'bourse d'etudes' scholarshlp
, , ,
13. Nazwakl bourse d'etudes na I have recelved a scholarshlp
,
gouvernement amerlcaln. from the Amerlcan Government.
-B-
,
, ,
-tondo to wlsh, hope, thank
,
mobembo, ml,'" trlp, Journey, voyage
,
o toward, to; at, In, on, by
, " ,
Malamu, naakotondo
I
yoI I
Flne, I hope you have a good
, " ,
rnobembo rnalamu 0 Arnerlque, trlp to Arnerlca, and study
, , , ,
rope oyekolaka rnakasl. hard.
-B-
, " ,
15. Melesl, otlkala rnalarnu,
, , , ,
Thanks, and goodby, In case
soko tokomonana 11SUSU we don't see each other
,I , I
teeI
agaln.
206

USEFUL PHRASES
,
Moyangell "
ya bankl "
atondlsl The bank manager had me flll
,, ,
ngal flSl. out some forms.
, " ",
Moyangell ya bankl atondlsell The bank manager fllled out
,, ,
ngal flSl. some forms for me.
, " " ,
Moyangell ya bankl apesl ngal The bank manager gave me some
, " ,
flSl mpo natondlsa. forms to flll out.
, , , ,
Ifo nazwa mbongo
I I
na bankl. I have to wlthdraw some money
from the bank.
" , ,,
Ifo nazwela mwana na ngal ya I have to get my son a dog.
, ,
moball mbwa.
" , ,,
Ifo nazwela mwana na ngal ya I have to get my daughter a
, , .' ,
mwaSl nkondoko.
I I I
ca t.
, , , " ,
Tolobakllobakl butu moblmba. We chatted all nlght.
, ", " ,
Totambolltamboll butu moblmba. We walked all nlght.
, , , , ,
Tobetlbetl
I I
makolo butu moblmba. We walked all nlght.
, " ,
Tokatl nzete ndambondambo. We cut the log up lnto pleces.
, , , ,
Tokatl nzete bltenlbltenl. We cut the log up lnto pleces.
" ,
Nakanakl nakende. I
I wlsh I could go.
, " , ,
Nakanlsakl mbula eekokatana I wlsh lt would stop ralnlng.
,
konoko.
I ,
" , ,
Nakanakl kosomba motuka na I wlsh I could have bought a
" ,
sanza elekl. car last month.
, "
Naakokana kosomba motuka na I wlsh I could buy a car next
" ,
sanza ekoyaa. month.
, , ,. ,
Naakokana nasomba motuka na I wlsh I could buy a car thlS
, ,
sanza oyo. month.
207

UNIT 20 LINGA LA
,
-yange1a to manage, admlnlstrate,
arrange
bank1 (banque) bank
f{Sl (flche) form, blank
ifo (11 faut) 1t 1S necessary to, one has to
has to
,
mbwa, m- dog
, ,
nkondoko, n- cat
r "
NOTES
20.1 /ifo/ plus SubJunt1ve

, , ,
. ,
Ifo nazwa mbongo, na bank1.
/ifo/, French, 11 faut', 'lt'S necessary to', 'one has to',
followed a L1ngala subJunct1ve occurs very frequently, as In the
sentence above, 'I have to w1thdraw money from the bank'. lebongil
I
and /ifo/ may be freely Substltuted for one another ln thlS type of
construct10n.
20.2. Redupl1cat10n for Intenslty

, , , " "
Tolobak1109ak1 butu mlngl.
The base of a stem may be redupllcated or doubled for lnten-
Slty, e.g., /tolobaki16baki/ 'we chatted', 'we talked and talked'.
In a redupl1cated stem, only the tone of the flrst syllable of the
flrst base lS flxed. Other syllables have tones as descrlbed ln
Note 2.2.
20.3 W1shes, Intent10ns, Plans

" ,
Nakanakl nakende
I I
WLShes, lntentlons, and plans are expressed by I-kana/ or
208

/-k~nlsa/, e.g., the sentence above translates, 'I have declded to

go " 'I w1 sh I coul d go', 'I Inte nd to go', 'I be lle vel w111 go I •
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 1
, , , , ,
1. Oyeb1 motu moko
I I
na AmerlqueCZ Do you know anyone In AmerlcaCZ
, , ,
2. Oyeb1 Ambassade ya AmerlqueCZ Do you know where the Amerlcan
Embassy lSCZ
, ,
3. Awa Ambassade ya Amer1queCZ Is th1S the Amerlcan EmbassyCZ
, , , , ,
4· Awa eSlka ya kobwaka m1kandaCZ Is thlS the post off1ceCZ
, " , ,
5. Azall eS1ka ya kobwaka mlkandaCZ Has he gone to the post offlceCZ
6. .-
Azall" kobong1sa b1loko
,
na mobembo.
..
" mpo
-
He lS packlng hlS thlngs for
a tr1p.
, , ,
7. Bamosusu bazal1 kobonglsa The others are packlng thelr
, , ,I
blloko
I I
rnpo na mobembo. bags.
, , ,
8. Bamosusu bazall mpemben1 The others are (Sltt1~) at
,
ya mesa. the table.
, " ,
9. MOnganga azal1 mpembenl The doctor lS (stand1ng) by
,
ya mesa. the table.
, "
10. Monganga azal1 kosallsa The doctor lS taklng care of
, ",
motu am1zok1sa~1. the man who hurt h1mself.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 2
1. I've Just f1n1shed my work.

" , , , ,,
2. Nasll1 kosala mosala na ngal. l've already flnlshed my work.
, , , , "
3• Nakel kosala mosala na ngal. I'm (Just) leavlng for work.
" , , ,,
4· Nakel kOSlllsa mosala na nga1. 1 ' m gettlng back to work. 1 ' m
gOlng to cont1nue worklng.
" , , ,,
5. Nazall kosll1sa mosala na nga1. I'm about to f1nlsh my work.
209

UNIT 20 LINGA LA
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 3
, , , ,
1. Naakoleka mpemben1 na ndako. I'm gOlng by (near) the house.
, ,
2. Naakoleka na kat1kat1 na I'm gOlng through the house.
,
ndako.
, ,
3. Naakob1ma na ndako. I'm com1ng out or the house.
,,, ,
4· Naakot1ka ndako. I'm gOlng away from the house.
", ,
5. Naakot1ka na ndako. I'm leav1ng 1t 1n the house.
, ,
6. Nake1 na ndako. I'm enter1ng the house. I'm
gOlng home.
7. ,
Nake1""0 ndako. I'm gOlng to(ward} the house.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 4
1. Azal1" " ,
0 eS1ka ya kobwaka He 18 at the post Orf1Ce.
,
m1kanda.
2. , """
Ak~nd~k1 0 eS1ka ya kobwaka
, He went to the post off1ce.
,
m1kanda.
, ", ,
3. Ak ynd y k1 0 zando. He went to the market.
, , ,
4· Nazal1 kOkynd y 0 zando. I'm on my way to the market.
, ,,,
5. Nazal1 kOkynd y 0 Amer1que. I'm gOlng to Amer1ca.
, ,
6. Nake1 na Amer1que. I'm leav1ng for Amer1ca.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 5
They named h1m Paul. H18

name 18 Paul.
, , , ,
2. Babeng1 ye Polo. They called h1m Paul (by
m1stake) .
"" , ,
3. Babeng1 b11~k~ na Mputu. They ordered some th1ngs from
Europe.
210

, , ,, ,
4· Babengl ngal na t yl yf»n
, ,
They phoned me from Europe.
na Mputu.
, , , , ,, , ,
5. Atylyfc;nakl ngal na Mputu. He phoned me from Europe.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 6
, , , " ,
1. Tolobakllobakl mlngl. We chatted a long tlme.
, ", " ,
2. Batambolltamboll mlngl. They walked a very long way.
, ", "
3. Batambolltamboll mokolo
I I I
They walked the whole day.
mobJ.mba.
, , ,
4· Motu asalakl mokolo
• I I
moblmba. The man workea all day.
, ,
5. Motu asalaka mlkc; 1 9 nYCfns7. The man worked every day.
, ,
6. Motu asalaka blfandell ya The man makes wooden chalrs.
, ,
mabaya.
7. "
Mwasl " "
amlsombell ,
blfandell The woman bought herself some
, ,
ya mabaya. wooden chalrs.
8,. "
Mwasl " "
amlsombell ,
sapato ya The woman bought herself some
slka. new shoes.
, , , ,
9. Apesl bango sapato ya slka. She gave them new shoes.
, , , ,
10. Apesl bango matambala ya She gave them some old head-
kala. scarfs.
Fa ttern Drlll 1
, , ,
1. Ebc;ngl nakynd y na aVl7. I have to go by plane.
, , ,
2. Ifo nakynd y na aVlO.
r
I have to go by plane.
, , , ,
3. Ifo nakende kokamata mwaSl I have to go get my wlfe who'll
,I I ,
akoyaa na aVlO.I
be arrlvlng by plane.
, ,
4· Eb9ngl nakyndE( kokamata
, " ,
I have to go get my wlfe who'll
mwaSl akoyaa na aVlO.r
be arrlvlng by plane.
211

UNIT 20 LING A LA
, " ,
5. Eb9ngl lobl na nt9ng9
, ,
He has to get up early tomorrow
alongwa na mP9ngl na mornlng.
, ,
ntangu malamu.
, " " ,
6. Ifo lobl na ntongo alongwa He has to get up early tomorrow
, ,
I I
,
na mP9ngl ntangu malamu. mornlng.
, " , ,
7. Ifo batondlsa flSl Ilboso They had to flll out some forms
if!::- kokEtndEt· before leavlng.
, " ,
8. Eb9ngl batondlsa flSl They had to flll out some forms
,
Ilboso ya kokende. , I
before leavlng.
, " ,
9. Eb9ng1 tobongola ly19 We have to plow the fleld today.
mabele" 0 llsala. "
, " , ,
10. Ifo
--
tobongola lelo
I I
mabele We have to plow the fleld today.
, "
o llsala.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 7
, " , ,
1. Nakanlsakl mbula eekokatana I wlsh lt would stop ralnlng.
,
konoko.
I I
, , , " ,
2. Nakanlsakl nakokakl kosomba I wlsh I could buy a new car.
,
mo tuka ya s lka .
3. "
Nakanakl "
nasomba ,
motuka I wlsh I could buy a new car.
ya slka.
" ,
Nakanakl nakende.
4· I I
I yvlsh I could go.
" , ,
5. Nakanakl kosomba motuka I wlsh I could have bought a
" ,
na sanza elekl. car last month.
, "
6. Naakokana kosomba motuka I wlsh I could buy a car next
" ,
na sanza ekoyaa. month.
, , , ,
7. NakanlSl akosomba motuka I thlnk he wlll buy a car next
" ,
na sanza ekoyaa. month.
212

, , , , ,
8. Nakanl.s 1. akoyaa na sanza I be1leve he's comlng next
,.
ekoyaa. month.
, , , ,. , ,
9. NakanJ.sakl skoyaa ns sanza I thought he was cOmlng last
,.
e1ekl. month.
,. , , , ,
10. Nakanlsakl akoyaa ntangu I W'lsh he had come when we
,. ,. ,.
tozalaka na Boma. Ilved at Boma.
213

UNIT 21 LINGALA
Unlt 21
Baslc Sentences
-A-
,, , ,
1. Ekomell na ngal ebungl. My pencll lS lost. Have you
"
Omonl
,
yango" te'Z
I
seen 1 t'Z
-B-
, " ",
2. Te, otlYl yango epal No, where dld you put It'Z
I ,
wapl'Z
-A-
, , , , ,
3. Na tlkakl yango llk010 I put lt on the table, but lt
, ,
ya mesa, kaSl slka lsn't there now.
, "
awa ezall tee
I
-B-
, , , ,
4· Omonl
I
na nse ya mesa'Z Dld you look under the table?
, ","
Ntangu mosusu ekwel Maybe lt fell off.
,
na nse.
-A-
, " , , ,
5. 00, yango wana. ElalI
, , ,
Oh, there lt lS. It's lylng
na nse ya mesa kaSl under the table next to the
, , ,
mpembenl ya ndako. wall.
-B-
-gumba to fold, bend, stoop

-lokota
I I I
to plck up, gahter, collect
214

, , , ,
6. Gumbama na nse olokoto
I I I
stoop down and plck It up. Who
" , are you waltlng for~
yango. Ookozlla nanl~
-A-
,, "" ,
7. Ekwel moslka nakoma tee
I
It's fallen way back.
" ", , ,
8. Yaka topusa mesa mpembenl. Come, let's move the table
sldeways.
-B-
,
-benda to draw/pull/move In/
out/up/off/over
, ,
9. Kende kolokoto nzete na Go get a stlck outslde to rake
I I
, " I I
, I
Ilbanda obenda ya It out wlth. I'm very tlred.

