limba

Limba is a term with several distinct uses in different contexts. The Limba people are an ethnic group primarily based in Sierra Leone and Guinea, and Limba is also the name of their language. The Limba language is one of Sierra Leone’s indigenous languages and is spoken by communities in northern regions and neighboring areas, contributing to the country’s linguistic diversity.

Limba wood refers to a light-colored African hardwood that is commonly marketed under the name limba or korina. It comes from the tree Lophira alata and is valued in the instrument-making world for its balanced tonal qualities, frequent use in electric guitar bodies, and its pale, even grain. The term korina arose in the mid-20th century guitar trade and can lead to confusion with other timbers.

In Romanian, limba means “the tongue” or “the language,” and it appears in several common phrases such as limba română (the Romanian language) and limba maternă (mother tongue). The word functions as a general term for language or speech in everyday usage.

Overall, limba illustrates how a single term can refer to an ethnic-lolinguistic identity, a wood used in manufacturing, and a common noun in a Romance language, depending on the cultural and disciplinary context.