nkhungulupsa

Chichewa

FWOTD – 3 September 2025

Alternative forms

• nkhangalupsa

Etymology

From nkhúngu (“rust”) +‎ lupsa (“ashes of burnt grass”). Altogether, it means "rust on burnt grass", because the charred remains resemble rust on a knife. Cognate with Yao (Africa) ngungulupya (“ashes of burnt grass left on the plain”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ᵑkʰú.ᵑɡuˈɽu.psʲa/

Noun

nkhúngulupsa class 9 (plural nkhúngulupsa class 10)

1. burnt remains on leaves and grass

References

• Steven Paas (2016), Oxford Chichewa-English/English - Chichewa Dictionary‎^[1], Oxford University Press, page 410
• Centre for Language Studies, Mtanthauziramawu wa Chinyanja