translation / dictionary Lingala - English

scientific name : ananas sativus

pineapple

scientific name : Manihot esculenta

cassava, manioc
tapioka

scientific name : Solanum distichum
kind of vegetable

pl. bilolo
salad with the bitter leaves

scientific name : Amaranthus viridis / Amaranthus hybridus

amaranth, amaranth (a type of vegetable)
kind of salad, like spinach


link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaranth

scientific name : Dacryodes edulis

sort of fruit, nsafu
also called african plumb (or african pear)

nsafu tree


mai ma nsáfú
color of a nsafu =  purple/violet 

scientific name : Abelmoschus esculentus / hibiscus esculentus

okra
kind of vegetable, kind of spice

yam
wood

calabash, squash

yam

small banana

scientific name : Gnetum africanum

green vegetable : liana leaves

is prepared with peanut sauce

chikwangue
cassava bread, made from soaked cassava flour,
mould in a mbili leaf or banana leaf (likasa ya makemba)
and then boiled in water.

bean (bigger than nkunde)

scientific name : Musa paradisiaca
plantain, sort of banana for cooking

scientific name : citrus aurantium

orange (fruit)

ya malála
color orange

mango

scientific name : allium sativum

onion

scientific name : allium cepa

garlic

edible mushroom

corn
corncob

tuber
(cassava (manioc), (sweet) potato, yam,...)

its leaves are called matembele

squash / zucchini
squash / zucchini seed
paste made from squash / zucchini seed
(often sold in a mbili leaf or banana leaf (likasa ya makemba), like a chikwangue)

palm, palmtree
palm nut
policeman

langi ya mbila
bright red

fruit, seed

abscess, skin button, pustule, ulcer

vegetable
salad

scientific name : arachis hypogaea

peanut, groundnut

papaya

papaya

scientific name : capsicum annuum

chili pepper

cassava leaves

ya pondu
color green

leek

tomato

scientific name : Aframomum giganteum / Aframomum laurentii / Aframomum africanum
wild fruit with sweet and sour flesh

lemon
lemon tree

scientific name : cola acuminata

cola nut

coconut
coconut tree

scientific name : Cantharellus (cup/chalice)

species of mushroom

Swahili : Lutondo

eggplant

Pumpkin, Pumpkin

bean (smaller than lidesu)
pea

corn
corn grain

scientific name : Ipomoea batatas

sweet potato

yam

avocado (the fruit)

scientific name : Terminalia catappa

a kind of tropical tree and its fruit.

Also known as Indian-almond and mkungu in swahili

scientific name : Psidium guajava
guava
tropical fruit of the Myrtaceae family

scientific name : Landolphia owariensis
tropical fruit. Closed, it looks like a lemon and on the inside there are large buds to suck.


pl. matonge
- a Congolese quarter in Brussels (Belgium), in the commune of Ixelles.
- (former Camp Renkin) a district of Kinshasa, in the commune of Kalamu.

palm nut core,stone

helicopter

propeller (aircraft or boat)

context : fruit
scientific name : Averrhoa carambola
carambola, starfruit

kernel of a fruit

fig: shaved head, bald

cassava

kind of green vegetable with a bitter taste

cassava leaves in kikongo language
the word probably comes from "cassava" (manioc)

scientific name : Allium schoenoprasum L.

Chives (vegetable)

grenade (small bomb)

pomegranate (fruit)
scientific name : Punica granatum

scientific name : Borassus flabellifer L.

palmyra palm

also called toddy palm, or sugar palm, borassus


link : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borassus


context : location
The Pool Malebo, a lake-like widening formed in the lower reaches of the Congo River
also called Stanley Pool, Malebo Pool, Lake Ngobila, Lake Nkunda

Kin Malebo, name suggestion for the city of Kinshasa because there where so many of these palmtrees

context : theatre
Groupe Kin Malebo, a well known theatre group

scientific name : Abelmoschus esculentus

the word in lingala is dongodongo

kingombo or ngombo in various bantu languages

okra

eggplant (aubergine)

scientific name : Cymbopogon citratus

lemon grass

"sinda di mputu" in kikongo language

A tropical plant, cultivated for its stems or leaves
which taste like lemon, used in cooking, like with roasted chicken.
The dried leaves (makasa ya sinda) can be brewed into a tea, as is often done in Congo

scientific name : Annona muricata --> Soursop, Corossol (corossol with Spikes)
scientific name : Annona reticulata --> Custard Apple, wild sweetsop, bull's heart, ox-heart (corossol without spikes)

Corossol, a type of fruit

scientific name : Nephelium lappaceum

sort of fruit, closely related to the lychee
rambutan, hairy lychee
also called mbuma litchi or mbuma poilu

ocimum basilicum

basil (culinary herb)

scientific name : spondias mombin

yellow mombin or hog plum

The fruit is ovoid yellow, with the size between a plum and a lemon, covered by a
leathery skin which is wrinkled when dry and containing a thin layer of orange flesh around
a big kernel. The fleash has a sharp somewhat acid taste.


link : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spondias_mombin