noun

Plural – amabeele

 MEANING

Breast, udder.

EXAMPLE OF USE

Ibeele nalisaka MEANING the breast is full of milk.

Ibeele nalisaka MEANING the breast is full of sour milk.

Ibeele nalipapa MEANING the breast is flat, without milk.

Ibeele nalikamika MEANING the breast is dry.

Amabeele yalikopoka MEANING the breasts are hanging.

Bamusumuna kwibeele MEANING they have weaned the child.

OTHER RELATED WORDS/USES/SOURCES/FUNCTION.

Diminutive – akalibeele

Agmentative: Icilibeele

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

Afwile na ibeele mukanwa: Literal translation he/she died in infancy. MEANING

MEANING

You will die young. Sometimes used as curse.  

Alinaka ibeele MEANING is said of a mother who brought up her children and won their affection.  

Ukuuma ibeele nangu ukukaba ibeele MEANING to have a hard breast or to have a hot breast (Literal translation) – a mother who was never liked by her children.

Ni cisumpi uwamabeele ifi MEANING she is a young girl with breasts like that (the thumb and two fingers are extended to show the size of the breasts and hence the age)

Libeele MEANING sometimes expresses fecundity.

PROVERBS.

PROVERBS 1

Uwamabeele talangwa nshila

Literal Translation

A person with breasts is not shown the way. She’s old enough to know and do mosr things herself.

Meaning

Some things are done with ulterior motives. Even if your actions are genuine, people may apply another motive to them.

Bemba Meaning

Umukashaana nga afika pamushinku wabukashaana alafya ukumwalulula. Kabili abati, libili libili nga ulelanda no mwanakashi abantu ku sunguka abati, finshi alefwaya kuli ena?

PROVERBS 2

Ukukaana (ibeele) iIyamusha, kano uli nanoko uwakonkako.

Literal Translation

One can refuse a slave's breast if one still has a mother to suckle from 

Meaning

You can onlybe fussy if you are sure of getting something better

Bemba Meaning

Calola mukutiila-ukukana ako washukila ninshi nukwata fimbi nga ausuulapo na fimo. Kalundwe ukulula nipamwina

PROVERBS 3

Onka mwana wandi, ni uku (ibeele) lisakile.

Literal Translation

Suck my child, this is the breast which is full.

Meaning

Bemba Meaning

Pa kupeela ifintu kubanobe, nico nukwata ifyakubapa. Nga taukwete teeti ubape iyo, kuti wasenemefye nga kapu abulamo ameenshi. Limbi abati: nsango kwete ngoyange nokupa, nangu filya batila: umukaka bakama kuyafyala.

 

PROVERBS 4

Ifyakutuma fyabushishe nkoko amabele.

Literal Translation

Sending somebody else deprived the fowl of breasts.

 

Meaning

Lesa called all the animals to come and receive their breasts. The fowl didn't go but sent the dog to collect them for her. The dog was very selfish however, and kept all the breasts for herself. That is why you see the fowl has no breasts at all but the dog has many

Bemba Meaning

Mumulumbe, Lesa aitile inama shonse ukuyapoka amabele. Inkoko yena yatumine imbwa aiti: mune uye umpokeleko undetele. Imbwa yayakwata akaso yafwala amabele yonse pa cifuba nokuti itwalile nkoko nakalya. Eico imbwa yakwata amabele ayengi, inkoko yena nakalya. Ipinda aliti nga ulefwaya icintu cibombeke bwino, ima wemwine:-uko ushili imbwa yobe taibutuka, kanshie yacikate inama.

 

PROVERBS 5

Ulemekela amabele uleti tayakakopoke.

Meaning

You are proud of your breasts as if they will never lose their shape.

Literal Translation

Beauty and youth fade quickly. Whatever wealth you have today can disappear tomorrow.

Bemba Meaning

Abantu bamo tee pacilumba nga ba beula. Ukusula abalanda takwawama. Abakankala nabo kuti bayaluka abalanda. Akasuba kalawa paisa imfifi.