302 lines
23 KiB
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302 lines
23 KiB
Markdown
---
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layout: post
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title: "Rukiga: An African Language"
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subtitle: "A tiny introduction to Rukiga"
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date: 2022-09-06 00:00:00
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permalink: rukiga-african-language/
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categories: travel, language
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author: Mahdi
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---
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During my trip to south of Uganda I interacted with people who mainly spoke a
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local language called Rukiga (pronounced ruʃɪga). They said there is no
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dictionary for their language as of yet (although it is apparently being worked
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on), so I just kept asking them to teach me words and phrases and their grammar
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bit by bit. So here I’m sharing what I learned from my friends here in Uganda
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with you. Thanks to Tabitha and Tutamuzongoza and Jovan Tumwijukye specially who
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taught me and my friend a lot of these words and they spent time correcting the
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writing and pronunciation.
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# Pronunciation
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Refer to the [Wikipedia page](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiga_language) of
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the language which includes an orthography of the language as a guide for
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pronunciation.
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Pronunciations may vary depending on the region. As an example, in one area we
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were told Musana means sun, but in another region we were told it’s pronounced
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as Mushana.
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# A tiny dictionary of words
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| Rukiga | English |
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|---------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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| Webare | Thank you (single person) |
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| Webare kusiuma | Response to webare |
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| Mwebare | Thank you (multiple people) |
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| Engaji | Gorilla 🦍 |
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| Kengaji | Junior gorilla (used after Akana) |
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| Akana | Baby |
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| Agandi / Ni gaahe | How are you (used as greeting) |
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| Nooruga he / hi? | Where are you coming from? |
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| Ninduga Rusoorooza | I am coming from Rusoorooza |
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| Nooza he / hi? | Where are you going? |
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| Ninza Muhahinga | I am going to Muhahinga |
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| Nokoora ki aha? | What are you doing here? |
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| Nimpandiika ebi ncondoize ahari Nyabingi | I am writing what I have researched about Nyabingi |
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| Ka tugyendane omu tawuni | Let us go together to the town |
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| Ke mbanze njware gye | Let me first dess up properly |
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| Reka tubanze twarya | Let us first eat |
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| Ekyo kihikire | That's right |
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| Waariire? | Have you eaten? |
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| Tinkariire | I haven't eaten |
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| Waahaaga? | Have you had enough food |
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| Ingaaha, nyongyera | No, give me more |
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| Ezi noobaasa kumpingaaniramu shiringi za Yuganda? | Can you change this into Uganda shillings please? |
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| Pawunda / doora emwe neechingaana zingahe? | What is the exchange rate for a pound / dollar? |
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| Nigye | Good (response to Agandi) |
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| I am very well, thank you | Ni marungi / N'amahooro |
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| Kare kare / Ogumeho | Goodbye |
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| Naiwe ogumeho | Goodbye to you too (response to Goodbye) |
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| Kache | Small |
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| Munonga | A lot |
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| Kihango | Big |
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| Byinji | Many of something |
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| Ruhanga wangye | My Lord |
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| Eshaha | Time |
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| Osiibe gye | Good day |
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| Yee/ee/yeego/naiwe osiibe gye | The same to you (Good day response) |
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| Olaleje / Oraare gye | Good night (single person) |
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| Yee/ee/yeego/naiwe oraare gye | The same to you (Good night response) |
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| Mulaleje | Good night (many people) |
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| Osiibire gye / Osiibire ota | Good afternoon |
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| Olileje / oraire gye / oraire ota | Good morning (single person) |
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| Eego / yeego / ee / mm Ndaire gye | Good morning to you (response to good morning) |
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| Mulileje | Good morning (multiple person) |
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| Kunaaba | Take shower |
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| Twena | All of us |
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| Embwa | Dog |
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| Ahamuheru | End |
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| Hamwe | And |
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| Enyonyi | Bird, airplane |
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| Ekinyonyi | Bird |
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| Omunywani | Friend |
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| Omwojo omunywani | Boyfriend |
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| Omuhara | Girl |
