bakwerirama

Bakweri words of wisdom: "Mooli mo Wanga ne Eyea Wanga"

By Mola Mbua Ndoko

35.  Mooli mo Waanga na Eyea Wanga.
(A vine clinging to a tree in the forest).
Source: Tales of the Plants and Animals World.
mooli = twine; a rope;

eyee = a stick.
Mooli  mo  Wanga = a climbing stem in the forest.
Eyea Wanga = a tree in the forest.
Likomba  la  wanga = an area thickly covered with large trees to an extent that it is dark under the trees; a virgin forest.
yosa = friends/friendship.
joono = a finger.
nganda = a finger/toe nail.
yosa  ya  joono  na  nganda = tight friends; inseparable, for instance, a finger and its nail

Bakweri Words of Wisdom 30:Nyaaka, asa mbee-ya o-woolo

By Mola Mbua Ndoko

Nyaaka, asa mbee-ya o-woolo (A cow ceases to be wild when it is inside a canoe)

nyaaka = a cow.
woolo = a canoe.
Ikanje = the Bakweri name for River Mungo.
Mofondo or Mofondo mo Valongi = the Bakweri name for "Mpundu" village

Yasi nanu:
Five Ewonji men came to Wonyavio to buy a "nyaaka". After they had seen all the "nyaaka" that were available for sale they decided to buy a wild nyaaka which belonged to Mola Monge-nya mo Linde. In an attempt by ten persons to catch the nyaaka, it became excited, and ran wild towards Muea, then to Wolifamba wo Lelu, then down to Wokaka, and to Lysoka, then to Ekona Mbenge. At Mautu, the ten men who had been running after the nyaaka caught it when it was struggling to find its way through a thick cluster of strong climbing stems. The.Ewonji men then decided to take the nyaaka to Mofondo and sail with it in a canoe down River Mungo (Ikanje) to the creeks, then to Ewonji. The Wonya-vio men expressed surprise that Ewonji men were taking a grave risk to sail in one canoe with the wild nyaaka.

Bakweri words of wisdom 25. Metoti, me-yoke-ya vaana

By Mola Mbua Ndoko

Metoti, me-yoke-ya vaana; Vaana va li-ngani loke-ya o-metoti (Children like to play on level land)

Source: Tales of the Animal World
metoti = low and level lands.
Koo/Koo a Nyame = a mole.
Kaave/Kaava Nyame = a deer.
mooli = a hill.
mbee-mbe = a slope on the side of a ravine.

Yasi nanu:
"Koo a Nyame" and "Kaava Nyame" were friends. Koo built his house at the bottom of a hill, on level land near a stream; Kaava Nyame however built his own house at the top of a stony slope of a hill, from where, to his satisfaction, the house was seen from the towns of Gbwenga, Ewonji, Meselele and far away Douala.

Bakweri words of wisdom 20: Vesongo, veyondi ve mbgweli Lisee-ngi e-kumba !

Vesongo is the name of the leaves of a plant called mose-seni; plural, mese-seni.  Mose-seni grows to a height of about three metres.  The branches spread horizontally and bear more branches as they spread.  Mose-seni has unique hard leaves.  Bakweri traditional baskets for carrying farm products are woven by crossing stripes of mese-seni over and under each other.

Esongo = singular of vesongo.
 
Lisee-ngi is a kind of tree that grows to a height of about ten metres or more.
kumba = honour/respect/fame; pride.
mooko = stunted; slow growth.
mwaana  juume = imp.
molonjo = a valley.
li-ngoole = to roll.
limise/li-limise = to erase; to extinguish.
Woli-nyama = all animals; the Animal World.
Ikule/Ikula  Nyame = a tortoise.
foo = far away.
Foo = the Bakweri ancestral name for the town of Victoria presently known as Limbe. 

Bakweri words of wisdom Waa yo-ngi, aseene liwondo.

Bakweri words of wisdom.
13. Waa yo-ngi, aseene liwondo.
(The owner of a hut in which he lives will of
course refer to the hut as a house).
liwondo = a hut; a small structure in a farm used
as shelter from rain and sun.
Njoku/Njoke/Njoka Nyame = an elephant.
muu-tu = a cluster of a climbing plant.
la soole = to go under.
ndava veka-i-seli = a court of law.
efo-to-to = dilapidated.

Bakweri Words of Wisdom: An Announcement

Please, I wish to bring to your knowledge that the programme entitled "Mbua Ndoko na meyana me Mokpwe/Bakweri words of Wisdom" will now be produced in two versions - a Bakweri version for broadcasts over Radio Buea and an English version to fakonet/fako_uk, and other media.
The two versions now share common serial numbers. The versions have in fact been sharing common serial numbers since the lst of January 2004. The new serials supersede the old serials.
I regret the oversight in failing to make this announcement earlier and for inconviences caused by the new arrangement.
Oma nanu: "Eyole ni inyo": Mbua Ndoko.

