inter., ki?
interfere in; take for oneself, appropriate; reserve. Leka kubambira bitakukwatako. Don't get involved in matters which do not concern you.
e- (li/ma) hollow-stemmed perennial mountain bamboo, Arundinaria alpina. It is black in color as opposed to nkaawo which is yellow.
e- (1 i/ma) place of the lost, place from which there is no return. Ensi eno mabuliro. The world is a desolate place. It is a hard world, cf. bula.
mmenzebenze) v.i. hobble along, walk painfully, walk with the back bent forward, bendegera (-bendegedde, mmendegedde) v. tr. make restitution for; reimburse; pay for (lit. and fig.); be accountable to. Ojja okubende- gera ebinaddawo. You will suffer the consequences (lit. that which will follow). Aliba abatutteyo alimmendegera. Whoever takes them there will have to answer to me for it.
put (one thing on top of another); charge, load; add; reserve (by deposit on an item which will subsequently be purchased).
e- sing, rare (ki/bi) dyspeptic pains; chronic stomach ailment which often produces barrenness in women; psychosomatic ailment (esp. of women).
e- sing, rare (ki/bi) substance which accrues in the eyes during sleep. cf. obujonjo.
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.
foam, foam up; overflow. Ebibimba bikka. Things which boil up (ultimately) simmer down. What goes up comes down. Kyabimba (nga) si kisaanikire mu maaso ga kkanisa. There was an enthusiastic/lively crowd in front of the church.
e- plur. (ki/bi) crops; plants, lit. those (things) which grow. cf. mera.
e- plur. (ki/bi) food, edibles, lit. (things) which are eaten, cf. lya, liira.
e- plur. (ki/bi) crops, lit. (things) which are cultivated, cf. lima.
e- plur. (ki/bi) cosmetics, lit. (things) which are smeared (on the body), c f. saaba.
e- plur. (ki/bi) meat of an animal which has been slain by wild beasts; the second totem (kabbiro) of the Leopard Clan (Ekika ky'Engo).
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.
o- (bu/-) fluffy substance resembling cotton often used for stuffing mattresses and pillows; the plant from which this substanceis obtained, cf. olufumbo.
o- (ka/bu) discharge of the eye, substance which collects at the corner of the eye after a long period of sleep. The sing, (akajonjo) is less frequently used, cf. ebijonjo.
the first kabaka of Buganda, passed on his way to Buganda.
o- (bu/-) dirt, filth (esp. that which collects on the body).
o- (bu/-) splash, spray (e.g., ejected from potatoes or cassava which is being peeled, from plantain fiber which is being beaten).
o- (bu/-) tiny particles of matter which accrue at the top of a liquid or some solids; dust of dried herbs.
o- (bu/-) dirt or soil which remains on the feet, legs or clothing after one has been tilling, cf. lima.
o- (bu/-) (knowledge or skill which is derived from) experience, cf. manya, manyiira, -manyirivu.
o- (bu/-) snack, light food which does not constitute a meal.
o- noun used as adv. on tiptoe, okutambuza obunkenke, to walk on tiptoe, okubeera ku bunkenke, to be on one's toes, be ready for action. Akulira oludda olu- tambuliza Gavumenti ku bunkenke. He is the head of the party which keeps the Government on its toes (i.e., the opposition party).
o- (bu/-) kind of mushrooms which grow on withered plantain leaves (ssanja).
o- (bu/-) kind of mushrooms which grow on termite hills, cf. ensejjere.
o- (bu/-) sores on the feet and legs; originally charms or herbs placed in the road which caused sores on anyone who tried to pass. cf. sukka.
o- adv. on the move; in flight, okufumita obutanga, to spear (an animal) in the open (as opposed to one which is in a trap).
o- (bu/-) mission, task for which one is sent; relig. apostleship, disciple- ship. obutume obw'okwegayirira, apostleship of prayer, cf. tuma.
obs. propose, intend. It has been suggested that this obsolete verb is the simple form from which buulira, buuliri- ra, etc. were derived.
o- (bu/-) kind of weed which spreads rapidly and is difficult to eradicate, oku- simba obwanda or okutuula obwanda, to take up permanent abode, stay for good.
intensifier which usually occurs after a poss. pron. or adj. own, very own. mikwano gyange bwoya, my own friends.
nzize) v.i. return, come back; go back; go; come up (of crops); take effect (of medicine), kudda mu mbeera, to return to normal, kudda mu maziga, to burst into tears; kudda mu ddiiro, to do a job over (because it was poorly done the first time); to dance again, kudda ngulu, to regain consciousness; to wake up. kudda buto, to become childish, enter one's second childhood (see buto for additional meanings). kudda ku mabbali, to stand aside, kudda mu bi- gere bya..., to follow in the footsteps of, succeed. Tayinza kudda awo kumala bi- seera bye. He can't just stand around and waste his time, abanlu abatalina kadda eri mumwa, people who have nothing to eat, lit. who do not have (a little thing, kantu implied) which returns to the lip. Emmere ezze. The food has been vomited up or The crops have come up.
e- plur. amalebe (li/ma) [Sw.,Hind. ] large tin can, 4-gallon tin container used for storing kerosine. Ennyumba y'amalebe, a house the roof of which is made out of flattened tin cans. cf. endebe, ekirebe.
e- plur. amalibu (1 i/m a) gap; breach. Omwana ow'amalibu agema enkuba. (prov.) A child with teeth missing prevents rain (from falling). Ow'amalibu akiina ow'engereka. (prov.) The person with missing teeth derides the person who has teeth which overlap. The pot calls the kettle black.
e- (li/ma) cooked plantains, matooke which have been cooked to a turn, omufumbi w'eddigobe, wife.