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| Omwojo | Boy |
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| Omusheija | Man |
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| Omukazi | Woman |
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| Ego | Yes |
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| Wapi | No |
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| Omujinya | Jealous person |
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| Omukundwa | Sweetheart |
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| Embuzi | Goat |
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| Echiroto | Dream |
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| Nyine enjara | I’m hungry |
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| Ndu hire | I’m tired |
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| Nikibi | Ugly, a bad deed |
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| Echiroto nkirungi | Good dream |
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| Wanji | Response to someone calling you. Can be used when you don’t understand what they said, but also in general |
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| Mpa ameizi | Give me water |
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| Embuzi | Goat |
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| Akana Kembuzi | Baby goat |
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| Entama | Sheep |
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| Musana, Mushana (different pronunciation) | Sun |
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| Omwanya gobsinge | Peaceful Place |
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| Echirwa | Island |
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| Chine | Have |
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| Nyingyi | A lot |
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| Ruhanga eizina rye rehimbisibwe | Hossana |
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| Akasero | Basket with handles |
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| Akatebo | Basket |
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| Akibo | Small basket |
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| Musingirio | A kind of bean that grow while twining (while connected to something, grows around it |
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| Enyawawa | The crying bird |
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| Sawa | I’m ok (be careful: this word means “something bitter” in Swahili) |
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| Nimarungy | I’m ok (response to Agandi) |
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| Mwakora | You have done great (multiple people) |
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| Wakora | You have done great (single person) |
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| Etanuru | Bricks arranged in a dome shape with fire under and inside them, to dry the bricks |
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| Tutamuzongoza | A person’s name, means someone who is not to be disturbed (or disturb others) |
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| Akana Kente | Calf |
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| Omwana | Human baby |
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| Omuzeire | Parent |
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| Mama | Mother |
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| Taata | Father |
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| Buhunga | A food made with maize flour mixed with hot water and sugar (called porridge in some areas) |
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| Entuhe | Crusted Crane |
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| Ruhanga | God |
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| Amina | Amen |
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| Matooke | Mashed green banana |
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| Chinnurile | Delicious |
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| Bun | Bread bun |
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| Omugisha | Blessing |
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| Abatabani | Sons |
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| Yaabagirati | Said |
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| Ekibi | Sins |
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| Byona | Everything |
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| Ezitarikuzira | Those which you can’t refuse |
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| Nyamaishwa | Animals |
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| Aha | This |
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| Buri | That |
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| Muhango | Great |
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| Enshaija | Male (animal) |
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| Enkazi | Female (animal) |
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| Enshaija n’enkazi | Male and female (animals) |
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| Omusheija omukazi | Male and female (humans) |
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| Otwareho | You will take (a part of something, not all) |
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| Ebinyugunyugu | Butterfly |
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| Ekirabo | Gift |
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| Esati | Shirt |
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| Eshero | Hippo |
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| Emporogoma | Lion |
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| Eizina ryangye Mahdi | My name is Mahdi |
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|Ndaruga Iran| I’m from Iran|
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|Nashemererwa kubanimwe| I’m happy to be here|
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|Webare munonga| Thank you very much|
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|Aha nyamaishwa eztarikuzira| Those animals you can’t refuse (ritually clean)|
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|Yesu asimwe| Praise God|
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|Asimwe munonga, amen| Response to Yesu asimwe|
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|Ruhanga ni muhango| God is great|
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|Ruhanga ny mulingi| God is good|
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|Ekibi kya Noa| Sins of noah|
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|Mwije murye| Come and eat|
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|Ndakukunda munonga| I love you a lot|
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|Neshaha zokurya| Time to eat|
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|Neshaha zokuzakubyama| Time to sleep|
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|Orakundachi| What do you prefer?|
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|Embwa hamwe na pusi| Dog or cat|
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|Nishahazingahe| What time is it?|
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|Eizina ryawe niriha| What is your name?|
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|Eizina rye niriha| What is his/her name?|
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|Kunaaba twena| All of us take a shower|
