Kongo
ISO 639-3: kon
Historic regional language of the Kongo kingdom
Language Details
| Family Lineage | Niger-Congo › Atlantic-Congo › Volta-Congo › Benue-Congo › Bantoid › Southern Bantoid › Bantu |
| Countries | DR Congo, Angola, Republic of the Congo |
| Approximate Speakers | ~7,000,000 |
| Alternative Names | Kikongo, Bakongo (Kikongo) |
| Notes | One of the earliest Bantu languages documented by Europeans |
Hebrew Comparisons
| Word | Meaning | Hebrew Word | Transliteration | Hebrew Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| kulya | to eat | אָכַל | ʼâkal | a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively); [idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite. |
| fwana | find | בְּעָא | bᵉʻâʼ | (Aramaic) or בְּעָה; (Aramaic), corresponding to בָּעָה; to seek or ask; ask, desire, make (petition), pray, request, seek. |
| vuka | to wake up, to get up (esp. in the morning) | בֹּקֶר | bôqer | from בָּקַר; properly, dawn (as the break of day); generally, morning; ([phrase]) day, early, morning, morrow. |
| nguba | hump, rounded protrusion | גַּב | gab | (Aramaic) corresponding to גַב; {the back (as rounded); by analogy, the top or rim, a boss, a vault, arch of eye, bulwarks, etc.}; back. |
| koko | top, summit | גָּג | gâg | probably by reduplication from גָּאָה; a roof; by analogy, the top of an altar; roof (of the house), (house) top (of the house). |
| nguba | back, hump | גֵּוָה | gêvâh | feminine of גֵּו; the back, i.e. (by extensive) the person; body. |
| kala | heap, pile | גַּל | gal | from גָּלַל; something rolled, i.e. a heap of stone or dung (plural ruins), by analogy, a spring of water (plural waves); billow, heap, spring, wave. |
| nkala | pellet, lump | גֵּלֶל | gêlel | a variation of גָּלָל; dung (plural balls of dung); dung. |
| dula | to live, to reside, to inhabit | דּוּר | dûwr | (Aramaic) corresponding to דּוּר; to reside; dwell. |
| disa | to thresh; to separate the chaff from grain | דַּיִשׁ | dayish | from דּוּשׁ; threshing-time; threshing. |
| bona | to see; as imperative 'bona!' for 'look!' | הִנֵּה | hinnêh | prolongation for הֵן; lo!; behold, lo, see. |
| ngonde | moon | חֹדֶשׁ | chôdesh | from חָדַשׁ; the new moon; by implication, a month; month(-ly), new moon. |
| Ngodè | the moon | חֹדֶשׁ | from חָדַשׁ; the new moon; by implication, a month; month(-ly), new moon. | |
| vula | to wriggle, to twist | חוּל | chûwl | or חִיל; a primitive root; properly, to twist or whirl (in a circular or spiral manner), i.e. (specifically) to dance, to writhe in pain (especially of parturition) or fear; figuratively, to wait, to pervert; bear, (make to) bring forth, (make to) calve, dance, drive away, fall grievously (with pain), fear, form, great, grieve, (be) grievous, hope, look, make, be in pain, be much (sore) pained, rest, shake, shapen, (be) sorrow(-ful), stay, tarry, travail (with pain), tremble, trust, wait carefully (patiently), be wounded. |
| kanika | to choke, to strangle | חָנַק | chânaq | a primitive root (compare חָנַךְ); to be narrow; by implication, to throttle, or (reflex.) to choke oneself to death (by a rope); hang self, strangle. |
| Nzambi | High God | יְהֹוָה | Yahweh | from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה. |
| seka | to laugh | יִצְחָק | Yitsechaq | from צָחַק; laughter (i.e. mochery); Jitschak (or Isaac), son of Abraham; Isaac. Compare יִשְׂחָק. |
| Mfinda | wilderness, forest, bush, uninhabited place | מִדְבָּר | midbâr | from דָבַר in the sense of driving; a pasture (i.e. open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert; also speech (including its organs); desert, south, speech, wilderness. |
| mési | water | מַיִם | mayim | dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense); water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen; [phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)). |
| ima | to stand, to stand up | עָמַד | ʻâmad | a primitive root; to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative, intransitive and transitive); abide (behind), appoint, arise, cease, confirm, continue, dwell, be employed, endure, establish, leave, make, ordain, be (over), place, (be) present (self), raise up, remain, repair, [phrase] serve, set (forth, over, -tle, up), (make to, make to be at a, with-) stand (by, fast, firm, still, up), (be at a) stay (up), tarry. |
| vunuka | to escape, to be delivered | פֶּסַח | peçach | from פָּסַח; a pretermission, i.e. exemption; used only techically of the Jewish Passover (the festival or the victim); passover (offering). |
| kuseka | laugh | צָחַק | tsâchaq | a primitive root; to laugh outright (in merriment or scorn); by implication, to sport; laugh, mock, play, make sport. |
| kuma | to stand, rise | קוּם | Qum | a primitive root; to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative); abide, accomplish, [idiom] be clearer, confirm, continue, decree, [idiom] be dim, endure, [idiom] enemy, enjoin, get up, make good, help, hold, (help to) lift up (again), make, [idiom] but newly, ordain, perform, pitch, raise (up), rear (up), remain, (a-) rise (up) (again, against), rouse up, set (up), (e-) stablish, (make to) stand (up), stir up, strengthen, succeed, (as-, make) sure(-ly), (be) up(-hold, -rising). |
| seka | to laugh, to mock | שָׂחַק | sâchaq | a primitive root; to laugh (in pleasure or detraction); by implication, to play; deride, have in derision, laugh, make merry, mock(-er), play, rejoice, (laugh to) scorn, be in (make) sport. |
| sama | sky or heaven | שָׁמַיִם | shamayim | dual of an unused singular שָׁמֶה; from an unused root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve); air, [idiom] astrologer, heaven(-s). |
| kaka | bind, fix | שָׂקַד | sâqad | a primitive root; to fasten; bind. |