Kibena, A Beginner’s Dictionary (also with some Kigogo)

For whatever reason, I thought somebody in the world with internet access might be interested in an incredibly amateur attempt at figuring out Kibena, the language of the Wabena (Bena people) in southern Tanzania. The following represents nothing more than my attempts at picking up the language of Kibena by talking with older people.  So far, this is not based on any written sources. I gladly welcome any corrections or additions.  Mistakes are likely and they are all mine.  Enjoy!

The Bena language, also known as Kibena or Ekibena (as Bantu languages usually use the “Ki-” prefix in referring to a language) is a part of the language sub-group Bena-Kinga.  This also includes Magoma, Hehe, Kisi, Pangwa, Sangu, Wanji and Kinga.  Spoken by approximately 670,000 people in the Southwest central area of Tanzania, Iringa region, Njombe district.  Its lexical similarity is 71% with Pangwa, 65% with Hehe, 55% with Sangu, 53% with Kinga, 51% with Wanji, 47% with Kisi.  Its official classification is Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, G, Bena-Kinga.  (Source material: http://www.ethnologue.com)

There have long been debates among the volunteers in the southern highlands as to the variational differences in Kibena.  When discussing this with a middle-aged villager friend of mine, he told me there were 5 specific variations:

1. Kilavigi (found in the area around Ikungula and Ilembula)

2. Tuongabita (found in the Lupembe area)

3. Kisovi (found in the area around Ikuna and Makambako)

4. Manga (found in the area around Masagati and Lulanga)

5. Vanyikobwe (found in the area around Taraja and Igominyi)

I have absolutely no idea what any of the specific differences are between these dialects.

Greetings:

“Kamwene” – both a greeting and response, indicating the first meeting of the day

“Kweuli” or “Weuli” – both a greeting and response, indicating a second or subsequent meeting

“Nongage?” or “Nogo yuve?” – How are you doing?

“Ongo” or ”Ale” – I am fine

“Yuve” – And you? (singular)

“Yunye” - And you? (plural)

“Makasi” or “Machengo” – How’s work? or Sorry about your work. (“Pole na Kazi” in Kiswahili) 

Days of the Week:

“Mlungu” or “Mulungu” – Sunday

“Mulungu” is also Zulu for white person (Mzungu in Kiswahili)

“Shahulembela” or “Kyakulembela”- Monday

“Hivili” or “Kivili” - Tuesday

“Hidadtu” or “Kidatu”- Wednesday

“Hitayi” or “Kitaji” - Thursday

“Hihanu” or “Kihanu” - Friday

“Shahuviluha” or “Kyakuviluka” or “Kyasagala”- Saturday

Igolo – yesterday

Idudzi – the day before yesterday

Kilau or Hilau – tomorrow

Pawuhe – the day after tomorrow

Lukela – morning

munyi – afternoon/day light time

mihe – early evening

kilo – night

Months of the year:

Muhanu – January

Mudope – February

Mwidzimbi – March

Lunana – April

Mukenda – May

Mwibepo – June

Mulagadzi – July

Munenesi – August

Mumosi – September (note the number similarities, this is the first month)

Mupili – October

Mupalangulo – November

Munyi – December

Compass Directions:

Kunena – East

Kusika – West

Kuvwehe – North

Kumavemba – South

Conjugating in Kibena:

While Kiswahili uses the ku- infinitive form, Kibena uses the hu- prefix, although sometimes ku- is also used

For the verb “huhelela” to go (similar to kuenda in Kiswahili), the regular present tense is as follows:

ndihelela – I go tuhelela or twihelela – we go

wihelela – you go  mwihelela – y’all go

ihelela – he/she goes vihelela – they go

Perfect Tense (-me- in Kiswahili)

ndihelye – I have gone  tuhelye – we have gone

uhelye – you have gone  muhelye – y’all have gone

ahelye – he/she has gone vahelye – they have gone

Imperfect Tense (-li- in Kiswahili)

ndikahelye – I went   tukahelye – we went

ukahelye – you went  mukahelye – y’all went

akahelye – he/she went  vakahelye – they went

Future Tense (-ta- in Kiswahili)

ndilahelela – I will go   tulahelela – we will go

ulahelela – you will go   mulahelela – y’all will go

alahelela – he/she will go   valahelela – they will go

Other verbs include:

husuha – to beg or ask permission (kuomba in Kiswahili) (this may be Kihehe which is often mixed with Kibena)

hukela – to like/love (kupenda in Kiswahili)

hukina – to play/practice (kucheza in Kiswahili)

hugenda/hubita/huhelela – to go (not sure of the differences between these words)

hugendela – to visit

hulia – to eat

hunyila – to run

hufundisa – to teach

hutola – to marry (for a man, similar to kuoa in Kiswahili)

hupulika – to hear

Nouns:

