Kimbundu
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Kimbundu)
Kimbundu (Mbundu) is Angola's second indigenous language after Umbundu, spoken by ~3M in the Luanda hinterland and along the Kwanza River. As the language of the Ndongo and Matamba kingdoms (Queen Njinga, 17th c.), Kimbundu contributed many words to Brazilian Portuguese (samba, moleque, caçula, quitanda) via the Atlantic slave trade. Tonal Bantu (H21) with prenasalised stops; written in Latin script and used in radio and education.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Kimbundu
Water
menha
/meɲa/
Fire
tubia
/tubja/
Sun
muanya
/mwaɲa/
Moon
ngonde
/ŋɡonde/
Mother
mama
/mama/
Father
tata
/tata/
Eat
kudya
/kudja/
Drink
kunwa
/kunwa/
Love
henda
/henda/
Heart
muxima
/muʃima/
Tree
mukune
/mukune/
House
inzo
/inzo/
Dog
imbwa
/imbwa/
Cat
kasalu
/kasalu/
Hand
lukwaku
/lukwaku/
Eye
dixi
/diʃi/
Hello
kiebi
/kiebi/
Thank you
kishukutu
/kiʃukutu/
One
-moxi
/moʃi/
Good
kiá
/kja/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Kimbundu) languages
| Meaning | Kimbundu | Kikongo | Kaonde | Luvale | Sangu | Kirundi | Herero |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | menha /meɲa/ | maza /maza/ | mema /mema/ | meya /meja/ | ameenzi /ameːnzi/ | amazi /amaːzi/ | omeva /omeva/ |
| Fire | tubia /tubja/ | tiya /tija/ | mujilo /mudʒilo/ | kakahya /kakahja/ | umoto /umoto/ | umuriro /umuɾiɾo/ | omuriro /omuriro/ |
| Sun | muanya /mwaɲa/ | ntangu /ntaŋɡu/ | juba /dʒuba/ | likumbi /likumbi/ | liluga /liluɡa/ | izuba /izuba/ | eyuva /ejuva/ |
| Moon | ngonde /ŋɡonde/ | ngonda /ŋɡonda/ | ñondo /ɲondo/ | kakweji /kakwedʒi/ | umwesi /umwesi/ | ukwezi /ukwezi/ | omueze /omueze/ |
| Mother | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | bama /bama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /maːma/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | tata /tata/ | tata /tata/ | batata /batata/ | tata /tata/ | baba /baba/ | data /data/ | tate /tate/ |
| Eat | kudya /kudja/ | ku dia /ku dja/ | kuja /kudʒa/ | kulya /kuʎa/ | kulya /kuʎa/ | kurya /kuɾja/ | kuriya /kurija/ |
| Drink | kunwa /kunwa/ | ku nua /ku nua/ | kutoma /kutoma/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ |
| Love | henda /henda/ | zola /zola/ | butemwe /butemwe/ | zangi /zaŋɡi/ | ulungu /uluŋɡu/ | urukundo /uɾukundo/ | orusuvero /orusuvero/ |
| Heart | muxima /muʃima/ | ntima /ntima/ | muchima /mutʃima/ | mutima /mutima/ | umutima /umutima/ | umutima /umutima/ | omutima /omutima/ |
| Tree | mukune /mukune/ | nti /nti/ | kichi /kitʃi/ | mutondo /mutondo/ | umuti /umuti/ | igiti /iɡiti/ | omuti /omuti/ |
| House | inzo /inzo/ | nzo /nzo/ | nzubo /nzubo/ | zuvo /zuvo/ | inyumba /iɲumba/ | inzu /inzu/ | ondjuwo /ondʒuwo/ |
| Dog | imbwa /imbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | kawa /kawa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | ombwa /ombwa/ |
| Cat | kasalu /kasalu/ | nyau /ɲau/ | kapuso /kapuso/ | katako /katako/ | paka /paka/ | akayabu /akajabu/ | okatjiru /okat͡ʃiru/ |
| Hand | lukwaku /lukwaku/ | koko /koko/ | kuboko /kuboko/ | livoko /livoko/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ | eke /eke/ |
| Eye | dixi /diʃi/ | disu /disu/ | jiso /dʒiso/ | liso /liso/ | iliho /iliho/ | ijisho /idʒiʃo/ | eho /eho/ |
| Hello | kiebi /kiebi/ | mboté /mbote/ | mwapoñai /mwapoɲai/ | mwane /mwane/ | mbasala /mbasala/ | amahoro /amahoɾo/ | wa penduka /wa penduka/ |
| Thank you | kishukutu /kiʃukutu/ | matondo /matondo/ | nasakwilila /nasakwilila/ | nasakwilila /nasakwilila/ | nashukulu /naʃukulu/ | murakoze /muɾakoze/ | okuhepa /okuhepa/ |
| One | -moxi /moʃi/ | mosi /mosi/ | umo /umo/ | -mwe /mwe/ | imo /imo/ | rimwe /ɾimwe/ | -mwe /mwe/ |
| Good | kiá /kja/ | mbote /mbote/ | kyawama /kjawama/ | -mwaza /mwaza/ | kwifwa /kwifwa/ | nziza /nziza/ | -wa /wa/ |
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