Lomongo
Mongo
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Mongo)
Mongo (Lomongo, also Nkundo when including the Nkundo dialect) is a Central Bantu language of the equatorial rainforest in the Cuvette Centrale of the Congo Basin. Spoken by the Mongo people, one of the largest ethnic clusters in the DRC, along the Congo River from Mbandaka deep into the rainforest. Has 7 vowels and Bantu noun-class agreement; the Hulstaert dictionary (1957) remains the standard reference.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Mongo
Water
nzá
/nzá/
Fire
mokɛ́
/mokɛ́/
Sun
lokɔlɔ
/lokɔlɔ/
Moon
nzɔnzɔ
/nzɔnzɔ/
Star
monzoto
/monzoto/
Mother
nyangó
/ɲaŋɡó/
Father
ise
/ise/
I
ngai
/ŋɡai/
You
yɔ
/jɔ/
Name
nkombo
/nkombo/
Eye
liso
/liso/
Hand
lokáko
/lokáko/
Heart
mongúma
/moŋɡúma/
Love
boláŋo
/bolaŋo/
Tree
boléi
/boléi/
House
ndako
/ndako/
Dog
mbwa
/mbwa/
Cat
nyaú
/ɲaú/
Eat
kolya
/koʎa/
Drink
kome'la
/komela/
One
etomelá
/etomelá/
Two
bafe
/bafe/
Hello
losáko
/losáko/
Thank you
olɛli
/olɛli/
Good
mpɔlɔ
/mpɔlɔ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Mongo) languages
| Meaning | Mongo | Lingala | Tetela | Kikongo | Sukuma | Luba-Kasai | Luvale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | nzá /nzá/ | máí /mai/ | ashi /aʃi/ | maza /maza/ | minzi /minzi/ | mâyi /maːji/ | meya /meja/ |
| Fire | mokɛ́ /mokɛ́/ | mɔ́tɔ /mɔtɔ/ | lokombu /lokombu/ | tiya /tija/ | moto /moto/ | kapia /kapia/ | kakahya /kakahja/ |
| Sun | lokɔlɔ /lokɔlɔ/ | mói /moi/ | ondelo /ondelo/ | ntangu /ntaŋɡu/ | ilyuva /iʎuβa/ | dîba /diːba/ | likumbi /likumbi/ |
| Moon | nzɔnzɔ /nzɔnzɔ/ | sánzá /sanza/ | ngondo /ŋɡondo/ | ngonda /ŋɡonda/ | ng'wezi /ŋweːzi/ | ngondo /ŋɡondo/ | kakweji /kakwedʒi/ |
| Star | monzoto /monzoto/ | monzoto /monzɔtɔ/ | ɔtɔtɔ /ɔtɔtɔ/ | mbwetete /mbwetete/ | nyenyeezi /ɲeˈɲeːzi/ | mutoto /mutoto/ | tanganyeka /taŋɡaˈɲeka/ |
| Mother | nyangó /ɲaŋɡó/ | mamá /mama/ | nyango /ɲaŋɡo/ | mama /mama/ | mayu /maju/ | mâmu /maːmu/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | ise /ise/ | tatá /tata/ | shi /ʃi/ | tata /tata/ | baba /baba/ | tâtu /taːtu/ | tata /tata/ |
| I | ngai /ŋɡai/ | ngai /ⁿɡai/ | dimi /dimi/ | mono /mono/ | nene /ˈnene/ | meme /meme/ | ami /ami/ |
| You | yɔ /jɔ/ | yo /jo/ | wɛ /wɛ/ | ngeye /ŋɡeje/ | gwegwe /ˈɡweɡwe/ | wewe /wewe/ | ove /ove/ |
| Name | nkombo /nkombo/ | nkombo /ⁿkombo/ | lokombo /lokombo/ | nkumbu /nkumbu/ | lina /ˈlina/ | dîna /diːna/ | lijina /liˈʒina/ |
| Eye | liso /liso/ | líso /liso/ | diso /diso/ | disu /disu/ | liso /liso/ | dîsu /diːsu/ | liso /liso/ |
| Hand | lokáko /lokáko/ | lobɔ́kɔ /lobɔkɔ/ | lonya /loɲa/ | koko /koko/ | nkhono /ŋkono/ | tshianza /tʃianza/ | livoko /livoko/ |
| Heart | mongúma /moŋɡúma/ | motéma /motema/ | utema /utema/ | ntima /ntima/ | ngholo /ŋɡoːlo/ | mucima /mutʃima/ | mutima /mutima/ |
| Love | boláŋo /bolaŋo/ | bolíngo /boliŋɡo/ | langɔ /laŋɡɔ/ | zola /zola/ | butogwa /butoɡwa/ | dinanga /dinaŋɡa/ | zangi /zaŋɡi/ |
| Tree | boléi /boléi/ | nzété /nzete/ | etamba /etamba/ | nti /nti/ | mti /mti/ | mutshi /mutʃi/ | mutondo /mutondo/ |
| House | ndako /ndako/ | ndáko /ndako/ | mbongo /mboŋɡo/ | nzo /nzo/ | kaya /kaja/ | nzubu /nzubu/ | zuvo /zuvo/ |
| Dog | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwá /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | kawa /kawa/ |
| Cat | nyaú /ɲaú/ | nyáu /ɲau/ | paka /paka/ | nyau /ɲau/ | kalulu /kalulu/ | nyao /ɲao/ | katako /katako/ |
| Eat | kolya /koʎa/ | kolía /kolia/ | kolya /koʎa/ | ku dia /ku dja/ | kulya /kuʎa/ | kudia /kudia/ | kulya /kuʎa/ |
| Drink | kome'la /komela/ | komɛ́la /komɛla/ | konwa /konwa/ | ku nua /ku nwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunua /kunua/ | kunwa /kunwa/ |
| One | etomelá /etomelá/ | mɔ̌kɔ́ /mɔkɔ/ | ɔtɔi /ɔtɔi/ | mosi /mosi/ | imo /imo/ | umue /umue/ | -mwe /mwe/ |
| Two | bafe /bafe/ | mibale /mibale/ | hende /hende/ | zole /zole/ | ibhili /iˈβili/ | bibidi /bibidi/ | -vali /vali/ |
| Hello | losáko /losáko/ | mbóte /mbote/ | nyongo /ɲoŋɡo/ | mboté /mbote/ | mwangaluka /mwaŋɡaluka/ | moyo /mojo/ | mwane /mwane/ |
| Thank you | olɛli /olɛli/ | matɔ́ndɔ /matɔndɔ/ | toleko /toleko/ | matondo /matondo/ | nakulumba /nakulumba/ | tuasakidila /tuasakidila/ | nasakwilila /nasakwilila/ |
| Good | mpɔlɔ /mpɔlɔ/ | malámu /malamu/ | lɔlɔ /lɔlɔ/ | mbote /mbote/ | shihi /ʃihi/ | bimpe /bimpe/ | -mwaza /mwaza/ |
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