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.
okukuba nsoke, okusenda. turn back on, okukuba amabega.
e- from amabega, back, q.v. kukuba ku bbega, to carry on the back.
ennyuma, emabega; as prep., ennyuma wa.
n'emabega tekyaddika, and it is no longer possible to go back. Yagamba nti ewa muganda we teddika. He said that to return to his brother's was out of the question. cf. obuddiro, obuddizo, obutaddira, obu- teddiza, obuzza, akaddannyuma, amadda, amaddira, omuddirirwa, omuddinnano, omuddinnanwa, muzzannanda, lomuzzi, enziramu.
e- plur. amayanzi (li/ma) large grasshopper, kusambira mabega nga jjanzi, to kick backwards; to be overconfident/sure of oneself; to be elated, cf. akayanzi.
e- (n/n) kind of small bean. Ekika ky'Empindi, the Bean Clan, kuba kinnya na mpindi, to be very close/near, kulima mpindi ku mabega, to slander, backbite.
n., omugongo, amabega; (of head) enkoona; (of hill) enzivuunuko.
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.
to chase after a person, pursue with the purpose of attack. Nnalaba ogusolo emabega waffe nga gutu- mezeeko, I saw a huge animal behind us pursuing us hotly. Maama we olwavaawo woowe (or yaaye) n'amera ku mumwa. As soon as his mother went away he started crying, kumera lutiko, to break out in goose pimples, kumerako bwebindu, to act very important, put on airs, kumerawo, to succeed, come next.
v.tr. strike; beat; hit. Akaato kaffe kaali kakubyeko abantu. Our little boat was full of people. Akuba mu buli kasenge konna obwenyi. He pokes his head into every room. Yali ankubye ama- bega. He turned his back on me. Kati eby'okusoma mbikubye amabega. 1 have now finished my studies. Munnaffe Kampala amukubye amabega. Our friend has left Kampala. Yanneekubako ndyeko katono. He implored me to eat a little. Kakubye. I am in luck. Things are going my way. Kawundo kakubye eddirisa. lit. The bat has struck against the windowpane (used in reference to a woman who is carrying nn an illicit affair). Mu nju temuli kakuba. The house is completely silent/deserted. There isn't a soul stirring in the house, lit. there is nothing which is striking.
okwezza emabega (or ennyuma), to draw oneself backwards, recoil.