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Showing 70 result(s) for "say".
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ba and -li both take the enclitics -ko EN→LG

-yo, -mu, -wo. ba becomes baa- before such an addition, mbaako kye njogera, if 1 have something to say (note that this does not imply physical pos ses s ion as is often the case when -na is suffexed to -li), abo abanaabaawo enkya, those who will be present tomorrow. Bwe walibaamu amazzi mu mugga, tulivuba. If there is water in the river we will fish. Taliimu. He is stupid or He is not at home.

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bitaliimu EN→LG

e- plur. (ki/bi) stupidities, stupid things. Leka kwogera bintu bitaliimu bw otyo. Don't say such stupid things, cf. -li, obutaliimu.

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bu- a prefix of many functions EN→LG

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.

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bunga (-bunze EN→LG

mmunze) v.i. ramble, wander around aimlessly. ‘Sifugibwa' afa abunga. (prov.) (He who says) ‘I will not be ruled' dies a vagabond.

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gamba (-gambye EN→LG

nnambye) v.tr. say; say to, tell, kwe kugamba nti..., that is to say, i.e... abantu abalala gamba nga nze, other people such as myself. Mbadde jrinamba nti... I thought/supposed that. Ani agamba? Is there any question at all about that? That is too obvious.

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ggu EN→LG

e- (li/ma) partly ripened fruit of the muwafu or the musaali tree. Lukuba eggu ne luleka omuzima. (Death, olumbe) strikes the young fruit and leaves the ripe fruit (untouched). This saying refers to one who dies at a very young age.

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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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ggwe disj. pers. pron. 2nd sing EN→LG

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.

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kabbo EN→LG

a- (ka/bu) dim. of ekibbo, kind of basket, q.v. kuwa kabbo kya nseko, to say something funny/humorous (to someone).

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kibegabega EN→LG

e- (ki/bi) shoulder. Oggye ku mutwe otadde ku kibegabega. All right, very well. I have understood, you don't have to say anything further, cf. begabega, akabe ga.

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kigambo EN→LG

e- (ki/bi) word; saying; matter, affair. Si kigambo. It doesn't matter, cf. gamba, akagambo, amagambo.

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kimu EN→LG

e- (plur. ebimu) numer. one (in the plur. some). Used with nouns of the ki/bi class or when no specific noun is referred to. buli kimu, everything, kye kimu, the same (thing), in the same way/manner. Ekyo kye k imu n'okugamba nti toogende. This is the same thing as saying that you will not go. okussa ekimu, to be in agreement; to receive Holy Communion, lit. to breathe (as) one. cf. ^-mu.

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kinyusi EN→LG

e- (ki/bi) kernel; core of a boil. By'oyogera temuli kinyusi. There is nothing at all to what you say. cf. ekinyisi.

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koma (-komye) v.i. cease EN→LG

stop, come to an end, go as far as, reach. Wakoma wa? How far did you get/go? Awo we nkomye. That is all. That is all I have to say (said after recounting an event or story). Nkomye. I have had enough (said when declining an additional portion of food). Yakoma. She has stopped bearing children, kukoma awo, to stop, let matters rest. Erinnya Kayaga lyakomanga ku bawala bokka. The name Kayaga was restricted to girls. Note the additional meanings 0/koma with the enclitics.

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lalaba EN→LG

to showoff, put oneself in the limelight. Laba erikuleese. Go away. Get out of here, lit. See (the road, ekkubo is implied by eri-) which brought you. Gundi oyo talaba! So-and-so is very proud/putting on airs. Ng'olabye. I am sorry for you now. I sympathize with you. Nkukubye nga ndaba. I have hit you on purpose/intentionally. Obalaba. Say hello to them for us. En- nyumba yaabwe eraba buvanjuba. Their house faces east. Bwali tebunnalaba. It was before dawn (bu- implies obudde). Ndaba ku ki? lit. What do I see? (A friendly greeting to a guest, particularly an unexpected one). Bo bakola nga bwe balabye. They do just as they please, mu kulaba kwange, in my view, according to the way 1 see it. Tandabamu kantu. He despises me/ has no respect for me. Onookiraba. You will be sorry. You will find out, lit. you will see it.

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leka (-lese EN→LG

ndese) v.tr. permit, allow; leave, abandon, leka has the following uses as an auxiliary verb: 1) followed by the infinitive it means stop, leave off, refrain from. Leka kusoma, Stop reading. 2) followed by the subjunctive it exp res ses a request or exhortation. Leka tugambe nti... Let us say that...

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mboozi EN→LG

e- (n/n) conversation, talk; account, narration; essay. Emboozi yagwa aroake- rendu. The conversation went very smoothly. They (we, you) had a very fine convex sation. cf. oluboozi.

