Re: Regarding Africa -- Mende migration 3

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--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kpmoseley2@aol.com
Date: Sun, 7 Feb 1999 14:59:41 EST
Subject: Fwd: What's up with the Mende "kpa mende"

 
 
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From: Alfred Samforay <asamforay@TICZ.COM>
To: leonenet@lists.umbc.edu
Date: Thu, 04 Feb 1999 09:05:34
Subject: Re: What's up with the Mende "kpa mende"
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	1900
	  by rly-zd04.mx.aol.com (8.8.8/8.8.5/AOL-4.0.0)
	  Thu, 4 Feb 1999 10:07:15 -0500 (EST)
	for leonenet-outgoing@lists.umbc.edu; Thu, 4 Feb 1999 09:06:11 -0500 (EST)
	Thu, 4 Feb 1999 09:04:03 -0500 (EST)

You said:

And realizing that "Koh" means "North or Top". Koh-Mende
has to be the "top Mende". And Koh Mende is considered to be spoken in
Kailahun, Kenema...

I really hate to add any confusion to this otherwise profound discussion,
but I can't help but observe that "Koh" for the Mendes is not North as you
indicated, but the East.  "Koh" is where everything starts, the head part
as in "njei wukoh" the head or beginning of the river. "Koh" is where the
sun rises in the morning, meaning the East, as you correctly identified,
that is Kenema, Kailahun, etc.  I believe the Koh-Mendes actually refer to
the Mendes of the East, who are really Mendes descending from Mandigo
settlers who entered Sierra Leone from Guinea via Liberia through Eastern
Province.  They are mostly the Kannehs, Konnehs, Moi-Kannehs and
Ma-Kannehs, and so forth.

I'm probably missing the point of this discussion (if there is a point to
it), but that's my 2 cents worth, any way.

Regards,
SMF

At 01:55 AM 2/4/99 EST, you wrote:
>In a message dated 99-02-03 19:38:03 EST, you write:
>
><< ohune,
>     To live up to my promise (although the "near future" is here already), I
>love what you wrote in terms of the differences between Koh-Mende lingo and
>the Kpa-Mende lingo. You taught me the descriptive meaning of Kpa-Mende, and
>your explanation is logically true. "Kpa" means "other, a different type" as
>in the statement "Ti gba". Therefor it is logically trues that their own
Mende
>is "another Mende". And realizing that "Koh" means "North or Top". Koh-Mende
>has to be the "top Mende". And Koh Mende is considered to be spoken in
>Kailahun, Kenema, much of Pujehun (where there are also Krim and Galinas
>Mende), and south eastern parts of Bo. Kpa-Mende is mainly spoken in Moyamba
>even though the southern parts speak Sherbro Mende.
>     So thanks for the education. And by the way, what you said in terms of
>"perceptions" when Mende is spoken (and now written), you were on the money.
> 
>         Morie Toegondoe Sagba  
> -----Original Message-----
>     From: Alpha Y. Kamara <kamara@WIZ.UNI-KASSEL.DE>
>     To: leonenet@lists.umbc.edu <leonenet@lists.umbc.edu>
>     Date: Wednesday, February 03, 1999 5:45 AM
>     Subject: Re: What's up with the Mende?
>     
>     
>     PK, 
>     If I understood the mende you wrote properly, you seem to claim that 
>     Koor Mende is the original mende and you wanted to know why the mende in
>Moyamba district and some districts in Bo and Kenema  is called Kpaa Mende. 
>     First of all, the people of these areas consider their own mende to be
>superior to Koor mende and Sewama mende. The orignal word for Kpaa mende is
>Kpai mende. From the little I got from my father, Kpai means hard-heartedness
>or to be a hardliner. The kpa mendes are hardliners and very uncompromising.
>They hardly forget and forgive. Just ask Maskita Bockarie, he will tell you
>why he ran away from Bo back to Kailahun. 
>     regards 
>     AYK 
>     kohuneh wrote: 
>     
>     Famei ka,Kohngaa ta luwaa Mendeyei ma sia fitinei na.  Bi Mendeyei lia
>komei ji hun, nunga lehnga njii a nyaniloh ti ma.  Keh gbeh le sei? Mendenga
>ta nde loh teh fafakohndeh yongoh a gbehloh weyei a gbehnji?? Kohlongoh
>Mendeyei ma, taa nya nda ngiiyiahun keh Koh Mende yei ta fakahun tao kohndi
>ngoh I lewe Kpaa yei ma. Keh gbeva ta ti nda Mendeyei na loli a "Kpa" -- ti
>nda layei gba -- Timiyei hun, Bomuyei hun. Nyaloh ngi njehpei na nga
yiini,Koi
>Kagbeni -- nya kehwomei, Lugbu Seweima, nya njewomei, Luawa, Kailahun.
>  >>
>Morie Saffa,
>Lugbu mahei na gbiani Kailahun - Kagbene wrote very excellent mende and i do
>agree with most of what he wrote. However I offer a different version of his
>interpretation of kpa Mende. "Kpa" is a weapon (arrow) The mende man that
>carried that special weapon was called "Kpa mende". Remember at the time that
>particular group entered sierra leone the arrow was a very advanced weapon.
>Other groups had and used arrows but the difference was that the Kpa mende
>arrow was very effective. It pierced and killed the enemy instantly. The tip
>was laden with metal. An art only they had mastered at that time.  When they
>enetered Sierra Leone their initial settlement  in Ngorama was between two
>very hostile or ruthlessly war like  tribes. Temnes and Konos. However
news of
>who and what Kpa mende represented preceeded them. In their advancement other
>groups either had to pack and leave or submit to their rule. Note the
>chiefdoms of the kpa mendes is like a belt or fence standing face to face
with
>what was then the enemy and also provide protection for those others behind
>them like -   the lugbus, tikonko bumpes and of course ko mende all of whom
>started advancing west after they heard that their brothers have entered. 
>Gbei na boiji ,
>Ke tamia  
>M.H.James
>


KINEI SAAMIE SAYS: GOD IS ALL TOGETHER GOOD

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