inter., ddi? rel., bwe, lwe.

wa? rel. gye.

buli lwe. . . .

okuddamu, okwanukula; (when called) okuyitaba.

mbadde) v.i. be. In certain tenses ba is replaced by -li, Both may be used as primary verbs or as auxiliaries in compound tenses. bwe tuba mu ssomero, when we are in school. Yabadde anzise. He nearly killed me. Tuli mu kisenge. We are in the room. Twali tuli mu kisenge. We were in the room, ba and -li may be followed by na (-na in the case of -li) to express possession. Tulina ensimbi. We have money. Twabadde n'ensimbi. We had money.

-yo, -mu, -wo. ba becomes baa- before such an addition, mbaako kye njogera, if 1 have something to say (note that this does not imply physical pos ses s ion as is often the case when -na is suffexed to -li), abo abanaabaawo enkya, those who will be present tomorrow. Bwe walibaamu amazzi mu mugga, tulivuba. If there is water in the river we will fish. Taliimu. He is stupid or He is not at home.

put in one's word when it is not appropriate, intrude in a conversation.

the sound of crackling, splutter (of a fire when it is initially being induced). Bbugubugu, si muliro. (prov.) Mere spluttering is not a fire. Haste makes waste, cf. bugujja.

e- plur. (ki/bi) dried plantains when cooked, esp. beer bananas (mbidde) and hard bananas (gonja).

adj. & pron. each; every; all; everyone, buli kiseera, all the time, always, buli kimu, everything, buli kyonna, everything. buli wonna, everywhere, buli wantu, everywhere, na buli kati, even now, up to the present time, buli gye bagenda, everywhere or wherever they go. buli lwe bagenda, every time or whenever they go. buli ayagala okujja, everyone or anyone who wishes to come.

be lacking, lack; be at a loss for; lose. Yabulwa eky' okuddamu. He was at a loss for an answer. Nnali siyinza kubulwa ddoboozi lye. I could not be mistaken about/fail to recognize his voice. Bwe yamunoonya n'abulwa n' agenda. When he looked for him without success (lit. and he was missing) he went away. Omuntu bw'abulwa by'ayogera anuuna ne ku vvu. (prov.) When a person is at a loss for words he even sucks on ashes. (This is said of a person who talks for the sake of talking).

e- no plur. (n/n) east, lit. (whence) comes-the-sun. See va, enjuba. Contr. ebugwanjuba.

etc. Emmotoka bw'etambulako katono emipiira ebiri ne gibwamira ettaka. When the car had advanced a short distance two of the tires got stuck in the ground or had punctures/became flat.

o- adv. with nothing; empty-handed; naked; in vain; without cause, without reason; gratis, free, without charge. Oku- yingira kwa bwereere. Admission i'S free. Eky'obwereere kyaggwawo dda. (The time when you could get something) for nothing has long since passed, cf. -(y)ereere.

blow on. oku- fukuta emivubo, to blow with a pair of bellows. okufukuta amazzi, to gargle with water, okufukuta ekyuma, to melt metal (e.g., with a blowtorch), kuwoza gufukula, to talk nonsense (gu- implies muliro, fire), kufukuta lulimi, to speak a language (usually English) fluently. Bwe yatuuse mu dduuka n'afukutira omutunzi Oluzungu nga gw'alufukutira talina ky'aggyamu. When he arrived in the store he spoke English to the salesman, but the person to whom he was talking did not get anything out of it.

recount (a legend, tradition, fable, tale). Bwe ndigenda e Kampala nga musigadde kunfuma bugumu When I go to Kampala you will never see me again. Jjajjange kati tufuma mufume. My grandfather is long since dead, lit. we talk (of him) only in legends.

knot; bring to an end, conclude, oku- fundikira omugwa, to tie a knot in a rope, okufundikira enviiri, to braid the hair into knots, okufundikira olukunnaana, to close a meeting, okufundikira obuliri, to tuck in the sheets and blankets (when making a bed), okufundikira essaati, to tuck in one's shirt.