(y)ang 6. Nalymbi mingle
-A-
, , , " ,
10. Soko
I I
nanyakoll ndako na If I scratch the wall wlth the
, etall
nzete, ""
y~ yy. stlck, It's your responSl-
blllty.
-B-
, ,
nkoo, nko, n- lntent, mallce, purpose,
wlll
, , " ,
11. Boongo ookosala na nko~ Well, are you gOlng to do It
on purpose~
boye thus, so
, , , , ,
12. Soko boye, tlka yango If that's the case, let It
I I
, ,
epolo
I I
wana. rot there.
-A-
13. , " nlnl
Ndenge "
natlka~ Why should I get lt~
215

UNIT 21 LING A LA
I> I> I> I> ••
S9k1 boye, derlsa ngal If thatfs the case, lend me

,. ,,.
ekomell na yoI moko,
• I
one of yo~ penclls so I
,. ,. I> , ,. ,.
nasala mlsala na ngal. can do my homework.
-B-
, ,.
Kamatal Take oneJ
USEFUL PHRASES
,.
Ezall na efelo. Itrs on the wall.
,.
Ezall pynypyny ya efelo. Itrs near the wall.
,. ,.
Ezall katlkatl ya efelo. It's lnslde the wall.
,.,. ,.
Akatlsl zamba. He went through the forest.
,. ,.,. ,.
Atamboll na zamba. He took a walk outslde. Hers
gone huntlng.
,. ,.
Akel na zamba. He went lnto the lnterlor.
Hers gone huntlng.
,. ,. ,.
Benda mpema. Inhale.
,.,. ,.
Blmlsa mpema. Exhale.
,. ,.,.,. ,.,. ,. ,.
Tombala radlO otla mpembenl. Plck up the radlo and put
lt over there.
,.,. ,.
Fungola radlO. Turn the radlo on.
,. ,.
Kanga radlo. Turn the radlO off.
,. ,.
Kanga maSlnl ya kokauklsa Turn the clothes drler off.
,.
bllamba.
,.,. ,.
Fungola maSlnl ya kokauklsa Turn the clothes drler on.
,.
bllamba.
,.,. ,.
Pellsa mWlnda. Llght the lamp. Turn the
llght(s) on.
216

, ,
Boma mWlnda. EXtlngUlsh the lamp. Turn
the 11ght(s) off.
, , ,
Tlya prlse ya frlgo. Connect the refrlgerator.
" , , ,
Tlya moto
1 I
na 11tuka. Turn the stove on.
, ,
Tlya prlse. Connect the plug.
, ,
Longola prlse. Dlsconnect the plug.
, ,
Benda prlse. Dlsconnect the plug.
, , ,
Benda prlse ya frlgo. Dlsconnect the refrlgerator.
, "
Boma 11tuka. Turn the stove off.
efelo, bl- wall
near, close, by, agalnst
,
ka tlka tl ln between, In the mlddle/
center of
,
zamba woods, forest, Jungle;
lnterlor, outslde,
country
,
mpema, m- breath
,
-tombala to plck up, Ilft, carry
, ,
radlo, radlo radlo
-kauka, -kaoka to be(come) dry
frlg6 (frlgo) refrlgerator
, ,
II tuka, ma- three stones used to cook
on, cook stove
rprlse r plug (electrlca1)
21.1 Double Spatla1 Relatlonshlps

, , , " , , ,
Elall na nse ya mesa kasl mpembenl ya ndako.
When speclfylng the locatlon of obJects In re1atlon to two
other obJects, (1) a partlc1e such as /kasl/, 'but', or (2) a
217

UNIT 21' LINGALA
pause, 1,/, occurs between the two reference locatlons, or (3) one
reference locatlon lS In a subordlnate clause, e.g., (1) /E1ali na
ns~ ya m~sa kBSl mpemb~nl ya ndako/, 'It's lylng under the table
(but) next to the wall. " (2) /Elali na ns~ ya m~sa, mpemb~ni ya
ndako/, 'It's lylng under the table (,) next to the wall'. or (3)
/Blzalaki l1kola ya b~uku ayo ezalaki 11kola ya m~sa./, 'They were
on the book (WhlCh lS) on the table. '
21.2 Partltlve
, ,
.
" ,
, , ,
moko, na katl na blnu.
,
mlbale na katl na bango
I ... na
katl na/ya ••• / lS a partltlve constructl0n, 1.e.~lt
' , ,
, , na katl
refers to some or part of a group or whole, e.g., I moko
na binu/, 'one of you', /mibal~ na katl na bango/, 'two of them'.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 1
,, , ,
1. Ekomell na ngal ebungl. My pencl1 lS lost.
, " ,
2. Mwana ya moball abungl. The boy lS lost.
, , ,,
3. Mwana ya moball akwel.
,
The boy fell off the bed.
na mbetu.
, ,
4· . Ekomell ya mal y8 mokanda
,, ,
The pen fell off the bed.
ekwel na mbetu.
, ,
5. Ekomell ya mal ya mokanda
,, , ,
The pen fell under the table.
ekwel na nse ya mesa.
, ,, ,
6. Mokanda ekwel na nse ya The letter fell under the table.
,
mesa.
, , , ,
7· Mokanda eutl na tata. The letter lS from my father.
, " ,
8. MbSng9 eutl na tata. The money lS from my father.
9. There lsn't enough money.
, "
10. Mal ekokl tE(. There lsn't enough water.
218

GRAMMATICAL DRILL 2
, , , ,
1. Ezal~ na nse ya k~ t~ kas~ It's under the cha~r next to
, , ,
mpemben~ ya ndako. the wall.
, " ,
2. Ezal~ na nse kas~ na kat~ It's on the floor between the
, , ,
ya mesa m~bale. two desks.
, , , ,
3. B~zalak~ na nse kas~ na They were on the floor between
, " ,
kat~ ya mesa m~bale. the two tables.
, , , , ,
4. B~zalak~
, ,
l~kolo
,
ya buuku oyo
,
They were on the book on the
ezalak~ l~kolo ya mesa. table.
, , , , ,
5. Nat~yak~ yango l~kolo ya I put them on the book on the
" , , ,
buuku oyo ezalak~ l~kolo table.
,
ya mesa.
, , , , ,
6. Nat~yak~ yango na kat~ ya I put them ~n the book by the
, , , ,
buuku oyo ezalak~ telephone.
,
pynypyny ya tylyf»n.
, , , ,
7. Nazwak~ yango na ka t~ ya I found ~t ~n a book by the
, , , ,
buuku oyo ezalak~ telephone.
,
pynypyny ya tE(lefon.
I I
" " , ",

8. Nazwak~ yango epa~ ot~kak~. I found ~t when you left ~t.
" ,, ",
9. Ezal~ na~nu epa~ ot~kak~. It's st~ll where you left ~t.
10. " na~nu l~kolo"

Ezal~ ya mesa It's st~ll ~n the dln~ng room
, ,
na eten~ ya kol~a. on the ta ble •
Fa ttern Dr~ll 1
, , ,
1. Ekomel~ elal~ na nse ya The penc~l ~s under the table.
,
mesa.
, , ,
2. Ekomel~ elal~ na l~kolo The penc~l ~s on the table.
,
ya mesa.
, ,
3. Ekomel~
,
elal~ na ns~ma ya The pencll ~s behlnd the table.
mesa.
219

UNIT 21 LING A LA
, , ,
4. Ekomell elall
,
na Ilboso The pencll lS In front of the
ya mesa. table.
, " , ,
5. Ekomell elall
,
na mpembenl The pencll lS lylng near the
ya mesa. table.
, " ,
6. Ekomell elall na nsuka ya The pencll lS lylng at the edge
,
mesa. of the table.
, ,
7. Ekomell elall
,
pynypyny na The pencll lS lylng (rlght) by
mesa. the table.
8. "
Ekomell "
elall "
moslka na The pencll lS a long way from
,
mesa. the table.
" ", ,
9. Ekomell elalell mesa. The pencll lS leanlng agalnst
the table.
, , ,
10. Ekomell ezall na katl ya The pencll lS In the table.
,
mesa.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 3
, , , "
1. Balokotl
I , I
nzete na Ilbanda They plcked up a stlck outslde
,
mpo na kobenda ekomell. to rake the pencll out wlth.
2. "
Kamata nzete, na Ilbanda"
Get a stlck outslde to rake the
, ,
mpo na kobenda ekomell. pencll out wlth.
, , ,,
3. Kamata ekomell na ngal Take one of my penclls to do
, , , , ,
moko
I I
osala na yango.
- -
your work wlth.
(Take pencll of me on~ you work
Wl th 1 t. )
, ,, "
4· Zwa ekomell na ngal moko
, , , I •
Take one of my penclls to do
osala na yango. your homework wlth.
, , "
5. Zwa oyo nalobl na yo. Take what I told you.
", " ,
6. Bosala oyo nalobl na blnu. Do what I told you.
, , , , "
7. Bosala mosala na blnu Do the work before nlght falls.
Ilboso, mollll
" "ekweya.
220

, " ,
8. Ebo,.ngl moko na ka tl na One of you has to flnlsh the
, , , ,
- ' I , ,
blnu aSlllsa mosala work before nlght falls.
, , #" ,
llboso mollll ekweya 4
, " ,
9. Ebongl moko na kat1- na One of you has to flnlsh the
I , , , ,
I I ,
blnu aSlllsa mosala JOb before the sun rlses.
, , ,
llboso mOl eblma.
, ,,, ,
10. Ifo mlbale na katl na Two of them have to flnlsh
" " , ,
bango baslllsa mosala the JOb before the sun
, , ,
Ilboso mol. eblma. comes up.
Pa ttern Dr1-l1 2
, , , ,,
1. Yaka kosallsa ngal Come help me move the table
, ,
nalongola mesa. out.
, , , , ,,
2. Yaka osallsa ngal Come help me move the table
, ,
nalongola mesa. out.
, , , ,,
3. Yaka kobendlsa ngal
,
Corne help me move the trunk.
sanduku.
, , , , ,,
4· Yaka obendlsa ngal Come help me move the trunk.
,
sanduku.
, , , ,,
5. Yaka kofwandlsa ngal. Corne over for a chat. Come
over and keep me company.
, ", ,,
6. Yaka ofwandlsa ngal. Come over for a chat. Corne
over and keep me company.
, , , ,,
7. Yaka kogumblsa ngal
, ,
Come help me fold the sheets.
bllamba ya mbetu.
, , , , ,,
8. Yaka ogumb1.sa nga1.
, ,
Come help me fold the sheets.
b1.lamba ya mbe"bu.
, , , , ,
9. Yaka togumba b1.lamba Come, let's fold the sheets.
,
ya mbetu.
, , , , ,
10. Yaka tobenda sanduku. Come, let's move the trunk.
221

UNIT 21 LINGALA
Fa t tern Dr III 3
, , ,
1. Ezall llkolo ya mesa, It's on the table next to the
,
pynypyny ya taSl. cup.
, , , ,
2. Ezall llkolo ya mesa, kasl It's on the table next to the
,
pynypyny ya taSl. cup.
, ,
3. Ezall na mabele, pynepene
, I I I
It's on the floor by the door.
ya monoko
I I I
ya ndako.
, , "
4· Ezall na mabele, kaSl It's on the floor by the door.

pynypyn , y ya m9n9k9
ya ndako.
, , ,
5. Ezall llkolo ya mesa, na
, , "
It's on the table between the
katl 1a buuku mlbale. books.
, , , ,
6. Ezall llkolo ya mesa, kaSl It's on the table between the
, , "
na katl ya buuku mlbale. books.
, ,
7. Ezall na katl 1a llnzanza,
, ,
It's In a box under the bed.
na nse 1a mbetu.
, ,
8. Ezall na katl ya llnzanza, It's In a box under the bed.
, , ,
kasl na nse ya mbetu.
, , ,
9. Ezall na katl 1a sanl, It's on a plate In the wlndow.
, ,
llkolo 1a llnlnlsa.
, , ,
10. Ezall na katl ya sanl, It's on a plate In the wlndow.
, , ,
kasl llkolo ya llnlnlsa.
222

Unlt 22
BaSlc Sentences
-A-
, , ,
1. OtOblSl oyo ezall kokynd y Where lS thlS bus gOlng"
,
wapl"
-B-
, , ,
2. Marensa. Ollngl okynd y To Marensa. Where do you
,
wapl" want to go"
-A-
;; , , , ,
3. Klmwenza. Sako nakamatl To Klmwenza. If I take lt,
, I , I ,
yango nakokoma tE(" won't I get there"
-B-
, , " ,
4. Okokoma, kasl nokl
I ,
te,
I
mpo You'll get there, but not fast
okoklta mbala mlngl na because you'll (have to)
,
nzela. change busses several tlmes
on the way.
-A-
, "
5. OtOblSl mosusu oyo ek~ndyky
, , ,
Is there another bus that
mbala moko na Klmwenza goes dlrectly to Klmwenza"
, I I
ezall"
-B-
, , " "
6. Soko ollngl oyo wana, If you want that one, you'll
I I
,
okoz11a mwaa ngonga (have to) walt qUlte a
, ", , ,
mlngl na eSlka otylyml. whlle where you are standlng.
-A-
, , ,
7·. Oka n1S 1 ngonga bonl" How long do you thlnk"
223

UNIT 22 LING A LA
-B-
, ,
#I-
, ,
8. Nayebl te, mpo OtOblSl I don't know because a bus
, , • , ,
moko ya Klmwenza elekl to Klmwenza went by Just
•, • ,
mwaa slka oyo. a moment ago.
-A-
, " ," ,
9. Yeblsa ngal nalnu, OtOblSl Tell me, lS the lnterlor of
,".
ezalaka mpe malamu na thlS bus clean?

,
katl?
-B-
, , , ,
10. Ezall malamu, mabe nde It's clean, only there's lots
, ,
makylyl y mlDgl. of nOlse.
-A-
, , ,, ,
11. Longwa awa tll na Klmwenza From here to Klmwenza how many
, , ,
baarrets blzall bonl? stops are there?
-B-
,
mpamba free, worthless, only,
wlthout reason, valn
" , , ,
12. Nakanlsl IDlbale too I belleve only two or three.
, , ,
mlsatu mpamba.
-A-
, ,,. " " "
13. Talela ngal nalnu kuna, Look over there, lsn't that
, ", ,
oyo wana bus ya Klmwenza~ the bus to KlmWenza?
-B-
,
maklla blood; fate, destlny
, "
Ozall na maklla malamu You're In luck today, It'S
,
lelo,
,
. ,,,.,,
yango wana bus
,
ya K1.mwenza.
the Klmwenza bus.
224

USEFUL PHRASES
,, , , , ,
Epa1 Wap1 bazwaka taks1~ Where lS the tax1 stand~
,, , , ,
Epa1 wap1 gare ya otOb1S1 ezal1~ Where lS the bus sta t1on~
,, , , ,
Epa1 wap1 gare ya maS1n1 ezal1 ~ Where lS the tra 1n s ta t1on~
,, , , , , ,
Epa1 wap1 11banda ya aV10I ezal1'l Where lS the a1rport'l
,, , , , , ,
Epa1 wap1 11bongo ya masuwa ezal1'l Where lS the ferry cross1ng'l
Where lS the harbor'l
, , , , ,
T1ya k1t1 ya b1bende na balasan1. Put the metal cha1rs on the
veranda.
, , , , , , ,
T1ya k1t1 ya nkekele
I I I
na balasan1. Put the w1cker cha1rs on the
veranda.
, , , , , ,
T1ya ekolo
I I
ya nkykyl y na balasan1. Put the basket on the porch.
, , , ,
Maso akotobola
I I
ndyl y Iln1n1sa na The mason w1Il cut a wlndow
efelo. 1n the wall some t1me In
the future.
Maso" "
akotobola ,
Iln1n1sa na efelo The mason w1II cut a w1ndow ln
I I ,
mokolo
I I I
nS1ma ya lob1.
I
the wall the day after tomor-
row.
Maso" "
akotobola ,
Iln1n1sa na efelo The mason w1II cut a w1ndow 1n
I I , ,
nS1ma ya m1kolv
I I
m1satu. the wall three days from now.
(See Note 22.2.)
" " " " Iln1n1sa
Maso, atobolak1 , na efelo The mason cut a wlndow In the
, , I, ,I ,
lob1lob1 elek1. wall the day before yesterday.
, "",,, ,
Maso atobolak1 Iln1n1sa na efelo The mason cut a wlndow In the
I I , , ,
m1kolo
I I
m1satu m1lek1. wall three days ago.
, , ,
Lokoto
I I I
rna toko.
I I
P1ck up the sleeplng mats.
, , ,
Lokoto
I I I
nkon1. Gather some flrewood.
, , , ,
Lokoto
t I I
blten1 ya tala tala. Plck up the pleces of the
m1rror.
225