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mbu conj. to introduce reported speech that EN→LG

namely. It is similar in function, to nti (q.v.) but implies doubt and unc ertainty. Yagamba nti alijja. He said that he would come. Yagamba mbu alijja. He said that he would come (but I am not at all sure that he will), as an adv. it would seem that, apparently, one might get the impression, they say. Mbu omubbi bamukutte. Apparently (I think, I have heard) they have caught the thief.

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mma (-mtnye EN→LG

nnyimye) v.tr. refuse to give; grudge; withold. Ebintu ng'ebyo osaana kubimma mazzi. You should never say anything about these matters, lit. you should withhold water from them.

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mmeeme EN→LG

e- (n/n) described in previous dictionaries as: sternum, sternal cartilage; pit of the stomach; internal bodily part. It is now used almost always in a figurative sense: heart, soul, seat of the emotions. It occurs in hundreds of phrases and expressions of which the following is a sampling: mu ngeri ya kawanika mmeeme, in a frightening way. kwekuba mmeeme, to reconsider, emmeeme n'enfa, and my heart sank/I was utterly distressed. Nze emmeeme yangwa wala. I became very depressed. Otukubye wala emmeeme. You have really given us a scare. Emmeeme yamudda mu nteeko. He felt relieved, lit. his heart went back in place, ow'emmeeme etawaana amangu, one who is easily nauseated. Emmeeme entye- muse. 1 am terribly anxious/concerned/ shocked. Kino kyali ng'ekyawanula emmeeme ye. This seemed to relieve him/ calm him down. Emmeeme katale, ky'esiima ky'egula. (prov.) The heart is like going to market — it buys what it wants. Emmeeme gy'esula, ebigere gye bikeera. fprov.J Where the heart sleeps is where the feet- go in the morning, i.e., when you sleep with the intention of doing something, that is what you do. Emmeeme etefumba kigambo ekwo- geza munno ky'atagenda kwerabira. (prov.) lit. The heart which does not fashion well the spoken word makes you say what your friend will never forget. The spoken word can never be retracted.

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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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ntumbwe EN→LG

e- (n/n) calf of the leg; in the plur. loins, kulega muntu ntumbwe, to follow after a person, dog the heels of a person. Mugende muzannyeemu emmere ekke mu ntumbwe. Go and play a while so your food may be digested, lit. go down into the calves. Kulemberamu y'akulega entu- mbwe. (prov.) lit. (He who says) ‘you go first' is measuring the size of your legs. He who gives you a task is trying to test your capabilities.

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sumuttuka (-sumuttuse) v.i. EN→LG

rare come untied (KB). Possibly a var. of sumattuka, q.v. play (a stringed instrument); fig. warn; inform. okwambala ebisuna, to wear sackcloth. Ebigambo bimusuna emimwa. He is dying to say something (said of a gossip).

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suula (-sudde) v.tr. throw EN→LG

hurl; throw down; overthrow (a government); throw back; knock over; let fall, drop; lose; outdistance, leave behind, okusuulawo ebigambo, to say a few words, abantu abaasooka okwagalana okusuula enjuba, people who at first liked each other very much/extremely, abo bonna abamusudde omukono, all those who have helped him/given him a hand. Yagaana okusuulawo akagambo konna. He refused to give the slightest hint. Sitaani ensi eno ajja kugisuula wala. Satan is going to destroy this world.

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teeka (-teese or -tadde) v.tr. put EN→LG

place; set. okuteekako amaaso, to gaze at, stare at. okuteekako olukongoolo, to single out; to point the finger of accusation at; to keep one's eye on; to ‘tail' (a suspect); to ‘pick , on' (a person), okuteekako omwoyo, to concentrate on, ponder over, okuteekako omu- kisa, relig. to bless, give a blessing, okuteekako omukono, to sign, put one's signature to; to fix, sew on (e.g., a sleeve on a garment), okuteekako emikono, relig. to confirm, administer the sacrament of confirmation. okuteekako omuntu, to include, count in. Mu bagenda e Kampala nange nteekaako. Include me among those going to Kampala, okuteeka etteeka, to make a law. okuteeka ebigambo, to fabricate; to implicate or accuse falsely. Tonteekako bigambo, si nze nnabyogedde. Do not accuse me falsely, I did not say these things, okuteeka olutalo, to start a war/figh^attle. Kale teeka. All right, let's fight, okuteekawo ssente, to bet money, okuteekawo ekibiina, to form/establish an association. Essente za mukyala we ze zimutaddewo. His wife's money has made him what he is today. Ntadde. I am going.

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temya (-temezza) v.tr. caus. cause to chop/cut with/using EN→LG

v.i. blink, okutemya n'okuzibula or okutemya ekikowe, in the i.winkling 01 an eye, very quickly, kutemya bukofu, to be alert/wide awake, lit. blink like a guinea fowl, ow'erimu kutemya ku w'abiri, a person with one (eye, eriiso implied) to blink at one with two (eyes). This is used of an event, gathering, celebration, etc., which is very impressive or of enormous magnitude, okutemyako, to give a hint to by winking. Akutemyako, oyagala wa mbazzi? (saying) He has winked at you, do you want the one with the ax (to tell you)? Do you need a roof to fall down on your head?