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|Kafumbo| Village with people with good ideas|
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|Oyinihre omujinya omunwani wange omwojo| You are jealous of my boyfriend|
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|Echirwa chine emitti nyingyi| Island with a lot of trees|
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|Murikuza bunyonyi erizooba| We are going to bunyonyi today|
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|Ekibo kyebichiga chiga| Basket of chiga beans|
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|Aha obuhunga bunnurile| This buhunga is delicious|
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|Mwebare ahabwakujira omitima murungi| thank you for your kindness|
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# Numbers
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|Rukiga|English|
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|--------|---------|
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|Omwe|One person|
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|Emwe|One|
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|Ibiri|Two|
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|Ishatu|Three|
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|Ina|Four|
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|Itahano|Five|
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|Mukaga|Six|
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|Mushanju|Seven|
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|Mundane|Eight|
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|Mwenda|Nine|
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|Ekumi|Ten|
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|Ekumi ne emwe|Eleven|
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|Ekumi ne ibiri|Twelve|
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|Ekumi ne ishatu|Thirteen|
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|Makumi abiri|Twenty|
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|Makumi abiri ne emwe|Twenty one|
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|Makumi ashatu|Thirty|
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|Makumi ana|Forty|
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|Makumi atahano|Fifty|
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|Makumi mukaga|Sixty |
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|Makumi mushanju |Seventy|
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|Makumi munana|Eighty|
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|Makumi mwenda|Ninety|
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|Igana|Hundred|
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|Igana makumi ana|One hundred forty|
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|Igana emwe|One hundred one|
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|Igana makumi abiri ne munana|One hundred twenty eight |
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|Bibiri|Two hundred|
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|Bishatu|Three hundred|
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|Bina|Four hundred|
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|Bitahano|Five hundred|
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|Rukaga|Six hundred|
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|Magana mukaga|Six hundred (another way of writing it)|
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|Rukumi|One thousand|
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|Eukumi igana makumi ana|One thousand one hundred forty |
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|Omutwaro|Ten thousand|
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|Emitwaro ebiri|Twenty thousand|
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# How to say beautiful
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The adjective changes based on what we are talking about, and based on letters of previous words or context, in a way they try to rhyme words when possible.
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### Humans
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Oboneire (beautiful for singular human telling them directly)
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Muboneire (beautiful for plural human, when telling themselves directly)
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Aboneire (beautiful for singular human, when telling a third person)
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Baboneire (beautiful for plural human, when telling a third person)
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### Animals
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Eboneire (beautiful for singular animal)
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Ziboneire (beautiful for plural animals)
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Kaboneire (beautiful when used after Akana)
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### Other things
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There are many different variations of the adjective, here are two pairs used in different situations:
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Pair 1 (kind of things that have life):
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Goboneire (beautiful for singular non-human)
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Eboneire (beautiful for multiple non-human)
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Pair 2 (kind of things that have no life):
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Leboneire (beautiful for singular non-human)
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Gabonaire (beautiful for plural non-human)
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### Examples
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Eizina riboneire: beautiful name
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Eizina rya we liboneire: your name is beautiful
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Omushozi (singular mountain) goboneire
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Emishozi (multiple mountain) eboneire
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Omuti (tree) goboneire
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Emiti (multiple trees) eboneire
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Eibare (stone) leboneire
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Amabare (stones) gaboneire
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Ente (cow) eboneire
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Ente (cows) zeboneire
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Engaji eboneire
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Engaji zeboneire
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Akana kenjagi kaboneire munonga munonga: baby gorilla is very very beautiful
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# Additional resources
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The local people told me there is no dictionary of Rukiga yet, but it is being
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worked on and will be piblished soon. however, one potentially useful resource
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for learning Rukiga is using a bible in Rukiga and comparing it to an English
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bible. A bible in Rukiga is [available
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online](https://www.bible.com/bible/1434/GEN.1.RR64).
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