Unwarranted recall of past mistakes and misfortunes of a person.
People don’t like their past mistakes to be discussed. No person welcomes scornful reference to his misfortunes.
vamo fulu nguu-nde = an unwarranted scornful recall of past mistakes and misfortunes of a person. The intention is to ridicule.
Examples:
(i). In an angry exchange of words between Elive and Mokambi, Elive challenged Mokambi to explain to the crowd that had gathered round them why he Mokambi has missing teeth. Kaave then explained:
“Mokambi ! You were caught red handed harvesting cassava in the farm of Ewuna Mwanje In the scuffle that ensued between you and her children Ewune hit her hoe on your lips”.
Ngowa was completely embarrassed. He made no response.
(ii). The village community sympathized with Naliongo for being an epilepsy patient.
The community was therefore shocked when at one of their assemblies Tuuva called Naliongo “this feeble creature who collapses frequently” (“ono mwaana mwinge mo juume asete te lifokowa”).
The community punished Tuuva heavily for being scornful to a sick person.
(iii). In the course of a quarrel between Molungu and Mokonde when Mulungu addressed Mokonde as the son of a rehabilitated ex-prisoner the crowd murmured
“amo fulu nguunde”
Lexicon:
mwinge = weak, feeble.
juume = tiny
fokowa/lifokowa = to tumble
livaku = a hoe.
fulwa/lifuluwa = to uncover; expose.
Oma Nanu
Imba Thomas Mbua Ndoko
Chicago ILL, USA
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