mu, in the pi.; (a little of) use suffix ko with the verb, e.g. mpaako, give me some,
omuntu.
be read, etc.
study (with the added notion of frequency or intensity).
okwegalanjula.
ekintu, ekigambo.
edda;
oluusi n'oluusi, olundi.
pron. & adj. those, those people (referring to individuals relatively near the speaker as opposed to bali, those at some distance away).
enkulukuku, ekiswa; some names of the ants may be put into the ki-class to denote the hill built by that ant.
mbadde) v.i. be. In certain tenses ba is replaced by -li, Both may be used as primary verbs or as auxiliaries in compound tenses. bwe tuba mu ssomero, when we are in school. Yabadde anzise. He nearly killed me. Tuli mu kisenge. We are in the room. Twali tuli mu kisenge. We were in the room, ba and -li may be followed by na (-na in the case of -li) to express possession. Tulina ensimbi. We have money. Twabadde n'ensimbi. We had money.
-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.
showing off, exhibitionistic act; something humorous, omuntu alina bampaane, one who does or says funny things.
nag, urge with troublesome persistence; pursue closely, follow behind.
keep (someonej company (a sick person, a child, a person who is lonely). Genda obeesebeese omwana aleme kukaaba. Go and stay with the child so that he doesn't cry.
essomero erisulwamu.
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.
blaze (of a fire); be burning hot (of a sick person), v.tr. pester; hurry (someone). Leka kumbu- gujja bw'otyo. Don't keep rushing me like that. cf. buga, bbugubugu.
o- (bu/-) side, direction, as an adv. sidewise, crosswise, horizontally, obukiika obwa kkono, north {lit. the left side), obukiika obwa ddyo, south {lit. the right side), kuba muntu bukiika, to have it in for someone, have a grudge against someone. Andi bukiika. He has it in for me or He is a thorn in my side. cf. ^kiika.
kukaabya bukoko, to make (someone) cry like a chicken, to make suffer, cf. enkoko.
o- (bu/-) tiny particles of matter which accrue at the top of a liquid or some solids; dust of dried herbs.
etc. ne bitubulira ku matama, and we were at a loss for something to say, lit. they (ebigambo, words, implied) disappeared from our cheeks.
spread over; go/ reach all over; get one's share, get enough; participate; be enough to go around (of food). Abaana bonna babunye. All of the children have gotten enough/their share. Amawulire geeyongedde okubuna wonna mu ggwanga. The news continued to spread all over the country, kubuna kkubo, to stagger along the road (like a drunken man). obudde ne bubuna emiwabo, and it was dawning, lit. was scattering in all directions. Eky'abangi kibuna engalo. (prov.) lit. Something used by many people has finger marks. What is used by many is soon spoiled.
o- (bu/-) large hole, pit, abyss, ku mugo gw'obunnya, on the brink of disaster, kuggya mu bunnya, to save or help (someone who is in danger), to ‘get out of the hole.' cf. ekinnya.
bulaabutana (-butaabutanye) v.i. redup. + na - buta (but somewhat more emphatic).
o- (bu/-) habit or tendency to send others to get something/to delegate others to do something, cf. tuma, omutumi.
o- (bu/-) quarrelsomeness. Wa buyombi. He is quarrelsome, cf. yomba.
o-: okulagako obwasira bw'omutwe, to have a quarrelsome disposition.
o- (bu/-) great open space, awe some expanse; middle (of the sea, the heavens), obwengula bw'ennyanja, the open sea, the high seas. Ani eyasooka okugenda mu bwengula bw'ebbanga? Who was the first one to travel in space?
o- adv. with nothing; empty-handed; naked; in vain; without cause, without reason; gratis, free, without charge. Oku- yingira kwa bwereere. Admission i'S free. Eky'obwereere kyaggwawo dda. (The time when you could get something) for nothing has long since passed, cf. -(y)ereere.
nziraabirizza) v.tr. mend; repair; adjust; fix up; restore; put (someone) at ease.
