lya
Verb transitive and intransitive.
MEANING.
To eat.
Example of use
Mwalileni! MEANING Have you eaten well? A greeting much used. The answer: endita mukwai! Yes, well, indeed! Or Kulila mulelya!
MEANING 2.
To be distrustful, suspicious.
Example of use
Wailyafye, teiwe tuleeba, MEANING: You are too suspicious, we are not talking not about you.
SYNONYM/SIMILAR WORD/COMPARE/CONTRAST
Lya mutengu, lya cubako
MEANING 3.
to receive a payment
Example of use
Pa mweshi umo ulya indalama Shinga? MEANING What is your payment each month?
MEANING 4.
To receive a fine
Example of use
Pacilubo cimo ulyepo libili? MEANING For one offence you want to fine me twice?
SYNONYM/SIMILAR WORD/COMPARE/CONTRAST
Wanguma imipini ibili
MEANING 5
To receive a gift
Example of use
Bonse balya ku minwe ya mfumu MEANING Both get gifts from the chief
MEANING 6To kill, to bewitch , to cause death
Example of use
Bushe cinshi camuliile? Baleti fimalwa alekupaula kasuba konse MEANING What killed him? They say it was the alcohol he drank everyday
MEANING 7
To let a certain length of time pass
Example of use
Apo aila alya imyaka ibili MEANING Since he left, it has been two years
SYNONYM/SIMILAR WORD/COMPARE/CONTRAST
ukupita
OTHER RELATED WORDS/USES/ SOURCES/ FUNCTIONS.
DERIVATIVE: buliili, bulyalya, cakulya, malyo, lulyo, mulyafibi, miliile, mulyalya.
PASSIVE: liiwa.
APPLICATIVE: liila.
REFLEXIVE: Ilyafye MEANING 1 To delude oneself
Wailyafye, teeti umume Meaning You delude yourself. You cannot beat him.
SYNONYM/SIMILAR WORD/COMPARE/CONTRAST
ibepafye
REFLEXIVE: Ilyafye MEANING 2 To be distrustful, suspicious
Example of use
Wailyafye, teeiwe tulelandapo Meaning You are too suspicious, we are not talking about you
SYNONYM/SIMILAR WORD/COMPARE/CONTRAST
ilya mutengu, ilya cibako
FIGURATIVE SPEECH/ IDIOMS/ PHRASES/ COLLOQUIUAL USE/ EXPRESSIONS.
1. John solyo ubwali Literal translation. John, come and eat nshima Meaning A loafer,
2. Lya nonga mabwe Literal translation Eat like keeping stones Meaning To eat little, like a mouse
3. Lya umulandu Literal translation To eat the case Meaning: To judge unjustly.
4. Lya umundemwa, Meaning To sponge on, to abuse hospitality.
5. lya icisungu Meaning to consummate a marriage, to deflower a virgin
6. Lya ulusale Literal translation To eat the wire Meaning To make a blood pact
7. Lya imisha Literal translation To eat one’s debt Meaning to delay paying debts
8. Lya ifyantalala Meaning to eat unseasoned food, tasteless food
9. Lya nkafunkafu Meaning to eat voraciously, like a dog
10. Lya mbiipa Meaning to be soiled, poisoned or fall under a spell by eating food prepared by an unfaithful wife
11. Lya cilyelyele Meaning to eat without worrying about the source or quality of the food
12. Lya kanshilya Literal translation To eat what is not supposed to be eaten Meaning To eat or go through the cipingo ceremony, in which couples swear conjugal fidelity
13. Lya umushili Literal translation To eat earth Meaning To swear
14. Lya mwanda Lesa Literal translation To eat earth Meaning To swear
15. Lya icipingo Literal translation To eat or go through the cipingo ceremony Meaning Couples swear conjugal fidelity
16. Lya imikupe Meaning. To sit squatting waiting for something like an audience with an important person or for food or some important news
17. Lya imfwa Literal translation To eat death Meaning To cleanse the widow by having a member of the deceased’s family sleep with her
18. Lya lukoma Literal translation. To eat the hornbill Meaning. To be under a spell from the wife to keep the husband faithful
19. Lya mandabila Meaning To go somewhere and forget one’s country
PROVERBS.
PROVERBS 1.
Cibinda mwaice, alya imo ashiika na ubucinga.
Literal translation.
He ate (caught) one animal and buried the game pit.
Meaning.
A person who is very careless, improvident. He who wastes things.
Bemba meaning.
Impelwa mano nga yalipilwa ulupiya ilalaba na kuncito, yalanwafye ubwalwa. Bambi nabo nga aikuta apoosa nolukasu alaba ukuti ifili kubutala maafi, fikapwa
PROVERBS 2.
Nkalya ni mufibolya.
Literal meaning.
Mr I will eat later found himself in an old, abandoned village (with no one to give him food).
Meanings
Never put off for tomorrow what you can do to do.
Bemba meaning.
Apo uli nokubomba akalimo, ukabombe bwangu-bwangu.