Bakweri Wisdom: An Unpaid Debt Cannot Be Used To Defray Funeral Expenses

Bakweri words of wisdom.

12. Liyeme asa-le ee-Mbee.
An unpaid debt may not be used to defray funeral expenses.
Source: Stories of the Animal World.
liyeme = a debt.
ee-Mbee = a human corpse
li-le or mole-li = assistance given by friends and concerned persons to members of a bereaved family.
wooli = money/wealth.
Njika = a wild animal, about the size of a cow.
Eso = a fox.
Kaave = a wild animal, about the size of a sheep.
mbgwe-nde = month/moon.
mbgwe-nda Loova = a lunar month.
woso wo mbgwe-nde = first appearance or the first phase of a new moon.
Ikula Nyame = a tortoise.
soongo = a grave.
evi-nja soongo = a formal tidying of the grave of a deceased person, a day after he has been buried.
sassa/sasse = a formal memorial feast that takes place three days after the burial of a deceased person.
Eyuu = a memorial ceremony/feast in honour of a deceased man who was wealthy. The ceremony serves as a show of the wealth of the deceased person and the wealth of his family.
lite-ise = to organise properly.
lise-ngene = to tidy.
woteme-teme = immediately.

Bakweri words of wisdom: O-Mbenge fe nao-meene!

Bakweri words of wisdom.
Proverb No.05.
O-Mbenge  fe  nao-meene !
(It's the same in Europe).
Source: Tales of the Animal World.
"Kangi Inoni" is a bird with attractive feathers, in black and white spots.
"Nganja Lofofe" is the name of a bird.
Isofe-sofe = the month of June.

Bakweri words of Wisdom: Mefondo me kpwa, Meso mi-iki-sene.

Bakweri words of wisdom.

Proverb No.83. (Now No.03).
Mefondo me kpwa, meso mi-iki-sene.
(Elders shall phase out and be succeeded by young and
new generations).
Source: Stories of the Plants and Animals World.
moo-mbo  mo  liiya = the youngest and most tender
branch of a palm tree. It has no thorns.
efondo = very tall; plural, "vefondo".
efonda liiya = a very tall palm tree.
  
efondo = eminent; plural, "mefondo".
me kpwa = shall fall. 
Ese = the World.
eka-ko-wani = the branch of a palm tree; plural, "vekako-wani"
muu-mbwa-ni = an old and dry plantain leaf; plural,
"miyu-mbgwa-ni"
Muusa = a person from the Hausa tribe.
mbgwe-nda loo-va fo = one month.
mbgwe-li = medicinal powder.

Bakweri words of wisdom: Teke na Moluwe, yoo-wo asave wonyango

Proverb No.09.
Teke na Moluwe, yoo-wo asave wonyango. (Teke and Moluwe ! medication will not be given out freely, even to a brother

Yoo-wo = medication.
wo-nyango = family relationship.
moteya = medication administered by massaging.
wooli wo  yoo-wo = fee paid to a doctor.
ekanga = a relic that an ordained traditional doctor invokes before commencement of business.

Bakweri words of wisdom: " Gbwinda leene!"

Proverb No.01. Gbwinda, leene !
(To continue to be alive is a matter of chance)
gbwinda = long life.

Bakweri words of wisdom: "Lii-na ndi ai-nda, Moto asi-nda".

Proverb No.02.
 
Lina ndi ai-nda ! Moto asinda !
(Man's lifespan is short;
whereas his name lives long after he has died !).
 
Ekanga = a relic that an ordained traditional Doctor invokes every time at the commencement of business.
Natine = original; the founder.
o-velimo = in the world of dead persons.
mbako = verdict.
liwondi = a pole.
liseko = a cocks-comb; plural, "maseko".

Bakweri words of wisdom. "Szeke na-nd'o-veli ee "!

