biri; t. edged, a bwogi bubiri.
two, three, etc.) and with nouns of the lu/n and n/n classes, cf. -biri.
cover up; close (a lid, a book), okubikka ku maddu, to restrain one's desires or passions, okubikka ebibiri, to do two things at once, both of which require considerable attention, okubikka emiggo, to give a sound beating to, lit. cover with sticks. Lugaba abadde akyatubisseeko akasubi. God was still protecting us, lit. covering us with a blade of grass.
v.tr., okumenya, okwasa, okucencena, okuvunja, okucwacwana; (egg) okukoona; (in two) okumenyamu. b. off, okuwogola, okunuula, okumegula, okusonjola. b. through, okuwagula. b. into, okusima. b. law, okusobya, okuwubwako, okumenya etteeka.
etc. Emmotoka bw'etambulako katono emipiira ebiri ne gibwamira ettaka. When the car had advanced a short distance two of the tires got stuck in the ground or had punctures/became flat.
o- (bu/-) trustworthiness, reliability, faithfulness, fidelity, cf. -esiga.
amagezi; the capacity of this bucket is two gallons, endobo eno ejjula ggalani bbiri,
omusoma; (at the junction of two rivers) ekisoko; (garment) ekizi baawo.
two, a nnajjolo.
pers. pron. 1st plur. we; us. ffekka, only we, we alone, ffembi or ffembiriri, we two. ffenna, all of us, we all.
olubatu; two handfuls, ekiyi.
with the -a of rel. having two stories, enju eya kalina empya, a new two-story house. Agenze mu kalina abiri, He has gone upstairs.
n ^ka on*? one hundred thousand. obusiiriivu bubiri, two hundred thousand.
cut down; snap in two; bite off (esp. someti. tg hard and brittle).
e- (ki/bi) kind of very tall softwood tree whose bark yields a strong white cloth, Antiaris toxic aria,
e- (ki/bi) watch of the night; sleep, okukwata ekisisimuka, to sleep. Ali mu kisisimuka. Heis asleep. E Bu- ngereza twakubayo ebisisimuka bibiri nga tugenda mu America. We spent two nights in England on our way to America, cf. sisimuka.
e- (ki/bi) dormitory; place of stay, ekisulo ky'abagenyi, hostel, lodging place. Baatambula olugendo lwa bisulo bibiri. They made a trip which required stopovers for two nights, cf. sula.
thereupon, ko ye nti..., then he said... (between two substantives) and, in addition. Abasajja babiri ko n'abakazi basatu batti- bwa. Two men and three women were killed.
erimu: ow'erimu, a person with one (eye, eriiso is implied), ow'erimu atemye ku w'abiri, the one with one eye has winked at the one with two (a common expression to signify that an event or incident is of great interest, surprising, fascinating, etc.).
o- plur. empya (lu/n) yard; courtyard. -a kiyita mu luggya, short, brief; temporary, not permanent, lit. passing through the courtyard. Olugendo lwe luno lujja kuba lwa kuyita mu luggya. This trip of his will be a very brief one. Omukulu takulira mpya bbiri. (prov.) A chief is not a chief of two compounds. Even those with great authority have limitations.
o- (lu/n) day. ennaku zino, these days, at present. Ennaku ennungi tezikya bbiri. (prov.) Two good days do not dawn (successively ).
o- plur. empenda (lu/n) path; border strip between two pieces of land; way, means, method; plan; opportunity, okutema empenda, to devise means, draw up a plan.
look about; be in doubt. Kino nkyogera awatali kumagamaga. 1 say this with all certainty /without reservation. Ayogera omu amagamaga. lit. He who speaks alone looks sideways, i.e., the testimony of two is better than that of one.
a-: okugwa amaliri, to fall together/at the same time (as two wrestlers); to tie, reach a tie (of two teams in an athletic contest).
a- adv. together, kukwata mankatabbu, to take/catch in the act (two or more people).
only you. mwembi, mwembiriri, you two, the two of you.
e- (n/n) ruffian, bully; daredevil; self-assured, aggressive person. often used attrihutively. abasajja babiri empalamalanga, two daredevils.
precedes the final digit in numbers higher than twenty, abantu asatu mu babiri, thirty-two people.
o- (mu/ba) the name of a game common throughout Africa. It is played on a board with holes in it cut in four rows; two persons sit on opposite sides of the board; they have a number of seeds (mpiki) or smooth stones, which they play into holes. Oluganda alumanyi nga mweso. He knows Luganda perfectly, cf. vesa, obweso, omwesi.
e-: ow'enkobabbirye, person with brownish-colored skin, one who is neither very dark nor very light; one who fluctuates between two opposing sides, fence- sitter. cf. nnankobabbirye.
two bananas in one skin.
hypocrite.
double- dealer, lit. two-tongued (person), cf. olu- limi, -biri.
two, three, four, etc.) and with plural nouns of the lu/n and n/n classes, cf. -na.
grind (grain, flour). Abasa n'abasa, baasisinkana mu Kijonjo. (prov,) Those who milled, they met at Kijonjo. This is the final statement in a story in which two thieves simultaneously outsmarted each other.
sattulula (-sattuludde) v.tr. conv. 1 & 2 undo; unravel; take apart; fig. disband, dissolve (e.g., a council, a meeting). Abantu ababiri babibira ebigambo, ate abasatu babisattula. Two people (can) keep a secret but three people reveal it.
