ngereza, a Bungereza; E. language, Lungereza.
for which see the grammars. The following usages are important for lexical purposes because the derivatives formed cannot all be included in the dictionary. 1) bu + la ~ negative infinitive, often equivalent to an English noun which is not an infinitive in form. okumanya, to know; obutamanya, not to know; ingnorance. 2) bu + stem of a noun from another class often produc es an adverb which must be rendered by a phrase in English, enkofu, guinea fowl; bukofu, like a guinea fowl, kukaabya bukofu, to make cry like a guinea fowl, i.e., to cause to suffer. 3) bu + reduplicated stem of a noun of another class indicates plurality with the added notions of indefiniteness, scattered state or even contemp t. essomero, school; obusomerosomero, small, scattered schools which are inferior in quality. 4) normal verb form + bu + verb stem + i. Abalala bagamba nti... others say that; Abalala bagamba bugambi nti... others just/ simply/only say that.
blow on. oku- fukuta emivubo, to blow with a pair of bellows. okufukuta amazzi, to gargle with water, okufukuta ekyuma, to melt metal (e.g., with a blowtorch), kuwoza gufukula, to talk nonsense (gu- implies muliro, fire), kufukuta lulimi, to speak a language (usually English) fluently. Bwe yatuuse mu dduuka n'afukutira omutunzi Oluzungu nga gw'alufukutira talina ky'aggyamu. When he arrived in the store he spoke English to the salesman, but the person to whom he was talking did not get anything out of it.
you (referring to one person), ggwe wamma and wamma ggwe are interjectional phrases of high- frequency which have no close English eauivalent. They are used when there is good rapport between speaker and hearer. Perhaps ‘I say!' is the nearest equivalent.
be, it is the equivalent of the English prepositions to or from, gye ndi, where I am; to me. Yali afuukidde ddala wa luganda gye ndi. He had become as much as a relative to me. With a change in tone gye becomes an emphatic adv. of place, there, gy'ali (= gye a I i) he is there; he is well (in answering salutations). Idioms: Ekyo kiri gy'ali. That is up to him. Katonda gy'ali! God will avenge me. gye bujja, in the future. God is there = God knows what is best or Nze gye nnali nga jinamba nti ajja. As for me, I kept thinking he would come.
do to extremes (in a bad sense). Ng'okamaze! You have really botched things up! In a more frequent usage kamala follows another verb and is translated by the English adverbs: extremely, very much, to a high degree. Omukyala yeraliikirira n'akamala.
E- no plur. (ki/bi) colloq. English, the English language, okuyiwa Ekinyaanyimbe, to speak English well, lit. to pour English.
e- no plur. (ki/bi) colloq. English, the English language.
do to a high degree (used in association with a previous verb. Often rendered in English by very much or a similar adverbial phrase.) Yeebaza n'akokkwa. He expressed very profuse thanks.
imitate. (Note: tkis is one of the few verbs borrowed from English.)
o- indef. interrog. ordinal which in relative order? which ‘oneth?' (a word which unfortunately does not exist in English). ekitabo eky'okumeka? which book? The appropriate reply would contain an ordinal such as first, third, etc. cf. -meka.
call upon; urge; be insistent with. Yabakuutira omugaso oguli mu kusomesa Olungereza. He impressed on them the value to be derived from teaching English.
etc.; get for, provide; give greetings for another. Omundabira. Give him my regards. kulabira mu maddu, to be overjoyed to see (something, somebody). okulabira ku..., judging from, compared with. Kino kitono nnyo okulabira ku nkuba etonnya wano mu K. This is very little compared with the rain that falls here in K. kulabira awo (a high-frequency phrase which is difficult to reduce to any simple English equivalent): to get or see something by surprise or unintentionally; to do something without having made plans. Simanyi oba nga nnaagenda, leero nnaalabira awo. I do not know if I am going, I shall have to see/I really have no definite plans. Nnaalabira awo nga bandeetedde ku kamere. I was surprised when they brought me a little food. Baalabiraawo nga bazannya. They happened to be playing. Ndabira awo ekitabo kyange. You see that book of mine over there, give it to me. awo nga nkulabira or awo we nnalabira (stylized ending for a fable or tale). So the tale endeth.
0- no plur. (lu/n) English, the English language, cf. -ngereza.
