Bemba

American  

[bem-buh] / ˈbɛm bə /

noun

PLURAL

Bembas

PLURAL

Bemba

1. a member of a numerous agricultural people of Zambia.

2. the Bantu language spoken by the Bemba, widely used as a lingua franca in Zambia.

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Bemba British  

/ ˈbɛmbə /

noun

1. a member of a Negroid people of Africa, living chiefly in Zambia on a high infertile plateau

2. the language of this people, belonging to the Bantu group of the Niger-Congo family

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Etymology

Origin of Bemba

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Though I don’t speak Bemba, I could clap in Bemba.

From The Wall Street Journal

The crowd responded, “Kumushi,” the equivalent of home in the local Bemba dialect.

From The Wall Street Journal

During that visit Ms Kaumba had not worn all her carefully curated outfits, so she asked her grandmother - or "Mbuya" in the Bemba language - if she wanted to try them on.

From BBC

She joined BJ on stage towards the end of the three-hour concert on Sunday, with other tearful family members, to sing Matthew’s classic Umutima Wandi - a praise song in the Bemba language, thanking God for life’s blessings.

From BBC

“Bailar” is a celebration of the genre — and a new chapter in Sheila E.’s rich musical history, beginning with a reimagination of “Bemba Colorá,” originally performed by Celia Cruz, now featuring Gloria Estefan and Mimy Succar and, of course, a drum solo.

From Seattle Times