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.
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).
cigarettes, etc.); blow, blow out. oku- fuuweeta oluyimba, to whistle a tune, okufuuweeta olulimi, to speak a language fluently, kufuuweeta bbidde, to drink alcohol. okufuuweeta erapewo, to show off, be snobbish/supercilious/high-hat. ennambo ezibadde zifuuweeta mu Kampala, the rumors which were spreading around Kampala. Omuntu oyo afuuweeta nnyo ebigambo. This person gossips a lot. cf. fuuwa.
legs); distribute widely. Tongaayuulirako mimwa! Don't give me any of your talk, lit. spread your lips to me! Bakigaayudde ng'enkoko eriibwa abantu omusanvu. (prov.) lit. They distributed it like the chicken which is eaten by seven people. (Said when the provisions of food or beer are insufficient for the guests). cf. olugaayu.
the sap of which is repellent to termites, cf. ganduula.
e- (li/ma) kind of mat. (la) kind of mat pattern in which the-plaiting is parallel and horizontal, cf. ggiringiti.
e- (li/ma) type of insect resembling a grasshopper which lives on the young shoots of the plantain. Also called nnabangogoma.
e- usually plur. amawiilugungu (li/ma) kind of plant the bark of which is used in making baskets.
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.
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.
have room; correspond to; be equivalent; be fitting/suitable/appropriate, omuwendo ogugya mu nsawo ya buli muntu, a suitable price, a price which ‘fits' everyone' s pocketbook. Omukazi gwe yawasa tamugyamu. The woman he married is not suitable for him. Oba nno ezo emboga zigyamu nsimbi ki? I wonder what that cabbage is worth.
e- plur. amayamba (li/ma) kind of small fish which lives in shallow water; colloq. money, cf. akayamba.
e- (li/ma) moldy/musty smell. See llwayo which is more common.
e- (li/ma) type of bitter green which produces white flowers. Okalya dda kadda dda, ejjobyo liddira mu mutwe, (prov.) lit. You eat it now, it comes back afterwards, the jjobyo comes back to the head (by producing gray hair). What you do now produces consequences later.
for which see the grammars. One usage which presents serious difficulties to the users of the dictionary must be mentioned here. ka- is the prefix for singular nouns of the ka/bu class. This class contains not only nouns proper to it, but in addition most other nouns can be converted to this class; in the latter case the resultant noun is a diminutive. In many cases sound changes obscure the relationship between the original noun and the diminutive: ente, cow; akate, small cow. ejjinja, rock; akayinja, stone, endabirwamu, mirror; akalabirwamu, small mirror.
eat (something which requires an effort to chew).
a- (ka/bu) kind of mushroom which grows on termite heaps, cf. embaala.
kabassanya (la) cause of dissension, cause of dispute, lit. that which causes them to kill each other, cf. tta.
a- (ka/bu) very small fly which resembles a mayfly. It is attracted to fruit, particularly bananas. Omukwano gubasaza mu kabu. (prov.) lit. Friendship causes them to cut into (i.e., to share even) a kabu. They are very close friends.
a- (ka/bu) small step/stair; platform (e.g., on which political speeches are made), cf. eddaala.
a- (ka/bu) sensitive plant, plant which contracts when touched; shame. cf. 1 fa, ensonyi.
a- also akafungulankete lit. which expose the underclothes, as an adj. sensational; sweeping, enkyukakyuka ez'akafungulankete, drastic developments/ changes, cf. fungula, olubugo, enkete.
a- adv. at a great speed, lit. (the breeze; akawewo is implied by ka-) which blows away (akafuumuula) the termites (mpawu). Emmotoka yabayitako kafuumuulampawu. The car zoomed past them, with cap. Kafuumuulampawu, the tenth month of the Kiganda calendar, corresponding to October, cf. ^mwezi.
in which if a player is found without a stick, he is beaten until he obtains one. (Sn.) cf. omuggo.
a- (ka/bu) narrow neck of land, isthmus; narrow channel of water into which boats are launched, canal, cf. golomola.
a- (ka/bu) small load/bundle; trouble, danger; scandal in a family, shameful secret which a family wishes to be hushed up. Onsombedde akagugu. You have caused me trouble. Balina akagugu mu nju. They have a skeleton in their closet, cf. omugugu.
the leaves of which are used for polishing and cleaning and also for putting on sores and wounds.
be forced. See kakaabiriza and -ekakaba which are more frequently used.
a- (ka/bu) crust; end part (of bread, sugarcane, etc., which is usually not eaten); residue.
a kindof hawk which frequently preys on chickens. cf. kuba, empanga.
a- (ka/bu) lit. strike-mosquito, a kind of plant which has medicinal uses. cf. kuba, ensiri.