Lamba language explained

Lamba is a language found in Zambia and is commonly spoken in the Copperbelt. There are about 210,000 native speakers in the northern parts of Zambia and southern fringes of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Lamba is also spoken in Lusaka, mainly because many speakers have migrated there for jobs. Lamba is a Bantu language. (In fact, "mu ntu" means "one person" in Lamba and "ba ntu" means "two or more people".) Depending on who does the counting, Zambia has between 42 and 78 local languages besides English – see Languages of Zambia for further details.

Maho (2009) lists the Lima (Bulima) and Temba varieties as distinct languages.

Oral literature

In 1927, Clement Doke published Lamba Folklore,^[1] a collection of Lamba texts with English translations. The book contains 159 Lamba stories with English translations,^[2] 1695 proverbs,^[3] 144 riddles,^[4] and 95 songs (lyrics but no music).^[5] Here are some of the proverbs:

• "Awana-wa-nkasi wa li awene umuninga." "The brothers divided a peanut. (The story goes that two brothers were so fond of one another that, when one picked up a single peanut, he split it in half to share with his brother.)" (#148)
• "Cipa ca minwe, amenso a la wepa." "A gift is a thing for the hand, the eyes lie (i.e. don't consider a thing yours till you have it in your hand)." (#184)
• "Funda-wutesi e u wa." "The one who warns against slipping is the one who falls (i.e. practice what you preach)." (#239)
• "Iciwa mutima, iminwe ta iwa." "The thief is the heart, the fingers do not steal." (#327)

Here are some of the riddles:

• "Aka mina nyina? Mbe'cikwamu." "The little thing that swallows its mother? A match (for, when struck, the fire consumes the match-stick)." (#7)
• "Akanamaka kenda ku minefu, amafupa ka ka kakila-po? Mba kofwa. " "A little animal that journeys on its flesh, and its bones it ties on top? The snail." (#10)
• "Akasinga akapelele kwesu kwiwala? Mba kakumo." "The last little stump in our garden? The little toe." (#24)
• "Ici tonkala mu masala? Mbo'mutima." "That which digs about in the deserted village? The heart (the heart always turns to think of the past)." (#75)

Professor Clement M. Doke besides this book mentioned about wrote a lot of books and here are list of them;1. The Lamba people of Northern Rhodesia which is a volume or library on its own.2. Things of God (ifintu fya kwa Lesa) in Lamba 3. Text book of Lamba grammar 4. Kacheye Kacheye in Lamba 5. Ifishikimishyo in Lamba 6. With the Gospel in Lufwanyama 7. Trikking in South and Central Africa 1913-19198. Southern Bantu languages9. A missionary tour in North-western Rhodesia 10. Akashiba ka bena Mbushi in Lamba 11. Baptist missionary-Kafulafuta12. Some strange Lamba beliefs 13. The country of the Lamba people 14. English -lamba vocabulary 15. Amasiwi ABA Lesa (the holy Bible in Lamba)Besides the books and a volume there was a magazine which was published quarterly under the title"Lambaland magazine. The Lamba people have a very strong historical base. These books are found at Amazon in both hard copies and ebooks.

Notes and References

1. Doke, Clement (1927). Lamba Folklore.
2. https://archive.org/details/lambafolklore20doke/page/23/mode/2up?view=theater Doke 1927
3. https://archive.org/details/lambafolklore20doke/page/282/mode/2up?view=theater Doke 1927
4. https://archive.org/details/lambafolklore20doke/page/549/mode/2up?view=theater Doke 1927
5. https://archive.org/details/lambafolklore20doke/page/522/mode/2up?view=theater Doke 1927