UNIT 22 LINGALA
,
taks 1 ( taXl) taxlca b
garae s ta tlon
, ,
Ilbongo, ma- shore, quay, wharf, dock
,
balasanl veranda, porch; hat brlm
, , ,
nkykyl y , n- cane, reed, llana, wlckerwork
mas~ (ma9on) mason, brlcklayer
, ,
-tobolo
I I I
to plerce, puncture; speak 111
of someone
,
ndylE( some tlme, In the future
, ,
Iltoko, ma- mat, sleeplng mat
,I I
nkonl, n- flrewood
,
tala tala mlrror, pane of glass, spectacles,
lamp, ch1mney
NOTES
22.1 /longw~ ~wa tii na Klmw~nza/
Revlew Notes 8.9 and 9.5
22.2 /nslma ya m~kolo

I I
mis~tu/
The meanlng of the above phrase lS amblguouS. The speaker
on whose speech thlS manual lS based uses thlS phrase only In the
sense, 'three days from now', but many persons use thlS phrase to
mean 'two days from now'.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 1
, , ,
1. OtoblSl oyo ekokynd y wapl~ Where 1S thlS bus gOlng~
2.
" ,
OtOblSl oyo ekoteleme na ThlS bus lS gOlng to Marensa.
, I I I
Marensa.
" ,
3. Otob1Sl oyo ekokoma na
,
ThlS bus wlll take you to
Klmwenza. Klmwenza.
, , , ,
4· Nakama tl bus na Klmwenza. I took the bus to Klmwenza.
, , , , ,
5. Nakama tl bus mbala mako.
I I
I took the bus (only) once.
,
6. Okotylymy na arret mbala The bus wlll stop (only) once.
, ,
moko.
I I
226

7. "
Soko "
okamatl ,
yango, If you take that one, you'll
1 I - -
okot~leme
I , I
na arret. stop only once (l.e., you
get off at the second bus
stop. )
, , " , ,
8. Soko okamatl yango, okokoma If you take thls one, you'll
,
, ,
I
nokl.
---+-
get there qUlckly.
, , " "
9. S~k~ ollngl oyo wana, If you take that one, you'll
, ,
okokoma nokl.
I
get there fast.
, , " " ,
10. Sako Ollngl oyo wana, ezall If you take that one, lt's O.K.
I I
, " ,
malamu mabe nde mak~l~l~. but there's a lot of nOlse.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 2
, , , ,
1. Okanlsl ngonga bonl~ How long do you thlnk lt wl11 be~
, , ,
2. Okanlsl arrets ya OtoblSl How many stops do you thlnk the
"
blzall, bonl~ bus makes~
, ,
3· Arrets ya otOblSl blzall How many stops are there on the
, , ,
bonl na Klmwenza~ way to Klmwenza~
, , "
4· Okotonga ndako mlsatu
,
You are gOlng to bUl1d three
na Klmwenza. houses at Klmwenza.
, , " "
5. Okotonga ndako mlsatu --t--+
soko If you buy the ground where
, , " ",
osombl eSlka otylrml. you are standlng, you can
bUl1d three houses on It.
, , '.' ,
6. OkomlYlblsa bl1oko
------'-"-------+1--+1
soko
"
If you buy that place, you'll
, , " ",
osombl eSlka oteleml.
1
be the cause of your thlngs
belng stolen yourself. (l.e.,
knowlng the danger of theft
there, you would be foollSh
to make lt easy for thleves.)
, , " ,
7. , , , ,
OkomlYlblsa bl1oko, soko
........-.... If you go lnto the house, you'll
akotl
1
na ndako. be responslble for anythlng
tha t 's stolen.
227

UNIT 22 LINGALA
, "
8. Okolobaloba mlngl soko Ir he goes lnto the house, you'll
, , , - l '
akotl
t
na ndako. talk and talk.
, ,
9. Okolobaloba mlngl ntangu yourll complaln a lot when he
,
akokende
I I
na Amerlque. goes to Amerlca.
, ,
10. Ntangu akokende
I 1,
na Amerlque {r you go to Amerlca, I'll be
nakozala malamu. all rlght.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 3
, , ,
1. Motu ya kablnda akatl The carpenter cut a notch In
" , ,
mwaa etenl ya llbaya. the wood.
, , ,
2. Motu ya kablnda alongoll The cablnetmaker cut out a notch
" , ,
mwaa ndambo ya Ilbaya. In the wood.
, , ",
3. Motu moko
, I I
alongoll mwaa
, ,
Someone cut out a notch In the
ndambo ya Ilbaya. wood.
, , , " ,
4· Motu moko
I I
arungolakl
-
,
maSlnl Someone turned on the washlng
ya kosukola bllamba. machlne.
, , " ,
5. Motu m9k9 akangakl maSlnl
,
Someone turned orr the washlng
ya kosukola bllamba. machlne.
" ,
6. MobonglSl akangakl maSlnl The repalrman turned ofr the
I
,
ya kosukola bllamba. washlng machlne.
7. MobonglSl "
akatlsl "
Ilsala The repalrman crossed the
I ,
na mbangu. rleld on the run.
8. Mbwa, ekatlsl
" "
llsala na The dog crossed the fleld In
,
mbangu. a hurry.
" ,
9. Mbwa elalaka na nse ya The dog sleeps under the house.
,
ndako.
" ,
10. Mbwa elalaka na katl ya The dog sleeps between the houses.
, , ,
ndako mlbale.
228

GRAMMATICAL DRILL 4
,. ,. ,. ,. ,. ,.
1. T1.ya k1.t1. ya nkekele
• • I
na Put the w~cker cha1.rs on the
~
balasan1. • porch.
,. ,. ,. ,. ,.
2. Tlya k1.t1. ya mabaya na Put the wooden cha1.rs 1.n the
,.
kuku. kltchen.
, ,. ,
3. Maso akotobola
, , .
udele
,. •
11.n1.n1.sa na kuku.
The mason w1.11 cut a w1.ndow 1.n
the k1.tchen some t1.me later
1.n the future.
,. ,. ,
4· Maso akot9b91a ndyl y
,. ,.
The mason w~ll cut a w1ndow
Ilnlnlsa na ndako ya In the d~nlng room one of
,.
kal1.a. these days.
,. ,,.
Tanda mat~k~ nY9ns~ na Spread all the mats In the
,. ,.
ndako ya kolla. dln1ng room.
, ,.,.
6. Tanda matoko nyonso
, t.
mOl mpo makauka.
,.
~
I t
na Spread all the mats 1.n the su
sun to dry.
,. ,., "
7. BOl atlk1 matoko
,. ,,. t t I
I
nyonso The house boy left all the
na mo1. mpo makauka. mats 1n the sun to dry.
, ,." ,. , ,.
8. B91 at1k1 mesa ya nk¥k¥ly The boy left the w1cker table
,. ,
na 11banda. Qutslde.
,. ,." ,,.,
9. Nan~ at1k1. mesa ya nkekele Who left the wlcker table
,. ,. . I • •
na llbanda'? outslde'?
,. ,.,., ,.
10. Nan1. atlkl. mesa ya bl.bende Who left the metal table
,. ,.
na 11banda" outslde"
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 5
,.
1. Lelo
••
mokolo
I I,. 1
ya kosukola Today 1S wash day.
b1lamba.
,.
2. Lela
• I ,.
mokolo
'It
ya kobo.nglsa .~
Today 1S housecleanlng day.
ndako.
229

UNIT 22 LINGALA
, , , , ,
3. Bana ya mosala bab~nglsl
,
The domestlcs stralghtened up
ndako. the house.
, ",
4· Bana ya mosala baakopasola The domestlcs are Spllttlng
,
nkOnl. flrewood.
, , , ,
5. Andele aakopasola nkonl. Andre Spllttlng flrewood.
, " , ,
6. Andele aZllakl tata Andre was waltlng for the boss
, , ,
akyndEj mosala. to leave for work.
, , , , ,
7. Andele na Alobe baZllakl
, , , ,
Andre and Albert are waltlng
tata akynd y na mosala. for the boss to leave for
work.
, " ,
8. Andele na Alobe baakoblmlsa Andre and Albert are brlnglng
, , ,
kltl na mesa na llbanda. the table and chalrs outslde.
, , ,
9. Batongl ndako baakoblmlsa The masons are brlnglng the
, , , ,
kltl na mesa na Ilbanda. table and chalrs outslde.
, , "
10. Batongl ndako baakoyoka The masons are too hot.
, , ,
molunge mlngl na nzotu.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 6
" , ,
1. Mwana oyo azall na maYyl y ThlS Chlld lS mentally retarded.
, ,
mokuse.
, , " ,
2. Mwana oyo aakokombo I I
talatala The Chlld lS wlplng the mlrror
, "
na etenl ya elamba. wlth a plece of cloth.
, ,, , ,
3. Kulutu na ngal aakokombo
, , I I
My slster lS wlplng the mlrror
tala tala na etenl ya wlth a plece of cloth.
,
elamba.
, ,, , ,
4· Kulutu na ngal azalaka na My brother used to have a black
, ,
motuka ya mWlndu. automoblle.
, ", ,
5. Mokombl
I ,
balabala azalaka
,
The streetcleaner used to have
na motuka ya mWlndu. a black automoblle.
230

, " ,
6. Mokombl balabala azall na The road repalrman was lucky
I
, , ,
maklla malamu lelo. I I
today.
, " ,
7. Lekl na ye azall na maklla
, ,
Your brother was lucky today.
malamu lyl~.
, , , ,
8. Lekl na ye a10ngo11 Your slster took off the
, ,
bo1angltl na bl1amba blanket and all the bed
, ,
ny~ns~ ya mbetu. clothes.
" " , ,
9. Nayebl t y nanl alongoll I don't know who took off the
, ,
bolangltl na bllamba blankets and all the bed
nY9ns~ ya mb~tu. clothes.
" , ,,
10. Nayebl t y epal ya gare I don't know where the traln
, ,
ya maslnl ezall. sta tlon lS.
231

UNIT 23 LINGALA
Un 1. t 23
Bas1.c Sentences
-A-
Where have the chlldren gone~
-B-
, ,
2. Bakel na eteyolo kosakana They have gone to school to
,
na ndembo. play soccer.
-A-
" " , ,
3. Soko tole1. mabe~ Mpo Suppose we eat, that'd be all
I I , ,,
, , epaJ..
nazal1. kokande r1.ght, wouldn't 1.t? Because
I'm g01.ng somewhere.
-B-
Where~
-A-
,
Nzambe God
, ,
Ndako-Nzambe church
,
-longana to marry, get marrled
(Chr1.st1.an r1.te)
, , ,
5. Na}1.ngl nakende
, I , I
na Ndako-
,
I want to go to the church to
Nzambe kotala bolongan1. be present at the marr1.age
" ,,
ya mon1.nga na ngal Mlchel. of my fr1.end M1.chel.
-B-
,
- balana to marry, get marr1.ed
( tradl tlonal)
6. Are they gett1.ng marr1.ed today?
232

-A-
, , ,
7. Lelo
I ,
koJ na mpokwaJ Yes 1ndeed, th1S afternoon.
-B-
", , , ,
8. SOk1 bana bazalak1 awa, If the ch1ldren were here, we
I
, " , ,
nde toke1 b1SU m1bale. would go together.
, , ,
9. M1chel bango na mwaS1 na M1chel and h1S w1fe really love
, "" ,
ye bal1ngan1 m1ng1 mpenza. each other.
-A-
, " ,
10. Ezal1 ya sooloJ Bol1ngo That's true. They have loved
,I I "I ,
na bango euta bomwana. each other Slnce Ch1ldhood.
-B-
, ,
11. NS1ma ya Ndako-Nzambe, After (hav1ng been at) the
, ,
bokokende
I I
kob1na wap1~ church, where are you gOlng
to dance~
-A-
, , ,
12. Nakan1s1 na ndako ya M1chel. I bel1eve at M1chel's house.
-B-
, , , ,
13. Ozongaka ntangu malamuJ Come home at a reasonable hour.
USEFUL PHRASES
, "
Mamel0
, I
azal1 kosambela. The nun lS praY1ng.
, , ,
Mamyl~ azal1 kotanga buuku The nun lS read1ng (from) the
,
ya b1sambo. prayerbook.
, ", "
Mamyl~ alat1 sutan1 ya mpymb y • The nun lS wear1ng a long
wh1te robe.
, " ,
MopeI aakobal1sa balongan1. The pr1est lS marrY1ng the
couple.
233

UNIT 23 LINGALA
, " ,
Pastyl y aakoballsa balonganl. The mlnlster lS marrylng the
couple.
, , , ,
Lopete
I , I
ya mallasl ezall ya The weddlng rlng lS made out
mbongo.
I I
of slIver.
, , , ,
Lopyt y ya bolonganl ezall The weddlng rlng lS made out
,
ya wolo. of gold.
,
ZUZl "
apesl bango" ndlnglsa ya The Judge gave them a dlvorce.
,
koboma llbala.
, , , , ,
ZUZl apesl bango nzela ya The Judge gave them a dlvorce.
,
koboma llbala.
, , ,
Azall mokrlstu ya mopy. He lS Cathollc.
, , , ,
Azall mokrlstu ya mlsY9 nl • He lS Protestant.
, , ,
Azall mokrlstu ya ngelesa. I I
He belongs to the Salvatlon
Army.
, ,
Azall mopagano. He lS a pagan.
, , ,
Nganga nklsl aakoblklsa motu The medlclne man heals people.
,
ya malall.
, ,
Nganga nklSl aakobengana The medlclne man chases away
,
badlabolo. the eVll splrlts.
, , ,
Nganga nklsl anoklsl
I
mbula. The medlclne man made lt raln.
, " ,
Tombola moslkltele.
I I
Put up the mosqulto nettlng.
, " ,
Kangaka moslkltele.
I I
Always keep the mosqulto
nettlng closed.
, , , ,
Nabotaml na Zavle. I was born In January.
, , , ,
Nabotaml na Fevlle. I was born ln February.
, , , ,
Nabotaml na Malasl. I was born ln March.
, , , ,
Nabotaml na Aprlll. I was born ln Aprll.
, , , ,
Nabotaml na Mal. I was born In May
234

, , , ,
Nabotam~ na Yun~. I was born ~n June.
, , , ,
Nabotam~ na YulJ.. I was born ~n July.
, , , ~
NabotamJ. na AugustJ.. I was born J.n August.

