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Showing 27 result(s) for "bbiri".
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bbiri EN→LG

e- (li/ma) large body. Eyeerabye ebbiri talagulwa. (prov.) lit. He who sees himself (as having) a mighty body does not accept prophecy. Pride cometh before a fall. cf. omubiri.

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luggya EN→LG

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.

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lunaku EN→LG

o- (lu/n) day. ennaku zino, these days, at present. Ennaku ennungi tezikya bbiri. (prov.) Two good days do not dawn (successively ).

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slip EN→LG

v.i., okuseerera. s. down, okutenduka, okuseesee tuka, okusumattuka, okumansuka. s. past, okwekooloota. s. out, okusowoka. s. away, okwebbirira, okwemulula.

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sukumbula (-sukumbudde) v.tr. shake EN→LG

shake about, kusukumbula kyejo, to act in a spoiled manner, behave badly. cf. essukumbuli. night; sleep; remain, stay; live, dwell. Wasuze otyanno? Good morning, lit. How did you pass the night? kusula ku budde, to spend a sleepless night (esp. with one who is seriously ill). Yasuze mulwadde nnyo. He was very sick last night. Osula otya obulwadde? How are you now? (Said to someone who is very sick.) Tanywa si- gala asulayo bbiri. He smokes to great excess. Tanywa mwenge asulayo bbiri. He doesn't just drink, he gets intoxicated.

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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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lya (-lidde) v.tr. eat; consume; take office (of chief LG→EN

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.

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mubiri LG→EN

o- (mu/mi) body (human or animal); body (thickness, substance). Ekiteeteeyi ( kye yayambadde nga tekirina mubiri. The dress she wore was very light/had no body. cf. 2ebbiri, ekibiribiri.

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nga LG→EN

(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.)

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mmummululu: be mmummululu LG→EN

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.

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wera (-weze) v.i. & tr. reach LG→EN

amount to (a number); be quite a few; be quite a lot/ considerable. Essaawa zaali ziwera nga bbiri n'ekitundu. The time was about eight thirty, abantu abawerako, quite a few people. Omuwendo gw'abaminsani gu- weramu. The number of missionaries is considerable.

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-biri numeral stem two. Initial modifications are made ac cording to the class of the noun to which the numeral refers. Note that bbiri is used in counting (one, two, three, etc.) as well as with nouns of the lu/n and n/n classes. Under certain circumstan Mixed

-biri numeral stem two. Initial modifications are made ac cording to the class of the noun to which the numeral refers. Note that bbiri is used in counting (one, two, three, etc.) as well as with nouns of the lu/n and n/n classes. Under certain circumstanc es (for which see the grammars) amakumi abiri, 20, is abbreviated to abiri. olw'ebbiri, at another time, on another occasion (olwa implies lunaku, day). Ensi emutaddeko abiri. He is the object of public attention, lit. The country has put two (amaaso, eyes, implied) on him. -biri -biri, two by two, two each. Baatambula babiribabiri. They walked two by two. Yatuwa ebitabo bibiri bibiri. He gave us two books each. cf. bbiri, okubiri, Olwokubiri, -mbi(riri).

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-kya (-kedde) v.i. dawn; let up (of rain); end (of a famine) Mixed

buli lukya, every morning, lit. every (day, olunaku, implied) which dawns. Obudde okukya nga twatuuse dda. By daybreak we had already arrived. Ennungi tezikya bbiri. (prov.) Two good (days implied) do not dawn in a row. Opportunity only knocks once. Bwe bukya si bwe buziba. (prov.) As (a day) dawns is not how it will end. Ekuba omunaku tekya. (prov.) The rain (e- implies enkuba) which strikes a poor person does not let up. It never rains but it pours.

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-esiba (-esibye) v.i. & tr. refl. fasten oneself up; dress (of women); be determined/resolved; make one's mind up (to) Mixed

devote oneself (to); attac.li uneseii ^lo/, ue sioppea/ plugged up (e. g., of a drain), kwesiba bbiri, to be determined/resolved; to make oneself ready/prepared; to double one's effort, kwesiba ku muntu, to attach oneself to a person who doesn't appreciate (you), to latch onto a person. Amagezi gaamwesiba. She was at a loss as to what to do. ng'akyesibye ku kintu kye kimu yagamba nti..., and Still sticking to the same subject he said... Ennaku zaatandika okwesi ba. The days started to drag.

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