legs); distribute widely. Tongaayuulirako mimwa! Don't give me any of your talk, lit. spread your lips to me! Bakigaayudde ng'enkoko eriibwa abantu omusanvu. (prov.) lit. They distributed it like the chicken which is eaten by seven people. (Said when the provisions of food or beer are insufficient for the guests). cf. olugaayu.

e- (li/ma) afternoon; early evening; (with a past tense verb) yesterday afternoon. olw'eggulo, this afternoon or some particular afternoon. Essaawa ez'olw'eggulo tubeera ka. We are at home in the afternoon hours, jjo olw'eggulo, yesterday afternoon or (with a future tense) tomorrow afternoon, enkya olw'eggulo, tomorrow afternoon. Bwe nnaakukwatako engalo tujja kudda ggulo. When I get my hands on you we are really going to have it out, lit. we will return late in the day. cf. ekyeggulo.

e- (li/ma) bone, okusimba eggumba egganda, to walk. 01 uvannyuma lw'okuki- gaayagaaya baakizuula mpozzi nga kirimu eggumba. After thinking it over they realized that it might just be true, lit. after chewing it they found that perhaps it had a bone inside, okuggwa ku magumba, to lose weight, become all skin and bones, oku- tunguka ku magumba, to cook thoroughly (of meat). Ebigezo bino birimu eggumba. These examinations are quite difficult, lit. have some bone in them. Kirimu eggumba okugamba nti... It is difficult to maintain that. It is hard to say that. lit. There is a bone in saying that... Omwavu lw'alya ennyama amagumba asansa masanse. (prov.) When a poor man eats meat, he scatters the bones around (to impress others ).

e- (li/ma) large post; central post of a house (burned when the owner dies), cf. Iwaga, empagi.

you (referring to one person), ggwe wamma and wamma ggwe are interjectional phrases of high- frequency which have no close English eauivalent. They are used when there is good rapport between speaker and hearer. Perhaps ‘I say!' is the nearest equivalent.

okukuba; h. when down, didi togoza.

reach a high point of intensity; be involved/ complicated (referring to a situation, either in a favorable or unfavorable sense). Gu- jabagidde: ng'omunafu azadde kaiiira. iii (low high low) interj. expressing surprise and flat contradiction I just don't believe you. (prov.) It is complicated affair, just as when a lazy cultivator gives birth to a heavy eater.

e- plur. amayute (li/ma) boil. Sserukama mayute: olunyiga ku lirye ng'akaaba. (prov.) lit. Mr. Squeezer-of- boils: when his is pressed, he cries. He can dish it out but he can't take it. cf. mwasajjute.

e- adv. at home; home(wards). Embaga bwe yaggwa ne tugenda eka. When the wedding was over we went home. cf. am aka, awaka.

a- (ka/bu) sensitive plant, plant which contracts when touched; shame. cf. 1 fa, ensonyi.

a- no plur. period from about nine to ten in the morning, when the sun begins to get warm, lit., the grasshoppers (mayanzi) become active (lasa).

a- usually plur. (ka/bu) tiny fragments and liquid spray which splash off of barkcloth when it is being beaten.

a- (ka/bu) small tongue; hand (of a clock or watch), kukaza kalimi, to be all talk, to talk when action is required, kukuba muntu kalimi, to coax/sweet-talk someone. Era akalimi bwe kaalumvi'...And when the time finally arrived... 'lit. When the small tongue bit. cf. olulimi.

a- (ka/bu) mouth, kamwa koogera or nze kamwa koogera, I the speaker, I myself, kuta kamwa, to be quarrelsome. Mba sinnaggya bigambo mu kamwa emmotoka n'egwa. I hardly got the words out of my mouth when the car turned over. Tonjasa- miza akamwa! Shut up! (See yasama.) cf. omumwa.

a- (ka/bu) fiber-producing plant, Hibiscus diversifolius; crisis, difficulty, trouble. Awo akanyamberege we kajjira. That is when the trouble started, akanyamberege akaazaala ekkula, lit. a woman of low estate who brought forth a jewel (formerly used of a commoner whose son became a Kabaka, and later used in a more general sense), cf. ennyamberege.