, , , ,
Nabotam~ na Setembe. I was born ~n September.
, , , ,
NabotamJ. na Okotobe. I was born J.n October.
, , , ,
NabotamJ. na Novembe. I was born ~n November.
, , , ,
Nabotaml. na Desembe. I was born J.n December.
,
mamylo (ma mere) nun
,
-samba to plead
,
-sambela to plead for someone;
pray; perform/conduct
relJ.gJ.ous serVJ.ces
,
esambo, bJ.- prayer
sutanJ. (soutane) cloth (clergy); cassock
,
- balJ.sa to marry, gJ.ve J.n
marr~age, perform a
marrJ.age ceremony
, ,
pastyl y (pasteur) mJ.n~ster,clergyman
(Protestant)
,
malJ.as~ (mar~age) marrJ.age
, ,
bolonganJ., bolonganJ., ma- marr~age (ChrJ.stJ.an
rJ.te)j marr~ed person
,
wolo gold
, ,
zuzJ., zuze (Juge) JUdgeJ court, tr~bunal
,
lJ.bala, ma- marrJ.age (trad~tJ.onal)
, ,
mokrJ.stu, monkrJ.stu, ba-
misy~n~ (m~ssJ.on) mJ.ssJ.onary, clergyman
(Protestant)
235

UNIT 23 LINGALA
Protestant, Salvat10n Army

,
mopagano, ba- pagan
nganga, ba- a spec1al1st, master of trade;
nat1ve doctor; one who con-
ducts rel1g10us serV1ces
-benga to follow, hunt, chase, pursue;
approach, go to; to be on the
p01nt of
,
d1abolo, ba-
,
mos1k1tE(1E(, m1- mosqu1to nett1ng
(moust1qua1re)
NOTES
23.1 Suggest1ve Cohortatlve

" ,, ,
Soko
I I
tole1 mabe1
Is~k61
I I
and the 1mmedlate past mark a suggest1ve cohortat1ve,
WhlCh usually translates, 'Suppose ••• " e.g., /S?k9 tOlel mabe~ 'I,
'Suppose we eat, that'd be all r1ght, wouldn't 1t~'
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 1
1.
, "
Mwana ake1 wap11 Where has the chlld gone~
, , ,
2. Mwana akel koteya na The boy has gone to teach at
,
eteyelo. the school.
, ,
3. Molak1s1 aakoteya na
,
The 1nstructor 1S teach1ng
eteyelo. the school.
" ,
4. Molak1s1 aakolongana ly19
, ,
The 1nstructor 1S gett1ng
na Ndako-Nzambe. marr1ed at the church today.
236

, , " ,
5. Ban1nga baakolongana lelo
, , I I
My fr1ends are gett1ng
na Ndako-Nzambe. marr1ed at the church today.
" , ,
6. Ban1nga bakozonga na ntangu My fr1ends won't get back
,
malamu. too la te.
7. Tata" akozonga na ntangu
, My father w1ll get back
,
malamu. fa1rly early.
, ,
8. Tata akokynd y kob1na na My father lS gOlng to dance
,
ndako ya M1chel. at M1chel's.
, ,
9. Balongan1 bakokynd y kob1na The marr1ed couple(s) w1ll
,
na ndako ya M1chel. dance at M1chel's house.
, , " ,
10. Balongan1 bazong1 0 mboka. The husband and w1fe went
to the1r v1llage.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 2
, ", ,
1. Nasombel1 ndako Ilfungola I bought a new key for the
ya slka. house.
, " ,
2. Nasombel1 bab1n1 masanga. I bought the dancers some
dr1nks.
, , ,
3. Tozal1 kopesa bab1n1 masanga. We are glVlng the dancers
some dr1nks.
, , ,-
4. Tozal1 kopesa balongan1
,
We are glv1ng the couple
bosal1S1. ass 1stance.
, , ,
5. Tozal1 kosenga llfuta na
,
We are ask1ng the purchasers
basomb1. for payment.
, , , ,
6. TOUt1 kosenga Ilfuta na We have Just asked the
,
basomb1. purchasers for payment.
, , , , ,
7. Tout1 kopesa ye llyeb1sa. We have come to glve h~ a
not1ce.
237

UNIT 23 LINGALA
, , ,
8. MOtOngl ya ndako azall The contractor lS gOlng to glve
, .' ,
kopesa ye llyeblsa. hun the notlce.
, , ,
9. Motongl ya ndako azall na The bUllder has a wooden ladder.
, , ,
ebutell ya mabaya.
, , ,
10. Moboml azalakl na ebutell The assaSSln had a wooden ladder.
, ,
ya mabaya.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 3
, ,
1. Akozala kotombala moslkltyl y He'll put up the mosqulto net-
, , ,
llkolo llboso ya kolala. tlng before gOlng to sleep.
, , , ,
, , ,
2. Tokangaka
- moslkltele llkolo We closed the mosqulto nettlng
,
Ilboso ya kolala. before gOlng to bed.
" , ,
3. Tokangaka mab~k~ ntangu We crossed our arms when he had
"
azwaka ll.kama. " an accldent. (l.e., we dld not
glve hlm any asslstance.)
, , , "",
4. Bango mlbale bamlpesanaka
, , , ,
He alded the person ('they
maboko,, ,, ntangu azwaka mutually gave hands') who
llkama. had an accldent.
, , " , ""
5. Bango mlbale bamlpesanaka They promlsed to wrlte to each
monoko Ilboso" bakabwana. " other after they separated.
• , I
, ", ,,
6. Tata apesaka ngal monoko , I I
My father gave me some advlce
Ilboso" tokabwana~ " before we separated.
, ", ,, "
7. Tata apesaka ngal. mwaSl
,
My father obtal.ned a wlfe for
ya kobala. me.
, , , ,
8. Ata ndyl y nakozwa mwaSl I wlll get marrled sooner or
,
ya mobala. later.
, ,
9. Ata ndyl y nakozwa bokonzl Sooner or later I'll have the
, , ,
na mboka na blSU. power In our country.
, , ,
10. Nde y~ mokonzl na mboka Are you the chlef of state of
, ,
na blSU'l our coutltryez
238

GRAMMATICAL DRILL 4
,
1. Nakom~ chec. I wrote a check.
, "
2. Na tondls 1 chec. I fllled out a check.
, " ,
3. Natlndell ye chec. I sent hlm a check.
, " ,
4. Natlndl ye na bankl. I sent hlm to the bank.
, , ,
5· Natlndl chec na bankl. I sent the check to the bank.
, , ,
6. Nazall na mbongo
I I
na bankl. I have money ln the bank.
I deposlted money ln the bank.
, , ,
7. NaZWl mb~ng9 na bankl. I wlthdrew money from the bank.
, , , ,
8. Nasengl mb<j>ng)' na bankl. I wlthdrew money from the bank.
, , , ,
9. , , na bankl.
Nakel kozwa mbongo I'm gOlng to the bank to get
some money.
, , ,
10. Nakel kodefa mbongo na I'm gOlng to the bank to
, I I
bankl. borrow some money.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 5
, , , ,
1. Efelo ya ndako ebukanl. The wall of the house collapsed.
, ,
2. Efelo ya ndako ezall The wall of the house lS yellow.
, ,
motaneso.
" ,
3. Elamba na ye ya mallasl Her weddlng gown lS llght
, "
ezall motaneso. yellow.
, , ,
4. Elamba na ye ya bolonganl Her weddlng gown lS Ilght
, "
ezal~ motaneso. yellow.
, , ,
5. Elamba na ye ya bolonganl
, , , ,
Her weddlng gown came from
eut~ na Mputu. Europe.
239

UNIT 23 LING A LA
, , , ,
6. LoP¥t¥ na ye ya bolonganl Her weddlng rlng came f'rom
, , , ,
eutl na Mputu. Europe.
, , , ,
7. Lopyt y na ye ya bolonganl Her weddlng rlng 18 gold.
, ,
ezall ya wolo.
, , ,
8. Ntangu na ye ya maboko
, , I •
H1S wrlstwatch lS gold.
ezall ya wolo.
, , ,
9. Ntangu na ye ya mabokc H1S wrlstwatch lS broken.
, , I I
ekuf'l.
, , ,
10. Ntangu na ye ya ndako H1S alarm clock lS broken.
, ,
ekuf'l.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 6
, , , ,
1. Mokanda ezalakl llkolo ya The letter was on the book on
" , , ,
buuku oyo ezalakl llkolo the table.
,
ya mesa.
" , ,
2. Natlyl yango llkolo ya I put It on the book on the
" , ,
buuku oyo ezalakl table.
, ,
llkolo ya mesa.
"
3. Natlyl yango" epal, otlkakl.
",
I put It where you left It.
, , ,, ",
4. Nazwakl ekomell epa~ otlkakl. I found the pen where you
left It.
, , , ,
5. Nazwakl ekomell llkolo ya
, , ,
I found the pencll on the table
mesa na etenl ya kolla. ln the dlnlng room.
, " ,, , ,
6. Tlyela ngal mp~ndu na 1~s9 Put me some rlce wlth manlOC
" ,
llkolo ya mesa na etenl leaves on the table ln the
,
ya kolla. dlnlng room.
, " ,, , ,
7. Tlyela ngal mpondu I
na loso
I t
Put me out some rlce wlth manlOC
, , "
balambl na plllPlll na leaves cooked wlth peppers
, , ,
maf'uta motane. and palm 011.

8. "
Pesa " blloko
ngal , "
balambl Glve me somethlng cooked wlth
, I ,I ,
na plllplll na mafuta peppers and palm oll.
, ,
motane.
" ,, , , , ,
9. Pesa ngal bl19k9 otlkakl
, , , Glve me some of the food that
lobl na mpokwa. you had left yesterday
afternoon.
" " , , ,
10. Laklsa ye ek~tl otlkakl Show her the hat that you
, , ,
lobl na mpokwa. left yesterday afternoon.
23.2. Dlstant Indeflnlte Future

, , , ,
Ata ndyl y nakozwa mwaSl ya kobala.
, y/ , 'even sometlme', lS used to refer to something
/ ata'
ndyl
that lS hoped or wlshed for but whlch lS way off In the future If
at all, as In the example above, 'I'll get marrled one of these
days.

UNIT 24 LINGALA
Un~t 24
Bas~c Sentences
-A-
, , ,
1. Bozal~ na b~leko bon~ na How many seasons do you have
, "
mbula moko? per year~
I ,
-B-
, , " ,
2. M~bale, moko ya mbula, Two, one ra~ny and the other
, I I
mosusu ya elanga. dry.
-A-
,
3. Eleko ya elanga ezal~ When ~s the dry season?
, ,
ntangu n~n~~
-B-
4· " "
"
Ebandaka na sanza "
ya moko
, ,
t~~ na sanza ya motoba.
, . It lasts from January to June.
-A-
, ,
5. Dyo ya mbula~ And the ralny season?
-B-
, , , ,
6. Elanga ya mbula ekamat~ The ralny season lasts the other
" " ,,
sanza ya motoba, t~l SlX months from June unt~l
, , "
na oyo ya zom~ na m~bale. December.
-A-
" , ,,
7. Lobela nga~ mwaa makambo Tell me somethlng about tlme.
, , .'
elekaka ntangu wana.

-B-
, , , ,
B. Ntangu ya mbula makama Dur1ng the ra1ny season there
" ,
mapus1 m1ng1, mpamba are a lot o£ natural calam-
,
te mbula "
ekonoko m~ng~ ~t~es because 1t ra1ns a lot
, , I I
mpe makas~. and very hard.
-A-
, ,
nkake, n- thunder, 11ghtn1ng
, ",
9. Bozal1 na nkake t y na Don't you have a lot o£ thunder'l
, , ,
mboka na b1nu'l
-B-
, ",
10. Tozal1 na nkake m1ng1 We have a lot o£ thunder, and
, , ,
mpe makas1 lokola. 1t's qU1te loud.
-A-
, ,
11. Ntangu ya mbula batu Dur1ng the ra1n people don't
, ,
basa1aka too bab1maka work or go outs1de~
, , ,
11banda ty'l
-B-
-z1nda to s1nk, drown, £lood

, , ,
12. Mpo na n1n~ t y, batu Why not'l People usually go
, ,
bab1maka lokola ntangu out, only there are some
, " , ,
nY9ns~, kaka nde bandako old houses and small roads
,
mosusu ya kalaka1a na that are cut o£f or submurged
banzela" mosusu ya m1ky"m1k y under water.
, ,
b1bukanaka too b1z1ndaka.
-A-
, , "
13. Ndenge n1n1 okok1 koyeba How can you know 1f 1t'S g01ng
", " ,
soko
I I
mbu1a el1ng1 kono,ka~ to ra1n'l
243

UNIT 24 LING A LA
-B-
, , , ,
14. Ezall mpasl t y , okom9na
, " ,
It's not dlfflcult. You wlll
l1kolo ekoml mOlndu, see the sky become black and
" ,
rope mboka molll1, na the vl11age gets dark, men
, " ,
ntangu wana, batu na and anlmals start looklng
,,, ,
nyama bakoml koluka for shelter.
, ,
ndako na bango.
USEFUL PHRASES
Eleko ya mpela ezali malamu The ralny season lS good for

,
na kolobo.
I I
flshlng.
,
Eleko ya mpela ekokollsa The ralny season makes plants
, , ,
bl10na mbangumbangu. grow very fast.
,
Eleko ya mpela ekoumelaka The ralny season lasts four
, " " ,
sanza mlnel too mltanu. or flve months.
" ,
Mabele ya zelo ebongl na Sandy sOlI lsn r t sUltable for
, I
mbuma t y • frul ts.

