From 3c0538c437d2a106f748bdde576cbe92ab5d7d47 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: mahdi Date: Tue, 6 Sep 2022 08:52:57 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] Add Rukiga Signed-off-by: mahdi --- _posts/2022-09-06-rukiga-african-language.md | 221 +++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 221 insertions(+) create mode 100644 _posts/2022-09-06-rukiga-african-language.md diff --git a/_posts/2022-09-06-rukiga-african-language.md b/_posts/2022-09-06-rukiga-african-language.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0578f7e --- /dev/null +++ b/_posts/2022-09-06-rukiga-african-language.md @@ -0,0 +1,221 @@ +--- +layout: post +title: "Rukiga: An African Language" +subtitle: "A tiny dictionary and introduction to Rukiga" +date: 2022-09-06 00:00:00 +permalink: rukiga-african-language/ +categories: travel, language +author: Mahdi +--- + +During my trip to Southern Uganda I interacted with people who mainly spoke a local language called Rukiga. They said there is no dictionary for their language as of yet (although it is apparently being worked on), so I just kept asking them to teach me words and phrases and their grammar bit by bit. So here I’m sharing what I learned from my friends here in Uganda with you. Thanks to Tabitha and Tutamuzongoza and Jovan Tumwijukye specially who taught me and my friend a lot of these words and they spent time correcting the writing and pronunciation. + +# Pronunciation +The “r” letter is sometimes read with a sound that is in-between L and R (get phonetic annotation for these) +The “k” letter is sometimes read with a ch sound (need phonetic) +Pronunciations may vary depending on the region. As an example, in one area we were told Musana means sun, but in another region we were told it’s pronounced as Mushana. + +# A tiny dictionary of words +Rukiga English +Webare Thank you (single person) +Webare kusiuma Response to webare +Mwebare Thank you (multiple people) +Engaji Gorilla 🦍 +Kengaji Junior gorilla (used after Akana) +Akana Baby +Agandi How are you (used as greeting) +Nigye Good (response to Agandi) +Kache Small +Munonga A lot +Kihango Big +Byinji Many of something +Ruhanga wangye My Lord +Eshaha Time +Olaleje Good night (single person) +Mulaleje Good night (many people) +Olileje Good morning (single person) +Mulileje Good morning (multiple person) +Kunaaba Take shower +Twena All of us +Embwa Dog +Ahamuheru End +Hamwe And +Enyonyi Bird, airplane +Ekinyonyi Bird +Omunywani Friend +Omwojo omunywani Boyfriend +Omuhara Girl +Omwojo Boy +Omusheija Man +Ego Yes +Wapi No +Omujinya Jealous person +Omukundwa Sweetheart +Embuzi Goat +Echiroto Dream +Nyine enjara I’m hungry +Ndu hire I’m tired +Nikibi Ugly, a bad deed +Echiroto nkirungi Good dream +Wanji Response to someone calling you. Can be used when you don’t understand what they said, but also in general +Embuzi Goat +Akana Kembuzi Baby goat +Entama Sheep +Musana, Mushana (different pronunciation) Sun +Omwanya gobsinge Peaceful Place +Echirwa Island +Chine Have +Nyingyi A lot +Ruhanga eizina rye rehimbisibwe Hossana +Akasero Basket with handles +Akatebo Basket +Akibo Small basket +Musingirio A kind of bean that grow while twining (while connected to something, grows around it +Enyawawa The crying bird +Sawa I’m ok (be careful: this word means “something bitter” in Swahili) +Nimarungy I’m ok (response to Agandi) +Mwakora You have done great (multiple people) +Wakora You have done great (single person) +Etanuru Bricks arranged in a dome shape with fire under and inside them, to dry the bricks +Tutamuzongoza A person’s name, means someone who is not to be disturbed (or disturb others) +Akana Kente Calf +Omwana Human baby +Omuzeire Parent +Mama Mother +Taata Father +Buhunga A food made with maize flour mixed with hot water and sugar (called porridge