(ka/bu) July dry season when the land is fallow, less hot season before the rainy season, cf. sambula.

a- also akasiibulizo (ka/bu) leave taking, farewell; parting gesture. with the -a of rel. final, conclusive. Twabuuse bwe yafuuye firirabi ey'akasiibulo. We jumped when he blew the final whistle. cf subuka, sitbuia.

a- (ka/bu) a small purple king- Mr. Sandman, okulwala akasumagizi or okuba ng' eyalya akasumagizi, to be drowsy/ sleepy (particularly when there is something which needs to be done), cf. sumagira.

a- (ka/bu) tuft of hair left when the rest of the hair is shaved or combed down.

and plur. is necessary the forms kakawo/bukawo (pea/peas) are used.

e- (plur. ebimu) numer. one (in the plur. some). Used with nouns of the ki/bi class or when no specific noun is referred to. buli kimu, everything, kye kimu, the same (thing), in the same way/manner. Ekyo kye k imu n'okugamba nti toogende. This is the same thing as saying that you will not go. okussa ekimu, to be in agreement; to receive Holy Communion, lit. to breathe (as) one. cf. ^-mu.

e- (ki/bi) rubber device on the brakes of a bicycle which presses against the tire when the brakes are applied.

conceal, okukisa omukono, to die, lit. to hide one's hand (usually employed with reference to a Kabaka). Bw'akolola engabi yeekisa mu kisaka. When he coughs the bushbuck hides in the bush (i.e., he has a very loud cough). Bw'aseka empisi yeekisa ku ki- kande. When he laughs the hyena hides in a deserted place (i.e., he has a loud and boisterous laugh).

e- (ki/bi) combination of grass and bananas which cover the vat when beer is fermenting, kuwunya nga kisisiro, to smell like a brewery.

e- (ki/bi) lit. it-will-not-grow-up (from kula), kind of insect which bores into dry wood. Kitaakule kizimba mu lumuli. (prov.) The kitaakule builds in a reed (and will soon perish when the reeds are burnt).

e- (ki/bi) Ensimbi ng'ozi- funye leka zireme kukumezaako biwaawaa- tiro. When you have obtained the money don't let it go to your head, lit. grow wings for you.

left (as opposed to right); left hand; left side; the (political) left. omukono ogwa kkono, the left hand. Wa kkono. He is left-handed, obukiika obwa kkono, north, kugwa kkono, to miss, miss out on. Kyangwa kkono. I missed it. It escaped me. Yangwa kkono. I missed him (i.e., he wasn't there when I arrived) or I was never successful in my dealings with him. See ddyo.

stop, come to an end, go as far as, reach. Wakoma wa? How far did you get/go? Awo we nkomye. That is all. That is all I have to say (said after recounting an event or story). Nkomye. I have had enough (said when declining an additional portion of food). Yakoma. She has stopped bearing children, kukoma awo, to stop, let matters rest. Erinnya Kayaga lyakomanga ku bawala bokka. The name Kayaga was restricted to girls. Note the additional meanings 0/koma with the enclitics.

be slow in cooking; refuse to ripen (of fruit); be stunted in growth (of persons); be silent, refuse to answer; remain motionless (when expected to act); sulk, okukona ku musomo, to fail a course and be obliged to repeat. Embooge ekonye. lit. The mbooge (a green vegetable which cooks easily) has refused to cook. Things have gone completely wrong.