" ,
Mabele ya zelo eb9ngl na Sandy sOlI lsn r t sUltable for
, ,
ndunda t y • vegetables.
" ,
Mabele ya zelo eb9ngl na Sandy sOlI lsn r t sUltable for
, ,
bllona te. I
plants.
, " ,
Mpau, mpo na kobongola mabele. A spade lS for turnlng over
earth.
Likwangola, mp 6 na klkata A machete lS for cUttlng small
, ,
nzete ya mlke. I
trees.
" ,
Nkongo, mpo na kokata matltl A hoe lS for cutt1ng weeds and
" , ,
rope kotlmola mabulu. d1gglng wells.
, "
Akonaka roasangu. He ralses corn.
, ,
Akonaka kokot1.
I I
He ra1ses coconuts.
244

, ,
Akonaka mangolo. He ralses mangoes.
, " ,
Atlmoll. tomato. He hoed the toma toes.
, " ,
Atlmoll nguba. He hoed the peanuts.
.; " " ,
Atimoll llbela na nkongo. He dug a trench w~th a hoe.
~ , ,
Akyngylaka blbwyl~. He ralses anl.mals.
, ,
Abokolaka nyama. He ralses anlmals.
, ,
Abokolaka
, ,
ngombe. ,. He keeps cows.
, I
Abokolaka ntaba. He keeps goats.
Abokolaka mymy• He keeps sheep.
I
• ,
Abokolaka mpata. He keeps sheep .
, •
I
, ,
Mboka eZlndl na mal. The vlllage lS flooded.
, "
Mwana aZlndl na mal. The Chlld drowned.
, "
Masuwa mazlndl na mal. The boa t sank.
" ,
llsangu, llsango, ma- a graln of corn
,
kokotl
I t
coconut, coconut palm
lingolo, ma- mango, mango tree
,
nguba, n- peanuts
, ,
llbela, ma- Plt, hole, trench, well,
valley
, ,
eWyl y , bJ:- small domestlc anlmal,
sheep, goat
, ,
ngombe,
• I
n- cow, bull
ntaba, n- goat
,
mpata, m- sheep
mpela, m- raln, ralny season, flood
,
-lobo
I I
to flSh
,
-lona to plant, sow
245

UNIT 24 LINGALA
,
bllona plant, plantlng
,
zelo
I I
sand
,
ndunda, n- vegetables
,
llkwangola, ma- machete, chopplng-knlfe; part
of a vlllage where ex-soldlers
llve
,
nkongo, n- hoe, plck-ox
,
-kona to plant, sow
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 1
, , ,
1. Bozall na blleko bonl How many seasons do you have
, "
na mbula moko'Z
I ,
In a year"
, "
2. Tozall na blleko mlbale We have two seasons In year.
,
na mbula "
moko.
t ,
, ",
3. Tozall na basanga zoml We have twelve months In a
" ,
na mlbale na mbula ," ,
moko. year.
, ",
Tozall na basanza zoml na We have twelve months durlng
, , ,
mlbale mpo na eleko ya the dry season and wet season.
,
mbula na eleko ya elanga.
" ,, , ,
Lobela ngal mwaa makambo mpo Tell me somethlng about the wet
,
na eleko ya mbula na eleko and dry seasons.
ya elanga.
" ,, ,
6. Lobela ngal mwaa makambo Tell me somethlng about that
, "
elekaka na ntangu wana. tlme.
, " "
7. Na ntangu
,
wana
,
makama Durlng that tlme, there are a
mapusl mlngl. lot of natural calamltles.
, , " ,
8. Makama mapusl mlngl mpamba There are a lot of natural
, "
te mbula ekon9ko mlngl calamltles because lt ralns
, ,
mpe makasl. long and hard.

,. ,.,.,.
9. Tozall na nkake mln~, We have a lot of thunder and
,. ,. ,.
mpamba te mbula ekonoko llghtnlng when lt ralns
,. , ,. I I
hard for a long tlme.

mlngl mpe makasl.
,. ,.,.,.
10. Tozall na nkake mlngl na We have a lot of thunder and
,. ,. ,.
mboka na blSU. llghtnlng In our country.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 2
,. ,.
1. Ntangu ya mbula batu Durlng the raln, people don't
,.
basalaka too bablmaka work or go outslde"
,. ,. ,.
Ilbanda te? I
,. ,. ,.
2. Mpo na nlnl t~, batu Why don't people work or go
,.
basalaka mpe bablmaka outslde"
,. ,.
Ilbanda"
,. ,.,. ,.
3. Mpo na nlnl t y , tozall Why not, we have a lot of very
,.,.,. ,.
na nkake mlngl mpe loud thunder.
,.
makasl.
,. ,.,.,. ,.
4· Tozall na nkake mlngl mpe
,,. ,.
We have a lot of very loud
makasl, kasl ntangu ya thunder, but not In the
,.
elanga
-
,.
.
te.
,. ,
dry season.
5. Bl19k? ya kolla blzall
,. ,. ~,.
There are lots of thlngs to
mlngl ntangu ya mbula, eat In the ralny season, but
,,. ,.
kasl ntangu ya elanga tee I
not In the dry season.
,. ,. ,.
6. Blloko
I,.
ya kolla blZall There are many thlngs to eat
I ,. ,
mlngl ntangu ya mbula, In the ralny season because
,.,. ,,.
mpo mal ezall mlngl na there lS a lot of water In
,.
mabele. the ground.
,.,. ,.,.
7. Mpo mal ezall mlngl na Because there lS lots of water
mabel~ bambuma blkok61a 1n the ground, frults grow
,.
malamu. very well.
247

UNIT 24 LING A LA
, ,
8. Bambuma blkokola malamu Fru1ts grow well lf the SOlI
, , , , ~
sako
I I
mabele ezal1 malamu. lS good.
, , , , ,
Soko
I I
mabele ezal1 malamu If the SOlI lS good, plants
, "
bllona blkokola mbangu. grow rap1.dly.
, "
10. Bllona blkokola mbangu Plants grow rap1dly In the
, ,
na ntangu ya mbula. ralny season.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 3
, , ,
1. Lobl mokolo
, I ,
nlnl~ What day 18 tomorrow~
, , , ,
2. Lob1 mokolo ya mosala Tomorrow lS Frlday.
, ,I I I -
m1 tanu.
Nakos~la t~, mokolo
I I I
ya I won't work Frlday.
" "
mosala mltanu.
, , ",
4- Nakosala t~ na ntongo mpe
,
I wonrt work elther the mornlng
na mpokwa. or the afternoon.
, ,
Akendek1 na stade Baudouln He d1dn't go to the Stade Baudoln
I
, I ",
te na ntongo mpe na elther In the mornlng or In
~
, I I
mpokwa. the af,ternoon.

6. Akend~ki
,
na stade Baudoln He dldn't go to the Stade
, I " ,.,
t~ lobl na nt~ng9. Baudo1n yesterday mornlng.
, lobl " "
7. Okoyaa
-
ne ntongo.
I I
You w1ll come tomorrow morn1ng.
, "
8. Okoyaa lobl na masanga. You wlll come tomorrow wlth the
drlnks.
9. "
Lobela ye' "ayaa na masanga Tell hlm to brlng some drlnks
, ,
lob1. tomorrow.
" ", ,
10. Lobela ye ayaa na bana Tell hlm to brlng the chlldren
, ,
l¥l~. today.

GRAMMATICAL DRILL 4
" , ,
1. Nakel kosala na KlnSaSa. I'm about to go to work In
Leopoldvllle.
, , ,
2. Nakel kotanga buuku na I'm about ready to read a
,
ndako. book at home.
,
3. Nakosala bllanga na nSlma
,
I'll cultlvate the flelds be
na ndako. behlnd the house.
,
4. Nakosala bllanga na nSlma I'll work the flelds after
ya elanga. the dry season.
, , ,
5. Balonl bakokeba na ntangu The cultlvators are attentlve
ya elanga. durlng the dry season.
, , ,
6. Balonl bakokeba na ntangu The cultlvators pay attentlon
, ,
bakotlmola mabele. when they are spadlng up
the ground.
, , ,
7. Bakotlmola mabele na nkongo
, ,
They turn up the earth wlth
na mpau. hoes and spades.
,, , ,
8. Aakobongola mabele na They are turnlng over the
, , ,
nkongo na mpau. ground wlth hoes and shovels.
" ,
9. Aakobongola mabele na They dlg up the ground In the
,
ya nsuka ya elanga. last month of the dry season.
10. "
Ebongl ,
malamu "
olona~ na
I -
It's best to cultlvate In the
" ,
sanza ya nsuka ya elanga. last month of the dry season.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 5
, " ,
1. Mabele ya mal eekokollsa Wet earth makes plants grow
, , ,
bllona mbangumbangu. very fast.
, , ,
2. Eleko ya mbula eekokollsa The ralny season makes plants
, , ,
bllona mbangumbangu. grow very fast.
249

UNIT 24 LINGALA
, ,
3. Eleko ya mbula ekoumelaka The ra1ny season lasts four or
, " " ,
sanza m1ne1 too m1tanu. f1ve months.
,
4. Eleko ya mpela ekoumelaka The ra1ny season lasts four or
, " " ,
sanza m1ne1 too m1tanu. f1ve months.
, ,
5. Eleko ya mpela eza11 malamu
,
The ra1ny season lS good for
na kolobo.
I I
f1sh1ng.
6. ,
Bwatu ezal1" malamu na A dugout canoe 18 good for
,
kolobo.
I I
f1sh1ng.
" , ,
7. Bwatu esalamaka na mabaya
,
A dugout 1S (always) made of
makas1. durable wood.
, ",
8. Ndako ya b1SU esalamaka Our house lS bU1lt w1th strong
" ,
na mabaya makas1. t1mbers.
, , , , ,
9. Ndako na b1SU ekabwan1 Our house cons1sts of four
, ,
na b1 ten1 m1ne 1. rooms.
, "" , ,
10. Ndako na b1SU etongamaka Our house was bU11t before the
,
I1boso ya etumba. war.
GRAMMATICAL DRILL 6
, , ,
1. Bana bat1k1 maloba na The ch1ldren pay no attent10n
,, "
nga1 make1 mpamba. to my words.
, , , ,
2. Bana bat1k1 ndembo na The ch1ldren left the ball on
, ,
11banda ya kosana. the playground.
, , ,
3. Na mpokwa bakobyt y ndembo
, ,
Th1s afternoon there wlll be
na 11banda ya kosana. a soccer game at the fleld.
, ,,
4. Na mpokwa tokokynd y epal. Th1S afternoon we wlll go
somewhere.
, ,,
5. Balonganl bakokynd y epa1. The couple w1ll go somewhere.
, , , , ,
6. Balongan1 balatakl bllamba The couple wore new clothes.
ya slka.

" ", , ",

7. Lobl bamonakl bango balatakl
,•
Yesterday they appeared
bllamba ya slka. wearlng new clothes.
8. "
Lobl " , bango" ntangu
, bam~nakl
, , , ,
Yesterday they were seen
bautakl na Ndako-Nzambe. leavlng the church.
, ", " ,
9. Totlndelakl mwaSl na moball We sald hello to the woman
", , , ,
mbote
•,
ntangu bautakl na and man as they were leavlng
I ,
Ndako-Nzambe. the church.
, ", " ,
10. Totlndelakl mwaSl na moball We sald hello to the woman and
, , ,
mb~ty nSlma ya bolonganl man after thelr marrlage.
,
na bango.
251

LINGA LA
GLOSSARY
ThlS vocabulary lS alphabetlzed accordlng to the stem con-

sonant and not accordlng to the preflXes, e.g., /mw~na/, 'chlld',
lS alphabetlzed under 'a'.
a
,
mwaa small, llttle, few
,
al oh, hey
a16 (alIa) hello
'ambassade r embassy
mwambe, mwambl elght
, e'
mwana, bana chlld
bomwana, (ma-) chlldhood
'Anglals' Engllsh
Angel~ (anglals) Engllsh
ar~ (arret) stop
, ,
are ya OtoblSl bus stop
" e' ,
mwasl, baSl woman, female, left (opp. rlght)
, ,
a ta, a taa even, even If, although
, ,
ata ndele
, I
much later
, e'
bwatu, matu dugout canoe, natlve boat
avtisl (avance) advance, part payment, deposlt
aVl6 (avlon) alrplane, alrmall
- baklsa to add
,
-bala to marry (tradltlonal marrlage)
252

BASIC COURSE
,
llbala, ma- marrlage (tradlt10nal natlve)
mbala, m- tlme, tlmes, often mostly
, ,
mbala, m- potato
"0 "
balabala, balabala street, (broad) road
,
-balana to marry, get marrled, marry
each other (tradlt~onal
marrlage)
, 0 '
balasanl, balasanl veranda, porch; hat brlm
e bale, bl- stream, rlver
, ,
mlbale two
,
moball, ml- man, male; rlght (oPP. left)
- ballsa to marry, glve In marrlage,
perform a marrlage ceremony
- banda to start, commence
,
banda from, slnce, beglnnlng, start-
lng, contlnulng/startlng from
- bandaka to begln regularly, to last,
contlnue
, ,
llbanda outslde; yard, fleld
mbanda, ba- co-wlfe; brother-ln-Iaw
marrled to wlfe's slster;
slster-ln-Iaw marrled to
husband's brother; people
who don't llke each other
ebandell, bl- beglnnlng
bobandl, (ma-) beglnnlng, start
, ,
llbanga, ma- rock, stone
,
mo bange, ml- elder, old man/woman, age
253

LINGALA
, ,
mbangu, mbango, m- speed, sWlftness
bankl (banque) bank
, ,
Ilbaya, ma- wood, boardJ bench, seat; alm,
targe t; blouse
mab~ bad, wlcked, ugly
mbe then, otherwlse, else; perhaps;
•
lntroduces maln clause of con-
dltlonal sentence
-beka to borrow, buy on credlt, ask
for the loan of
- beklsa to lend, glve as a loan, pay In
advance, sellon credlt
,
mobeko, ml- law, regulatlon, obllgatlon, duty
, ,
Ilbela, ma- plt, hole, trench; well; valley
, ,
-bele to hurt, suffer, be slck
• •,
mabele ground, earth, floor
mbEtl« then; perhaps; else, otherwlse

lntroduclng maln clause of
hypothetlcal SUpposltlon
,
mbell, m- knlfe
•
- b~mba to travel
,
mo bembo, ml- trlp, Journey
,
- benda to draw/pull/move In, out, up,
off, over
,
ebende, bl- plece of metal, lron, cOln,
metal part
,
llbende, ma- rod, post, pole; tamper, tamplng
stlck
254

