FSI - Lingala Basic Course - Student Text.pdf - Live Lingua

306 Pages·2008·12.82 MB·English

by  Foreign Service Institute

LINGALA
BASIC COURSE
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BASIC COURSE
PREFACE
Lingala is a trade language spoken along about a nine hundred mile stretch of the
Congo River from Leopoldville upstream. Most of the people who speak Lingala are
native speakers of other languages and use Lingala for communicating with persons
outside their own language group.
The Lingala Basic Course is one of a series prepared by the Foreign Service In-
stitute in its Special African Languages Program, coordinated by Earl W. Stevick.
This series is being produced under an agreement with the Office of Education, De-
partment of Health, Education, and Welfare, under the National Defense Education Act.
The course in its present form is based on classroom experience with a group of
Foreign Service Officers. It is designed to provide basic structures and vocabulary
for the situations in which the foreigner is most likely to need Lingala.
The linguist in charge of the project has been James E. Redden. He was assisted
by Frederic Bongo, Ernest Masakala, and Emil Zola, Language Instructors.
The tapes which accompany the text were prepared in the Foreign Service Insti-
tute Language Laboratory under the supervision of Gabriel Cordova.
~~~
Howard E. Sollenberger, Dean
School of Language and Area Studies
Foreign Service Institute
Department of State
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LINGALA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents •••••.•.....•...•...•..•....••••..•..•..•••.•. lV
Introductlon
Identlflcatlon and locatlon ....•.. ' .....•.......•... x
Tone ..•••....•...........•........•..•.•••.......... Xl
S-ymbol Ilst ......•...•............•.•.....•.......•. Xll
Unlt 1
Dlaloguel 'Gr e e t lngs' •.••.........•••.•.....•.....• 1
Note: 1. Verb preflxe s .•.•......•••.......•....... 2
2. Partlcle /n~/, 'and', 'together wlth' .. ... 3
3 • Partlcle /na/ after /-zala/ •...•......... 3
4· Partlcle /na/ and /ya/I Possesslon . 3
5. Partlcles /na/ and /ya/a Descrlptlon .•... 4
6. Response to yes-no questlons •...•.•...... 4
7. Intonatlon. statement vs. Questlon ...•.. 5
8. Nouns. Slngular and Plural . 6
9. /0/ before another vowel . 7
10. Drllls. Instructlons on How to Use •..... 7
Unlt 2
Dlalogue. 'Do you speak Llngala7 I •••••••••••••••••• 10
,
Note. 1. Negatlonl /te/ ...•....•................. 11
I
2. Verb: Base and afflxes .......•.......... 12
3. Aspect. Perfectlve/Imperfectlve 12
4. Tense. Tlme Segments ....•••......... 12
5. Immedlate Pastl Permanent Statesl Present
Loca tlons •....•.•..............•....... 14
6. Habltual Actlon, Contlnued State 15
7. Temporary Habltual Present. Proxlmate Fu-
ture 16
8. Spelllng of long or double ldentlcal vowels 16
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BASIC COURSE
-------------------------------~-_ ._-
9. Vowel Harmony •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 16
10. The Kltuba Language •••••••••••••••••••••• 18
Unlt 3
Dlaloguel 'Do you want to come to my house today~' •• 21
Notea 1. Inflnltlve preflxa /ko-/ •••••••••••••••• 23
2. Purpose a Immedlate Future ••••••••.••••.• 24
3 • Immedlate Present •••••••••••••••••.••.••• 24
4. Potentlal Future •••••••••.•••..•.•••••.•• 25
