African Words, Numerals, and Sentences ==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==
(Used by Former Slaves in Georgia and South Carolina in the 1890s)
Taken from John W. Blassingame, "The Slave Community," © 1979, Oxford Community Press., Appendix II
Table I: African Words _ _
. alligator ngundo hoe sengo
baby mauna hog gooloo _ . back nema horse valo _ _ banana biteba house dro; nzo; bindu _ _ beads nzeembo knife mbala
bear nzow land nte; nsetu _ . beard njavo lie gange
belly vomo love zola , skin seat cando; conda man (young) tucka; mayuc'kala _ _ bird noona man (white) feata _ boat coombay man (colored) feta _ boy muana tucka meat zimbezy
bread dimpa money nzeembo . butterbeans mongongo monkey cawah _ _ butterfly lumpungo moon gonda
cat boomba; mboomba partridges goomba; kimbimbe _ _ _ chickens susu peach ncepho . . . cities mbamba peanuts gooba; drangay , . cloth nlilly peas madaza; zangy . _ clouds ma tute pipe torida _ coon bungee pot canzo . . . corn massa; massango rabbit loomba
coconut lombo rain mvoola . cow gomby rock matade . dance zacccomma sense gangu _ . dead fuedy sheep mamamy , , . _ _ . deer paccasa; mibunga shoulder vambo _ _ devil doky sky zulu _ dirt ntoto snakes neoka . . doctor ganga spider sembe
dog boa squirrel gemo; conka
ear kootoo stars birtity . __ eyes maso steel weer . . _ fire bazo; tuvia sun tango; muany
fish golla sweet potatoes zeembala , , . fly pesse teeth mano . foot tamby tobacco soonga . . fox coomba water lango; maza . . give me kala watermelon malengy , , gun cully whiskey malavo _ _ . hair suky; truky women canto
hand corko women old bauba
head ntu women (young) ndoomba
_ Table II: African Numerals _ _ _ 1: corse 20: makamorly . 2: corla 21: makamorly enwano . _ 3: kootatoo 22: makamorly ezoly . . 4: kooya 23: makamorly etatoo . . 5: kootano 24: makamorly eya' . . 6: koosambano 25: makamorly etano . . 7: tambwody 26: makamorly esambano . . . 8: nana 27: makamorly ensambody , . . . 9: evwa 28: makamorly enana _ , . 10: koome 29: makamorly evwa _ _ . 11: koome emorse 30: makomatatoo _ _ . . 12: koome enzole 40: makomaya _ . _ , 13: koome entate 50: makomatano _ _ . . . 14: koome eya' 60: makomasambano _ . . 15: koome entano 70: lusambody _ . . . 16: koome ensambano 80: luovwa _ . . . 17: koome ensambody 90: lunana _ , . . . . 18: koome enana 100: kama _ , . 19: koome evwa _
Table III: Sentences Employing African Words _ _
Ukola? How do you do?
Quer quenda? Where are you going?
_
Pahnam bezy. Give me some meat. _ . _. Wenda twas mona kona keamvo. Carry me across the river.
Vo vonda ngondo. Kill that alligator.
_
Sheka. Shoot him.
.
Borkala. Call him.
Weeza. Come here.
. . .
Zola ana aku? Do you love your children?
Inga (or yinga). Yes.
Gogomby. No (or, Go away). _ . . _ Yala kayala. He is very sick. _ . . . Wenda baka ganga. Go bring the doctor.
_
Fuedy. He is dead. . . . . . A canto ana yaku? How many wives have you? _ _ Kutatu. Three.
_ _ _
Ungaya muana ngo? Have you seen any lions?
_
Noka kunoka. It is going to rain.
. . _
Wenda banga tevia. Go build a fire.
_ .
Muany yama. The sun is hot.
_ . _ . . _
Unga gwaku wona yaku ungayi? Are you living with your mother? _ . Yala Where pains you?
.
Ntu bwanga. My head aches.
.
Nzala. I am hungry. . . _ Mano ganze. My tooth aches.
_ . _ _
Ruaka mbala. I cut him with a knife.
A kway tukiddy? How far away does he live? _ Wuto Coonawany. I was born in Coonawany. . . _ Mazo Mazema. He is blind. _
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