BASIC COURSE
,
-bendlsa to help pull/move
- benga to follow, hunt, chase, pursue;
approach, go tOJ to be on the
pOlnt of
,
- benga to call, summon; call, name,
order (merchandlse)
- bengana to drlve away, pursue
'besoln' need
, ,
- byt y , - byta to hlt, strlke, knock, beat
,
e by t y I
l , b l- hammer, tool for hlttlng
, ,
mbetu, mbeto, m- bed, pallet
,
- blka to recover, llved, be rescued
,
mblla, m- palm nut, palm tree
- blma to go out, come out, go for a
walk, emerge
- blmaka to go/come out regularly
moblmba, (ml-) entlre, whole
- blmlsa to have (somethlng) come/go
out
-blmlsela to have (somethlng come/go out
for someone)
,
- blna to dance
,
boblna, ma- a dance
,
mo b lnl , ml- dancer
,
mblsl, m- flsh
houseboy, servant
255

LINGALA
,
mboka, m- vlllage, regl.on, dl.strJ.ct; trl.be,
race; resl.dence, address
, ,
ll.boke, ma- bunch, group, crowd; pack,
packageJ swarm
,
loboko,
t I
ma- arm, sIeve, slde, hand
,
mobokoll,
I I I
ba- ralser, one who cares for/ralses
chl.ldren/anl.mals
,
-bokololo
I I I I
to brl.ng up, ral.se, rear, feed,
breed (anl.mals)
, ,
bolangltl, bolanglsl blanket
-bolos~ (brosser) to brush
bol~sl (brosse) brush
-boma to klll, murder, slaughter; hunt

catch; damage badly, destroy,
extlngulsh, efface, erase, wlpe
(off); abollsh, ell.mlnate, do
away wlth
-bomba to hl.de, keep, store, preserve,
shelter; observe, obey (law,
custom)
,
ebombell, bl- place/rack/cablnet for storage;
dresser, bookcase, chlna-cablnet
mobom3-, mJ.- kl.ller, murderer, assassln,

butcher
- bonglsa to put l.n order, prepare, repal.r,

•
arrange, dress up
-bongJ.sama
t
to be repalred (by someone)
- bonglsela to repalr or prepare for someone

I
256

BASIC COURSE
mobong~s~,
I
ba- repa~rer
,
mobong~s~
I
ya motuka mechan~c
- bongo,
I I
- bonga
I
to be su~table, be ~n order,
f~t, be f~tt~ng
, ,
l~bongo, ma- shore, quay, wharf, dock
,
mbongo,
I I
m- money; s~lver
,
-bongola to change, turn around; st~r;
~nterpret, translate; dls-
place, remove, shlft

,
- bosana to forget, be mlstaken, make
a mlstake
,
llboso, ma- front; before, In front of;
f~rstJ last, fartherest
,
-bota to glve blrth to, bear, produce
, , ,
llbota, llbota, ma- famlly, household, descent
,
mbotama, m- blrth
, ,
mbote
I t
greetlngs, good mornlng/after
noon/evenlng
,
mobot~, ba- parent
bob6tlS l, (ma-) obstetrlcs, mldwlfery
,
mobotlsl, ba-
-botolo
I I •
to take/snatch away, conflscate,
lmpound; plllage
'bourgmestre' mayor
,
'bourse d1etudes' scholarshlp
,
-boya to refuse, reJect, not want,
desplse; abandon, leave for
good
257

LING A LA
,
-buka to break, demol~sh, p~ck, gather;
conquer, change d~rect~on
,
-bukana to be broken; gather, assemble,
be equally strong
,
mbula, m- ra~n, ra~ny season; year
bule (bleu) blue

, ,
l~bulu, ma- well, p~t, to~let
mbuma, m- fru~tJ sore, bo~l; gra~n, seed;

change, co~ns
l~bumu, ma- stomach, belly, womb
- buna, - bunda to f~ght, wage war; wrestle,

struggle
,
-bunga to forget, make a m~stake, be
wrong; lose; get lost; lose
one's way; d~e
,
-bung~sela to lose
'bureau r off~ce
, I
bus bus (see otob~s~)
-buta to r~se, ascend, cl~mb (up),

creep (up), go up, ~ncrease
,
ebutel~, b~- ladder, sta~rs; top, summ~t
,
- but~sela to send someth~ng (back) to
someone
buto (bouton) button

, e> '
butu, mutu n~ght
b';uku, (ba-) book

,
mbwa, m- dog
258

LINGALA
,
- bwaka to throw, reJect, renounce;
throw out, dlsown
, ,
ebwele,
I I
bl- small domestlc anlmal, sheep,
goat
c
'chec' check
'chutes' raplds
'crava te ' necktle
d
,
ndako, n- house, bUlldlng, room, shed,
wall
, ,
Ndako-Nzambe church
,
ndambo, n- part, plece, share, half
nde then, lntroduces maln clauses
ln condltl0nal sentence
,
nde only, however, although, lnsplte
of the fact that; a future
marker In 11terary Llngala
(Do not use as a future marker)
,
-defa to borrow, buy on credlt, ask
for the loan of
,
-deflsa to lend, glve as a loan, pay
In advance, sellon credlt
,
ndE(IE(, n- sometlme, In the future
, ,
a ta ndyle much later
, ,
mondylE(, ml- whlte man, European
,
ndembo, n- rubber; ball
259

LING A LA
, ,
ndenge, n- sort, klnd, manner, way, quallty
"
ndenge "
na ndenge all klnds of
, , ,
ndenge nlnl how
,
madesu
I
beans
,
dll comrade, frlend
noon (11-1)
,
dlabolo, ba-
,
ndlnga, n- language
ndlnglsa, n-, consent, permlsslon, authorlty,
(See--llnglsa) authorlzatlon
,
ndobo,
I I
n- flshlng, flSh hook
,
bondokl, ma- gun, rlfle
,
ndunda, n vegetables
,
dzeke steamshovel; front-end loader;
earth mover; dump truck
e
,
ee (sometlmes lngresslve) yes; oh
I I
'electlon' electlon
,
essence gasollne
l'
1'al~nga, fal~nka (franc) franc

, ,
- fanda, - fwanda to Slt, be seated, Ilve, reslde
,
efandell, bl- sea t, chalr
,
-fandlsa to cause to Slt, have Slt
260

BASIC COURSE UNIT
efelo, bl- wall

fl~f~l~, f~V~l~ (fl~vre) fever
,
flSl (flche) form., blank
,
foto (photo) photograph, plcture
Francals (also Falans~) French
•
frl~~ (frlgo) refrlgerator, cold storage room
,
-funga to shut, close; take grasp;
button
,
-fungola to open, release, unlock,
unbutton
,
llfungola, ma- key
, ,
11fungu, ma- button
-fungwamaka to be opened
,
-futa to pay; a tone, make up for
,
llfuta, ma- pay, payment, salary
,
mafuta 011, fat, grease
,
mofutell, ba- payer, tenant, renter
,
-fwanda (See -fanda)
,
-fwandlsa (See -fandlsa)
ngal sour (ness)

,,
ngal I, me, my, mlne
,
ngal (emphatlc subJect)
,
Llngala the Llngala language
, ,
monganga, ml- physlclan, European doctor
f gare ' statlon
261

LINGALA
'gaz' gas
,
magazlnl (magasln) store, shop; depot, storage place
o
gbagba, gbagba brldge
'gendarme' pollceman
-ngctngE( to shlne, blaze, gleam

-ngE(nlsa to cause to shlne, blaze, gleam
,
much, many
,
pango they, them
, ,
boongo thus, so
,
yango they (lmpersonal)
,
ngola, n- ngola tree; reddlsh powder make
from ltS bark; red, purple,
vlolet
,
llngolo, ma- mango
, ,
ngomba, n- mountaln, hlll
, ,
ng~mbct, n- cow, bull
-ngomela to lron for someone
-ngomellsela to have somethlng lroned for
someone
ngonga, n- tlme, hour, bell, gong; clock
'goudron' tar
rgouvernement' government
,
nguba, n- peanut(s)
-gumba to fold, bend; stoop
-gumbama to be bent/folded/stooped
mongungl, monkungl, n- mosqulto
262

BASIC COURSE
, ,
nguya strength, power) ablllty,
quallty
,
mongwa, m~- salt
,
ma~ water) sap, JUlce
, ,
mal-mal
,
mo~ sun, sunllght, dayllght, day,
the heat of the sun
,
~fo (~l faut) It lS necessary, to have to
,
na~nu stlll, yet
kaba to glve, state) dlvlde, share;

betray
,
kablnda, ba- carpenter, cablnetmaker
kabln~ (cablnet) tOllet; excrement
-kabola to hand out, dlstrlbute
dlvlde up, separate
-kalwana to be separated/dlvlded/dls-
trlbuted
,,
nka l, n- paddle, oar
,
kaka only
, ,
nkake, n- thunder, l~ghtnlng
kala formerly, earller, old

,
kaleso (cale9 0n ) shorts, underwear
, ,
-kallnga, -kalanga to roast, bake; fry
263

LINGALA
, ,
llkama, ma- danger, accldent, natural
calamlty., punlshment ,
retrlbutlon
, , , ,
nkama, monkama hundred
-kama ta to take, recelve, accept
llkambo, ma- dlfference, matter, case,
dlspute, affalr
,
kamlo (camlon) truck
kana then, otherwlse
,
-kana to resolve, lntend, threaten,
promlse
,
mokanda, ml- letter, paper, document
-kanga to wrap up, package; stop,
cease, close, shut; take,
grasp
-kangama to be stopped, tled, captured,
congealed
ekangell, bl- handle; band; devlde for turnlng
-kangema to be closed
bokangl, (ma-) a stop, stOPPlng
-kangwama to be opened
-kanglsa to stop, cause to stop; JOln
fasten, screw tlghtj detaln
-kangola to release, let go of, loose,
open unroll, unlock, unfasten
-kangolela to open for someone
-kangwa to be open, be unlocked
-kanlsa to thLnk, re£lect
264

BASIC COURSE UNIT
llkanlsl, ma- thought, 0plnlon, lntentlon

, , )
kanya, nkanya, (n- fork, pltch fork, rake
,
kasl but, on the contrary
,
makasl very, much, strong, hard
,
-kata to cut, chop
,
-mlkata to cut oneself
,
-ka tana to cut each other; get cut;
stop
,
katl In, lnSlde (of), In the mlddle
of, among; center, mlddle,
lnslde
,
katlkatl In between, In the mlddle/center
of
-ka tlsa cause/have cut; cross; lnterrupt,
change dlrectlon, go through
bend, curve
-kauka, -kaoka to be(come) dry
-kauklsa to dry, cause to dry
,
kawa coffee
, ,
llkaya, ma- tobacco, clgarette, clgar
,
kazaka coat, Jacket, vest
,
moke, ml- small, thln; smallness
,
-keba to pay attentlon, be attentlve
,
llkel, ma- egg
bokel, (ma-) departure, startlng, separatlon
dlscrlm.lna tlon, dlstlnctlon
cane, reed, llana, wlckerwork
265

LING A LA
ekeko, bl- plcture, sculpture, statue

,
kelasl class, classroom, school
,
lokele, n- spoon
quarrel, argument, sound of
vOlces, nOlse
-kynd y to go, go away; dle

,
-kyng y to taK'e glances at, watch
,
-kengele
I 1 I
to watch, guard, keePJ ralse
anlmals
,
mokengell,
I I
ba- guard, keeper, protector,
sentlnel, overseer, warehouse-
keeper
, ,
maklla blood; fate, destlny
boklla, ma- hunt ( lng)
moklll, ml- malnland, land; lnterlor,
lnland; world
pencll; legal charges, costs
, e '
bokllo, bakllo parent-ln-law; brother/slster-
In-law, good frlend, acqualnt-
ances
nakinga, n- blcycle
,
klnlnl (qulnlne)
,
nklsl, n- medlclne, charm
-klta to go/come down, descend;
decrease, dlmlnlsh
chalr
266

BASIC COURSE
-kJ. tJ.sa to cause to come down/descend;

brJ.ng down, put down; take a
person somewhere, drop off a
person
,
kJ.toko
I I
beauty, beautJ.ful, pretty, fJ.ne;
delJ.cJ.ous, clean, neat
, ,
KJ.tuba, Kutuba the KJ.tuba language
,
ko J.ndeed, certaJ.nly; come on
, ,
moko
I ,
one) certaJ.n, some
,
mokobo, InJ.- color, paJ.nt
-koka to be able, can; be all present;
be suffJ.cJ.ent, enough
,
koko, ba- grandparent, grandchJ.ld
,
-kola to grow (up), J.ncrease
,
lokola, n- kJ.nd, sort, lJ.ke, sJ.InJ.lar,
such as
,
-kolJ.sa to cause to grow, brJ.ng up,
raJ.se, rear
,
ekolo, bJ.- trJ.be (race), people of same
place or language
, ,
nkoo, nko, n- J.ntent, malJ.ce, purpose, wJ.ll
kokotJ.
I I
coconut, coconut palm
,
lJ.kolo, ma- sky, heaven} up, top, surface,
above, over, on
lokolo, ma- leg, foot paw; wheel, rJ.In, tJ.re
mokolo,
, I I
mJ.- day
, ,
mokolo, ba- grown person, adult
" ,
kolongonu
" . health
267

LING A LA
,
monkoloto,
I I I
mJ.- IJ.ne
-koma to wrJ.te, sJ.gn, J.nscrJ.be, enroll
,
-koma to arrJ.ve, begJ.n
-komama to be wrJ.tten
,
-kombama
I
to be swept/cleaned (by someone)
, ,
-kombo,
I I
-komba
I
to sweep, clean house; empty;
wJ.pe up/off; clean up/off
, ,
nkombo, n- name; honor, reputatJ.on
-komela wrJ.te to/for someone
ekome11, b1- wrJ.tJ.ng J.nstrument, wr1t1ng,
materJ.al, pencJ.l, pen
ekomelJ., bl- pencll, pen, wr1tJ.ng materJ.al
bok~In1, (ma-) arrJ.val
InOkOIn1, ba- wr1ter, author, scrJ.be
,
-koInl.sa to start, beg1n; cause to start/
begln
komJ.s~le
I I
(cOmml.SSalre) COmtnlssJ.oner, polJ.cernan
,
-kona to plant, sow
, ,
nkondoko
I •• "
.. n- cat
,
nkongo, n- hoe, Pl.ckax
mokongo, Inl-
"
-konza
. back
to manage, rule
mokonzJ. chlef, k1ng, boss, supervJ.sor
,
kopo
I I
glass, tumbler, cup
, ,
-kota,
•
koto
• I
to enter, go In
hat lman's)
268