nzisizza) v.i. & tr. caus. of kka, q.v. make to go down;'put, place; set up, establish; put forth, bear (fruit, of the plantainj; breathe, okussa ekimu, to agree, come to an agreement; to receive Holy Communion. Bassa kimu nga nkuyege. They get along very well, lit. like termites, okussa ekikkowe, to sigh, okussa omukka, to sigh, draw a breath, okusaako omwoyo, to pay attention, okussa omukono ku nda- gaano, to sign an agreement, okussaamu ekitiibwa, to honor, okussaako, to count in, include, okwo ssaako, and add to that, and besides that, okussaako essira, to stress, emphasize, okussaawo abiri, to look at, just look at (abiri implies maaso, eyes), butassa mukono, without resting, without stopping, kussaawo kikyo (eki- gambo), contribute to a discussion, put in one's own ‘two cents.' kussaawo kakalu, to post bail/a bond. Toliimu kassa. You are really stupid. Yagambye nti amaze oku- ssaawo gavumenti ey'ekiseera. He said that he had set up a provisional government. Nnaalongo teyassaamu kantu nga batambula. The wife did not hesitate and they went off. akalenzi kaba kabissa kati ne..., just as the little boy finished telling these things...
two, three, etc.) and with nouns of the lu/n and n/n classes.
e- no plur. (li/ma) trust, trustworthiness, reliability, ow'essimba, a reliable person.
two, kalinaabiri.
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?
a mazima, esigwa.
two, three, etc.) and with nouns of the lu/n and n/n classes, kuba mu ttaano, to get, lit. to have in (my) five (fingers). Gkitabo kindi mu ttaano. 1 have the book. I have got hold of the book. Yagamba nti ebintu byonna byali bimuli mu ttaano. He said that he had everything under control. cf. -taano.
combine; mix; do two or more things at one time. Kati- kkiro yayimbagatanya obufazi n'obulatnuzi bw'emisango. The prime minister had executive and judicial functions, lit. combined ruling with judgment of cases.
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,
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.
pr.n. the name of two former Ka- bakas; he title of the chief of Mawogola County (Ssaza). cf. lteesa.
okucaccaliza amagulu, to prance, okucaccaliza ebigambo, to be two-faced, tell one person one thing and another person another.
shuffle (playing cards, lottery tickets), okucanga omu- piira, to demonstrate fancy footwork in soccer.
cf. akakunkuna.
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.
to quarrel/struggle with a person, okukutuka ekiwalaata, to develop baldness. Obuguzi bukutuka. The deal is settled. The matter is concluded.
(-lyose) also lyokka aux. verb (defective). It is used 1) after ne (the marker of the narrative tense) in the second of two.
known collectively as Mujaguzo. cf. 2Wuula.
okubibira ebigambo, to keep a secret. Abantu ababiri babibira ebigambo, ate abasatu babisattula. fprov.) Two people keep a secret, but three people reveal it. cf. ebbibiro, ekibibiro, olubibiro.
o- (mu/mi) full serving, full portion, emisera ebiri egy'omwenge, two glasses of beer full to the brim, as an adv. brimful, to the brim. Endeku yali ejjudde musera be ddu. The gourd was full right up to the brim. cf. lensera.
(la) owner of two households. Nnamakaabirye afa enjala. (prov.) The man with two homes dies of hunger (perhaps because the wife in each assumes that the other has fed him), cf. amaka, -biri.
to fight furiously; to play/compete furiously (e.g., of two opposing teams ).
amayinja abiri, two stones, ensi abiri, twenty countries, amayinja amakumi abiri, twenty stones, cf. -biri.
(la) kind of insect which eats the heartwood of trees and of sugarcane.
include, obuvunaanyizibwa buno buyimbagalanye ebintu bingi, This responsibility involves many things.
(low tone) particle used: 1) as the introductory element in the second of two closely related clauses. The corresponding English may be a verbal participle; in other cases nga may be rendered how, how much. Mbalaba nga batambula mu kkubo. I see them walking in the road. Bwe yalaba ng'akooye n'asaba okuwummula. When he saw how tired he was, he asked to rest. 2) as the equivalent of the English conjunction if. Nga tebatuuse ku ssaawa bbiri, tobalindirira. If they have not arrived by eight o'clock, do not wait for them. 3) as the equivalent of the English conjunction when. Ng'otuuse obandabiranga. When you arrive give them my regards. 4) in conjunction with bwe, meaning while, as. Tunyumye nga bwe tuwaata. Let us converse as/while we are peeling. 5) as the introductory element in a ‘not yet' clause (= neg. + -nna-). Toweereza bbaluwa ezo nga sinnakugamba. Do not send off the letters before I tell you. 6) as an untranslatable element in some compound tenses. Babadde nga bayimba we nnagendeddeyo. They were singing when I went there. (E.O.A.)
okufukamiza amaviivi abiri, to kneel on two knees. cf. enfukaamirizi.
adv. alone, bv oneself; uniquely. Bandeka bw'omu be mmummululu. They left me all by myself/ alone. Uganda tezibangako bbiri, eri emu be mmummululu. Uganda never was (divided into) two, it is one and indivisible.
o- (mu/mi) kind of softwood tree, Holoptelia grandis.
one by one. kinnababirye, two by two, kinna- basatwe, three by three, three at a time. cf. munna-.
to demonstrate fancy footwork (in soccer).
v.i. & tr. appl. come from; get away from. Batuviire ku mwana waffe. Let him leave our child alone. Ente eyo yanviiramu ssiringi bibiri. That cow was sold for two hundred shillings.
o- (mu/mi) village; newly acquired land; land between two streams or swamps used as a measure of distance, emitala wa..., over, across, on the other side of. emitala w'omugga, across the river, emitala w'amayanja, overseas, abroad, emitala w'eno, on this side, emitala w'eri, on the far side.
rope). cf. -yitirivu, akayisanyo, ekiyitirirwa, amayisa, amayitire, empisa, empisiiyisi, empitambi, empitanya, empitiro, omuyise.