Mdzela – friend

Lulenga – water

Mwenda – clothes

Gwanda – shirt

Ng’asi – road

Poso or Shahulia – food

Hukaya – home

Ndzimbo – song

Mwana/Vana – child/children

Yuva – mother

Udada – father

Muhadza – sister

Umama – brother

Ukuhu – grandfather

Upapa – grandmother

These familial terms are not commonly used and not usually known by younger people.

Hidegoo – chair

Kusule – school

Libiki/Mabiki – tree/trees

Joheli – name

Lidzhua – sun

Masoli – grass

Mutwe – head

Mutwa – king

Lwadzile – light

Nguvuli – god

Ndama – calf

Udesi – liar

Adverbs:

Molimoli – slowly/carefully (polepole in Kiswahili)

Question Words:

Kwiya – where

Kiki – what

Ani – who

Dzilinga – how many/much

Numbers:

1 – Jimwinga

2 – Dzivili or Fivili

3 – Dzidatu or Fidatu

4 – Dzitaji or Vitaji or Fitaji

5 – Dzihanu or Vihanu or Fihanu

6 – Dzilimtanda or Mtanda or Mutanda

7 – Mfung’ati or Dzilimfung’ati or Mufung’ati

8 – Mnana or Dzilimnani or Munana

9 – Nyigodza or Ligondza

10 – Likyumi

20 – Makyumi gavili

30 – Makyumi gadatu

40 – Makyumi gataji

50 – Makyumi gahanu

60 – Makyumi Mtanda or Makyumi galimutanda

70 – Makyumi Mfung’ati or Makyumi galimufung’ati

80 – Makyumi mnana or Makyumi munana

90 – Makyumi galiligondza

100 – Ligana

1,000 – Mbilima

Useful Phrases:

“Ndonya yitonya” – It is raining

“Unange” – Help me.

“Umyanile” – I’m sorry (Samahani in Kiswahili)

“Tubitage” – Let’s go (Twende in Kiswahili)

“Uyu mdzela vangu” – This is my friend

“Ava vadzela vangu” – These are my friends

“Yula mdzela vangu” – That is my friend

“Vala vadzela vangu” – Those are my friends

“Mdihwikala hu …” - I live at … 

“Ndibita hukaya” or “Ndihelela Hukaya” – I’m going home

“Wilima malimo gahi?” – What kind of work do you do?

Kunoge kwenyu? – How is your home?

Kunofu hela/Vanofu hela – It is completely fine/Everything is completely fine.

Some basics in Kigogo, spoken by the Gogo people of Central Tanzania:

Greetings:

For the Morning:
Mbukweni? Response: Mbukwa
Afternoon:
Mihanyeni? Response: Misaa
Evening:
Solowenyu? Response: Alenyenye

Swanu/swamu: Fine, well, good

How is work? (Kiswahili: Habari za kazi?): Milimoni? Response: Miswanu

English Kigogo Kikaguru (also spoken in Central TZ, between Dodoma and Morogoro)
I Nene Aniye
You Agwe Agweye
He/She Mwene Mwecho
We Sese Asiye
Y’all Nyenye Anyiye
They Wenecho Wecho

Assorted Kigogo Vocabulary:
House: Kukaaye
Peanuts/Groundnuts: Mayohe
Farm: Mkungunda
Water: Malenga
Rain: Mvula
It is raining: Mvula Nikutonya

English (Kiswahili): Kigogo
Give me (Nipe): Mhele
Girl (Msichana): Muhinza
Boy (Mvulana): Mzalelo
Grandfather (Babu): Mzehe
Grandmother (Bibi): Yaiya
Food: (Chakula) Ndigwa
Firewood (Kuni): Ngwagu
To gather firewood (Kusanya kuni): Kibitatenya ngwagu
To sing (kuimba): Kibichechitembe
To play (kucheza): Kibitakuvina