e- (li/ma) step; rank; grade, degree. plur. amadaala ladder; stairs, stairway, steps, ow'eddaala, someone who has acquired a high status/position, cf. aka- daala, ekidaala.
be next in order, oluddako, the next day, the following day (lu- implies lunaku, day). Nnambi y'anzirako. Nnambi is my younger sister/the one who comes after me. Namusoke azzeeko omubiri. N. has gained some weight.
e- plur. amaliba (li /ma) skin; hide; cover (of a book or magazine). Lugaba yabuggyako eddiba. [t dawned. Dawn came, lit. God took the skin/covering off of (day, daytime, implied by -bu- = obudde). okufuna ekigulira Magala eddiba, to make money, get some money, get something profitable. Bwe batusiba mu ddiba erimu tuliyuza. We just do not get along. We are mutually incompatible, lit. if they tie us in one skin we will tear it open (an almost hopeless feat), cf. ^akaliba, ekiriba.
e- plur. amalindirizi (li/ma) opportunist; hanger-on, someone who waits about to exploit any opportunity, cf. linda, lindiriza.
e- usually plur. amalusu (li/ma) spit, saliva, okumira ku ddusu, to experience a feeling of-relief (after a period of tension); to take a break/breather, okufiirwa amalusu, to waste one's time in talking to someone who will not listen, lit. to waste one's spit, ekibuuzo ekitu- maze amalusu mu kamwa, a question which has preoccupied us very much, lit. which has exhausted the spit in our mouths, cf. akalusu, olulusu.
okuvumbula;(something lost) okuzaawula; be discovered, okwatuka.
to lose one's head over something; to lose one's sense of values because of something. N'obugagga nno bwe butyo tebubama- langamu nsa. And do not, in that way, let (the desire for) wealth get the better of you/ cause you to lose your perspective. Okuvuma omusomesa kimumalamu ensa eri b'asomesa. To insult the teacher causes him to lose respect in the eyes of the students he is teaching.
pron. & udj. for singular nouns of the n/n class, that (at some distance away), enkumbi eri, that hoe. as a demons, adv. there (some distance away), cf. eyo, eno.
carelessness, inevitability (in the sense of being obliged to do what one does not want to do) and even sheer exasperation. Tumaze ga- gendayo. We sent there just for the sake of going. Mumale gaddamu, temulowooza. Just give an answer, don't think about it first. Mala gakola. Just go ahead and do it. Don't spend too much time on it. Among the younger generation there is a tendency to drop the verbal stem which normally follows ga-. The meaning is implied from context, e.g., Twamala ga-. We simply went there (or simply did something else, dep ending on previous context).
pron. & adj. for singular nouns of the n/n class, this, that (referring usually to something already mentioned), as a demons, adv. there (nearby). cf. eno, eri. deprive of; lose completely. Kijja kumufiiriza omulimu gwe. It will cause him to lose his job.
v., okusomereza.
a mizannyo.
etc. okufumbira omuntu omutwe, to outsmart/ outwit somebody.
obtain for; get in/at, etc. okufunira ku mukeeka, to get (something) without effort; to acquire by using shrewd means.
etc.; spray (e.g., insects), kufuuyira mbuzi mulere, to waste one's time/breath, lit. blow a pipe for a goat, kufuuyira malenge, to drink a lot without having one's thirst assuaged, kufuuyira mmindi, to smoke an empty pipe while reciting incantations for the purpose of putting a hex on someone; to wish someone bad luck.
cause (someone) to eat or drink in great quantities. cf. olugangayira.
v.tr. provide by way of supplement, add (something different), kugereka nva, to add greens (to the main dish).
e-: kwemala ggoga, to do to one's heart's content, fully satisfy one's desires. Abaagala omwenge bajja kwemala eggoga. Those who like beer will have all they want, kwemalira ggoga ku muntu (or ku kintu), to take it out on somebody (or something).
e- (li/ma) afternoon; early evening; (with a past tense verb) yesterday afternoon. olw'eggulo, this afternoon or some particular afternoon. Essaawa ez'olw'eggulo tubeera ka. We are at home in the afternoon hours, jjo olw'eggulo, yesterday afternoon or (with a future tense) tomorrow afternoon, enkya olw'eggulo, tomorrow afternoon. Bwe nnaakukwatako engalo tujja kudda ggulo. When I get my hands on you we are really going to have it out, lit. we will return late in the day. cf. ekyeggulo.