5. Impera t 1 ve ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 25
6. Spe11lng of long ldentlcal vowels ••••••.. 25
7. PosseSSlve Constructlon wlth Inflnltlve •.• 30
8. Imme dla te Pa s t 0f / -1 ia / ••••••••••••••.•. 30
9. Order of Possesslve and Descrlptlve Phrases 30
Unlt 4
Dla10guel 'The Raplds' ............................. 31
Note a 1. Noun Classes ............................. 33
2. Verb SubJect PreflXes •••••••••••••••••••• 35
3. Nasal Homorganlc wlth fo1lowlng Consonant 36
4· AdJectlves ••••••••••••••••• e ••••••••••••• 43
5. Promlnence of Inltla1 Sentence Posltl0n •• 44
Unlt 5
Dla1ogue: 'On the Way to Work •••••••••••••••••••••• 45
Note I 1. Nouns of deed or actlon, type 1 ....•....• 48
2. Independent or Emphatlc SubJect Pronouns • 48
3. Very Pollte Questlons and Requests ••••••• 49
4· Vowel Harmony In Noun PreflXes ••••••••••• 49
5. Recent Past: Recent Past Progresslve •.•• 49
6. Cardlnal and Ordlnal Numerals ••••.••••••• 50
7. Telephone Numbers ••••••••••••••••••••.••• 50
8. Plural of /mokama/ 'hundred' ••••••••••••• 50
9. 'Passlve' Plural •.•••••••••••••••••.•••.• 55
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LINGALA
10. AdJectlve Subord1.nate Clauses ••••••••.•••. 55
11. /kosolola na/ .•••••••••••••••••••••...•••• 55
Unlt 6
Dlaloguel 'A t the Offlce' ••••••••.•••••••••.•••.•••• 56
Note: 1. Equatlonal Sentences ••••.••••••••.••.••••• 60
2. Non-anlmate Independent Pronouns •.•••.•••• 60
3. SubJunctlve ••••••..••••.•.••••••••.••...•. 60
4. Appllcatlve SufflX ••••••••.••.•....•...••• 61
5. Indlrect Dlscoursea Partlcle /te/ ••.••••• 61
Unlt 7
D1.aloguel 'A t the Ma r ke t' ••••••••••••••••••••••.•.•• 66
Note I 1. De s l derat l V e •.•.••.••••••••••••.•••.•••••• 69
2. Nomlnallzatlon of AdJectlves •••.••.•.••... 69
."5'" • Interrogatlve Relatlve Pronouns •..•.•••..• 74
4. Pdtentlal Juncture Before Relatlve Clauses 74
5. I-tikala/ Plus ObJect •••••••••.•••...•••.. 75
6. Please •.•.•••••••..••••.••....•••..•.•••.• 75
Un1.t 8
Dlalogue. 'A t the Fllllng Sta tlon' ••••••••••.•.••..• 76
Note: 1. Vowel and Seml-vowel Ellslon •.••••.••••••• 80
2. Rever S l ve . 80
3. Reverslve Statlve •. d •••••••••••••••••••••• 80
4· Derlved Stems Wlthout Slmple Stems .•.•..•• 81
5. Causatlve ••.•.•...•.•••..••••••...••••••.• 81
6. Degree of Immedlate Past ••••.••••••..••.•. 81
7. Proverb Concordance •••.•..••••••..••..•... 82
8. Non-appllcatlve Verbs W1.th Two ObJects •••• 87
9. Functlonally-spec1.al1.zed Use of Imperat1.ve 87
Unlt 9
Dlalogue: 'The Houseboy' .•.•••.•.•.••••..•••.•..•..• 88
Notes 1. Comparlson of Intenslty •••••••.•••••••..•• 91
2. Deflnlte Condltlon •••••••••••••••••••••.•. 91
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BASIC COURSE
3. General Prohlbltlons ••••••••••••••.•.•.••.•• 91
4. Specla1 Meanlngs of Derlved Stems •...••••.•• 92
5. / t~~ / Fo110we d by /na/ .••••.••...••••...•..• 92
6. /llbos6/ Plus SubJunctlve .•.•••••.•.••••.... 97
Unlt 10
Dla10gue: 'The Telephoner ••.•.•.••..•.••.••..••••.•... 98
Note: 1. Hypothetlca1 SUpposltlon .•.•••••••.•...•.•.• 106
2. 'Passlve' Plural .•.••...••..••••••.••••.•.•• 106
3 • Future In Non-lnltla1 and Subordlnate Clauses 106
Unlt 11
Dla10guel 'At the Doctor 's I ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 107
,
Note. 1. Empha tlC /wapl/ •.•.•••••••••••••••.•••••..•. 111
2. Spe11lng of /60/ ••.....•..•.....••..•.•..•.• 111
