A VISIT TO ZAIRE

to attend the wedding of Rosalie Harris

to Citoyen Kimbangi Vididi

Based on notes taken by both of us, but for simplicity the writing style has been kept

in the first person singular ~ “I” refers to Dad!!

French words are in italics, and Zairian words (other than names) are in bold italics.

There is a Kikongo vocabulary below.

Walter B. Harris

Bernard J. Harris

Revised in 2016 following the sudden death of “Ya Boni” to include photos

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1. Preparation

2. Journey to Zaire, and meeting BMS folk in Kinshasa (Thu-Fri July 7-8)

3. Journey to Kimpese, meeting people, church service, and meeting the bridegroom (Sat-Sun July 9-10)

4. Looking around Kimpese – school and hospital; Civil Marriage at Songololo (Mon-Tue July 11-12)

5. Visitors and wedding preparations (Wed-Fri July 13-15)

6. The Wedding (Sat July 16)

7. Aftermath (and malaria) (Sun-Tue July 17-19)

8. Travelling back to the UK (Wed-Thu July 20-21)

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Vocabulary

FIOTI Little

KAKA Only. FIOTI KAKA is used a lot at mealtimes, to avoid piled helpings of saka-saka and other delicacies! See also SIKAMENE.

KI Place

KIAMBOTE Hello, followed by MWANA (child), TATA (man), MAMA (lady) or KIENO (all of you)

KIENO All of you

KIMPUMBULU you rascal (Bernard found this useful when talking to Mama Wavila’s children)

KWENDA Go

LEKA Sleep

LU... “all of you” ~ a prefix to almost any word; when said to a lady, it means her and her children.

MAMA A lady (whether married or not, with children or not).

MFIAUKIDI Thank-you, with the connotation “and I’ll be back for more”!

MWANA A child

SALA Stay

SIKAMENE A morning greeting, literally “have you woken up?”, but really meaning “how are you?”; the customary reply is FIOTI KAKA “only a little”, meaning that everyone has some anxiety or worry that prevents things being 100%.

TATA A man (again, no marriage or father connotations).

TOMA Well; an auxiliary verb meaning “do (something) well”.

TOMAKWENDA Goodbye “go well” (said when they are leaving you)

TOMALEKA Goodnight “sleep well”

TOMASALA Goodbye “stay well” (when you are leaving them)

VUVU Hope

YA (name) A term of respect for an older or more qualified person. Or, as Rosalie knows, from a respectful wife to her worthy husband!

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