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Showing 70 result(s) for "difficult".
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bambaga (-bambaze EN→LG

mmambaze) v.i. walk with difficulty, walk with an uncertain gait (as one suffering from weakness or illness); toddle, walk in the manner of a young child.

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bukalubo EN→LG

o- (bu/-) hardness; state of not being well done (of cooked food, meat); difficulty; fig. obstinacy, stubbornness. cf. kaluba, -kalubo.

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bwanda EN→LG

o- (bu/-) kind of weed which spreads rapidly and is difficult to eradicate, oku- simba obwanda or okutuula obwanda, to take up permanent abode, stay for good.

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bwekyusizo EN→LG

o- (bu/-) place to turn. Sikya- lina bwekyusizo. I have no place to turn. also fig. I am in a tight corner/difficult spot. cf. kyuka, -ekyusa.

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ggobe EN→LG

e- (li/ma) finely ground powder made from dried greens such as mpindi, etc. Ky'onkoze entungo ekikola ggobe. You have put me in a bad/difficult/sticky situation. n'amanya nti luno eggobe lya kuggwa mu kibya, and he knew that things would turn out just right, lit. the ggobe would wind up in the bowl.

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ggumba EN→LG

e- (li/ma) bone, okusimba eggumba egganda, to walk. 01 uvannyuma lw'okuki- gaayagaaya baakizuula mpozzi nga kirimu eggumba. After thinking it over they realized that it might just be true, lit. after chewing it they found that perhaps it had a bone inside, okuggwa ku magumba, to lose weight, become all skin and bones, oku- tunguka ku magumba, to cook thoroughly (of meat). Ebigezo bino birimu eggumba. These examinations are quite difficult, lit. have some bone in them. Kirimu eggumba okugamba nti... It is difficult to maintain that. It is hard to say that. lit. There is a bone in saying that... Omwavu lw'alya ennyama amagumba asansa masanse. (prov.) When a poor man eats meat, he scatters the bones around (to impress others ).

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ka- a prefix of multiple functions EN→LG

for which see the grammars. One usage which presents serious difficulties to the users of the dictionary must be mentioned here. ka- is the prefix for singular nouns of the ka/bu class. This class contains not only nouns proper to it, but in addition most other nouns can be converted to this class; in the latter case the resultant noun is a diminutive. In many cases sound changes obscure the relationship between the original noun and the diminutive: ente, cow; akate, small cow. ejjinja, rock; akayinja, stone, endabirwamu, mirror; akalabirwamu, small mirror.

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kakunizo EN→LG

a- (ka/bu) small, cramped inclosure in which movement is difficult; snare, trap. Yabadde ayam badde ekiteeteeyi kakunizo bulala. She was wearing a very tight dress. Tuli mu kakunizo. We are jammed in like sardines or We are in a difficult position. cf. kunira.

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kanyamberege EN→LG

a- (ka/bu) fiber-producing plant, Hibiscus diversifolius; crisis, difficulty, trouble. Awo akanyamberege we kajjira. That is when the trouble started, akanyamberege akaazaala ekkula, lit. a woman of low estate who brought forth a jewel (formerly used of a commoner whose son became a Kabaka, and later used in a more general sense), cf. ennyamberege.

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kasasambulabbwa EN→LG

a- (ka/bu) crisis, great difficulty, lit. it-takes-the-skin-off-of-a- wound. Bino ebiseera bya kasasambulabbwa. These are very difficult times.

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katogo EN→LG

a- (ka/bu) stew (of plantains, beans, peanuts, etc., or a combination of these); fig. cramped quarters, confined space; difficult/messy situation. Tuli mu katogo. We are in cramped quarters/crowded together or We are in a difficult fix.

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kayamba EN→LG

a- (ka/bu) kind of small fish, dimin. of ejjamba, q.v. Akayamba kaka- lubye omutwe. Matters have become difficult/serious.

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kiseera EN→LG

e- (ki/bi) line, wrinkle; segment (e-S-> of a caterpillar). Omusomo gummaze ebiseera mu bulago. The course was extremely difficult, lit. finished up the wrinkles on my neck.

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kisero EN→LG

e- (ki/bi) large plaited basket. Entongooli y'emu ku bivuga bye bayita ebizibu okukuba, naye abaana baffe abo bayisa mukka mu kisero. The entongooli is one of the instruments which is described as difficult to play, but our children play it without any trouble at all, lit. they pass air through the basket.