Unlt 12
Dla10gue: 'Mosqultoes
' .•.•••••••••••••.•••••••.•.•.•.. 117
Note: 1. Nouns From Derl\led Stems .•••...•••.•......•. 121
2. Agent Nouns 0." •• " ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 122
3. /wa/ • /ya/ . 122
4. Llterary Use of /nd~/ of Mark Future ...•.•.. 122
5. Hyperbole wlth / .•• may~I lA1 t~I / ..•..••••...••. 122
6. Norms of Deed or Actlon, Type 2 •••....•..•.. 122
Unlt 13
Dla10gue. I The Wor kshop I •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 130
Note: 1. PaSSlve .•••••.•.••..•..•••.•••.•.••..•..•••. 134
2. Ingresslve Statlve. Reclproca1 .•. ~ .•.•.•... 135
3. /mlko, 10I mlkoml mos lka/ ••••••••.••••.••..•..•• 135
4· Instrument NounS', Type> 1 •••••••••.•..•.•.••• 136
5. Locatlve Nouns, Type 1 •••••••••.••.•••••..•. 136
6. Avoldance of Base Repetltlon •••••.•••••••..• 136
7. Instrument Nouns, Type 2 . . 136
8. Instrlwent Nouns, Type 3 .................... 138
9. Exp1etlve ................................... 138
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LINGALA
Unlt 14
Dlalogue I 'Electlons'. · . • . • . . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • . • . • • 143
Note: 1. Mlscellaneous Nouns .•...••.•.•.•••.•...•••.•• 146
2. / se/ ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 147
3. Amblgulty of Agent and Indlrect ObJect ....•.. 152
4. Lovanlum Unlverslty •.•....••.......•...•.•••. 153
5. Leopoldvllle II ••..•.••..••••••.•.•.•.•...••. 153
Unlt 15
Dlaloguel 'Mllltary SerVlce' .....•..••••.••...••.•....• 154
Note: 1. Intermedlate Past •.••••••...•...•••.•.••...•• 157
2. Dlstant Past .•.••.•••.•••.••..•.•••..••••.••. 157
3. Comparlson of Intenslty ••••••.••••.•..•...... 158
4. Comparlson of Degree .•..••••.•.••....••••.•.. 158
5. InverSlon of SubJect and Verb ••••••..•••.•••• 158
Unlt 16
Dlalogue: 'Bulldlng a Road' " . "."" 164
Note. 1. SubJect Wlth Two Verbs ••. 0 " 169
2. Immedlate Past of /-longwa/ •..••...••..•....• 169
3. Indeflnlte Condltlon ••••• " 169
Unlt 17
Dlalogue: 'Trafflc Control' •.•••.••••••••..•••..•.•...• 175
Unlt 18
Dlalogue: 'A New House' •.••••••.•..••.•••...•.•...•.••. 184
No te : 1. / - zala ya / ..•.••••••••..•••••.••••.••••••..•. 188
2. Equatlonal Sentence wlth Emphatlc SubJect •••. 189
Unlt 19
Dlalogue: 'Leavlng For The store' •••.••••••.•..••••.••• 195
Note: 1. Reflexlve •..••••.•••••.•••••••••....••.•.•.•. 199
2. Compound Agent Nouns •••••••••••.••.•••.•..••. 203
3. Klnshlp Termlnology ••..•.•••••.•....•....•..• 204
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BASIC COURSE
Unlt 20
Dlalogue: ,A student V1 sa' ........."..,...................... 205
Note: 1. /ifo/ plus SubJunctlve ...••.•.•••.•..•.•.•.. 208
2. Redupllcatlon for Intenslty ••.•••..••..•.•.. 208
3. Wlshes, Intentlons, Plans ..••.•.•.••••.•.•.. 208
Unlt 21
Dlaloguel 'A Lost Pencll' •..•..•••••..•••••...••.•.... 214
Note~ 1. Double Spatlal Relatlonshlps .•.•.....•..•.•. 217
2. Partltlve .........•••.•..•..•.••••.•••.•••.• 218
Unlt 22
Dlaloguel 'The Bus to Klmwenza' . 223
Note: 1. /longw~ awa tii na Klmw~nza/ •.••..•.....•... 226
2. /nslma ya mlko
I l0I misatu/ ....••.•.......••... 226
Unlt 23
Dlaloguel 'A Weddlng' ..•••...•••..•...•••...••..••••.• 232
Note, 1. Suggestlve Cohortatlve •...••.•.•.........••. 236
2. Dlstant Indeflnlte Future .•••••...•.•...•... 241
Unlt 24
Dla10guel 'The Seasons' .
