DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49272#0339
THE WAYAO OF NYASALAND
323
13. Chembogo, walile nganga mbisi!
Chembogo, they ate guinea-fowl raw!
An expression depending for its meaning on the story given below, used by a husband to
his wife or by one woman to another, intimating that the woman has delegated her work
to some one else and is not looking after things properly. A man killed a guinea-fowl and
gave it to his wife to cook. She, however, gave it to her servant, Chembogo, to cook in the
house while she sat doing nothing on the veranda, calling from time to time to know
whether it was cooking well, to which always came answer in the affirmative, “ eh.” When
the meal of porridge was ready in the evening, and she went to get the guinea-fowl from
the pot in the kitchen, she found that it lay in the pot in cold water as her servant had only
put one handful of grass to make the fire under the pot and then left it.
14. Ku-m’mulika sungula akanagone!
By holding a torch aloft (to see if the hare was asleep) before it had lain down!
An expression used to a man who by precipitate action without due caution loses that
which he seeks to gain as in the following case: If a man seeks a girl in marriage whom he
wants to take to live with him far away in his own village, instead of himself settling in her
village according to custom, he must not let this be known or he would be refused.
15. Walosisye mtiko!
(Your wife) she is showing the porridge stick!
An expression used to a man who is homesick.
16. Mtau wa kulombela!
(He has or you have) the perseverance of a suitor!
An expression used to anyone who keeps on asking for something and is a nuisance.
17. Mbepesi kupakalaga ku meso ni ku ndungu kwakwe!
The flour (ought) to be painted on the forehead and on the back of the head also!
Mbepesi is the offering of millet flour to the departed spirits, or as here, the sacrificial
flour used by the chief to smear the front and back of the head of each boy at the end of
the initiation ceremonies. The meaning of the expression is that “ one should not only
look forward to the good things of the future but also remember all the help that has been
given one in the past.”
18. Mkaujauja warn?somite mpamba pe tako!
He who comes and goes and comes again they shot him with an arrow in the buttocks!
Of which the sense is “ a man may do wrong once but if he continues to do so, he will
suffer for it.”
19. Liguluwe lyawilile ululu!
The pig was made a scapegoat (on account of) the gleanings!
A pig who was found picking up the remnants of a crop in a field which had been robbed,
was thought to be the thief and killed.
323
13. Chembogo, walile nganga mbisi!
Chembogo, they ate guinea-fowl raw!
An expression depending for its meaning on the story given below, used by a husband to
his wife or by one woman to another, intimating that the woman has delegated her work
to some one else and is not looking after things properly. A man killed a guinea-fowl and
gave it to his wife to cook. She, however, gave it to her servant, Chembogo, to cook in the
house while she sat doing nothing on the veranda, calling from time to time to know
whether it was cooking well, to which always came answer in the affirmative, “ eh.” When
the meal of porridge was ready in the evening, and she went to get the guinea-fowl from
the pot in the kitchen, she found that it lay in the pot in cold water as her servant had only
put one handful of grass to make the fire under the pot and then left it.
14. Ku-m’mulika sungula akanagone!
By holding a torch aloft (to see if the hare was asleep) before it had lain down!
An expression used to a man who by precipitate action without due caution loses that
which he seeks to gain as in the following case: If a man seeks a girl in marriage whom he
wants to take to live with him far away in his own village, instead of himself settling in her
village according to custom, he must not let this be known or he would be refused.
15. Walosisye mtiko!
(Your wife) she is showing the porridge stick!
An expression used to a man who is homesick.
16. Mtau wa kulombela!
(He has or you have) the perseverance of a suitor!
An expression used to anyone who keeps on asking for something and is a nuisance.
17. Mbepesi kupakalaga ku meso ni ku ndungu kwakwe!
The flour (ought) to be painted on the forehead and on the back of the head also!
Mbepesi is the offering of millet flour to the departed spirits, or as here, the sacrificial
flour used by the chief to smear the front and back of the head of each boy at the end of
the initiation ceremonies. The meaning of the expression is that “ one should not only
look forward to the good things of the future but also remember all the help that has been
given one in the past.”
18. Mkaujauja warn?somite mpamba pe tako!
He who comes and goes and comes again they shot him with an arrow in the buttocks!
Of which the sense is “ a man may do wrong once but if he continues to do so, he will
suffer for it.”
19. Liguluwe lyawilile ululu!
The pig was made a scapegoat (on account of) the gleanings!
A pig who was found picking up the remnants of a crop in a field which had been robbed,
was thought to be the thief and killed.