Lingala dictionary · browse all
ndamba
NDA-mba
chameleon
French: caméléon
Ndamba abongolaka langi na ye na nzete.
The chameleon changes its color on the tree.
Le caméléon change de couleur sur l'arbre.
Ndamba — the chameleon; one of the most symbolically rich animals in Kongo cosmology. The chameleon's colour change is a metaphor for hypocrisy or adaptability depending on context. In some traditions, ndamba is a messenger between realms because it moves between light and shadow.
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