Similar proverbs
1 Akalimo ucita umuleele kalakupemba.
2 Nkalya aleele pesembe, apya.
3. Nkalya mailo apiile inuma
PROVERBS 3.
Nkalya aleele pesembe, apya.
Literal translation.
I shall eat slept on a red-hot axe and burnt himself and failed to eat
Meaning.
Never put off for tomorrow what you can do to do.
Bemba meaning.
Apo uli nokubomba akalimo, ukabombe bwangu-bwangu
Similar proverbs
1 Akalimo ucita umuleele kalakupemba.
2 Nkalya mailo apiile inuma
ADD OTHER PROVERBSUkulya kulinganyaUkulya kwalinaka, imilimo yauma, MEANING: Eating is very easy, work is hard.ukulya kwalundile umukowaukulya kwalaafishe ulukufuukulya akantenda, kundapa ntenda = for the healer to get his fee he must cure the sick
OTHER RELATED WORDS/USES/ SOURCES/ FUNCTIONS.
DERIVATIVE: buliili, bulyalya, cakulya, malyo, lulyo, mulyafibi, miliile, mulyalya.
PASSIVE: liiwa.
APPLICATIVE: liila.
REFLEXIVE: Ilyafye MEANING 1 To delude oneself
Wailyafye, teeti umume Meaning You delude yourself. You cannot beat him.
SYNONYM/SIMILAR WORD/COMPARE/CONTRAST
ibepafye
REFLEXIVE: Ilyafye MEANING 2 To be distrustful, suspicious
Example of use
Wailyafye, teeiwe tulelandapo Meaning You are too suspicious, we are not talking about you
SYNONYM/SIMILAR WORD/COMPARE/CONTRAST
ilya mutengu, ilya cibako
FIGURATIVE SPEECH/ IDIOMS/ PHRASES/ COLLOQUIUAL USE/ EXPRESSIONS.
1. John solyo ubwali Literal translation. John, come and eat nshima Meaning A loafer,
2. Lya nonga mabwe Literal translation Eat like keeping stones Meaning To eat little, like a mouse
3. Lya umulandu Literal translation To eat the case Meaning: To judge unjustly.
4. Lya umundemwa, Meaning To sponge on, to abuse hospitality.
5. lya icisungu Meaning to consummate a marriage, to deflower a virgin
6. Lya ulusale Literal translation To eat the wire Meaning To make a blood pact
7. Lya imisha Literal translation To eat one’s debt Meaning to delay paying debts
8. Lya ifyantalala Meaning to eat unseasoned food, tasteless food
9. Lya nkafunkafu Meaning to eat voraciously, like a dog
10. Lya mbiipa Meaning to be soiled, poisoned or fall under a spell by eating food prepared by an unfaithful wife
11. Lya cilyelyele Meaning to eat without worrying about the source or quality of the food
12. Lya kanshilya Literal translation To eat what is not supposed to be eaten Meaning To eat or go through the cipingo ceremony, in which couples swear conjugal fidelity
13. Lya umushili Literal translation To eat earth Meaning To swear
14. Lya mwanda Lesa Literal translation To eat earth Meaning To swear
15. Lya icipingo Literal translation To eat or go through the cipingo ceremony Meaning Couples swear conjugal fidelity
16. Lya imikupe Meaning. To sit squatting waiting for something like an audience with an important person or for food or some important news
17. Lya imfwa Literal translation To eat death Meaning To cleanse the widow by having a member of the deceased’s family sleep with her
18. Lya lukoma Literal translation. To eat the hornbill Meaning. To be under a spell from the wife to keep
the husband faithful
19. Lya mandabila Meaning To go somewhere and forget one’s country
PROVERBS.
PROVERBS 1.
Cibinda mwaice, alya imo ashiika na ubucinga.
Literal translation.
He ate (caught) one animal and buried the game pit.
Meaning.
A person who is very careless, improvident. He who wastes things.
Bemba meaning.
Impelwa mano nga yalipilwa ulupiya ilalaba na kuncito, yalanwafye ubwalwa. Bambi nabo nga aikuta apoosa nolukasu alaba ukuti ifili kubutala maafi, fikapwa
PROVERBS 2.
Nkalya ni mufibolya.
Literal meaning.
Mr I will eat later found himself in an old, abandoned village (with no one to give him food).
Meanings
Never put off for tomorrow what you can do to do.
Bemba meaning.
Apo uli nokubomba akalimo, ukabombe bwangu-bwangu.
Similar proverbs
1 Akalimo ucita umuleele kalakupemba.
2 Nkalya aleele pesembe, apya.
3. Nkalya mailo apiile inuma
PROVERBS 3.
Nkalya aleele pesembe, apya.
Literal translation.
I shall eat slept on a red-hot axe and burnt himself and failed to eat
Meaning.
Never put off for tomorrow what you can do to do.
Bemba meaning.
Apo uli nokubomba akalimo, ukabombe bwangu-bwangu
Similar proverbs
1 Akalimo ucita umuleele kalakupemba.
2 Nkalya mailo apiile inuma