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 ).
e- also eggolu plur. amawolu (li/ma) leftover plantains; leftover food, leftovers; (in the plur., in addition to the preceding) jilted person, castoff. Amawolu galiibwa mujjukiza. (prov.) Leftovers are eaten by someone who makes his presence or desires known, cf. ^wola, -wolu.
nzigye) v.tr. take; take away/ off/out, etc. (The enclitics -ko, -mu, -wo are frequently suffixed to ggya, performing a role analogous to that of the adverbs following take, i.e., away, off, etc.). Ggyawo ekitanda. fake the bed away.. Ggyako ekikopo. Take the cup off (e.g., of the table), okuggyako, except, excepting, okuggya ku mabeere, to wean, okuggya omwoyo ku kintu, to neglect/forget something. okuggya akagere, to start walking, try one's first steps, okuggya obutiko, to pick mushrooms, okuggyawo omusango, to dismiss a case (at law). Kyanzigya enviiri ku mutwe okulaba nga... It made the hair stand up on my head to see that... Ebigambo bye yayogera byamuggya n'amaziga mu ki- wanga. The things which he said made her cry, lit. took tears from her skull. Temuggya okwo, mugende mu maaso. Don't stop there, go on. Keep up the good work.
etc. kugobera munya mu ssubi, lit. to drive a lizard into the grass/thatched part of a house, i.e., to tell a person to do something which he is very glad to do/which he would want to do anyway.
balagavu, lungi.
okuyigiriza, okusomesa.
v.i. talk fast; jabber.
eat (something which requires an effort to chew).
a- (ka/bu) dim. of oluba, jaw. ku- suulamu kaba, to die. kukuba mu kintu kaba, to die fighting for something.
a- no plur. (ka/bu) orneriness, ill- natured disposition; bumptiousness, quality of being loud and bumptious. Omunafu ayinza kababba. (prov.) An idle person excels in boastful talk. It is easier to talk about something than to do it. Alina aka- babba or Wa kababa. He is a loud-mouthed person.
a- (ka/bu) dim. of ekibbo, kind of basket, q.v. kuwa kabbo kya nseko, to say something funny/humorous (to someone).
a- no plur. (ka/bu) impertinence, importunity; meddlesomeness; speaking out of turn.
a- (ka/bu) very small fragment of pottery; tile. Essomero lyaseresebwa bugyo. The school was roofed with tiles. cf. oluggyo.
a- (ka/bu) insolence, impudence, effrontery; pushiness, aggressiveness, gall; meddlesomeness; nosiness; bumptiousness, kuba na kajanja, to possess some or all of the above attributes, cf. -ejangisa.
(la) lit. protruding structure, something huge/gigantic/sensational. kakundiiri w'olubuto, a huge stomach, kakundiiri w'ennyindo, an enormous nose. Eri embaga yabadde kakundiiri. That wedding reception was a magnificent event.
a- (ka/bu) something insignificant/ trivial; something light/of little weight. cf. ekirerya.
a- (ka/bu) with the -a of rel. (something) hard/durable, akalibobbo k'essanduuko, a heavy, durable box.
a- (ka/bu) small tongue; hand (of a clock or watch), kukaza kalimi, to be all talk, to talk when action is required, kukuba muntu kalimi, to coax/sweet-talk someone. Era akalimi bwe kaalumvi'...And when the time finally arrived... 'lit. When the small tongue bit. cf. olulimi.