Pain Reminder in Zulu

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Disturbing a wound in thu-nu-ka in Zulu.
Feeling pain is ku-buhlungu.  When someone dies, we tell the family ku-buhlungu.  When people lose jobs, we say ku-buhlungu.  We cannot teach you how to say that in Zulu because there is no equivalent English sound for -hlu-.

 U-bu-hlu-ngu is different from disturbing existing pain like a wound or recovering from someone who stood you up at the altar with 200 guests waiting and debts that will take years to pay.

Thu-nu-ka is disturbing a previous pain.  Man breaks a leg while skiing in Vemdalen, Sweden.  His kids play with his cast, writing their names and drawing emoji’s.  His wife scolds them that they are disturbing the pain: Ni-ya-mthunuka.
Thunuka. You say the first part like tool, the second like nook and the last one like Kamala Harris, one of the 2020 U.S. presidential candidates.

ZULU
ENGLISH
Thunukile.
A girl’s name meaning her birth reminds the family of previous pain.
Thu-nu is the short version.
Bathunukile.
A girl’s name meaning her birth reminds many people of previous pain.
Thu-nu is the short version.
U-nga-she-shi. U-zo-thu-nu-ka-la e-mle-nze-ni.
Walk slowly, you’ll disturb the pain in your leg.
I-nga-ne i-ya-ngi-thu-nu-ka e-sa-ndle-ni.
The child is disturbing the pain in my hand.
U-dokotela u-the ni-nga-ngi-thu-nu-ki.
The doctor said you must not disturb my pain.
Lisette, u-ya-ngi-thu-nu-ka.
Lisette you are bringing up old wounds.
Samantha, Joyce, ni-ya-ngi-thu-nu-ka.
Samantha, Joyce, you are bringing up old wounds.
U-zo-thu-nu-ka-la u-ma u-khu-lu-ma ngo-Thandi.
You’ll bring up old wounds if you talk about Thandi.
U-zo-thu-nu-ka-la u-ma u-khu-lu-ma ngo-Zola.
You’ll bring up old wounds if you talk about Zola.
Ba-zo-thu-nu-ka-la u-ma u-khu-lu-ma nge-World Cup Final.
You’ll bring up old wounds if you talk about the World Cup Final.

By:  Nonqaba waka Msimang.

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