Noun

Plural: minwe

MEANING

A finger

Examples of use

Nabamuputule minwe, MEANING: his fingers have been cut

SYNONYM/SIMILARWORD/COMPARE/CONTRAST

kantengenesha

FIGURATIVE SPEECH/IDIOMS/PHRASES/COLLOQUIALUSE/EXPRESSIONS

1.     Enda iminwenkutwa, MEANING: To go empty handed. When addressed to a girl, this expression is taken as a curse, meaning that she will die childless

2.      Suma umunwe, MEANING: To bite one’s finger (sign of wonder, admiration)

3.     Laala or sendamana umunwe mu kanwa, MEANING: To sleep with one’s finger in the mouth, ie to sleep without having eaten.

4.     Ba ku minwe ya mfumu, MEANING: To be in the service of the chief, meaning not to be free in one’s movements

Namushimpa umunwe mwisaya, MEANING:  I stuck my finger in his cheek, that is I made it impossible for him to contradict me.

5.     Shimpa iminwe panshi or ikasha umuntu mu minwe, MEANING: To offer sympathy to a bereaved person. In doing so, the visitor after having embraced the bereaved friend touches the ground with the tip of his fingers and turns his head sideways over the shoulder.

6.     Taushimpa minwe panshi aumona nga yalilingana, MEANING: You do not touch the ground with the tip of your fingers, lest you find out that your fingers are of equal length. A curse thrown by a mourner on one suspected of bewitching his people. A way of saying may the same thing happen to you!

7.      Cintu mu minwe, ameenso yalabeepa, MEANING: A thing in the hand is worth more than a promise.

8.     Nshilya mu minwe ya mfumu, MEANING:  I never receive anything from the chief

9.     Aba mu minwe yabakapokola, MEANING: He is under arrest.

10.  Uyu iminwe yalungamafye ku kwiba, MEANING: The fingers of this person are only good for stealing

11.  Uwaleepa iminwe, MEANING: A thief

12.  Bamona alependa iminwe, MEANING: They saw him counting his fingers (a sign of very proximate death for a sick person)

13.   Ita umuntu iminwe ya mumbili, MEANING: To call a person without reason

PROVERB

1. Apali umunwe, epali bala

Literal translation: Where there is a finger (pointing to a good patch of land) there is a garden

Meaning: Where there is a will, there is a way. If you are determined to do something, it will be done

Bemba Meaning- amapange eyatangila, imilimo panuma

PROVERB 2

Minwe ikata ifibi ilasamba,

Literal translation: Fingers that catch dirty can be washed

Meaning: If a person has done wrong, that is no reason why he should be kept in suspicion forever. Also, if the employer gives someone a dirty job, he will compensate accordingly, that is give something to wash dirty off.

Bemba Meaning: Umuntu nga abomba bwino, alingile ukumufuta pakuti na ku mutima kusansamuke. Kabili calola na mukutila, umuntu uwabifya alalapila. Nao abwelela mu busuma.

PROVERB 3

Iminwe ingi isasha umunani

Literal translation: Too many fingers make the relish sour.

Meaning: Involving too many people in the case makes the case difficulty and you may end up failing to solve it

Bemba Meaning: Bwingi bwa nshimu. Abantu abasishibe umulimo umo nga bafula pa mulimo, umulimo taulondoloka nakalya. Pantu bonse kuti balefwaya ukuilanga ukuti nine naishiba.

PROVERB 4

Umunwe umo tausala/tautoola nda.

Literal translation: One finger cannot catch a louse

Meaning: Two heads are better than one. One man cannot do the job alone.

Bemba Meaning: Umuntu nga alifye eka, imilimo kuti yamufulila na ukubomba teeti abombe bwino.