BASIC COURSE
,
-kot~sa
I
to cause to enter, ~nsert,
put ~n
,
nkoto thousand
,
kovokas~o (convocat~on) not~ce, summons, traff~c t~cket
, ,
mokr~stu, monkr~stu, ba- Chr~st~an
,
-kufa to d~eJ wear out; be broken
,
kuku k~tchen; cook
,
-kulutu, ba- older brother/s~ster
, ,
kuna over there, yonder
-kunda to bury; plant
monkung~; mongung~, n- mosqu~to

, ,
mokuse, m~- short, small
,
-kuta to meet, f~nd, come upon
,
-kutana to meet/f~nd lack other
, ,
- kwa, - kweya to fall, fall down; take, get,
obta~nJ cost
,
l~kwangola, ma- machete, chopp~ng-kn~fe; part
of a v~llage where ex-sold~ers
l~ve
,
-kwe~sa to drop, throw down, cut/pull
down, cause to fall, demol~sh,
g~ve Judgment aga~nsts ~n a

lawsu~t
,
-kweya to fall, be ~nvolved ~n/lose
a lawsu~t
269

LING A LA
bolai, (ma-) length, depth, he1.ght

long, large, tall, deep, h1.gh
-laka to g1.ve adv1.ce, set a tl.me,
prom1.se; order
-lak1.sa to show, d1.splay, teach, l.nstruct
molak1.s1., ba- teacher
,
-lala to sleep, 11.e down, stay, rema1.n
,
l1.lala, ma- orange
malal1., mal~d1. (malad1.e) s1.ckness, lllness
,
-la11.sa to p~t to bed, put to sleep
,
-lamba to cook, prepare food
,
elamba, b1.- cloth, materlal, plece of
cloth1.ng
,
-lambela to cook or prepare food for
someone
,
molamb1., ba- cook
,
malamu good, well, flne
-landa to follow, pursue; prosecute,
sue) look for; woo, court
elanga f1.eld, garde; dry season; year,
cult1.vat1.ng season
,
lang1. , n- color, pa1.nt
,
-lata to dress, put on clothes
,
-lat1.sa to dress, cause to put on
clothes
,
bl.leJ.. food(s), meal
,
bole 1., (ma-) meal
270

BASIC COURSE UNI'r
,
-Ie lsa to feed, cause/glve to eat
-leka to go by, pass by, surpass, excel
-lekaka to go/pass by regularly; to
happen, contlnue to happen
,
lekl, ba- younger brother/slster
-leklsa to have pass by, pass on;
neglect; omlt, mlSS
eleko, bl- season, tlme, perlod
,
lelo
I I
today
to be(come) tlred, weary; tender,
done J ( r e ) lax ( e d), so f t ,
modera te, a ba te
-lengele
I I 1
to prepare, get ready
elengl pleaslng to the senses; good
•
taste/smell, beauty
Ie t~ (1 r ~ ta t) government, state
,
Klkongo ya Leta Kltuba
to eat
,
Ilbwa nlne
,
ml1lkl mllk
,
mall1l coldJ shade, cool place
,
mo1l1l dark, obscure, darkness;
19norance
,
-llmblsa to forglve, pardon, excuse
bo1{mblsl, (ma-) forglveness, pardon
-llnga to want, 11ke; be almost on the
pOlnt of; love, be fond of
271

LING A LA
-llngana to love/l1ke each other;

lntertwlne
-11ng1sa to authorlze, grant permlssl0n
bollngO, ma- love) wll1
, , e' e'
11SU, 11S0, m1su, m1SO eye (In pl.) wlth eyes open;
wlth good vlsl0n/taste; un-
afrald
-loba to speak, tell, say
-lobaloba to talk a lot, dlSCUSS,
argue, complaln
-lobaloba to chat, engage In small talk,
complaln, talk nonsense
-lobela to speak to
molobell, ba- speaker, lntercessor, lawyer
molobl, ba- speaker, lecturer
,
-lobo
I I
to flSh
,
eloko,
I I
bl- thlng, obJect
,
boloko,
I I
ma- Jall, prlson
-lokoto
I I I
to plck up, gather, collect
bololo bltter(ness), sour(ness)
,
-lona to plant, sow
,
bllona plant, plantlng, that WhlCh has
been planted
,
-longana to marry, get marrled (Chrlstlan
rl te)
balonganl marrled couple(s)
, ,
bolonganl, bolonganl, ma- marrlage (Chrlstlan rlte);
marrled person
272

BASIC COURSE
-longola, -longwa to take away, remove, undress;

wake up
bolongol1., (ma-) removal, subtract1.on
lop1.t~lo, ba-(hop1.tal) hosp1. tal
.
,
loso,
-luka to hunt, search
,
-luka to row/paddle a boat
-lukela to hunt for (someth1.ng) for
someone
,
molunge, m1.- warmth, heat; fever, sweat)
st1.fl1.ng
,
lutu spoon
m
rna of, belong1.ng to
,
rna Here J Take 1. t J
,
mama, ba- mother
lom~nde (amende) f1.ne, penalty
-mata to go up, cl1.mb, r1.se
,
'mecanc 1.en ' mechanlc
-meka to measure, we1.gh, try (out),
test
bomekJ.., (rna . . ) attempt, effort, try
-mele,. to drlnk, suck, smoke; take
rned1.c1.ne
thanks
to cause/g1.ve to dr1.nk
273

LINGA LA
,
mamyl9, ba- (ma mere) nun
-mym y to carry, transport
-memele
I I 1
to carry ror someone
porter, carrler, bearer
,
mesa table
, , , ,
meya, lomeya rlrty-centlme plece
lomlngo Sunday, week
,
-m9 nana to be seen, appear; see each
other; get seen
, ,
-m9n~, -m9 na to see, feel, observe
'Mons leur , Mlster, Slr, Gentleman
,
mWlnda llght, lamp
, , ,
mWlndu, mOlndu, mOlndo, ba- black, dark; a Negro, an Arrlcan
n
na In, or, by, wlthJ and
,
na and, also, even, besldes, In
addltlon
,
mlnel rour
,
monyny , m1.- blg, th1.ck, wldeJ fat, tall
, ,
bonl how much, how, many
,
nanl, ba- who, WhlCh
,
nlnl, ba- what, WhlCh
, ,
monlnga, m1.- rrlend, companlon, colleague,
peer
, ,
-n9, -n<t k 9 to raln
,
nokl
I
rast, qU1.ck, prompt, early
274

BASIC COURSE
,
-nok1.sa
I
to make/cause to ra1.n
,
-noko
I I ,
(See -no)
, ,
noko,
I ,
ba- uncle, mother's brother
, ,
monoko,
, ,
m1.-. mouth, open1.ngJ word, message
b1.nu you (pl.)
, ,
11.nu, 11.no, ma- tooth
numer6 (numero) number
o
,
o to, toward, at, 1.n, on, by
,
00 ohJ
,
otob1.s1. (autobus) bus
,
11.mpa, ma- bread, p1.ece of bread
,
mopagano, ba- pagan
,,
epa 1., b1.- s1.de, part, d1.rect1.on
, ,
mpaku, mpako, n1.- tax; corvee labor
palak1. (plaque) plate, plaque; auto 11.cence
plate
,
palato, ba- errand boy, messenger postman
-palola to sk1.n, peel, scrape (off),
scour (off)
,
mpamba, m- free, worthless, only, va1.n,
w1.thout reason; noth1.ng
,
lopango, m- enclosure, fence; plot of land;
place of res1.dence
275

LINGALA
-papola to make thlnner, shave off, remove

an excess
rparlementalre r , ba- member of ParIlament
,
mpasl, m- paln, sufferlng lllness
-pasola to tear (off), cleave, SpIlt (off),
saw, clear (away)
,
, ,
pastele (pasteur) mlnlster, clergyman (Protestant)
-pasuka to be worn out
-paswa to be SpIlt, torn; explode, SpIlt
suddenly
,
mpata, m- sheep
,
mpata, m- flve-franc plece
patal~ (RantaIon) trousers, pants
, ,
mpau, mpao, m- shovel, spade
mopaya, ba- stranger; guest, vlsltor; host
,
mpe and, also, even
, ,
mope, mompe, ba- (mon prlest (Cathollc)
p~re)
-pela to be on flre, burn, be hlt

mpela, m- raln; ralny season; flood
-pellsa to klndle, llght; sharpen
,
mpema, m- breath
, ,
mpembe
I I
chalk, whlte; lvory
, ,
mpembenl, m- slde, edge; around, near, beslde,
along, next to
near, close, by agalnst
,
mpenza, m- only, alone, really, truly,
completely
276

BASIC COURSE
mopypy, m1.- w1.nd, a1.r

,
-pesa to g1.ve, prov1.de W1.th
,
-pesana to g1.ve to each other
, ,
lopyt y , m-
,
momp1.la, m1.- undersh1.rt, tee sh1.rt, vest,
sweater
red pepper, p1.mento
,
mp1.o, m- cold
,
p1.0 S 1. (p1.oche) plck, p1.ckofe
p1.tolo
I I
(petrole) kerosene
,
mpo thlng, matter, affa1.r; because,
on account of
, ,
mpo na n1.n1. why
,
mpokwa, m- afternoon, (unt1.l 6 p.m.)
,
pol1.s1. (pollce) pollceman, pollce
-polo
I I
to be(come) wet/soggy/rotten;
be beaten, defeated
,
pompl pump, spray; flll1.ng statlon
,
mpondu
I
manlOC leaves (used as a
vegetable)
,
mpCj>ng1., m- sleep
to choose, select, elect, prefer
, ,
mposa, m- urge, des1.re
,
POSl (poche) pocket, pouch, sack
,
p«s1.ta (poste) post offlce, post serv1.ce,
mall box
277

LINGALA
---'-------------------------------
week; ratlon; Saturday; weekend,

salary, pay
,
fpresldent f presldent
'prlse f plug (electrlcal)
'pull- over f swea ter
-pupa to blow, fan, wlndow; shake;
clean by blowlng/shaklng
,
-pupola, pupola to blow/shake/clean off
-pusa to surpass, exceed, be very,
be too much
,
-pusa to push ~ shove
p~sup~su (pousse-pousse) push cart; baby carrlage,
stroller
,
llputa, ma- pagne, long wrap-around sklrt
,
putulu clnders, ashes, dust, powder
r
, ,
radlo, radlo radlo
-s ,
sabonl (savon) soap
mosal, monsa l, mosapl, flnger, toe
ml- , n-
-sakana to pay, enJoy oneself, have a
good tlme
,
-sala to do, work, perform, make, tlll
the ground, farm
, ,
llsala, ma- fleld, cultlvatlon; vegetable
dlsh
278

BASIC COURSE
, ,
mosala, mJ.- Job, work, trade, occupatJ.on
,
-salama to be done/made
,
-salamaka to be done/made habJ.tually
,
esalalJ., bJ.- tool, ~nstrument
, ,
-m~salel~ to make/do for oneself
,
mosalel~, ba- servant
,
esalelo, b~- workshop, workroom, place to
work
,
mosal~, ba- worker, employee
,
-sal~sa to help, take care of; employ,
~nstruct
,
- sal~sana to help each other
, ,
IJ.sal~s~, bosal~s~, ma- help, a~d, ass~stance
,
mosal~sJ., ba- assJ.stant, helper
,
-samba to plead
,
esamba, bJ.- prayer
,
-sambela to plead for someone; pray;
perform/conduct rel~gJ.ous
serv~ces
nsambo seven
- sana, - sakona to play, amuse oneself
-sanga to assemble, meet; m1.X
,
sanduku, (ba-) trunk, box, sUJ.tcase, chest
masanga wJ.ne, beer
nsango, n- news, report
,
san~, ba- dJ.sh, bowl, plate, basJ.n
mosanJ., ba- player
279

LING A LA
IJ.sano, IJ.sanu, ma- game

, ,
sanza month, moon; salary
, ,
sapa to, sapa ta shoe(s)
mosapJ., mosaJ., mJ.- flnger, toe
, , , ,
mJ.sa tu, mJ.sa to three
,
f sCJ.ences economlques f economlcs
se, te that ••• (lntroduces subordlnate
clause)
,
nse, n- earth, worldJ bottom) down under,
beneath
-seba to sharpen, flle, whet; draw
palm Wlne
,
'secretalre' secretary
,
semba rlght, Just, honest
,
-semba to extend, be rlght/uprlght
,
-sembola to put rlght, stra16then up,
make vertlcal
,
-sembwa to be rlght, Just, slncere;
be In an uprlght posltlon,
be stralght
, ,
- sC(nge, - synga to ask for, beg; order
(merchandlse)
now, Just now, recently,

lmmedla tely
, ,
es lka, bl- place; where; when, whlle
, ,
moslka, ml- dlstance) dlstant, remote,
far off
280

BASIC COURSE
, ,
moslkltylE(, ml- mosqulto nettlng
(moustlqUarle)
-sila to flnlsh, be done, flnlshed,
already
,
sllasl (clrage) POllSh, shoe POllSh
nSlma, n- back, rear, later, afterward
na nSlma then, next
,
-slmba to hold, selze
cement
,
SlmlSl (chem1.se) shJ.rt
slnema (cln~ma) movles, Clnema
slnga cord, rope, wlre, cable; band,
belt
,
maSlnl (machlne) machlne, mechanlcal lnstrument;
tral.n
, ,
nYCfns», bans» all, every, each
,
11SO, e '
mlSO ( see 11SU
')
,
soda, ba- (soldat) soldler
,
sofele,
I , ,
ba- (chauffeur) drlver, chauffeur
"
soko, "
SOkl If, whether, about, perhaps
I I ,
sokola (chocolat) brown, dark red

sokoto unlform, mllltary Jacket/
clothlng
-solola to talk, converse, speak,
, ,
soolo
I' I
true, real
mosolo,
I I ,
ml- money, wealth; dowry
"
-somba to buy, purchase, procure
281

