Noun

MEANING

An ant.

OTHER RELATED WORDS/USES/ SOURCES/FUNCTIONS

AUGUMENTATIVE: cinyelele

DIMINUTIVE: kanyelele.

FIGURATIVE EXPRESSIONS/SPEECH/IDIOMS/PHRASES/COLLOQUIAL USES

1. Fwila icinyelele, MEANING: To die without guilt or, to die in the bush and to be left un buried.

2.  Ukafwila inyelele, MEANING: You will end by dying for a crime of which you are innocent or as you are always travelling, you will end by dying alone in the bush.

PROVERBS

PROVERB 1

Akanyelele kasuma umukaaya, wemweni cenjela.

Literal translation:  If a small ant bites a local, let the stranger beware

Meaning: It is easy for a stranger to become a scapegoat for all the village troubles

Bemba Meaning: Tacifwaikwa umweni ukuitumpa mu milandu, kano ukutekanya na ukucenjela.

PROVERB 2

Akanyelele pa mwabo kaba no bushipa

Literal translation:  an ant is full of courage to defend its home

Meaning: at home everyone will have courage. Any member of the family even if he or she is not liked will be defended against strangers

Bemba Meaning: umuntu onse pa mwakwe ni mfumu. Wilasansa umuntu pali balupwa bakwe, nangu bali mupata, ukapumwa

PROVERB 3

Akanyelele kamusenshile

Literal translation:

A little ant carried the load

Meaning: 

Perseverance overcomes all difficulties

Bemba Meaning: 

Umuntu tacepa. Umulimo onse, nangu wingakosa kuti wabombwa nga baposako amaano.

PROVERB 4

Funde cinyelele: umunang'uwaifunda kale

Literal translation: 

Teach the little ant, thebig one taught itself long ago

Meaning: 

You cannot teach yourgranny to suck eggs

Bemba Meaning: 

Kwaba bamo abacenjela nombatabamoneka nga bamano. Kabili amano batwala uko yalefwaikwa.