Lingala
1
9.5
A language spoken in parts of Central Africa, mainly in the Congo region
- noun
:
lingala
- While traveling in the Congo, he was surprised to hear Lingala being spoken everywhere around him.
- French and Lingala
- speak Lingala
Examples
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In the bustling market, the vendor spoke Lingala to his customers, making them feel at home.
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She speaks Lingala fluently.
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Many people in Kinshasa speak Lingala as their first language.
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She took a course to improve her Lingala before traveling to the Congo region.
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Radio stations in the area often broadcast news in Lingala.
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Many people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo speak Lingala.
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They warmly greeted each other in Lingala, bridging their cultural differences with language.
Surface Forms
Etymology
Lingala takes its name from Ngala plus the prefix li-, with li- meaning 'language' in many local African tongues. So Lingala literally means 'the language of the Ngala people', which is why it names the Bantu language spoken in parts of the Congo region.