etc.; get for, provide; give greetings for another. Omundabira. Give him my regards. kulabira mu maddu, to be overjoyed to see (something, somebody). okulabira ku..., judging from, compared with. Kino kitono nnyo okulabira ku nkuba etonnya wano mu K. This is very little compared with the rain that falls here in K. kulabira awo (a high-frequency phrase which is difficult to reduce to any simple English equivalent): to get or see something by surprise or unintentionally; to do something without having made plans. Simanyi oba nga nnaagenda, leero nnaalabira awo. I do not know if I am going, I shall have to see/I really have no definite plans. Nnaalabira awo nga bandeetedde ku kamere. I was surprised when they brought me a little food. Baalabiraawo nga bazannya. They happened to be playing. Ndabira awo ekitabo kyange. You see that book of mine over there, give it to me. awo nga nkulabira or awo we nnalabira (stylized ending for a fable or tale). So the tale endeth.

nnamudde) v.tr. judge; arbitrate; set a price (on the part of the seller). Bwe bagenda okukola kawungeezi y'alamula. When they go to work they do not come home until evening.

bewitch, place a a spell on, put a hex on. okuloga obulwa- dde, to cure of sickness, okuloga ennyon- ta, to assuage thirst. Nzija kukukuba nkuloge eddalu eryo erikuli mu mutwe. I'll give you a beating that will knock that nonsense out of your head. Akuloze mukazi Muyima? Has a Muhima woman bewitched you? What has paralysed your efforts? Why are you there doing nothing (when work must be done or when danger must be avoided)? cf. -loge, obulogo, eddogo, omuloge, omulogo.

ndozze) v.tr. tell, recount, narrate, okulojja omukwano, to declare/express one's love. Kye nnalaba mu ... ndi fa nkirojja. What I saw in ... I will remember as long as I live, lit. I will die recounting it. Amulojja temumala. He is really amazed at him (in either a good or bad sense). Buli omu alulojja bubwe. Everyone tells it/describes it from his own point of view (said when different people give different reports of the same incident).

o- (lu/n) palm pole; trunk of a wild date palm (lukindu) when felled; sometimes used for the palm tree itself.

o- plur. empombo (lu/n) a young leaf of the banana plant which, after being softened by exposure to the sun, is used in cooking vegetable sauces. The sauce is inserted into about four layers of empombo and then steamed in the pot along with the main food dishes. Amagezi luwombo, bwe luyulika ng'osala olulala. (prov.) Wisdom is a luwombo; when it gets torn you can always cut another one. If one method fails, a wise person will adopt an alternative solution. oluwombo okulufumitamu akati, lit. to pierce a luwombo with a stick, i.e., throw cold water on someone's plans, ideas, etc. cf. ekiwombo.

a- plur. (li/ma) colloq. beer, liquor, alcoholic drink(s). Mukasa n'ajja ng' amakerekete g'akombye gooza lumonde. When M. arrived he was as drunk as a lord, lit. had lapped liquor which would wash sweet potatoes.

a- plur. (li/ma) period of growth; period of sprouting of seeds. Aka- kyama amamera tekagolokokeka. (prov.) The little tree (aka- implies akati) which is crooked when it grows does not straighten up. Evil habits acquired in childhood are not usually eradicated in adulthood. c f, mera.

a- plur. (li/ma) time when the nsejjere appear, kubinuka masejjere, to have a wonderful time/a celebration.

a- plur. (li/ma) period of construction, time of construction; process of building. Yaleka ennvumba eri wakati mu mazimba. He left the house when it was half built/in the middle of construction. cf. Izimba.

e- (n/n) described in previous dictionaries as: sternum, sternal cartilage; pit of the stomach; internal bodily part. It is now used almost always in a figurative sense: heart, soul, seat of the emotions. It occurs in hundreds of phrases and expressions of which the following is a sampling: mu ngeri ya kawanika mmeeme, in a frightening way. kwekuba mmeeme, to reconsider, emmeeme n'enfa, and my heart sank/I was utterly distressed. Nze emmeeme yangwa wala. I became very depressed. Otukubye wala emmeeme. You have really given us a scare. Emmeeme yamudda mu nteeko. He felt relieved, lit. his heart went back in place, ow'emmeeme etawaana amangu, one who is easily nauseated. Emmeeme entye- muse. 1 am terribly anxious/concerned/ shocked. Kino kyali ng'ekyawanula emmeeme ye. This seemed to relieve him/ calm him down. Emmeeme katale, ky'esiima ky'egula. (prov.) The heart is like going to market — it buys what it wants. Emmeeme gy'esula, ebigere gye bikeera. fprov.J Where the heart sleeps is where the feet- go in the morning, i.e., when you sleep with the intention of doing something, that is what you do. Emmeeme etefumba kigambo ekwo- geza munno ky'atagenda kwerabira. (prov.) lit. The heart which does not fashion well the spoken word makes you say what your friend will never forget. The spoken word can never be retracted.

nnyimuse) v.i. be lively/ active; respond/react positively; ooze, flow (particularly of banana juice). Okutuuka mu nju yasanga ssabbuuni amaze okummu- kira mu lubugo. When he arrived in the house he found that the soap was producing suds in the barkcloth, i.e., that things were really happening.

e- (n/n) grain, seed; pill. Bwe nnatuuka ku buliri nnabulwa yadde empeke y'otulo mu liiso. When I went to bed I didn't get a single wink of sleep, cf. akaweka.

e- (n/n) dry sorghum millet eaten when other food is scarce, empengere y'omusajja, a very strong man. Togayiranga mpengere mu kisenge. (prov.) Never pass judgment before you know the facts.

Albizzia coriaria; fragrance imparted to barkcloth when fumigated with the smoke produced by this tree. (Sn.) See mu- ttampindi.

o- plur. abaana (mu/ba) child. When referring to the young of animals mwana is sometimes, but not always, shifted to the mu/mi class, omwana gw'endiga, lamb, but omwana w'embuzi, goat, kid. mwana wattu, friend, my friend/pal (often used as a term of address), cf. akaana, ekyana, olwana, lyana, nnabaana.

with (denoting instrument or association), adv. also, too. na is also regularly suffixed to -ii, is, are, io express possession. Alina ensimbi. He has money, na sometimes alternates with ne (q.v.). When na means with it is replaced by ne if the verb is positive. Genda ne Kapere. Go with K. Togenda na Kapere. Do not go with K. The disjunctive pronouns are regularly suffixed to na. nange, and I, I also, naawe (2nd. sing.), naye (3rd sing.), naffe (1st plur.), nammwe (2nd plur.), nabo (3rd plur.).

wear (shoes, rings, bracelets, etc.) Bakanaanise akaagala. They have put a bracelet (aka- komo is implied by -ka-) on one who wants it. The expression is used when a person is told to do what he wants to do or would do anvwav.

e- (n/n) sheep; ram; ewe. Ekika ky'Endiga. the Sheep C!an. kusulika mutwe nga ndiga, to pretend to understand what is said when one really doesn't, lit. nod the head like a sheep, cf. ^akaliga, Wakaliga.

e- (n/n) leopard. Ekika ky'Engo, the Leopard Clan. Bwe nnamusanga, nnali ?dde ku n~c crikc sm-.vsna. When I •met him he was in a furious state of mind, lit. 1 was like one who had fallen upon a leopard with a cub. Ekitta engo kigiyinga buzito. (prov.) That which kills the leopards is heavier than the leopard, cf. Wango.

e- (n/n) old person who walks with difficulty; child who totters when he walks, amagulu ag'enkoboggo, small legs, disproportionate to the size of the body.

e- (n/n) salted water used instead of sauce or gravy when the latter is not available.

e- (n/n) kind of partridge, francolin. Enkoko bw'esula mu nsiko efuuka nkwale. (prov.) When a chicken lives in the bush it becomes a partridge. One changes according to the company one keeps.

keen-sighted. It is almost exclusively restricted to the following proverb: Embwa ya nnamaaso bw'etebba n'eyigga. When the keen-sighted dog is not stealing, it is hunting. Said of someone who can be either very good or very bad, depending on circumstances.