e- (n/n) kind of termite, also called white ant. It has wings and is considered a great delicacy, Ebyc bye balafuubanira byoya bya nswa. They are wasting their time. They have a hopeless goal, lit. the things which they are struggling for are the hair of the nswa. Omwangu y'atta enswa. (prov.) The one who is quick to arrive kills the nswa. The early bird catches the worm. cf. obuswa, kaswa, ekiswa, nnamu- nswa.
e- (n/n) light sound of footsteps, light noise made by men or animals moving.
a large walking lizard of the genus Varanus. The skin is used for covering drums, making shoes, etc. okuwalula enswaswa ku lwazi, to drag a monitor lizard along a rock, i.e., to attempt the impossible, kwefuula nswaswa eteeya- nula, to be lazy/indifferent, lit. act like a lizard which does not come out of the sun.
o- adv. like a termite, i.e., naked, kusigala bu swa, to be left naked, cf. enswa.
e- plur. amalembwe (li/ma) large kirembwe (a kind of large ant). Enswa emu ekira eddembwe. (prov.) One nswa (small, edible termite) is better than a large, inedible ant. Usefulness cannot be measured by size, cf. ekirembwe, ssekirem- bwe.
n., enjuki ensajja; (termites) enswa; (lazy person) omugayaavu. droop, v.i. (of plants), okuyongetuka.
v.i., okukala, okukalirira; (go d. of cow) okukamiza; be imperfectly dried, okugaya, e.g. enswa.
sound of, enswagiro.
adj. real, genuine, authentic; pure. Omuganda kaswa, a real Muganda. cf. enswa.
e- (ki/bi) feather; (single) hair (on the body); plur. ebyoya, feathers; fur; body hair; abundance of body hair, kuba byoya bya nswa, to be utterly useless/unprofitable, lit. the wings of a drone termite, cf. akooya, olwoya.
omunya, ekinya, ekkonkomi, akalumabalunda, esungulubebbe; water l., enswaswa.
o- (lu/n) a funnel-like structure, originally made of plantain leaves, used for capturing termites (nswa).
enswaswa.
light up, direct light towards; illuminate; light with a torch; shine (a flashlight). okumulisa enswa, to catch termites (with the aid of torches), cf. emmuliso, emmulisiso.
e- (n/n) hole dug in front of a termite hill to catch the termites as they come out. Ezigwa mu nvubo z'enswa. (prov.) Those which fall into the hole are the termites (destined for you and you should be content with your lot).
n., eddaala; (footstep) ekigere, enswagiro; (gait) entambula.
enkuyege; (drone male) enswa, entenga; (warrior) ekkenda; (queen) nnamunswa; for different varieties, vide obuggalamatu, embaala, empawu, amakulubiru, obumpowooko, ense jjere, ennaka, entunda, entakke, ekkonezi.
emisinde, enswagiro.
collective) also kiwakka, plur. biwakka. large black evil-smelling ant which preys on nswa (termites). Wakka awunya, nga ggwe omulumbye ku nswa ze. (prov.) (If you say that) the wakka smells, it is you that disturbed him feeding on his nswa. If you remain in dirt you cannot expect to stay clean.
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.
nswa) by making a fire around the termite hill.
o- (mu/mi) framework structure built around an anthill to help in the catching and collecting of nswa. Thick materials, such as banana leaves, are placed over the structure so that the nswa will not fly away but will collect in holes dug for the purpose. See nvubo.