In Chichewa/Chitonga the expression “Blessed be the Lord!” produces a collocational clash, for God (Chauta/Leza) is the ultimate dispenser of blessings, and consequently he cannot exist in a state of being “blessed” himself. He can, on the other hand, be “praised,” which is what parents and relatives would normally do at the birth of a long-awaited child.
Source: Wendland 1987, p. 185.
