a-ana (Kikongo) Child.
Afrikaans A language that developed from 17th-century Dutch and is an official language of South Africa. Also called Taal.
akala (Kikongo) Man.
attaché A person officially assigned to the staff of a diplomatic mission to serve in a particular capacity: a cultural attaché; a military attaché.
aurora borealis Luminous bands or streams of light that are sometimes visible in the night skies of northern regions and are thought to be caused by the ejection of charged particles into the magnetic field of the earth. Also called northern lights.
authenticité (French) Authenticity.
babushka A woman's head scarf, folded triangularly and worn tied under the chin.
bákala mpandi (Kikongo) Good, strong man.
baki (Kikongo) Thief.
bàndika (Kikongo) To kill with an arrow; sex between a husband and wife.
bängala (Kikongo) Poisonwood tree.
bangala (Kikongo) Something precious and dear.
bantu (Kikongo) People.
barnstorming party To go about (the country) performing plays, giving lectures or campaign speeches, playing exhibition games, and so on, especially in small towns and rural districts. Originates from the use of barns as hangars in the early days of aviation, to tour (the country) giving short airplane rides, exhibitions of stunt flying, and so on.
batiza (Kikongo) To terrify.
báza (Kikongo) Twins.
Beelezi (Kikongo) Belgians.
béene (Kikongo) Truth.
béene-béene (Kikongo) As true as the truth can be.
bënduka (Kikongo) Any of a family (Hirundinidae) of small, swift-flying, insect-eating passerine birds with long, pointed wings and a forked tail, including the barn swallow and purple martin: most species migrate, often between widely separated summer and winter homes.
benduka (Kikongo) Crooked walker.
bidibidi (Kikongo) Bird.
bidila dipapfumu (Kikongo) Cemetery for ngana, religious leaders.
bikinda (Kikongo) Spirits of the dead.
biläla (Kikongo) Song of mourning.
braai (Afrikaan) Barbecue or party.
á bu (Kikongo) No matter; more or less.
cadeau (French) A gift or present.
casques bleus (French) Police with blue helmets.
citoyen (French) Citizen.
école secondaire (French) Secondary school such as a high school.
commerçant (French) Storekeeper or merchant.
Congo A country of west-central Africa with a short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean. Called Zaire for many years. Now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo.
conniption Tantrum; fit of anger; hysteria.