Glossary ................... ~ . 252
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LINGALA
Introductlon
L1ngala 1S a 11ngua franca or trade language spoken 1n the
areas on both sldes of the Congo R1ver from Leopoldv1lle up to
about a hundred m1les from stanleyv1lle. L1ngala, usually called
Mangala by Afr1cans, was or1glnally the language of the Bamangala,
a Bantu tr1be that has almost completely d1sappeared. Most speak-
ers of L1ngala are nat1ve speakers of another language and use
L1ngala as a means of commun1cat1ng w1th other tr1bal groups and
to a lesser extent w1th Europeans; however, there 1S a grow1ng
number of younger people, espec1ally 1n urban centers such as
Leopoldv1lle, whose nat1ve language 1S L1ngala. Slnce L1ngala 1S
spoken by so many people of var1ed llngu1st1c backgrounds, 1t 1S
1nvev1table that the language as spoken 1n d1fferent areas should
vary to a greater or lesser degree.
The speaker on whose speech these mater1als are based 1S from
Leopoldv1lle, a Ch1ld of parents who could not speak each other's
language and who consequently always spoke L1ngala w1th each other
and w1th the1r ch1ldren. L1ngala has been a wr1tten language for
qU1te some t1me, but unfortunately wr1tten or 'llterary' L1ngala
1S d1fferent 1n many ways from L1ngala as 1t 1S nearly always
spoken by Afr1cans. One can say w1thout hes1tat1on that 11terary
L1ngala 1S an 1nvent1on of Europeans who have tr1ed to 'lmprove'
on the language, because Afr1cans who speak L1ngala fluently have
trOUble understand1ng llterary L1ngala even when 1t 1S spoken.
Th1S manual 1S based str1ctly on L1ngala as spoken by the person
descr1bed above.
The transcr1pt1on system used 1n th1S manual 1S the orthog-
raphy regularly used to wr1te L1ngala plus d1acr1t1c mark1ngs to
1ndlcate tone, WhlCh 1S not usually wr1tten, and to make 1t clear
how a word or segment 18 pronounced 1n cases where the student
may have d1ff1culty lnterpretlng the orthograhy. Some words have
been respelled, but th1s 1S 1nd1cated 1n the footnotes the flrst
tlme the respelllng occurs.
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Llngala contalns many words borrowed both from Afrlcan and
European languages. It lS often dlfflcult, lf not lmposslble, to
recognlze words borrowed from other Bantu languages. Slnce most
of the people who speak Llngala are natlve speakers of some other
language, words from other languages are constantly used ln Llngala.
A number of Arablc words have come ln Vla Swahlll. Portuguese and
French words have been borrowed for several centurles, and many
such words have been so fully asslmllated lnto the sound system
that they too are very hard to recognlze. A number of Engllsh
words also have entered. French words are freely used ln everyday
speech ln a more or less unasslmllated form. Those persons who
speak French fluently also try to pronounce French words as they
would be ln French when these words are used ln Llngala. Asslm-
llated words occurlng In thlS text are spelled as pronounced ln
Llngala, and the flrst tlme they occur, the standard French spell-
' ,
lng lS glven ln parentheses, e.g., I letal (l'etat), 'government'.
Words recently borrowed and not aSSlmllated lnto the Llngala sound
system are glven the standard French spelllng In the Llngala text.
Unasslmlla ted French ltJords usually have a hlgh tone on the flnal
syllable. The dlaCrJtlc marks on French words are NOT tone marks,
but they are the same as those regularly used ln French spelllng.
Llngala, llke elmost all the languages spoken south of the
Sahara,lS a tone language. Each syllable has ltS own tone. Tone
lS as much an lntegral part of a syllable as vowels and consonants.
\fOI'ds are dlstlngulshed by tone, e . g., /nga{l, 'I', 'me' (a low
and two hlghs), and Ingal/, 'scur(ness)', 'bltter(ness)' (three
lows). Llngala has two contrastlve or phonemlc tones: hlgh I;,
low I I (unmarked). However, ther'e are many speakers of Llngala
who use a stress system lnstead of tones. Most speakers who use a
stress system stress the penult:"l11abe syllable. Because of these
speakers and because tone has a silialler phonemlc Yleld, l.e.,
plays a sm.aller role, In LllJgala than In the great maJorIty of
Afrlcan languages, one can ubvlousl:'l communlCn. te ln Llngala Wl th-
out uSJ.ng 1 ts tone system.. But the rna Jorl ty of speakers of the
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