0- no plur. (lu/n) (any) European language; English, the English language. cf. -zungu, ekizungu, Omuzungu.
o- (mu/mi) kind of fetish. title of address corresponding to English ‘Mr.' Mw. Kiwanuka, Mr. Kiwanuka. Ekwata omwami tereka muganzi. (prov.) lit. The habit of speech (e- of ekwata implies eŋŋombo) which affects the chief does not leave his favorite wife (uninfluenced). We are affected by those with whom we associate. cf. obwami.
suitable. In its simple form saana is mostly used as an aux. verb denoting suitability, desirability or obligation corresponding to English should, ought, must. Osaana okulya obulungi. You should/ought to eat well.
use as a point of departure. Note: This is a word for which a precise English equivalent is lacking. The following phrases illustrate the manner in which it may be used: okusinziira ku lipoota eyafuniddwa olunaku lw'eggulo, according to a report received yesterday. Okufa kwe kwasinziira ku butwa. His death was due to poisoning. Tulina ensonga ejinumu ddala kwe tusinziira ukukkiriza nga waiiwo... We have very firm reasons (from which we start) for believing that_ cf. -sinziivu, ekisinziiro
miss out on (with the Luganda subject corresponding to the English object and vice versa). Olugendo lunsubye. I have missed out on the trip, ebikulu bingi ebitasaanye kukusuba, many important things which you should not miss.
e- adv. (to) our place, our home. Also used in cases where the phrases my place, my house would be used in English, cf. wa-, ffe.
njiye) v.tr. spill; pour, pour out/away. v.i. flow, flow out/into (of a body of water); develop a rash; break out of the hill (of termites), okuyiwa Olungereza, to speak English very fluently, okuyiwa amagezi, to spoil/ruin apian, okuyiwa olutiko, to develop goose pimples, okuyiwa ebigambo, to pour out a torrent of words/invective, okuyiwako essubi, to spread grass, okuyiwa(ko) omukono, to sign one s name. Kva nsonvi nnvo okumu- yiwa. It is a shame to fail/disappoint him. Mwana muwala yamuyiwa. The girl jilted him. Omwami yanji(i)yeemu. My husband gave me some money/a treat.
adv. formative of place frequently equivalent to the English prepositions to or at. Agenze e Kampala. He has gone to Kampala. It is not joined to proper nouns but is prefixed directlv to a number nf pronouns and common nouns, many of which acquire thereby an adverbial function, mabega, back; emabega, backwards, back, amaka, home; eka, at home, (in the direction of) home, waffe, our(s); ewaffe, at our house. cf. ewa.
omwoyo or omutima (sometimes implied but not expressed); the personal object corresponds to the English subject, ne gunceekeera buto, and 1 started to worry again/become scared again.
reach; (followed by an abstract noun, often the equivalent to the English comparison of equality). Ennyumba ye yenkana n'eyaffe obunene. His house is as large as ours. Benkana obukulu/amaanyi. They are of the same age/equal in strength. Eki- banja kyo kyenkana wa? How big is your piece of land, lit. extends where? buli Muganda w'afa yenkana, every Muganda, no matter who he may be. okwenkana awo, to that degree, to that extent. Wamukubira ki okwenkana awo? Why did you strike him so much/to that extent? kyenkana, lit. it is equal, often used as an adv., equally, in the same manner. Kyenkana okugamba nti..., It is the same as saying/it is equivalent to saying... Amala gavuga kyenkana nga bwe yandibadde omu ku nsi. He drives just as if he were the only person on earth. okwenkana inf.
adv. almost. (The verb in a clause containing kata is in the subjunctive. This is usually rendered by an English past tense. Ensonyi kata zibatte. They almost died of shame, lit. shame almost killed them. See katono.
(high tone) particle used: 1) as a preposition meaning like. Alya nga nsolo. He eats like an animal. 2) before a relative form of the verb. Yalabika ng'afumba. She seemed to be cooking, lit. like one who cooks. This is identical in form with 1), differing only in English rendition. 3) in the sense of about, approximately, abantu nga makumi abiri, about twenty people. 4) in conjunction with bwe, corresponding to the English conjunctions how or as. Kola nga (nze) bwe nkola. Do as (lit. like how) I do. 5) os an initial element in an exclamatory clause. Nga bayimba bulungi! How well they sing! (E.O.A.)