LINGALA
,
-sombama to be purchased
,
-sombela to sell to someone
, ,
-m~sombela to buy for oneself
,
mosomb~, ba- purchaser, buyer
moson~,
I I
ba- seamstress, tallor
-sono
I I
to sew, make clothes
-sopa to pour, sp~ll, overturn, spread;

talk nonsense
,
soset~ (chausette) sock, stocklng
,
nsoso, n- ch~cken
, ,
b~su we
, , 0 , 0 ,
l~su, l~so, m~su, m~sO eye; (~n pl.) w~th eyes open,
w~th good v~slon/taste; un-
afra~d
,
nsuka, n- the end
, ,
nsuka ya mP9s9 weekend
,
-suka to end, f~nlsh; separate
sUk~l~ (sucre) sugarJ candy; sweet
,
mosuk~, n- ha~r
-sukola to wash, clean, launder; to

speak frankly to someone, tell
someone off
,
-m~sukola to bathe, take a bath
-sukolela to wash/clean for someone
-sukolel~sa to have someth~ng washed/cleaned
for someone
-sukwama to be/have been washed, mopped
282

BASIC COURSE
sum~ (essu~e-maln) towel, wash cloth

#
11SUSU agaln, besldes, else, moreover,
yet
# ,
11SUSU t y no more, no longer

,
mosusu, ml- other, others, else
# #
na ntangu mosusu occass~onally, sometlmes
sutanl (soutane) cloth (clergy), cassock
# #
masuwa, maswa boat, ShlP
#
-swaa to blte, stlng

mlssl0nJ mlsslonary, clergyman
( Protestant)
t
ntaba, n- goat
eta be, b~- banana
matab{sl (matab~che) matablche, somethlng extra
glven as an lncentlve to buy;
tlP, gratulty, advantage,
prof'lt
taxlcab
#
-tala to look, look at, V1Slt
#
talase (terrasse) dl tch, canal
,
tala tala mlrror, pane of glass; specta-
cles, lamp chlmney
vleWJ vlewlngJ contemplatl0n
#
motall, ml- spectator, observer

#
-tallsa to demonstrate, show
#
lltallsl, ma- show, demonstratl0n, dlsplay
283

LINGALA
, ,
tallye, talye (ateller) workshop, shop, workroom
, ,
ntalu, ntalo, n- prlce, number
, ,
lltambala, kltambala, ma- handkerchlef, cloth, towel,
napkln
,
- tambola to take a walk, travel, move,
make progress, hurry
,
-tambolatambola to walk a lot, a long way;
wander
- tambwlsa to put In motlon, start, drlve
(a car)
,
motambwlsl, ba- one who sets In motlon, one
who spreads, steersman
, ,
motabwlsl ya motuka drlver, chauffeur
- tanda to spread, stretch out
, ,
motane brlght red/orange/yellow
, ,
motaneso llght yellow/tan/belge
,
-tanga to read,count,enumerate,add up
, ,
ntangu, ntango, n- tlme, hour; clock; sun
, , , ,
ml tano, ml tanu flve
t~Sl (tasse) cup
, ,
sanl ya tasl saucer
,
ta ta, ba- father
, ,
matanga matanga, mournlng, receptlon
held at end of mournlng and
certaln other speclal occa-
Slons
, ~
ntangu, ntango, n- tlme, hourJ sun; clock

t~I /1 tell not, no
284

BASIC COURSE
--------------------------------
te lI'te// that, so that, In order that
,, ,,
tee, tlJ. untll
, ,
motel, moteYl, ml- teacher, J.nstructor
,
,
-teka to sellJ betray; damage
another's reputatJ.on
,
motekl,
I
ba- seller, trader
,
moteklnyama,
I
ba- meatseller, butcher
,
-tEtkJ.sa to cause to sell; resell at a
pro.fJ.t
tele.fon
1 I I
(telephone) telephone
,
-teleme
T • I
to stop, stand up; lnslst
ntembe, n- dlScusslon, argument; doubt,
SUsplclon, hesltatlon
,
tembele
I 1 I
(tlmbre) postage-stamp
,
etenJ., bl- plece, part, share, room
,
-teya to teach, lnstruct
,
IJ.teya, ma- lesson
,
eteyelo, bl- school
, ,
moteyl, motel, mJ.- teacher, lnstructor
, thermome tre r thermometer
tea
,, ,,
tJ.l, tee untll, up to; (.for) a long tJ.me,
wlthout lnterruptlon
, , ,
-tlela, -tlyela, -tJ.la to put .for, put In .for, pour .for
,
- tJ.ka to leave, abandon, renounce,
.forsake, abstaln .from, cease;
leave behlnd; dellver; let,
permlt
285

LINGALA
,
- tlkala to stay, remaln, stay behlnd
,
bOtlkl, (ma-) reslgnatl0n, abdlcatlon
,
- tlma to dlg, spa de
,
- tlmola to dlg up, spade over, turn over
the sOlI
,
ntlna, n- root; basls, meanlng, reason
cause, slgnlflcance, prlnclple;
because
, ,
ntlna na, ntlna ya because of, on account of,
therefore
,
- tlnda to order, command; send
,
- tlndama to be sent, shlpped
,
-tlndela to send someone, order someone
,
11tltl, ma- blade of grass; halr, sheet of
paper; weed, plant
,
-tlya to put (In/on), set pour In place,
load (up/on)
to put up wlth each other,
,
- tlyana ntembe to dlSCUSS
, ,
- tlyela, - tlela to put for, put In for, pour for
tlYO (tuyau) plpe, tube, hose
moto (See motu)
, , ,
moto, mutu, motu, ml- head; bunch
moto
I I
flre, heat
,
too or
, ,
motoba SlX
-tobolo
I 1 I
to plerce, puncture
286

BASIC COURSE
,
-toka to draw water; dlg out/up
-toklsa to bOll, be bOlllng, cause to bOll
•
-toko
I I
to bOll, be bOlllng
,
tomato to rna to
,
-tombala to plck up, 11ft, carry
,
-tonda to be(come) fUll/fllled; flll
,
- tondlsa to flll
,
-tondo
I I
to wlsh, hope, thank
-tonga to blnd, tle, JOln; tWlst, brald,
plalt) weave, sew; expand,
enlarge
,
-tonga to bUlld
,
-tongama to be bUllt, be flnlshed
,
motongl, ba- bUllder, contractor, mason
,
-tonglsa to have bUllt, cause to be bUllt
, ,
ntongo,
I I
n- mornlng, afternoon
motu, moto, ba- person, human, man
mut~ (See motu)
,
motuka, ml- automoblle, truck, motor car
, ,
Iltuka, ma- three stones used to cook on;
cook stove
, ,
ntuku, n- ten
-tumba to burn, set flre to, fry, roast
over/ln a flre
etumba, bl- war, flght, battle, confllct
-tumbama to be burned, flred
287

LINGALA
,
-tuna to ask, quest~on
, ,
-m~tuna to wonder, ask oneself
,
motuna, m~- a quest~on
,
-tunama to be quest~oned, ~nterrogated
, ,
k~tunga, l~tunga, ma- basket w~th a l~d
,
l~tungulu, ma- on~on, leek
,
-tuta to str~ke, beat, mash, crush,
bump (aga~nst)
,
motuya, m~- value, pr~ce; number, ar~thmetlc
u
,
-umela to rema~n, stay on, stay away
-umelaka to last, cont~nue to last

,
'UnlVers ~ te r unlverslty
,
-uta to come from
, ,
uta from, Slnce
-v rv~lle ' c~ty, town) downtown; Kallna,

the bus~ness and European
sect~on of Leopoldvllle
,
v~nu w~ne
,
v~za (v~sa) vlsa
'vo~ ture ' automob~le
-'voter' to vote
w
wa of, at
,
awa here; s~nce, as, whlle
288

BASIC COURSE
mwa of, belonglng

" , ,
wana, waana there, that, by/near you
,
wapl where} (emphatlc negatlve) not
at all, nothlng at all, not
whether
,
wolo gold
ya of, belonglng to
,
-yaa to come, come to be, become
,
-nyakola to scratch, mark
nyama, n- anlmal, meat
, ,
monyama, ml- net
-yangela to manage, admlnlstrate, arrange
,
moyangell, ba- manager, dlrector, admlnlstra tori
, ,
ye, yee he, she, hlm, her, hlS, hers
boye so, thus
,
-yeba to know, know how to, be ac-
qualnted wlth; may, be allowed
to
,
-yebana to become known
,
-yeblsa to advlse, J.nform, make known
,
llyeblsa, ma-
,
-yekola to study, learn
,
moyekoll, ba- student
,
-yekwlsa to teach, J.nstruct
,
moyekwls J., ba- teacher, J.nstructor
289

LINGALA
,
mayele
I I
lntelllgence, understandlng,
lntellect, mlnd; shyness,
craftlness, manner, means
,
-yemba to slng
,
loyembo, n- song, slnglng
,
moyembl, ba- slnger
eyenga, bl- festlval, feast day; Sunday, week
,
-Ylba to steal, take away
thelf
-Ylblsa to cause to steal, cause to be
stolen
,
-Ylnda to become dark/black/dlrty
to cause to be one's possesslon,
to be stolen
, ,
yo, yoo you (sg.), your, yours
,
oyo thlS, these, the
,
-yoka to hear, llsten; feel; understand
,
-yo kama to be heard (by someone)
,
-yokana to hear (from) one another,
understand each other, agree,
llve on good terms wlth
,
-nyokolo
I I I
to mlstreat, torture, annoy,
oppress
,
monyokoll,
I I
ba- torturer, tyrant, slavedrlver;
wearlness, bother, trouble
nyongo, n- debt
290

BASIC COURSE
z
-zala to be, eXlst, Slt, Ilve
-zala na to have
-zala ya to be made of, conslst of
nzala, n- hunger; famlne
ezalall, bl- seat, chalr, bench
bozall, (ma-) belng, nature
, ,
ndenge ya bozall characte~ personallty
, 0 '
zamba, mamba woods, forest, Jungle, lnterlor,
outslde, country
,
Nzambe God
, ,
zandu, zando market, open produce market
,
-zanga to be lacklng, mlss, be wlthout,
absent
Ilnzanza, ma- metal box, tln car; sheet of
metal
, ,
nzela See nZlla
,
zelo
I I
sand
,
nzembo, n- song, slnglng
,
-zenga to cut off, chop off
,
nzete, n- tree, stlck, plece of wood,
handle
, ,
nz lla, nzela, n- road, way, path, passage; admlt-
tance, permlsslon; openlng;
means
-zlla to walt, walt for
-zlnda to slnk; drown, flood, go under
water
291

BASIC COURSE
-zoka to be lnJured, be touched

-zoklsa to lnJure, wound
,
-mlzoklSa to lnJure/wound oneself
nzoku, n- elephant
zoml ten
-zonga to return, go/come back
,
-zonglsa to send/glve back; answer
, ,
nzotu, nzoto, n- body
zulun~lo (Journal) newspaper) magazlne
Z~Zl, z~ze (Juge) Judge; court, trlbunal
,
-zwa to get, recelve, flnd, meet
,
-zwama to be taken, recelved, found
PROPER NAMES
Alob~ (Albert) Albert

,
'Amerlcaln' Amerlcan
,
'Amerlque' Amerlca
Andrew
'Antolne' Antolne
AUgustl (aout") August
,
Blnza Blnza, the (former) European
sectlon of Leopoldvllle
BrazzaVllle the Clty of Brazzavllle
Callfornla Callfornla
/
CEGEAC C.E.G.E.A.C., a new-car dealer th
that lmports Amerlcan-made cars
292

LING A LA
Coq the Clty of Coqullhatvllle

,
Desembe (decembre) December
Fevll~ (f~vrler) February
,
Klmwenza Klmwenza
, ,
Klnsasa Leopoldvllle; the orlglnal
settlement, now only a part
of Leopoldvllle
Klsanganl the Clty of Stanleyvllle
,
Kongo Congo
,
Leo the Clty of Leopoldvllle
,
Mal (mal) May
M~las 1 (mars) March
,
Marensa the clty of Marensa
,
Ma tadl the Clty of Matadl
'Mlchel' Mlchel
Monlque
stanley Slr Henry Morton Stanley
,
Novembe (novem~ne) November
,
Okotobe (octobre) October
rplerre I Plerre
P~lo (Paul) Paul
"
Mpoto, "
Mputu (Portugal) Europe
, ,
Setembe, Setembele 3eptember
(septembre)
,
YUll (Julllet) July
#
"!un 1. \ JUln) June
#
Zavle ( Janvler) January
# ,
ZOla, Zola Zola (proper name)
1< U. s. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1963 0 - 702-213(53)

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LINGALA

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~~~ Howard E. Sollenberger, Dean

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S-ymbol Ilst ......•...•............•.•.....•.......•. Xll

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10. AdJectlve Subord1.nate Clauses ••••••••.•••. 55

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3. General Prohlbltlons ••••••••••••••.•.•.••.•• 91

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Glossary ................... ~ . 252

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L1ngala 1S a 11ngua franca or trade language spoken 1n the

The speaker on whose speech these mater1als are based 1S from

The transcr1pt1on system used 1n th1S manual 1S the orthog-

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Llngala contalns many words borrowed both from Afrlcan and

Llngala, llke elmost all the languages spoken south of the

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Symbol Phoneme Phonetlcs Approxlmatlon

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Y /y/ [y] xes

A number of spec1.al symbols are also used as expla1.ned below.

/ / In the chart above, thlS symbol means Llngala phonemlcs;

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1. /v/ and /r/ are used only ln unasslmllated loan words.

2. There lS no y- or w-offgllde wlth Llngala vowels ln

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mama, ba- mother

1.1. Verb prefJ.xes.

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ANIMATE SUBJECT PREFIXES OF VERBS

1.2. Partlcle /na/, 'and', 'together wlth'

At conversatl0n speed /na/ lS usually /na/, 1.e., low-toned,

1.3. Partlcle /na/ after /-zala/

1.4. Partlcles /na/ and /ya/: Possesslon

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construct1ons. If the possessor 1S a pronoun, the 1ndependent

1.5. Part1cles /na/ and /ya/: Descr1pt1on

1.6. Response to yes-no quest1ons.

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1.7. Intonat1on. Statement vs. Quest10n

He llkes meat. Does he llke meat~

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Though the p~tch does fall over a sentence, the second of

He llkes man10C leaves. Does he l1ke man10C leaves~

1.8. Nouns. Slngular and Plural

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occurs. If the plural ~s ~rregular, the ent~re plural form ~s

1.9. /0/ before another vowel.

1.10. Dr~lls: Instruct~ons on How to Use

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-loba to speak, tell, say

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2.1 NegatJ.ona /t~/

The negatJ.ve partJ.cle /t~/

2.2 Verba Base and AffJ.xes

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The comb~nat~on of the verbal extens~on /-ak-/ and the ~mper