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Showing 70 result(s) for "ram".
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bikya EN→LG

e- plur. (ki/bi) tendons of the neck. Yazze ng'ebikya bimwereeze. He arrived in a very tense/distraught frame of mind (lit. the tendons of his neck were taut), cf. ?rijlukya.

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bu- a prefix of many functions EN→LG

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.

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bunga (-bunze EN→LG

mmunze) v.i. ramble, wander around aimlessly. ‘Sifugibwa' afa abunga. (prov.) (He who says) ‘I will not be ruled' dies a vagabond.

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come EN→LG

okujja; (come here) jangu! (come in) yingira! c. back, okukomawo. c. near, okusembera. c. out, okufuluma. c. out into, okufuumuuka, okuggukiramu. c. off, okubebbuka, okuwaguka. c. out (of handle), okukuukamu, okusowokamu. c. to an end, okukoma, okuggwa. c. upon, okusanga, okusisinkaniriza. c. on suddenly, okuzinduukiriza. c. up, okwambuka. c. down, okukka, okuwanuka. c. to one's senses, okweddamu. c. and go, okwesussa, vide okuwalattana, okuyengeetana.

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ddika (-ddise) v.i. neut. be easy to go back EN→LG

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.

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ggambo EN→LG

e- (li/ma) bad word; dirty word, amagambo ag'olumottole, indiscreet words. The grammatical plural amagambo (q.v.) does not have the augm. or pej. meaning of the singular, cf. gamba, ekigambo, amagambo.

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ggezi EN→LG

e- (li/ma) a brilliant pieceof advice; an excellent idea. The gramm. plur. ama- gezi (q.v.) differs in meaning from, the sing.

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ggulire EN→LG

e- big piece of news, major item of information. (Sate: the gram. plur. amawu- Iire lacks the augm. force of eggulire.) cf. wulira.

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ka- a prefix of multiple functions EN→LG

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.

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kakunizo EN→LG

a- (ka/bu) small, cramped inclosure in which movement is difficult; snare, trap. Yabadde ayam badde ekiteeteeyi kakunizo bulala. She was wearing a very tight dress. Tuli mu kakunizo. We are jammed in like sardines or We are in a difficult position. cf. kunira.

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katogo EN→LG

a- (ka/bu) stew (of plantains, beans, peanuts, etc., or a combination of these); fig. cramped quarters, confined space; difficult/messy situation. Tuli mu katogo. We are in cramped quarters/crowded together or We are in a difficult fix.

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kifuko EN→LG

e- crowdedness, usually as an adv. or with the -a of rel. close together, crowded; abundant, plentiful. Ejinaano ya kifuko. The wheat is thickly sown. Aba- karamoja bazimba kifuko. The Karamoja build (their houses) close together, cf. fuka.

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kiramu EN→LG

e- (ki/bi) something useful/worthwhile/vital. Tewali kiramu kye baateesa. There is nothing vital which they discussed. cf. -lamu.

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kirinnimuko EN→LG

e- (ki/bi) tramping of feet; rush of a crowd; abundance, as an adv. in a crowd. Bagenze kirinnimuko. They have all gone in a group/crowd, cf. linnimuka.

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kiti EN→LG

e- (ki/bi) old, desicated tree; wooden handle; score in the game of mweso. Akyukira mu kiti nga mbazzi. He is likely to turn against people. He cannot be trusted. Twayogeramu ebiti bibiri n'Omuzungu. We spoke with the European for a short time. cf. lomuti.

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kiwato EN→LG

up to the waist, as far as the waist. Nfukiramu caayi okukomya mu makkati. Pour out some tea for me up to the middle of the glass. Yankomya ku ssomero. He accompanied me to school, gye -komya + inf... gye -komya + inf., the more...the more. Gye tukomya okuyiga ennyo gye tu- komya n'okufuna obubonero obulungi. The more we concentrate on our studies the better our grades will be. \bamu gye baakomyanga okutendereza omwami naye gye yakomya n'okwenyumiriza. The more some people praised the chief, the prouder he became.

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kubira (-kubidde) v.tr. appl. strike/knock in/at/for EN→LG

etc. okukubira omusango/ensonga, to sum up a case/a matter, okukubirako, to add; to make up; to complete, okukubiramu, to give over and above. Tonkubiramu kirala? Aren't you going to give me anything more? empapula z'amawulire ezikubirwa mu Afrika, newspapers which are published in Africa.

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kyotezo EN→LG

e- also kyoterezo, e- (ki/bi) framework for holding barkcloth to be fumigated; relig. censer, boat-like vessel in which incense is kept. cf. lyota, yotereza.

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lamuka (-lamuse EN→LG

nnamuse) v.i. be or become healthy; revive, recover, regain one's health. Emmotoka eramuse. The automobile is in good condition again.

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lasa (-lasizza EN→LG

ndasizza) v.tr. shoot (an arrow); hit (with an arrow); fire (a shot, a gun); flick, flick away (with the finger); kick with the back legs (of a locust), okulasa eki- faananyi, to take a photograph, okulasa emboozi, to converse, okulasa entula, to press ntula fruit to make the seeds come out. okulasa akasolya, to bend the reeds of a roof to the frame (in building a house).

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lukangaga EN→LG

o- (lu/n) frame on which bunches of sesame are dried. Also used as a synonym for entongooli, Busoga harp, q.v.

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lutotto EN→LG

o- no plur. (lu/n) a large number, a large quantity; very many, olutotto lw'ebi- buuzo, a great many questions, okwogera olutotto, to talk endlessly, ramble on and on.

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luwoomerambuzi EN→LG

o- (lu/n) lit. it is pleasing to goats, a kind of weed, common in newly- dug earth, which is eaten by goats, cf. wooma, woomera, embuzi.

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luyingo EN→LG

o- plur. ennyingo (lu/n) joint of the body, okuddamu oluyingo, to regain one's strength, recover, recuperate. Nnali seewuliramu luyingo. I was utterly exhausted, lit. I felt that there was not a joint in me. cf. ennyingo.

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magezi EN→LG

a- plur. (li/ma) wisdom; knowledge; device, stratagem; advice; wit; skill, amagezi ga bnlijjo, common sense, everyday knowledge, omuwi w'amagezi, advisor, okusala amagezi, to devise a plan. Yasa- langa gonna (gonna here = amagezi gonna). He used every expedient. He did everything he could. Amagezi tegaba g'omu. (prov.) Wisdom/cleverness is not the monopoly of one person. Okwagala kulya amagezi. (prov.) Love benumbs (lit. eats) the senses. Love is blind. Note: the gramm. sing, eggezi (q.v.) differs in meaning from the plur. cf. -gezi, kalimagezi, olugezigezi.

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mala (-maze) v.tr. finish EN→LG

complete; use up, consume; spend (time); satisfy, be sufficient for. v.i. suffice, be sufficient; be adequate; be enough. As an auxiliary verb mala has the following uses (adapted from Ashton's Luganda Grammar): 1) To denote completed action mala is followed by the main verb in the inf. Twamaze okusamba omupiira ng'obudde buzibye. We finished playing ball by the end of the day. 2) Followed by an inf. without the I.V., mala stresses the completion of an action before another action begins. Onoomala kuleeta mazzi. You will first bring water. 3) Followed by ga- and a verbal stem, mala expresses inevitability, obligation or simple carelessness. Tumaze gagendayo. We simply had to go there. Bamala gakomaga mbugo zityo. They just beat out the bark in any old way. 4) Followed by the neg. of the ne tense, mala indicates a reversal of decision.

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