Noun

Singular : insoka

Plural; nsoka

MEANING.

A snake, serpent, viper.

Example of use.

Insoka ilekulika or ilekulaika panshi, MEANING:  The snake crawls along.

SYNONYM/SIMILAR WORD/COMPARE/CONTRAST.

Nil.

OTHER RELATED WORDS/USES/SOURCES/FUNCTIONS.

Different kinds of snakes; cilambanshila, cinko, cipini, cisamba, kabamba kuku, iyongolo, kafi (mwansalifi), kanshimona mutenge, ibalabala, ifwafwa, itiiya, lukungwe (ngoshe), lukuni luma, lusato, mamba or mamba luushi, mboma, mpini, muswema, mwibu, namabuula, ndele, nondo

FIGURATIVE SPEECH/IDIOMS/PHRASES/COLLOQUIAL USE/EXPRESSIONS.

1. Uma insoka ku mutwe na ku mucila. Literal translation. To hit a snake on the head and on the tail. Meaning: To treat a person harshly, unjust, to extort.

2. Wankobolola insoka mu mukoshi. Literal translation. You removed the snake from my neck. Meaning: You got me out of trouble

PROVERBS.

PROVERB 1 

Insoka shafwile uko shileele

Literal translation:

The snakes died where they lay.

Meaning:

Whatever you like, if it is bad will kill you.

Bemba Meaning:

Uko washintilila eko ukafwila

Similar proverbs

1. Umuti ukowasendamina, eko ukawila. 

2. Fundi wa nsofu akafwa ku nsofu

PROVERB 2

Ukumesha nsoka amabele.

Literal translation

To give the breast to asnake

Meaning

To do good to an ungratefulperson.

Bemba Meaning

Ukwinye mpini; ukupeelauushitasha kumupapata. Ukupeelo muntu uushifwaya kupeela babiye.

PROVERB 3

Umwana wa nsoka ni nsoka.

Literal translation

The child of a snake is asnake.

Bemba Meaning

Umuntu uwatemwana nomulwani obe ninshi nao wine mulwani obe. Abati witumpila muntu uwafuma kubalwani bobe, nangu aicite ngo musuma, nakalya pambi ni nengu. Uwaciba ukobacilakwamba nangu ese mu kuiwaminisha, bufi, pambi nao wine ewacilalumya no lwambo.

PROVERB 4

Abakalamba bakobolwelemfumu insoka mu mukoshi.

Literal translation

The elders removed thesnake that was round the chief’s neck

Meaning

Old people know how tohandle dangerous situations. Allusion to a story where a snake coiled round thechiefs’ neck and an old man saved him by showing a rat to the snake

Bemba Meaning

Abakalamba baaba na manoukucila abaice. Balishiba ukupikulula ubwile nangu bwafye.

 PROVERB 5

 Akaana ka nsoka takalaalamu nshila.

Literal translation

The baby snake should notsleep on the path

Meaning

A child should not quarrelwith its elders.  A girl shoud not playwith boys

Ipinda aliti umwaice ngaatendeko kuipuma kubakalamba ninshi maka aleitasha, na mu mutima ati teeitimfilwe. Kabili cilebilipulo kuti umwaice nga abala umukalamba tee wakulekafye,epali atumpa. Elyo kabili ciku nangula cikwi tacipalamana ku mulilo; moyetalinga kwangala na baume.

PROVERB 6

 Munda nimwisano, mulaalainsoka atemwa insofu.

Literal translation

The womb is like a chief'splace there lies either a snake or an elephant

Meaning

You never how an unbornchild will develop, or whether they will turn out to be dangerous or not

Bemba Meaning

Mwifumo limo mufuma abaanabapusanapusana; abawelewele ne mpanda; ababi na basuma. 'Munda ni mu cabu'.

 

PROVERB 7

Ubulanda bwaninike nsokakumuti.

Literal translation

Suffering made the snakeclimb the tree.

Meaning

To escape from sufferingpeople will do things they did not realise they were capable of doing

Bemba Meaning

Insoka tayakwata moluikulikafye panshi, tayaishiba ukunina umuti. Calola mukutiila, ubucushi ngabwakulisha, bupatikisha umuntu ukucita icintu ico ashaciba nakucita nga cakutitaculile. Icilenga ukucita ifi nico ulefwaya ukucefyako bucushi bumo pakutiwangukilweko.