e- (ki/bi) fist, omukubi w'ebikonde, boxer, ebikonde, fists; boxing, okusekera mu kikonde, to laugh inwardly, suppress a laugh, cf. ekkonde.
ekikonde.
e- (li/ina) large fist; heavy punch/ blow. cf. ekikonde.
mpese) v.tr. bend; turn. v.i. turn, veer, okuweta ekkoona, to turn a comer, okuweta obuwufu, to retrace one's steps, okuweta ekikonde, to make a fist. Omusajja yawetamu n'addayo. The man turned and went back.
pulsate rapidly or painfully (of the heart, of a headache, etc.); be beaten (of drums). Omu- tima guntujja. My heart is beating rapidly, kutujja muntu kikonde, to give a person a hard punch.
king, etc.). eby'okulya, food, okulya obwami, to assume the chieftainship, kulya mu ndago, to sing, kulyamu luyi, to slap, kulyamu kikonde, to punch with the fist, kulya mazzi, euph. to drink a lot of beer, lit. water, kulyamu lukwe, to plot, conspire, kulya kijaja or kigagga, to eat very well/in great style, kulya muntu kimuli, to interrupt a person in bi? conversation. kulya nkoko bbiri, to give one's sister in marriage to two men (thereby receiving the gift of two chickens), kulya misinde, to run very fast, kulya butaaia, to roam at large, be on the loose (e.g., of an escaped prisoner), kulya bulamu, to enjoy life, have a good time, kulya eki- banja/emmayiro, to come into land/an estate, okulya ebbanja, to incur a debt, okulya obugenyi, to receive food or presents while a guest, okulya enguzi, to take a bribe, okulya engere, to walk fast, okulya ensimbi, to steal money, okulya ensowole, to take something (e.g., the chieftainship) when one is incompetent or unprepared. Genda olye enkoko yo. You have had a lucky escape/a narrow escape, lit. go and eat your chicken. Omuwala yamulyamu omwoyo. The girl won/stole his heart. Obusungu bwandya. I was consumed with anger. Mwana muwala, oyo andya omutwe! I am completely enamored of that girl, lit. she eats my head. Baagala kumulyamu maaso. They wanted to bawl him out/upbraid him severely. Okulya ennyingi si kuggwa maddu. (prov.) To eat a lot is not to get rid of one's appetite. The more you have, the more you want. Amaanyi sigalya. (prov.) Force does not prevail. Physical strength alone does not accomplish things. Ky'otonnalya tokyesunga. (prov.) What you have not yet eaten, do not anticipate. Don't count your chickens before they are hatched. Kye walyanga bw'olaba ennaku olekayo. (prov.) What you used to eat — when you experience hard times — you give up. One must adjust to circumstances/ calamaties.
is also used as the first element of hundreds of verb-noun phrases in which it loses its primary meaning and serves merely to give verbal force to the following noun. A few illustrative examples are given here, but since a complete listing would be unwieldy, even if possible, the compounds are listed under their final or noun element. akalulu, vote; okukuba akalulu, to vote, ekikonde, fist; okukuba ebikonde, to box.
smile (at). Bwe yandaba n'ansekera. When he saw me he smiled at me. kusekera mu kikonde, lit. to laugh in one's fist, to try vainly to suppress one's laughter (esp. after having beaten somebody at something), kusekera mu ttabi lya ngalo, lit. laugh in the spaces between the fingers = the foregoing.