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kkukuuzi EN→LG

e- no plur. (li/ma) dust, residue of crushed grass, kulonda bwoya mu kkukuuzi, to be occupied in an extremely difficult task, lit. pick up little hairs from the dust. cf. olukukuuzi.

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kwakwaya (-kwakwaye) v.i. rustle EN→LG

make a rustling/swishing noise; scuffle. Amala okwekweka ye atenda banne okukwakwaya. (prov.) He who has already hidden himself blames his comrades who come later for making noise (in their efforts to hide themselves). Those who have arrived forget the difficulties of those still on the road. cf. -kwakwayufu, olukwakwayo, enkwakwayo; kwaya.

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laba (-labye EN→LG

ndabye) v.tr. see; perceive; find; get; greet, v.i. be conscious; be alive; be awake; be alert/perceptive, kulaba nnaku, to suffer greatly, experience hardships, kulaba binene to experience major troubles/difficulties, butaiaba muntu, to be proudly contemptuous of someone. kutuuka walaba, to attain a high station, get oneself in the limelight, kwessa

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labira (-labidde) v.tr. appl. see for/in EN→LG

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.

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leekeeza (-leekeezezza EN→LG

ndeekeezezza) v.tr. provoke; tease; cause to get worked up. v.i. become loud and excited, make a noisy fuss. Engeri gye yaleekeezamu nzibu okutenda. It is difficult to describe the noisy and excited way in winch she behaved.

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lubabu EN→LG

o- (lu/n) something very hot/boiling; extreme heat; fig. very difficult situation, predicament, olubabu lw'amazzi, very hot water, olubabu lw'omwana, intractable child, brat, hellion, cf. babuka, ekibabu.

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lubaya EN→LG

o- (lu/n) large packet of salt, kusi- tula lubaya, to lift a very heavy load; to attempt a very difficult task (esp. something in which others have failed). Anti laba, zitutte olubaya! Look who has just passed by (esp. of somebody disliked- zitutte = empewo zitutte, the winds have taken). See also ekkerenda.

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lukato EN→LG

o- (lu/n) awl, sharp puncturing instrument; pointed instrument resembling a needle used in weaving baskets; injection, inoculation, okutuula ku nkato, to be in a very difficult situation, cf. ekkato.

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luvunvu EN→LG

o- (lu/n) fiber-producing plant, kind . of broom, Sida urens or rhombifolia; fig. a very tenacious person (because the plant is very difficult to uproot), luvunvu lukazi, Sida cordifolia, cf. akavunvu.

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minyira EN→LG

e- plur. (mu/mi) mucus of the nose; fig. trouble, difficulties, problems. Atu- leetedde eminyira. He has caused us a lot of trouble, cf. akalindaminyira.

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nkoboggo EN→LG

e- (n/n) old person who walks with difficulty; child who totters when he walks, amagulu ag'enkoboggo, small legs, disproportionate to the size of the body.

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nkuuli EN→LG

e-: okulya mu nkuuli, to spit on the palms of both hands preliminary to doing a big or difficult task, okweriisa enkuuli, to give everything one has to what one is doing; to be proud and confident.

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ntalaaga EN→LG

e-: kulaba ntalaaga, to see how someone performs/acts. Abagamba nti oku- dduka mailo si kizibu, twagala bagidduke tuba la be entalaaga. As for those who say that running the mile isn't difficult, we would like to see them run it so we can see how they perform, cf. talaaga.

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ttunka (-ttunse EN→LG

nzitunse) v.i. smoke, fume; bum; get heated up; fig• ‘fume,' be angry; struggle, put forth great efforts. Abakozi battunka ne mukama waabwe. The employees are having a very difficult time with their boss.

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wala (-waze EN→LG

mpaze) v.tr. pull, drag along, okuwala enswaswa ku lwazi, to be very difficult; to attempt something very difficult, lit. to drag a water lizard over a rock. Omulwadde twasanze biwala ttaka. We found the patient in very serious condition, lit. with the feet (bi- implies bigere) dragging the ground. Mutabani we amaanyi gamuwala. His son is very strong, cf. walula.

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walk EN→LG

backwards, okwesendasenda. w. slowly, okulemba. w. with difficulty, okubambaga, okuba ttira. w. throwing out legs, okujaagira. w. fast, okweyaka, okweyasa, okwabuka, okweskawuula, okwesekula, okwesika, okwesikula, okwewawaagula, okwewuuba, okwewalakata, okupappuka, okusaabuuka, okusesegguka.

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