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tiwuuka (-tiwuuse) v.i. act in an exaggerated manner EN→LG

overdo things; try to create an impression, okukola eby'akatiwuuko, to act/do things in an exaggerated way. -to adj. young, not fully grown; small, omwezi omuto, the new moon, omulamuzi omuto, junior judge, -toototo, rather young. Omusajja yalina abaana be basatu nga batoototo. The man had three children, (all) rather young, kuluyita luto, to treat lightly, consider of no consequence, call it (-lu- implies lutalo, battle) small. Sisobola kuluyita luto. 1 cannot say that it is a matter of small consequence, cf. toowa, toowala, obuto, ekilo, oluto, omuto; (be) ttottololo.

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tomera (-tomedde) v.tr. run into EN→LG

bump into, knock into, kutomera mmere ya Katonda, to eat without saying grace, kutomera mayu ga bandi, to break up other people's homes, be a home wrecker (by marital infidelity). Bbaasi eyatomedde omuti yalumizza abantu 60. The bus which ran into a tree injured sixty people.

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vvu EN→LG

e- no plur. (li/ma) ashes. Olwa Vvu, Ash Wednesday, kukuba vvu, to be scornful, scorn. Tonkubira vvu. Don't treat me scornfully. Omuvubuka yagudde ekigwo eggulo, kati vvu. The youth had a fall yesterday and now he is dead, lit. ashes. Oba tolina ky'oyogera nuuna ku vvu. Stop telling me that nonsense, lit. if you have nothing to say, suck on ashes, cf. kivuvu, oluvu.

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wakka (la EN→LG

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.

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wunzika (-wunzise mpunzise) v.tr. slant EN→LG

incline to one side; conclude, finish, oku- wunzika ensonga, to conclude one s arguments. n'awunzika ng'agamba nti..., and he concluded by saying that... ekifo eky'ok uwunzikamu ekiwanga, a place to rest/sleep, lit. to bend down one's skull.

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yogera (-yogedde EN→LG

njogedde) v.i. & tr. speak; talk; say. kwogera ku muntu, to talk about a person, kwogera n'omuntu, to talk with a person, kwogera kaati, to speak openly/frankly, kwogera kuno na kuli, to jump from one subject to the other; to be hesitant/ doubtful in what one says, kwogera nkulu bbiri, to be two-faced/intentionally ambiguous in what one says. Oyogedde kirabika ng'ow'e- jjanga abika. You have said the obvious, lit. like a person with chronic conjunctivitis bringing news of a death. okwogera inf,

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yokya (-yokezza EN→LG

njokezza) v.tr. burn, burn down; incinerate; roast (e.g., plantains), v.i. be very hot; burn, be burning; blister, kwokya musubi, to run at a very fast rate, kwokya kabuuzo (or kibuuzo, bubuuzo), to cross-examine, subject to a stern interrogation. kujja ng'oyokya, to arrive itching/ burning to say something. Ebigambo bi- mwokya emimwa. He is itching to talk. Ekibuga kyamwokya. He had a very hard time (usually of a financial nature) in the city. Omuliraano gwokya bbiri. (prov.) lit. Being neighbors burns two (houses, ennyumba implied). What affects one affects all. okwokya inf.

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fuuwa (-fuuye) v.i. & tr. blow; blow against; blow up LG→EN

inflate (e.g., a ball); blow on, play (a flute, or similar instrument). okufuuwa lulimi (olugwira), to speak a (foreign) language fluently, kufuuwa mukka mu kisero, to waste one's time/breath, lit. blow air into a basket, kufuuwa kintu mu jinombe, to lose something, give up something for lost, lit. blow something through a trumpet, kufuuwa malenge, to do to extremes; to be extreme, lit. to blow on reed pipes. Tanywa mwenge afuuwa malenge. He drinks to great excess, okufuuwa omukka, euph. to pass wind, okuluuwa oluwa, to whistle, kufuuwa muntu bigambo, to rush to tell something to a person. Mukasa ye yabitu- fuuwa. Mukasa broke his neck to tell us about it. kufuuwa muntu ssente, to give a person money voluntarily as a token of appreciation. ekintu okujjula ne kifuuwa, to overflow, be completely full. Enkuba yatonnye n'omugga ne gufuuwa. It rained and the river flooded over. Yafuuwa ekiwa ng'akizza munda. He drew in his breath in surprise, lit. blew a whistle and brought it back inside, kafuuwe or (more often) kikafuuwe! God forbid! Don't say things like that! kufuuwa musaayi, to spurt blood, kufuuwa taaba, to smoke (tobacco). Nnabbubi yamufuuye. The spider got on him and caused a rash. Ofuuwako? colloq. Do you drink (alcohol)?

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