(low tone) particle used: 1) as the introductory element in the second of two closely related clauses. The corresponding English may be a verbal participle; in other cases nga may be rendered how, how much. Mbalaba nga batambula mu kkubo. I see them walking in the road. Bwe yalaba ng'akooye n'asaba okuwummula. When he saw how tired he was, he asked to rest. 2) as the equivalent of the English conjunction if. Nga tebatuuse ku ssaawa bbiri, tobalindirira. If they have not arrived by eight o'clock, do not wait for them. 3) as the equivalent of the English conjunction when. Ng'otuuse obandabiranga. When you arrive give them my regards. 4) in conjunction with bwe, meaning while, as. Tunyumye nga bwe tuwaata. Let us converse as/while we are peeling. 5) as the introductory element in a ‘not yet' clause (= neg. + -nna-). Toweereza bbaluwa ezo nga sinnakugamba. Do not send off the letters before I tell you. 6) as an untranslatable element in some compound tenses. Babadde nga bayimba we nnagendeddeyo. They were singing when I went there. (E.O.A.)
surpass; excel, singa is often used in cases where English would employ the comparative or superlative of the adjective. Omulenzi ono y'asinga oyo obuwanvu. This boy is taller
food of every type, mu ngeri eno, in this way. mu ngeri y'emu, in the same way. ngeri is extensively used in the formation of phrases corresponding to English adverbs, mu ngeri ey'okusaaga, jokingly, in a joking way. mu ngeri ey'amaanyi, forcefully, with great force.
has the following auxiliary functions: 1) kye + va (with the appropriate personal and tense prefixes) + a primary verb express an action or state resulting from a cause (rendered in English by therefore, that is why, that is the reason). Kitange mu- lwadde, kye nva sigenda kulima. My father is ill; that is why I do not go to cultivate. 2) Before the infinitive of another verb va may express recently completed action. Tuva kulima. We have just come from digging. Nva kulya. I have just eaten. 3) The infinitive okuva is equivalent to the English prep, from (referring to either time or space), okuva leero okutuuka mu mwezi ogujja, from today until next month, okuva e Mombasa okutunka e Nairobi, from Mombasa to Nairobi. va is frequently used with enclitics (-wo,
0- (mu/ba) Englishman, English person, cf. -ngereza.
biceps. Nnawolovu tattirwa ku bbala limu. (prov.) lit. A chameleon is not killed in one color, i.e., before it has changed colors. It is used in circumstanc es in which an English speaker might say Give me another chance, I will mend my ways.
to show kindness, okugira ekisa, to show kindness, okugira ekyejo, to act insolently, gira is used primarily as an auxiliary verb with no constant English equivalent. It indicates action at intervals or continuous action for a period suggested by the English phrases every now and then, once in awhile, keep on. Nnagira nga ne mbakubamu essasi. Every now and then I would fire a shot at them. Tosuula ngabo ogira owazaako. Don't give up (lit. throw the shield), but keep on trying/just give it a try. Omu ku bakuumi kwe kugira nti... One of the guards went on to say.
plaster oneself (with). consecutive clauses when the second action is performed only after the conclusion of the first. Twamaze kunywa caayi ne tulyoka tusamba omupiira. We first finished drinking tea and then we played football. 2) to signify that the action of a following verb is right or desirable. Bakadde be baalyoka ne bagendayo nga tannafa. His parents did right to go there before he died. Kiryose nfe! I would rather die! It would be better for me to die! 3) to introduce a subordinate clause in the subjunctive, corresponding to the English conjunctions so that, in order that. Bw'otuukangayo otuwandiikiranga tulyoke tutegeere nga bwe bali. When you arrive there write to us so that we may know how they are. (Asht.)
suitable; mild (of tobacco), emiwendo emisaamusaamu, moderate prices, ebibonerezo ebisaamu- saamu, light sentences, moderate punishment. ebbanga essaamusaamu, a short time. Olungereza olusaamusaamu, a smattering of English.
England. Omungereza, an Englishman. Olungereza, English, the English language.
hard; arid (of ground); clear, distinct (of a voice). ensimbi enkalu, (hard) cash, kaawa omukalu, coffee without cream or sugar, omwana omukalu, an outgoing, confiding child, ebintu ebikalu, concrete things, real property, ebikalu ebi- wanvu, long trousers (ekikalu can also be used to signify a woman's dress). Olunge- reza lwabwe si lukalu. Their English is not very good. Baasi oluusi zibadde zigenda nkalu. Sometimes the buses ran empty. Nnamusimba eriiso kkalu. I looked at him sternly, cf. kala, -kalukalu.