Lingala

noun

Lin·​ga·​la liŋ-ˈgä-lə How to pronounce Lingala (audio)
: a Bantu language widely used in trade and public affairs in the Congo River area

Examples of Lingala in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Kabila, by contrast, gives off an air of detachment, reinforced by his foreign upbringing, his lack of fluency in Lingala, and persistent rumors of Rwandan ancestry. Stuart A. Reid, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2017 And when new bonobos are born at the zoo nowadays, their names are in one of three languages spoken in the Congo: Swahili, Lingala or French. Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 9 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Lingala was in 1922

Dictionary Entries Near Lingala

Cite this Entry

“Lingala.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Lingala. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!