On NPR I heard a report (sorry, I couldn't find the link to it; I have a hard time finding NPR reports) that England has scientifically come up with the perfect football chant for this summer's World Cup: Cabanga, a Zulu word meaning "imagine." The interviewee on NPR described in detail their process for coming up with the word, including a linguistic analysis of words that might work, trying 14 of them out in a laboratory, and then taking the winner out into the field to see if it actually works. And it did! They are calling it their "12th man."

We'll know more after this summer's games...

Cabanga sounds like one of the 1960s African leaders, such as Lamumba, Adoula, and Kasa-vubu.
They would do as well chanting, "Lamumba, Kasa-Vubu cha cha cha, Lamumba Kasa-Vubu cha cha cha; Cyyyyyyriiiillll Adoulaaaaaa." Sing it, and you'll get the team dancing to it.

The letter C in Zulu is a dental click consonant - same as the sound we make to express disaproval that's spelled "tsk". The b is implosive and the ng is like the ng in "singer", not "finger".

In IPA: [ǀaˈɓa:ŋa]

This message has been edited. Last edited by: goofy,

It reminds me of the Simpsons' " Cowabunga! ."

In IPA: [ǀaˈɓa:ŋa]

That's a mouthful. Thanks, goofy.

zmj "practicing his creaky voice"