Vocabulary for rites of passage in Luchazi

Rite of passage refer to a ceremony or event marking an important stage in someone's life, especially birth, the transition from childhood to adulthood, marriage, and death. Here are the key words and phrases associated with Luchazi rites of passage and their meanings in English:

General rites of passage terms in Luchazi

Lovola (transitive verb) = initiate.
Lovoka (intransitive verb) = initiated.
Ciuano = festival.
Viuano (plural)
Cilika = ceremony; custom.
Vilika (plural) = ceremonies.
Ciuano ca ndzolela = festival.
Viuano via ndzolela (plural) = festivals.
Viuano via-ku-lia = food festivals.
Viuano via-ku-nua = drinks festivals.
Muyoyo ua viuano = lively and noisy enjoyment; wild parties characterized by drinking and dancing; revel; orgies.

Types of rites of passage in Luchazi

Ciuano ca ku semua = birthday ceremony; birthday party.
Cilika ca ku lovoka = initiation or circumcision ceremony.
Cilika ca mukanda na mungonge = boys initiation ceremony.
Cilika ca vuso na ciuila = girls initiation ceremony.
Cilika ca vulo = marriage ceremony.
Cilika ca via-ku-tsa = funerary rites.
Cilika ca ku lelesa = rites of purification.

Birth terms and phrases in Luchazi

Ku sulumuna = to give birth.
Sema or kusema = to give birth.
Kakeke = baby or infant.
Tukeke (plural) = babies or infants.
Vukeke = infancy.
Mukua ku amua = suckling.
Vakua ku amua (plural) = sucklings.
Muana = child or toddler.
Vana (plural) = children or toddlers.
Ku Luka lizina = name giving; naming.
Lizina = name.
Cisande = an amulet; an object that is worn by the baby for protection against evil, danger or disease.
Visande (plural) = amulets; objects that are worn for protection against evil, danger or disease.
Cisemua = family; birth; ancestry.
Visemua (plural) = families; births; ancestries.
Mukanda ua cisemua = birth record; birth certificate.
Cisoneka ca cisemua = birth registration.
Amua = suck.
Sumuna = wean.
Sumuka = weaned.

Boys initiation ceremony terms in Luchazi

Vulima = state of being uncircumcised.
Cilima = uncircumcised person (especially male).
Vilima (plural) = uncircumcised people.
Mukanda = circumcision camp for boys.
Cizika mukanda = father or guardian of the head initiate.
Cizika mukanda = the head initiate.
Kandanda = a boy initiate.
Tundanda (plural) = boys initiates.
Cikendzi = circumciser.
Lusumba = circumcising spot on the verge of the village.
Mukua ku lovoka = a circumcised or initiated person.
Vakua ku lovoka = circumcised people.
Cilombola = the guardian.
Kalombola ntito = guardian.
Ku londa ntsimba
Ku-kuua = mukanda ritual singing.
Kutanga = procession ritual.
Likisi = masked dancer.
Makisi (plural) = masked dancers.
Kukomba ndzango = the final dance performed by the likisi Kankumbua as a symbol of sweeping the footmarks of the Mapumpu.
Kuhunga = dance performed by initiates and masked dancers using a band of fibre gin stripes.
Kuzaulula = cessation of the mukanda ceremony.
Mungonge = the boys' final initiation ritual which follows the mukanda rites.
Mukua ku fuika = a guardian responsible for protecting the initiate during the hardening process of the mungonge.
Kayanda ka mungonge
Kavundu ka Nialupanda = a short excruciating exercise subjected to the initiates which is taken in the right hand.
Ku teta = the hardening process of the mungonge.
Tuhia va kalunga = spiritual fire.
Zimbango = secret rituals of the mungonge rites.

