omulimu.
a- the form of the -a of rel. used after plur, nouns of the mu/ba and la classes. For an additional function in noun phrases see^wa.
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.
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.
to; at; among (of place, time and other relationships), ku mmeeza, on the table, ku lunaku luno, on this day. to express the partitive okulya emmere, to eat food; okulya ku mmere, to eat some food/ some of the food, ku lwa (before an infinitive), because of, on account of. Ku Iw'oku- beera omulwadde teyajja. Because he was sick (= because of being sick) he did not come, ku lwa (before a substantive), on behalf of. ku lwange, on my behalf, ku lwa Gavumenti, on behalf of the Government. Ali ku bwa Katonda. He is very seriously ill, lit. he is in the (obuyinza, power, implied) of God. Nze siri ku muntu ayagala okunywa omwenge. I do not care for a person who likes to drink beer. In form and function ku is related to the enclitic -ko, q. v.
occur; be in progress, progress; operate, function.
namely. It is similar in function, to nti (q.v.) but implies doubt and unc ertainty. Yagamba nti alijja. He said that he would come. Yagamba mbu alijja. He said that he would come (but I am not at all sure that he will), as an adv. it would seem that, apparently, one might get the impression, they say. Mbu omubbi bamukutte. Apparently (I think, I have heard) they have caught the thief.
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.
adv. formative of place frequently equivalent to the English prepositions to or at. Agenze e Kampala. He has gone to Kampala. It is not joined to proper nouns but is prefixed directlv to a number nf pronouns and common nouns, many of which acquire thereby an adverbial function, mabega, back; emabega, backwards, back, amaka, home; eka, at home, (in the direction of) home, waffe, our(s); ewaffe, at our house. cf. ewa.
formative of place + -li, is/are) lit. where there is/are. This functions as a preposition rendered variously as to, towards, from. Genda eri Mukasa. Go to Mukasa (or Mukasa's). Ava eri omwami. He is coming from the chief, cf. -li.
-yingirivu, obungi, ejjingirizi.lkayingo. For further references see under yinza.
operate; act (as). Essimu yali tekola. The telephone was out of order. Akola ng'omu- wandiisi w' ekibiina ky'abakozi. He is working as secretary of the labor union. v.tr. do; make, okukola omulimu, to do a job, to work, okukola emmere, to prepare food, okukola lumonde, to peel sweet potatoes. okukola ebigezo, to take examinations. -kozeeko, used, second-hand, emmotoka ezikozeeko, used cars.
okufumbirira omugole, to wait on a bride (a series of functions traditionally performed by the paternal aunt and sister-in-law of the bride, including instructions, special care, etc.).
has the following auxiliary functions: 1) kye + va (with the appropriate personal and tense prefixes) + a primary verb express an action or state resulting from a cause (rendered in English by therefore, that is why, that is the reason). Kitange mu- lwadde, kye nva sigenda kulima. My father is ill; that is why I do not go to cultivate. 2) Before the infinitive of another verb va may express recently completed action. Tuva kulima. We have just come from digging. Nva kulya. I have just eaten. 3) The infinitive okuva is equivalent to the English prep, from (referring to either time or space), okuva leero okutuuka mu mwezi ogujja, from today until next month, okuva e Mombasa okutunka e Nairobi, from Mombasa to Nairobi. va is frequently used with enclitics (-wo,
cf. linda, oluzzi.
attributive and other relationships. The prefix attached to -a is determined by the class of the preceding noun, e.g., ebitabo ebya Mukasa, the books of Mukasa; entebe ey'omuti (ey' = eya), the chair of wood, the wooden chair. An important function of a is that of forming ordinals from cardinals, e.g., mu myaka omusanvu, in seven years; mu mwaka ogw omusanvu (ogw' = ogwa), in the seventh year.