Noun

MEANING1

A cripple, person born with an infirmity from birth.

Example of use

Ulya afyelwe indema MEANING: Infirmities from birth.

SYNONYM/SIMILARWORD/COMPARE/CONTRAST

cilema

PROVERBS

PROVERB 1

Museka ndema nobe ikakuseke, 

Literal translation:

You laugh at a cripple, he also will laugh at you.

Meaning: 

To laugh at the misfortune of others brings bad luck.

Bemba Meaning:

Ukuseka umuntu uuli mu bwafya kuiletela ishamo. Uwashama mwitiila alitumpa. Ishamo liponena naabacenjela beene; ico uleseka umubiyo nga caponena pali iwe ni shani?

 

PROVERB 2

Mwandema mulaliwa

Literal translation:

At a cripple's house one eats

Meaning: 

Even a cripple may be useful so take care of him

Bemba Meaning:

Nefilema fiine bantu, nefikankaala kuti fyabomba. Fisungeni bwino.

PROVERB 3

Umwanakashi ndema, cumbu: ukucolola, kukontola

Literaltranslation:

A woman is like a cripple, if she tries to straighten up she will break

Meaning:

A woman  is subject to certain limitations - social as well as physical - that she is unable to remove

Bemba Meaning:

Umwanakashi uwabipe misango nga tafwaya kuileka mulekenifye, ngatalefwaya kumfwe shiwi lyobe. Nga wati nkamunasha mukumupuma ukamwipayafye ukashale ne misoka.

 

PROVERB 4

Ubushiku bwatwele ndema.

Literal translation:

The night allowed the cripple to succeed.

Meaning: 

There was a girl who refused all proposals of marriage, waiting for `Mr. Right' with a very sweet voice. One fine day in the middle of the night `Mr. Right' spoke to her. She fell in love with the voice and married him. It was only at dawn she discovered he was lame. Moral: don't act blindly, seek the light.

Bemba Meaning:

Ukuba cali nifi: umwanakashi aletwanga saana. Talefwaya kuupwa ku baume bonse aba mumona iyo; alefwaya akaume kantu umwine aaleyelenganya mu calo ca mu mutwe wakwe, aka­shakamoneke, akeshiwi ilyaololoka. Awe bushiku bumo icilema catula noku, calingafye lilya kwafiita elyo caya ku kulansha uyu mayo. Cakwete ishiwi ilyaololoka nganshi.Umwanakashi alacankwafye. Ulucelo pa kulolesha ninshi cipwile kale. Na nomba ici Cibemba calola mu kutiila wilasala ifintu mu mfifi. Mu mfifi, mu bwaice, tacawama ukusalila umulume atemwa umukashi, pantu tawishibe ifyo akaba mailo.

PROVERB 5

Ing'anda ya ndema (icilema) taisaiwa.

Literal translation

Thehouse of a cripple is not closed up (unlike that of a dead person)

Meaning

One must be charitable to disabled people

Bemba meaning

Mwilakwata misuula ku banenu abali nobwafya. Bambi bacita umuntu nga bamusuula,balafilwa no kumwafwako. Nelyo nga ni nkoma-matwi kuti balebilikisha ukutaliabati, ala isaleko, wilaala kwacenama. Ukumupumya. Ifi tabacita. Ubucele kuti wasangwa mu busanso bwa pa musebo bakuputula na moolu yonse.