Girls initiation ceremony terms in Luchazi

Vuso = the girls' initiation which a Luchazi girl undergoes.
Ciuila = the girls' transition ceremony.
Niamuso = the girl initiate.
Vaniamuso (plural) = girls initiates.
Cisevuilo = a thatched shelter built at the rear of the parents house where the initiates spend their time during the day.
Litungu = a cone-shaped hut built in front of the parents house and facing the ndzango area where the initiates sleep with their guardian.
Kasambiyilo = female guardian for initiates.
Nteta = vuso dances held in the late afternoon by women.
Vukule = state of attaining puberty by a girl.
Mukundu = red orchre.
Mpemba = white chalk or limestone.
Musombelo = facial painting.
Kulonga = to give instructions or teachings.

Luchazi proverb: Niamuso, sikila mukuenu; mukolosika yoveco (girl initiate, sound the drum for your friend; next season it will be your turn.

Vulanguluisi: Omo muanampuevo na hete ha vukule ve ku hita mu vilika kaha va na pande ku cina. Kaha omo kavusamba kove a heta ha citso cino zolela neni muomu mukolosika ntsimbu yove i kua ku heta.

Ku Hetesa: Zolela mu ndzolela ya vavusamba vove kaha va ka zolela hamo nove mu ndzolela yove.

Marriage terms and phrases in Luchazi

Vulo = marriage; the customary or legal or religious union of two people as husband and wife.
Cilika ca vulo = wedding; the ceremony where a man and a woman get married.
Cilemo ca vuntsombolua = love of getting married (women).
Ntsombolua = bride; a woman on her wedding day.
Ntsombola = bride.
Ntsombola yange = my bride.
Ivene ntsombolua = groom; a man on his wedding day.
Ivenea ntsombolua = groom.
Ivene ntsombola = groom
Ivenea ntsombola = groom.
Ivene or ivenea vulo = bridegroom.
Vikunkula via vulo = marriage vows; promises made by the couple during the wedding.
Vikunku via vulo = marriage vows.
Visingo via vulo = marriage vows.
Vusendo = partnership.
Kasendo = couple; partner.
Kasendo ka vulo = marriage covenant.
Ku licata kasendo ka vulo = enter into blood marriage covenant.
Ku-lia ca vulo = wedding banquet.
Ciuano ca ku-lia ca vulo = reception; the party after the wedding ceremony.
Vucino vua vuntsombolua = bridal dance.
Cilika ca kuvueka coto = the ceremony of igniting the first kitchen fire for the newly married by the woman's relatives which is characterized by preparing and cooking food to show how their daughter has been tutored, and presenting gifts of foodstuffs.
Ku zumbula = the feast or meal given out to the visiting in-law or in-laws.

Funeral terms and phrases in Luchazi

Ku-tsa = die.
Ku toka = to die
Toko = deceased.
Ku litsila = die a natural death.
Ku suma lipayi = a phrase that means 'to die'.
Ku ya ku cikuni ca kalunga = a phrase that means 'to die'.
Kuzima tuhia = the ceremonial act of extinguishing all fires in a Luchazi village upon announcement of the death of a village member especially the bereavement of village elder.
Via-ku-tsa = funeral.
Matangua a ku lila mutsi = mourning period; mourning days.
Ndzivo ya via-ku-tsa = funeral parlour or house.
Ndzivo ya ku tulika vatsi = mortuary; morgue.
Ndzivo ya ku zekela vivimbi = charnel house; a building in which corpses or bones are piled.
Hondo ya tufunde = chapel of rest; an undertaker's mortuary.
Kafunde = undertaker; burier; one who buries; burial attendant.
Tufunde (plural) = undertakers; burial crew.
Vutsindo = burial.
Vutiavelelo = cremation.
Mutsi = dead person; deceased.
Vatsi (plural) = dead people.
Civimbi = corpse.
Vivimbi (plural) = corpses.
Ku saka civimbi = emblem.
Cikasa ca mutsi = coffin; casket
Vuhango = bier; frame on which a corpse or coffin is placed before burial.
Vakua ku ambata vuhango = pallbearers.
Mumbo = tomb; grave.
Cihilo = grave; a hole dug in the ground to receive a coffin or corpse.
Vihilo (plural) = graves.
Vukalo vua vatsi = place of the dead; sheol.
Tsinda = bury; put to rest.
Tiavelela = cremation; burn a body.
Ku tiavelela ca civimbi = to burn the body of the deceased; cremation.
Kaha va hetele Yavese, na ku va tiavelela... (1 Samuel 31:12).
Kaha Omo kavusoko ka muntu a ka mu kuata, uze vene a ka mu tiavelela... (Amos 6:10).
Tsisa = be bereaved; bereavement.
Mbumbo = sepulchre; grave mounds.
Zimbumbo = sepulchres
Muhela ua vutsindo = a grave site; a burial site; cemetery.
Mbozo = the ruins of the house (especially a deceased person).
Kanonga = memorial.
Cingina = the shrine erected in memory of the deceased person.
Ku vueka tuhia = the ceremonial act of igniting fires after the burial using the rub or friction method and then the fires are distributed to various households in the village.

