Entries | Kalanga Living Dictionary

Entries

kumwe— another, different
pedlo— almost
ngwa, gwisana— altercate
luhaba— baby
thoyi yakavunika— broken toy
whokuya— that
Kungulu— May
iye ndemi takanda— he & I went
tjiwilo— change
hhuba lebutanhatu— sixth day
hanganya— to add, combine
lutabi— branch
bhavu— bowl, tub (an open container for washing hands or children)
lulamisa— correct, make right
iye ndemi toonda— he & I will go
tjin'wa whuku— puddle
kutukunu— small
kubuthukwa— brown, be
sunga— arrest/sieze
bhasikiti, seme— basket
pasi— ground
misi yose— daily, everyday
mbudzana— kid (young goat)
vula— rain
kama— comb (verb)
whoma— bale, dry
nhu unokera— barber
sunula— castrate a pig
mukisa— awaken
ndobe— cow dung solution sprinkled on the courtyard in the morning
nkabi— castrated bull
guta— belly be full after eating
hhala— hunger
nti— tree
nqola— cab, cart
mose moonda— you all will go
nkadzi— woman
zwidla zwibuyanana— clean cooking vessels
kene ini— anything
n'un'urika— complain
sinamoni— cinnamon
kutanga— beginning, at the
kuyenda— according
vuna— break something which is hard or dry (like breaking a stick)
mamila— mucus
kumbila mwe kuti adzime moto— ask another put out fire
pisa— burn
yemulo— desire
girokiro— adams apple, throat
fulila— blow a flute
kama— milk
swiswa— give
hhino (pl. meno)— tooth
ntumbo— belly (lower part of body, abdomen)
mvanganyi— devil
zwirara— barn, corn bin
buso— face
lugwana— spoon
imwi mulibabili makanda— you two went
bhukutja— swim
imwi mulibabili moyenda— you two are going
masikati— bright be, daytime
bumbulu lewhuku— chicken egg
hango— bush
imi ndemi takawila pasi— you & I fell down
kileki wemapholisa— clerk at the police station
methi— mat (for sitting or sleeping)
kene kupi— any
mose moyenda— you all are going
Mpata— Passage
kumbila— begging
ntjenje n'haba— ant, big red
hhamu— breast
luboko, ngalo— arm
bamhadzi bawhola— aunty (father’s elder sister)
wamutjila— acknowledge
vesi— vest
nziki— deep point in river (Ndebele borrowed)
imi— I
hhi'no— tooth (front, rather than molar)
lela— bring up to
windi, huli— window
banoyenda— they are going
kohola— cough
tanha— climb
kopisa— hot (of weather)
nlindi— caretaker
kene ani— anybody, whoever
iwe— you
nyama— meat
ntshibha— back of neck
wakayenda— you went
yedza— dawn
tjinkwa— bread
ndilo yebhurasi— brass plate
khalithivetha— cultivator
gakabudze— cucumber
thobolo— gun
mahamu— breasts (female)
nyala yen'we— claw of tiger
hhodza penda— apply whitewash
matama— cheeks
tjulu tjenjenje— ant hill
leba— say
lilila— bemoan to
nditji— dish (a transliteration from English)
n'a— rain
ndonda— I go
hhalilila— cage
kubili— two
tjinyala— toe
kamela— camel
bupelo— finish, end
bulubi— brain
kuhhanalume— nine
bhithi yenhumba, lidza nhumba— beat, play on drum
kumbila— beg
bhehhuba— east
khadi— playing card
tanha— climb, ride
masimbe— coal
tjimo— condition
ntshibha— neck
hhuba— day
iba ndembili— become fatty
lingilila, linga— awake, to remain
iswi— us
tihha— run away
bhiriji— bridge
sedzela— close (in on) to
pa lelekedzo— bow to someone, to
iwe ndemi takayenda— you & I went
mose monda— you all go
kula kwendebvu— beard grow (verb)
hhuba lehhanalume— eighth day
kun'ompela— one
dlabanhu— a term from folktales referring to "people or child eater"
pano, ipapa— here
iye— he
lila— cry
neni?— why?
mbisana wen'ombe— boy servant who tends cows
tjipa— cheap
lunju— bee wax
iwe ndemi tawa pasi— you & I fall down
tema— chop to, with axe
bhata— butter
kudzimu— heaven (God's dwelling place)
loba mhande— clap hands (during a dance performance; showing appreciation)
mwedzi— moon
batatenini— brother, younger of husband
mme— mother
pani— pan (borrowing from English)
ntumbu— stomach
hhodza— apply, anoint
ntumbgwana— diarrhea
umwe nhu— another person
nyemba— bean
nyunyu— mosquito
hule— back (of anything)
Gumi nekubili— