← Isambilisho lya Chisungu ku Bashimika ChiBemba
"On" is one of the most frequent words in English. It is a preposition: a small word that comes before a noun or a pronoun and joins it to the rest of the sentence (Lesson 14, Lesson 17). "On" tells you where a thing is: it is touching the top or the outside of something else.
- The plate is on the table. — Imbale ili pa tebulo. - Sit on the chair. — Ikala pa cipuna. - He wrote on the ground. — Alalemba panshi.
"On" has a second job: it tells you the day.
- on Monday — Palicimo - on Sunday — Pa Mulungu - on 24 October — the day, with its date
Bemba pa does both jobs too, so a Bemba speaker already thinks in the right way. Look at the Bemba names of the days: Palicimo, Pacibelushi, Pa Mulungu. They begin with pa. English "on Monday" is the same idea: "on" + the day.
But Bemba pa does more than English "on". Pa is also "at": pa tebulo is "on the table" (the plate) and "at the table" (the people who sit to eat). English must choose. "On" means touching the top; "at" means near, in a place. So a Bemba speaker must stop and ask: is the thing lying on top of the table, or is the person sitting near it? Then English says "on" or "at".
Bemba pa joins the next word and the word loses its first vowel: itebulo → pa tebulo; amenshi → pa menshi; umwalala → pa mwalala. Before i, pa can become pe: pa + isaya → pesaya, "on the cheek". English "on" never changes. It is always written "on", as a separate word.
After "on", English uses the object form of a pronoun: on me, on you, on him, on her, on it, on us, on them. Bemba often puts "on it" inside the verb with -po: baninikapo Yesu, "they set Jesus on it".
What does "on" mean in Bemba? For a surface, pa (pa tebulo, pa cipuna, pa menshi); before some words, pali (aleenda pali bemba, "he was walking on the lake"); for "on top of", pa mulu wa (pa mulu wa lupili, "on top of a hill"); for "on it", the ending -po on the verb. For the days, pa or pali: Palicimo, Pa Mulungu.
Key Takeaways:
- "On" is for a surface: on the table, on the chair, on the ground, on the water. Bemba pa. - "On" is for days and dates: on Monday, on Sunday, on 24 October. Bemba also uses pa for the days. - Bemba pa is "on" and "at". English chooses: the plate is on the table; the family sits at the table. - After "on", use me, you, him, her, it, us, them: "on it", "on them". Bemba -po is "on it", inside the verb. - Not "on" for months, years and parts of the day: in October, in 1964, in the morning, at night. But "on Monday morning".
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on — /ɒn/ (British English); /ɑːn/ or /ɔːn/ (American English)
on the table /ɒn ðə ˈteɪbl/; on it /ɒn ɪt/; on Monday /ɒn ˈmʌndeɪ/; upon /əˈpɒn/
The vowel /ɒ/ is short, with the mouth open and the lips a little round. It is near Bemba o in nomba, but shorter and more open. Do not make it a long "oo" or "oh": /ɒn/, not "own".
The last sound, /n/, is the Bemba n of nomba and natotela. Close the word on the /n/: /ɒn/, not "oni".
"On" has no weak form. Many small English words become weak when unstressed ("him" /ɪm/, Lesson 16), but "on" keeps its full vowel: "Put it on the table" /ˈpʊt ɪt ɒn ðə ˈteɪbl/.
"On" joins a following vowel: "on it" sounds like /ɒ nɪt/, "on us" like /ɒ nʌs/. This is like Bemba, where the words run together.
"On" is stressed when it ends a phrase with a verb: "Come on!" /kʌm ˈɒn/, "Put your shoes on" /ˈpʊt jɔː ˈʃuːz ˈɒn/.
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18.1 On pa the table tebulo
18.2 The plate imbale is ili on pa the table tebulo
18.3 Sit ikala on pa the chair cipuna
18.4 We (tu-) go tulaya to ku school sukulu on Monday Palicimo
18.5 He (a-) wrote alalemba on the ground panshi
18.6 And awe again kabili he (a-) bent down ainama and (no word) wrote alalemba on the ground panshi
18.7 Your bobe will ubufwayo be done bulecitika on earth pano calo ("here on the land") as nga in mu heaven mulu
18.8 They (ba-) saw bamona Jesus Yesu walking aleenda on pa the water menshi
18.9 And elyo when nga he (a-) finds it aisanga he (a-) is glad kuti asansamuka and puts it aibika on na pa ("also on") his shoulders mabeya
18.10 A city umusumba built bakuula ("they build") on top of pa mulu wa a hill lupili cannot be hidden teti ukaane ukumoneka ("cannot fail to be seen")
18.11 Jesus Yesu was asleep ninshi ali mu tulo in the back of the boat ku cisolo ca bwato kunuma with his head nasaila ("he had laid his head") on na pa a cushion musao
18.12 When ilyo they (ba-) came ashore bafika ku mulundu they (ba-) saw bamona fish isabi cooking lilepya on pa a charcoal fire mulilo wa malasha ("fire of charcoal") and bread elyo no mukate
18.13 If nga someone umuntu strikes you akutoba (ulupi, "with the open hand") on the cheek pesaya (pa + isaya) right lya ku kulyo turn to him umupilibwile the other ne libiye too line
18.14 They (ba-) brought baleta the colt umwana wa punda ("child of a donkey") to kuli Jesus Yesu They (ba-) put bayanshikapo their clothes ne nsalu shabo on it (-po) and elyo set baninikapo Jesus Yesu on it (-po)
18.15 He ena makes alenga his kakwe sun akasuba shine ukubalikila on pa the good basuma and na on pa the bad babi and elyo sends atuma rain ne mfula (to fall ukulokela) on pa the righteous bawamya and na on pa the unrighteous babifya alike pene
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18.1 On the table. Pa tebulo.
18.2 The plate is on the table. Imbale ili pa tebulo.
18.3 Sit on the chair. Ikala pa cipuna.
18.4 We go to school on Monday. Tulaya ku sukulu Palicimo.
18.5 He wrote on the ground. Alalemba panshi. (Yoani 8:8, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
18.6 And again he bent down and wrote on the ground. Awe kabili ainama, alalemba panshi. (Yoani 8:8, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
18.7 Your will be done on earth as in heaven. Ubufwayo bobe bulecitika, pano calo nga mu mulu. (Mateo 6:10, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
18.8 They saw Jesus walking on the water. Bamona Yesu aleenda pa menshi. (Yoani 6:19, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
18.9 And when he finds it, he is glad and puts it on his shoulders. Elyo nga aisanga, kuti asansamuka aibika na pa mabeya. (Luka 15:5, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
18.10 A city built on top of a hill cannot be hidden. Umusumba bakuula pa mulu wa lupili teti ukaane ukumoneka. (Mateo 5:14, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
18.11 Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat, with his head on a cushion. Yesu ninshi ali mu tulo ku cisolo ca bwato kunuma, nasaila na pa musao. (Mako 4:38, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
18.12 When they came ashore, they saw fish cooking on a charcoal fire, and bread. Ilyo bafika ku mulundu, bamona isabi lilepya pa mulilo wa malasha, elyo no mukate. (Yoani 21:9, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
18.13 If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him too. Umuntu nga akutoba ulupi pesaya lya ku kulyo, umupilibwile ne libiye line. (Mateo 5:39, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
18.14 They brought the colt to Jesus. They put their clothes on it and set Jesus on it. Awe baleta umwana wa punda kuli Yesu. Bayanshikapo ne nsalu shabo, elyo baninikapo Yesu. (Luka 19:35, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
18.15 He makes his sun shine on the good and on the bad, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous alike. Ena alenga akasuba kakwe ukubalikila pa basuma na pa babi, elyo atuma ne mfula ukulokela pa bawamya na pa babifya pene. (Mateo 5:45, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
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18.1 On the table.
18.2 The plate is on the table.
18.3 Sit on the chair.
18.4 We go to school on Monday.
18.5 He wrote on the ground.
18.6 And again he bent down and wrote on the ground.
18.7 Your will be done on earth as in heaven.
18.8 They saw Jesus walking on the water.
18.9 And when he finds it, he is glad and puts it on his shoulders.
18.10 A city built on top of a hill cannot be hidden.
18.11 Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat, with his head on a cushion.
18.12 When they came ashore, they saw fish cooking on a charcoal fire, and bread.
18.13 If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him too.
18.14 They brought the colt to Jesus. They put their clothes on it and set Jesus on it.
18.15 He makes his sun shine on the good and on the bad, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous alike.
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These are the grammar rules for "on" in English:
1. "On" for a surface. "On" says that one thing touches the top or the outside of another: "The plate is on the table" (18.2), "Sit on the chair" (18.3), "walking on the water" (18.8), "on a charcoal fire" (18.12), "on his shoulders" (18.9). Bemba says pa: pa tebulo, pa cipuna, pa menshi, pa mulilo, pa mabeya.
2. Pa joins the next word. After pa, the Bemba noun loses its first vowel:
- itebulo → pa tebulo ("on the table", 18.2) - icipuna → pa cipuna ("on the chair", 18.3) - amenshi → pa menshi ("on the water", 18.8) - umulilo → pa mulilo ("on the fire", 18.12) - umwalala → pa mwalala ("on the rock", Section F) - amabeya → pa mabeya ("on the shoulders", 18.9)
Before i, pa and the i can become one: pa + isaya → pesaya, "on the cheek" (18.13). This is the same change as na + isukali → ne sukali (Lesson 17). English "on" never joins the next word and never changes: on the table, on the cheek, on the shoulders.
3. Pali. Before some words Bemba says pali, not pa: Yesu aleenda pali bemba, "Jesus was walking on the lake" (Mateo 14:25). Bemba, "lake, sea", has no first vowel to lose. Kuli works the same way: kuli Yesu, "to Jesus" (18.14). English says "on" every time: on the water, on the lake, on the sea.
4. "On top of". Bemba pa mulu wa is "on top of": pa mulu wa lupili, "on top of a hill" (18.10). English usually says "on" alone: "a city on a hill". "On top of" says more clearly that it is the highest part: "the cat is on top of the cupboard". Notice that umulu is also "heaven, sky": mu mulu, "in heaven" (18.7).
5. "On" or "at"? Bemba pa is both. English chooses:
- "on" — touching the surface: "The fish is on the table" (18.26). "The cat is on the table!" (18.28) - "at" — near it, in that place: "Come and sit at the table" (18.27) — on the chairs, to eat. "We are at the table" (18.30).
So pa tebulo can be "on the table" or "at the table". Think: is it lying on top, or is it near? A plate is on the table; a family sits at the table. If a person sits on the table, they are sitting on its top, and in most homes they will be told to get down.
6. "On it" and the Bemba -po. Bemba can put "on it" inside the verb with the ending -po: Bayanshikapo ne nsalu shabo, elyo baninikapo Yesu, "They put their clothes on it and set Jesus on it" (18.14). Mako 10:16 has the same ending: atutambalikilapo amaboko, "he put his hands on them". English cannot do this. It needs "on" + a pronoun after the verb and its object:
- put the clothes on it — not "put on it the clothes" - put his hands on them — not "put on them his hands"
7. "On" for days and dates. English uses "on" for a day: on Monday (18.4), on Sunday, on Saturday, on my birthday, on Independence Day, on 24 October. The Bemba names of the days already carry pa:
- Monday — Palicimo - Tuesday — Palicibili - Wednesday — Palicitatu - Thursday — Palicine - Friday — Palicisano - Saturday — Pacibelushi - Sunday — Pa Mulungu
So "on Monday" = Palicimo, and "on Sunday" = Pa Mulungu. "On Sundays" (plural) means every Sunday (18.23). But English uses "in" for months, years and parts of the day (in October, in 1964, in the morning) and "at" for clock times and the night (at six o'clock, at night). Only a day or a date takes "on": "on Monday morning", "on the night of 23 October".
8. "On earth", "on the ground", "on the floor". English says "on earth" (18.7), "on the ground" (18.5), "on the floor" (18.30). Bemba says pano calo, "here on the land", and panshi, "down", for both the ground outside and the floor of a house. But English says "in the world", not "on the world".
9. Where Bemba says ku. Bemba sometimes uses ku where English says "on": fyamufwika ku mutwe, "they put it on his head" (Mateo 27:29). English always says "on" for a thing that rests on a part of the body: a hat on his head, a baby on her back, a ring on her finger.
10. "On" in verbs. "On" also joins some verbs and changes their meaning: "put on" clothes (wear them), "turn on" the light or the radio, "go on" (continue), "Come on!" (hurry up). These are not about place. They will come again in later lessons.
Common Mistakes:
- "The book is in the table." Correct: The book is on the table. "In" is inside; "on" is on top. - "I will come at Monday." / "I will come in Monday." Correct: I will come on Monday. - "On the morning I go to school." Correct: In the morning I go to school. But: On Monday morning I go to school. - "Sit on the table and eat." Correct: Sit at the table and eat. On the table is on its top. - "They put on it the clothes." Correct: They put the clothes on it. - "The picture is in the wall." Correct: The picture is on the wall. It hangs on the outside of the wall. - "On last Sunday we went to church." Correct: Last Sunday we went to church. With "last", "next" and "this", no "on".
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"On" is among the twenty most frequent words of English. It is heard everywhere: "on the table", "on Monday", "on the radio", "on the bus".
Days and dates. In Zambia, as in Britain, people say "on" + the day: "I will see you on Friday." Dates take "on" too: Zambia became independent on 24 October 1964, and Independence Day is kept on 24 October every year. In speech people say "on the twenty-fourth of October"; in writing, "on 24 October" (British) or "on October 24" (American).
Travel. English says "on the bus", "on the train", "on a bicycle" and "on foot" (Lesson 17: "by bicycle", "on his bicycle"). But for a car or a taxi it says "in": "in the car", "in a taxi". A bus or a train is big enough to walk about on; a car is small and you sit inside it.
Radio, television and phone. "I heard it on the radio." "There is a football match on television." "Mutale is on the phone." Here "on" means "by means of".
"Upon". Older English, and the King James Version (1611), often says "upon" where modern English says "on": "a city that is set on an hill" (Matthew 5:14), but "built his house upon a rock" (Matthew 7:24, Section F). "Upon" is still used in formal writing and in stories: "Once upon a time…", the old opening of a fairy tale.
The Lord's Prayer. The King James Version of Matthew 6:10 has "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven", with the old "in". Modern Bibles, and the Lord's Prayer as it is said in English today, have "on earth as it is in heaven". The Bemba Bible says pano calo nga mu mulu (18.7).
Common expressions with "on":
- on time — not late: "The bus came on time." - on the way — while going: "I bought bread on the way to school." - on and on — without stopping: "He talked on and on." - Hold on! — Wait a moment! (often on the phone) - Come on! — Hurry up! or Try again!
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Matthew 7:25, from the end of the Sermon on the Mount: the parable of the wise man who built his house on the rock. English: King James Version (1611). Bemba: Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa (2015), Mateo 7:25.
"And ala kuti cilya ("look, when") the rain imfula descended yalaloka and the floods imimana came yaisula yaposa ("filled and overflowed") and the winds icimwela blew caima calakuuka capuma ("rose, got up and blew") and beat upon na kuli ("also against") that iyo house ŋanda and it fell not awe teyakuwa iyoo for pantu it was founded yakuulwa ("it was built") upon pa a rock mwalala" - Matthew 7:25 (KJV)
"And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock." "Ala kuti cilya imfula yalaloka, imimana yaisula yaposa, icimwela caima calakuuka capuma na kuli iyo ŋanda, awe teyakuwa iyoo. Pantu yakuulwa pa mwalala." (Mateo 7:25, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount with a short story. Two men build two houses. The wise man builds his house on the rock, uwakuulile iŋanda yakwe pa mwalala (Mateo 7:24); the foolish man builds on the sand, pa musensenga (Mateo 7:26). Then the same storm comes to both: rain from above, floods from below, wind from the side. The verse piles up its "and … and … and" as the storm grows, and then it stops on two short words: "it fell not". The reason comes last: "for it was founded upon a rock". Everything turns on one preposition. The house is not saved by its walls or its roof but by what it stands on. The Bemba follows the English closely, and its last word is the same idea: pa mwalala, "on the rock". The story is about the words of Jesus: the one who hears them and does them is the man whose house stands on the rock.
- "Upon" is the old and formal form of "on". Today we say "it was built on a rock". Bemba pa mwalala: pa + umwalala, with the first vowel lost. - "Beat upon that house" — here "upon" means "against", striking the outside. Bemba says na kuli iyo ŋanda, with kuli, not pa: kuli comes before the pointing word iyo, "that". - "It fell not" is old English for "it did not fall". Bemba teyakuwa iyoo: te- (not) + the house's ya- + -kuwa (fall), with iyoo, "no", for weight. - "It was founded" — "founded" means "built on a strong base". Bemba yakuulwa, "it was built", from -kuula, "build" (bakuula in 18.10). - The Bemba Bible writes ŋanda, with the letter ŋ. This course writes the same sound ng': ng'anda (Lesson 16). Both spellings are in use.
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18.16 Welcome mwaiseni Come in ingileni and sit ikaleni on pa the chairs fipuna
18.17 Thank you natotela sir mukwai We (tu-) have brought twaleta bread umukate
18.18 Thank you natotela Please napapata put it bika on pa the table tebulo
18.19 Chanda Chanda put bika the plates ne mbale on pa the table tebulo too (ne, "also")
18.20 Yes ee sir mukwai Where kwi is lili the fish isabi
18.21 The fish isabi is cooking lilepya on pa the fire mulilo
18.22 Madam mukwai your lyenu book ibuku is lili on pa the chair cipuna
18.23 Thank you natotela Bupe Bupe It is ni my lyandi English lya ciNgeleshi book ibuku I (n-) read it (-li-) ndalibelenga on Sundays Pa Mulungu
18.24 And na on Saturdays Pacibelushi sir mukwai
18.25 On Saturdays Pacibelushi I am ndi at ku home ng'anda with na my bandi children bana as nga today ilelo
18.26 The fish isabi is ready nalipya ("it has cooked") It is lili on pa the table tebulo now nomba
18.27 Come iseni and (no word) sit ikaleni at pa the table tebulo
18.28 Madam mukwai the cat pushi is ali on pa the table tebulo
18.29 Oh ala Cat pushi get down ika panshi ("go down to the ground")
18.30 Now nomba the cat pushi is ali on the floor panshi and we na ifwe are tuli at pa the table tebulo Thank you natotela madam mukwai
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18.16 The teacher: "Welcome! Come in and sit on the chairs." Kafundisha: "Mwaiseni! Ingileni, ikaleni pa fipuna."
18.17 Mutale: "Thank you, sir. We have brought bread." Mutale: "Natotela mukwai. Twaleta umukate."
18.18 The teacher's wife: "Thank you. Please put it on the table." Umukashi wa kafundisha: "Natotela. Napapata, bika pa tebulo."
18.19 The teacher: "Chanda, put the plates on the table too." Kafundisha: "Chanda, bika ne mbale pa tebulo."
18.20 Chanda: "Yes, sir. Where is the fish?" Chanda: "Ee mukwai. Isabi lili kwi?"
18.21 The teacher's wife: "The fish is cooking on the fire." Umukashi wa kafundisha: "Isabi lilepya pa mulilo."
18.22 Bupe: "Madam, your book is on the chair." Bupe: "Mukwai, ibuku lyenu lili pa cipuna."
18.23 The teacher: "Thank you, Bupe. It is my English book. I read it on Sundays." Kafundisha: "Natotela, Bupe. Ni ibuku lyandi lya ciNgeleshi. Ndalibelenga Pa Mulungu."
18.24 Chanda: "And on Saturdays, sir?" Chanda: "Na Pacibelushi, mukwai?"
18.25 The teacher: "On Saturdays I am at home with my children, as today." Kafundisha: "Pacibelushi ndi ku ng'anda na bana bandi, nga ilelo."
18.26 The teacher's wife: "The fish is ready. It is on the table now." Umukashi wa kafundisha: "Isabi nalipya. Lili pa tebulo nomba."
18.27 The teacher: "Come and sit at the table." Kafundisha: "Iseni, ikaleni pa tebulo."
18.28 Bupe: "Madam, the cat is on the table!" Bupe: "Mukwai, pushi ali pa tebulo!"
18.29 The teacher's wife: "Oh! Cat, get down!" Umukashi wa kafundisha: "Ala! Pushi, ika panshi!"
18.30 Mutale: "Now the cat is on the floor, and we are at the table. Thank you, madam!" Mutale: "Nomba pushi ali panshi, na ifwe tuli pa tebulo. Natotela mukwai!"
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18.16 The teacher: "Welcome! Come in and sit on the chairs."
18.17 Mutale: "Thank you, sir. We have brought bread."
18.18 The teacher's wife: "Thank you. Please put it on the table."
18.19 The teacher: "Chanda, put the plates on the table too."
18.20 Chanda: "Yes, sir. Where is the fish?"
18.21 The teacher's wife: "The fish is cooking on the fire."
18.22 Bupe: "Madam, your book is on the chair."
18.23 The teacher: "Thank you, Bupe. It is my English book. I read it on Sundays."
18.24 Chanda: "And on Saturdays, sir?"
18.25 The teacher: "On Saturdays I am at home with my children, as today."
18.26 The teacher's wife: "The fish is ready. It is on the table now."
18.27 The teacher: "Come and sit at the table."
18.28 Bupe: "Madam, the cat is on the table!"
18.29 The teacher's wife: "Oh! Cat, get down!"
18.30 Mutale: "Now the cat is on the floor, and we are at the table. Thank you, madam!"
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The dialogue continues Lesson 17. At Mr Banda's shop the teacher invited Mutale to his house "tomorrow, with your sister and Chanda". It is now Saturday, and the three friends come to the teacher's house with bread. The teacher's wife is cooking fish. Every job of "on" appears:
- A surface: "sit on the chairs" (18.16), "put it on the table" (18.18), "the plates on the table" (18.19), "on the fire" (18.21), "on the chair" (18.22), "the cat is on the table" (18.28), "on the floor" (18.30). Bemba: pa fipuna, pa tebulo, pa mulilo, pa cipuna, panshi. - A day: "on Sundays" (18.23), "on Saturdays" (18.24, 18.25). Bemba: Pa Mulungu, Pacibelushi.
"On" and "at" in one house. In 18.18 the bread goes on the table; in 18.27 the people sit at the table. Bemba says pa tebulo both times. The cat in 18.28 is on the table, and that is why the teacher's wife tells it to get down. At the end Mutale puts the two side by side: "the cat is on the floor, and we are at the table" (18.30).
"On Saturdays" and "on Saturday". With an -s, "on Saturdays" means every Saturday (18.24, 18.25). "On Saturday" without -s means one Saturday, this one or the next: "I will come on Saturday." Bemba Pacibelushi is both.
"Put it on the table." In 18.18 English needs "it": "Please put it on the table." Bemba says only bika, "put", and the bread is understood. In 18.23 Bemba puts "it" inside the verb with -li- (ndalibelenga, "I read it"), because ibuku takes li-; English says "I read it".
"On the floor". Bemba panshi is "down, on the ground". Outside, English says "on the ground" (18.5); inside a house, "on the floor" (18.30). "Get down!" (18.29) is the command to come down from a high place: Ika panshi!
Respect. Bupe speaks to the teacher's wife with mukwai, "madam", and uses the respect plural lyenu, "your", for her book (18.22); the teacher says lyandi, "my". English says "your" to one person or many, to a child or to a teacher; the respect is in "madam" and "sir".
"Ne mbale". In 18.19 the teacher says bika ne mbale, with ne, "also", as in Lesson 17 (ne sukali). English puts "too" at the end: "put the plates on the table too".
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- "On" /ɒn/ and "one" /wʌn/ are different words: "on the table", but "one table". "One" begins with /w/, the w of wandi. - "On" /ɒn/ and "own" /əʊn/ are different too: "on his shoulders", but "his own house". - "Upon" /əˈpɒn/: the stress falls on the second part. "Onto" /ˈɒntuː/: the stress falls on the first part. - "On it" /ɒ nɪt/, "on us" /ɒ nʌs/: the n moves to the next vowel, as in Bemba. - Spelling: o-n. "Onto" is one word ("The cat jumped onto the table": it moved from the floor to the table). "Upon" is one word. - Days of the week always take a capital letter in English: on Monday, on Saturday, on Sunday. Bemba often writes them with a capital too: Palicimo, Pacibelushi, Pa Mulungu. Some writers use ch for c: Palichimo, Pachibelushi.
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Course Index: [latinum.substack.com/p/index](https://latinum.substack.com/p/index)