Kintu denotes degraded humans while Muntu denotes generic personhood in Kiluba

Evidence

In Kiluba language, a human being (man or woman) is referred to as a Muntu (with Bantu for the plural). Muntu is not an ethnic concept but rather a generic term for every human being. It is found in closely related variants in other Bantu languages. The word Kintu refers to things and to human beings who have lost their dignity. All over Africa, we find a clear distinction between genuine humans and bad ones. Thus, to the fundamental existential question “What is a human being?”, Africans respond: Bumuntu. This notion conveys the fundamental African understanding of genuine personhood or authentic humanity. It is indeed the Bumuntu that defines sainthood, holiness, or gentlemanliness. — Frans Dokman, Beyond Bantu Philosophy_…, 649

Categorization

• DEFINE: Specifies the Muntu/Kintu/Bumuntu lexical distinction central to the reader’s Bantu philosophy study.