Rites of purification terms and phrases

Cisako = a mysterious malady which is as a result of uncleanness.
Visako (plural)
Mukulu = spirit of the departed person.
Ku fumisa mukulu = sexual cleansing ritual; the act of having sexual intercourse by the widow or widower with a select person.
Ku haka mu muhela = seclusion ritual of the widow or widower.
Cipango = the seclusion shelter.
Kuzima = the act of sprinkling of purification herbal medicine mixture on the affected person.
Kukosa = the act of smearing purification herbal medicine mixture on the affected person.

Luchazi ancestral traditions

Miyombo = ancestral shrines.
Kukombela = offering of sacrifices by veneration and recitation of the names of long departed ancestors.
Ku lilalekeya = offering.
Lombueya = Thanksgiving offering.
Mukulu = ancestor.
Vakulu (plural) = ancestors.
Mahamba = ancestral spirits.
Tundundu = types of ancestral spirits.
Viyaya = type of ancestral spirits.
Kamulami = type of ancestral spirits.
Vimbembesi via vatsi = spirits of the dead.
Ku koteka = the use of supernatural activities for protection of the homestead or mukanda.
Kuzika = the use of supernatural activities for protection of the mukanda or homestead.
Visande = amulets; objects that are worn for protection against evil, danger or disease.
Cizila = abomination; taboo.
Vizila (plural) = abominations; taboos.
Mahesi = magic; black magic.
Vutati = cause (a spirit or ghost) to appear by means of a magic ritual; conjure; enchant.
Mukua vutati = conjurer; enchanter.
Citapa = a person who performs supernatural activities for protection of the royal ruler.
Vitapa (plural)
Vitapa va mpemba = these are white painted men who go out to spread the news of the royal ruler's death.
Vitapa va nkula = these are red painted men who are charged with the task of severing the head of the deceased royal ruler from the neck.
Matapa (plural)
Panda = to acquire charms for supernatural purposes.
Ku panda vumbanda = to acquire charms for supernatural activities.
Cinganga = wizard; witch.
Mulozi = sorcerer; witch.
Tufuta = wizards.
Vulozi = witchcraft; sorcery.
Vuhole ≠ cause (a person) to appear dead by means of a magic ritual.
Vandumba zia vantu = magical or invisible figures used by women for evil and selfish purposes.
Ku taha = divination.
Mpelo = divining lots.
Zimpelo (plural)
Ngombo = a form of divination that use divining lots to determine the cause of the problem.
Ngombo ya Cilambu = a form of divination that consists of an animal skin and the divining lots.
Ngombo ya kasanda = a form of divination that consists of a basket and the divining lots.
Ngombo ya zimbinga = a form of divination that consists of animal horns and divining lots.
Ngombo ya ku santsela = a form of Thanksgiving divination.

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Luchazi Language