nga.
conj. then, thereupon. interj. response to weebale, thank you. ebyo nga bikyali awo that being the case; meanwhile.
all the while, all along; lately; on that occasion; already, conj. all the time that, while. Bakira oli ludda wa? Where were you all the while? Bak ira nkugamba ggwe nga towulira! I kept telling you but you wouldn't listen!
be bereaved of; lose; miss, miss out on. oku- fiirwa obulamu, to lose one's life. Leka kufiirwa mukisa guno. Don't miss this opportunity. Abaana bangi bafiirwako bannyaabwe nga bakyali mabujje. Many people lose their mothers while they are still small children.
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.
be worth it, leave no regrets. Olugendo lwonna lugenduse. The whole trip has been worthwhile.
nzijudde or njijudde) v.i. be or become full; be filled up. kujjula ne kikubako, to be full to capacity. Okyali mu kulya Katonga ajjula. (prov.) You are still eating while the (river) Katonga is rising. You are fiddling while Rome burns.
a- adv. quickly, while moving quickly; hastily, cf. ^landa, landuka.
a- (ka/bu) something interesting/ worthwhile/appealing. amawulire omutali kanigguusa, very uninteresting news. Ebyo temuli kanigguusa. All this is just nonsense. There is nothing of any value in this.
e- (ki/bi) rack/net on which bananas are stored while ripening. It is usually built above the fireplace. Olwa leero ekibanyi lwe kigwa n'amenvu. Today is the day! cf. akabanyi, olubanyi.
e- also ekigalulira (ki/bi) root of a yam while still young.
all the while. See bakira.
e- (ki/bi) something useful/worthwhile/vital. Tewali kiramu kye baateesa. There is nothing vital which they discussed. cf. -lamu.
e-: okulya ekitabaazi, to eat hurriedly; to eat while standing up, lit. like a warrior ready for battle, cf. tabaala.
more properly ku lwa prep, phrase on behalf of; for the sake of; because of. kulwa ddaaki, also lwa ddaaki adv. finally; at last; eventually; after a while, cf. ddaaki.
nnanamye) v.i. sit with the legs extended, stretch out the legs while sitting.
nnumye) v.tr. bite; pinch; hurt; pain; ache; fig. accuse, charge with a fault, kuluma bugigi, to grit the teeth (in pain). kuluma mba, to clench the teeth (in anger), kuluma munno, to accuse your companion/the other person of wrong doing, kuluma kiwanvuwanvu, to eat on the run; to eat hurriedly/while standing up. Embwa ennumye. The dog has bitten me. Ennyonta ennuma. I am thirsty. Enjala ennuma. I am hungry. Akalimi k'essaawa kalumye. The hour (hand, on the clock) has just struck.
o- adv. sometimes, oluusi n'oluusi, occasionally, once in a while.
a- (li/ma) back, in the form emabega ai art adv. back; behind, emabega w'oluggi, behind the door, emabega wange, behind me. emabegako katono, a little while back, little farther back (in space). ku Lwokutaano olwa wiiki eku- biddwa amabega, on Friday of last week. cf. bbega.
a- plur. (li/ma) going, going away, traveling away. adv. on the way going, while going away. cf. genda.
arch, wife of the Kabaka while in seclusion.
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.
all the while, all along. Obwedda bwonna obadde okola ki? What have you been doing all the while? c f. ^dda.
try to produce. Sakiriza ku maanyi oveeko mu nnyumba. Try to pull yourself together so that you can come out of the house for a while. Yagezaako okusakiriza enseko naye ne zimubula. He tried to find something to laugh at but failed. cf. akasaka, ekisakiro, omusasi, ensaka.
e- (li/ma) banana leaves used for covering plantains while cooking; trash. cf. naanitd/ka.
mpayizza) v.i. converse, talk, chat, okuwayamu, to have a little conversation, chat a while.
mpozezza) v.i. plead (one's case in court), v.tr. plead (a case, a cause); recount, tell. Omusibe awoza nti yatta lwa kwetaasa. The prisoner makes the plea that he killed in self-defense, kuwoza gwa mbwa ng'ate endiga erinnya ennyumba, to have double trouble, lit. to plead the case of the dog while the sheep is climbing up on the house.
so nga si bwe kiri. You might imagine that it is a big place, but such is not the case.
while there is still time.
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.
kuliisa bijanjaalo mpiso, to be careless/indifferent about things, kuliisa bujiiko, to be high and mighty, be ostentatiously rich, be ‘highbrow,' lit. to eat with (European) teaspoons, kuliisa maaso, to look at carefully, kuliisa ngalo, to eat with one's fingers, kuliisa njala, to eat ravenously. Jjangu ondiiseliise. Come and keep company with me while I eat.
at last; eventually.
deliver; walk/go with/by means of. okutambuza ebigere, to go on foot, okutambuza eggaali, to go by bicycle, okutambuza amaaso, to let one's eyes wander, okutambuza essimbo, to walk with dignity, okutambuza ekibiina, to direct/ run an organization, okutambuza ekyuma, to operate a machine, okutambuza omutwe, to slip off of the bed while sleeping. Kati atambuza omwaka gwe ogwa 42. He is now in his 42nd year.
(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.)
fan away (e.g., flies); beat (the bush in hunting); recruit. Bakusaggira okolola, ak'obugoba k'oya- gala? (prov.) You are coughing while they are driving out (the game). Do you want to lose (your share of) the profit? Yatuuka olulimi lusagga nsowera. (When) he arrived he was dead tired, lit. the tongue was brushing away the flies.
o- (mu/ba) boor, unrefined person; clumsy person; stupid person. Omndembe akolera enkoko olunnyo ng'abaana basula wansi. /prov.) A stupid person builds a wooden frame for the chickens while his children sleep on the floor.
v.i. be silent/ taciturn; be at a loss for something to say; fail to express oneself when one is expected to; be dumbfounded; be incommunicative while maintaining a sheepish or foolish expression.
adv. after a while; after that; finally.
to show kindness, okugira ekisa, to show kindness, okugira ekyejo, to act insolently, gira is used primarily as an auxiliary verb with no constant English equivalent. It indicates action at intervals or continuous action for a period suggested by the English phrases every now and then, once in awhile, keep on. Nnagira nga ne mbakubamu essasi. Every now and then I would fire a shot at them. Tosuula ngabo ogira owazaako. Don't give up (lit. throw the shield), but keep on trying/just give it a try. Omu ku bakuumi kwe kugira nti... One of the guards went on to say.
-ekoona (-ekoonye) v.i. refl. knock oneself; stumble. Bwe twabadde tujja twe- koonyeeko e Masaka. When we were coming back we stopped off for a while at Masaka.
-eyagula (-eyagudde) v.i. refl. scratch oneself. Abantu bano bazibu ng'adduka yeeyagula. These people are impossible to deal with/are utterly unreliable, lit. are as difficult as a person who runs while scratching himself.
the eyes (while awake); close in (of darkness). Obudde butuzibiridde. It has gotten dark on us.
-ewungula (-ewungudde) v.i. refl. have oneself ferried; go across (in a boat); flash by; disappear/go away for a while; wave; move to and fro. cf. akawunguko, oluwunguko, omuwunguzi.
-ewunjula (-ewunjudde) v.i. refl. disappear for a short while; turn off/away; euph. go to the bathroom.