Bakweri words of wisdom.
Proverb No.64.
Szeke  nand' o veli
(Are you so unreasonable ?
In pidgin English:
" na-so  you  de" ?;
na-so  you  bad  hat  ?;
why  you  bad  hat  so " ?
Source: Tales of the Animal World.
Njoh/Njoh  a  Nyame = a leopard. Another name for a leopard is
"Nama-nge".
Kema/Kema Nyame = a monkey.
Ikule/Ikula  Nyame = a tortoise.
Isele/Isela  Nyame = an antelope.
Yuungu = a large bird that resembles a duck.
Wombe/Wombe  Inoni = a hawk.
Kaka/Kaki  Inoni = a vulture.
nju-nja = perish.
a  nju-nje-ya  anga = let him die there.
mbaki = the sky; mist.
la-teeke = to beg.
nama  tee-ke  tee-te = I have repeatedly begged for
mercy/assistance .
Wolinyama = The Animal World.  All animal

Bakweri Words of Wisdom: Even a meat-rich dish could be rejected

Proverb No.06
Moleli mo nyama fe a  kiyava.
(Food with plenty of meat too is subject to rejection).
moleli = food.  nyama = meat, fish.
kiya = reject.
motima = an animal which dies of illness.
Yasi nanu: Mola Nalionge was wealthy and generous. He
used to receive many visitors, especially on Muea Market days, when
friends and acquaintances stopped to either drink water from his house,
or to rest under the shadow of the orchard in his compound. His guests
were always lavishly entertained with delicious food, containing very
large pieces of meat. When it became known that Nalionge was
entertaining his guests with meat of animals that had died from sickness,
people refrained from eating food in his house.
"Mokpwe asa-la nyama  ya  ee-mbe e-nweli  motima"
Mokpwe considers meat of an animal that has died as a consequence of
illness, as being unclean. He does not therefore eat such meat. If by
accident he eats such meat, he has to undergo a ritual cleansing.
On one occasion, when one of the wives pressured Mola Ekambi to
eat some food, Mola Ekambi curtly replied:
"nasa-la". (I will not eat).
Nalionge's wife asked Ekambi:
"Monya ! Are you rejecting this my food which contains plenty of meat?"
Ekambi replied:
"ee! nasa-laa!
moleli mo nyama fe a-ki-yava! "
(No, I will not eat  your food !
Food with plenty of meat too is subject to rejection).
Your children in this house have disclosed to their friends that guests
at this home are being entertained with meat of animals that have
died as a result of sickness."

The allegation, true or false, against the Nalionge home was too
strong to be challenged. The community was grossly annoyed with
Nalionge, but in the absence of proof, the best action against him was
to refrain from eating and drinking water in his house.
"Moleli mo nyama fe a kiyava"

Literally:
It should not be taken for granted that every gift has to be accepted.
Potential beneficiaries of gifts and donors should therefore under-
stand that a very  attractive gift even to someone who is desperately in
need is also subject to scrutiny and rejection. A bribe, for instance,
aught to be  rejected.

Oma nanu:
Mbua Ndoko na meyana me Mokpwe.

Mola Ndoko: Bakweri Words of Wisdom I

Proverb No.04.
Ewule e-Nyanga Mboli  e-laa, yondi  e-Nguma Mboli yofe e-laa.
(The leaf that the Mother Goat eats, is the same leaf that the Baby Goat eats also).
ewule = grass; a leaf; plural, "ve-wule".
Yasi nanu: On his return from the bush where the goats were grazing, Mbake
spoke to his father, Mola Nalionge, with excitement:
"Taa-ta ! "
When I was in the bush with the goats, I noticed that
every leaf that the Mother Goat ate, was eaten by the
Baby Goat also. The leaves that Mother Goat rejected
and did not eat, were similarly rejected by Baby Goat.
"Taa-ta  ! this is interesting ! Isn't  it ? " Mola Nalionge
smiled and replied:
"ee ! Nandi  eveli !"
ewule e-Nyanga Mboli  e-laa, yondi, e-Nguma Mboli yofe e-laa".
"Yes ! The Baby Goat eats the leaves that its mother eats.
Every time that the Mother Goats goes out with its Baby
Goat the Mother Goat gives the Baby Goat practical
leasons on the leaves to eat, such as: makoko,
lingongi, gbwasa", and the leaves not to eat, such
as "jokpo-kpo  a  Mboli".
The Mother Goat also shows its Baby medicinal leaves
to eat in times of sickness: ewule e-Nyanga Mbole e-laa,
yondi, e-Nguma Mboli yofe e-laa".

Interpretation:
Children are generally influenced by the behaviour of their parents. It is
therefore no surprise when children behave like their parents.

"e-Sango ema wola lambo,
e-Mwaana mofe a-wola lingi lambo;
wheni e-Nyongo ndi ema wola lingi lambo,
e-Mwaana  mofe a-wola lingi lambo".
(like the father, like the son).

For instance:
If the mother nags the daughter too is likely to nag.
If the father is a gambler the son too is likely to gamble.
If the mother is friendly
the daughter too is likely to be friendly.
If the father is a boaster
the son too is likely to be a boaster.

Oma nanu: Mbua Ndoko na meyana ma Mokpwe.