in some areas) +Entuhe Crusted Crane +Ruhanga God +Amina Amen +Matooke Mashed green banana +Chinnurile Delicious +Bun Bread bun +Omugisha Blessing +Abatabani Sons +Yaabagirati Said +Ekibi Sins +Byona Everything +Ezitarikuzira Those which you can’t refuse +Nyamaishwa Animals +Aha This +Buri That +Muhango Great +Enshaija Male (animal) +Enkazi Female (animal) +Enshaija n’enkazi Male and female (animals) +Omusheija omukazi Male and female (humans) +Otwareho You will take (a part of something, not all) +Kare kare Goodbye +Ebinyugunyugu Butterfly + + +# Numbers + +Rukiga English +Omwe One person +Emwe One +Ibiri Two +Ishatu Three +Ina Four +Itahano Five +Mukaga Six +Mushanju Seven +Mundane Eight +Mwenda Nine +Ekumi Ten +Ekumi ne emwe Eleven +Ekumi ne ibiri Twelve +Ekumi ne ishatu Thirteen +Makumi abiri Twenty +Makumi abiri ne emwe Twenty one +Makumi ashatu Thirty +Makumi ana Forty +Makumi atahano Fifty +Makumi mukaga Sixty +Makumi mushanju Seventy +Makumi munana Eighty +Makumi mwenda Ninety +Igana Hundred +Igana makumi ana One hundred forty +Igana emwe One hundred one +Igana makumi abiri ne munana One hundred twenty eight +Bibiri Two hundred +Bishatu Three hundred +Bina Four hundred +Bitahano Five hundred +Rukaga Six hundred +Magana mukaga Six hundred (another way of writing it) +Rukumi One thousand +Eukumi igana makumi ana One thousand one hundred forty +Omutwaro Ten thousand +Emitwaro ebiri Twenty thousand + +# Phrases +Eizina ryangye Mahdi: my name is Mahdi +Ndaruga Iran: I’m from Iran +Nashemererwa kubanimwe: I’m happy to be here +Webare munonga: thank you very much +Aha nyamaishwa eztarikuzira: those animals you can’t refuse (ritually clean) +Yesu asimwe: praise God +Asimwe munonga, amen: response to Yesu asimwe +Ruhanga ni muhango: God is great +Ruhanga ny mulingi: God is good +Ekibi kya Noa: sins of noah +Mwije murye: Come and eat +Ndakukunda munonga: I love you a lot +Neshaha zokurya: Time to eat +Neshaha zokuzakubyama: time to sleep +Orakundachi: what do you prefer? +Embwa hamwe na pusi: dog or cat +Nishahazingahe: what Time is it +Eizina ryawe niriha: what is your name? +Eizina rye niriha: what is his/her name? +Kunaaba twena: all of us take a shower +Kafumbo: village with people with good ideas +You are jealous of my bf: Oyinihre +omujinya omunwani wange omwojo. +Echirwa chine emitti nyingyi: island with a lot of trees +Murikuza bunyonyi erizooba: we are going to bunyonyi today +Mpa ameizi: give me water +Ekibo kyebichiga chiga: basket of chiga beans +Aha obuhunga bunnurile: this buhunga is delicious + +# How to say beautiful + +How the adjective changes based on what we are talking about: + +Animals: +Eboneire (beautiful for singular non-human?) +Ziboneire (beautiful for plural non-human?) +Kaboneire (beautiful when used after Akana) + +Other things (based on first letter of word and context): +Pair 1 (kind of things that have life): +Goboneire (beautiful for singular non-human) +Eboneire (beautiful for multiple non-human) + +Pair 2 (kind of things that have no life): +Leboneire (beautiful for singular non-human) +Gabonaire (beautiful for plural non-human) + +Oboneire (beautiful for singular human telling them directly) +Baboneire (beautiful for plural human, when telling a third person) +Muboneire (beautiful for plural human, when telling themselves directly) +Aboneire (beautiful for singular human, when telling a third person) +Eizina riboneire: beautiful name +Eizina rya we liboneire: your name is beautiful + +Omushozi (singular mountain) goboneire +Emishozi (multiple mountain) eboneire +Omuti (tree) goboneire +Emiti (multiple trees) eboneire +Eibare (stone) leboneire +Amabare (stones) gaboneire + +Ente (cow) eboneire +Ente (cows) zeboneire +Engaji eboneire +Engaji zeboneire + +Akana kenjagi kaboneire munonga munonga: baby gorilla is very very beautiful +