Zulu Lesson Sleeping

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Baby is asleep (ingane i-lele).

If only I knew more languages, I’ll learn more, understand more, appreciate more and be confident more. Confident more, because I won’t be insecure when people speak their languages on the bus, grocery store or on the pavement.

This blog has Zulu lessons on and off, because I can only use words I can explain in English, like Lulu, a girl’s name. My visitors will fracture their jaw if I teach them words like umgqomo (a barrel).  Ha! Ha! That’s why I have good news today. I have something my visitors can pronounce.

La-la means sleep. You say it like lass.

Le-le means sleeping/asleep. You say it like lamb.

Babies. You know they want to sleep when they rub the eyes with fake fists. Where’s the baby? She is asleep.

ZULU

ENGLISH

Ingane ifuna uku-lala.

The baby wants to sleep.

Ingane ilele.

The baby is sleeping.

Timothy, lala u-10 p.m.

Timothy, go to sleep, it’s 10 p.m.

Timothy u-lele.

Timothy, is sleeping.

U-Pedro u-lala no-Marie.

Pedro sleeps with Marie.

Lala-ni, nikhathele.

Go to sleep, you are tired (many people).

Bus drivers are used to passengers sleeping on the bus. Summer is coming. Is it because of the heat or sweetened drinks? They call transit inspectors, who enter the bus and escort them out. We don’t expect senators, congressmen and congresswomen to doze off during committee hearings, but they do, especially because the word ‘impeachment’ has lost its meaning.

U-lele also means, folding your hands and not doing anything, about something. What are parents doing about absent students? Ba-lele. What is the government doing about pollution? I-lele. What is the Supreme Court doing about Donald Trump? I-lele.

Nonqaba waka Msimang

Executive Blogger

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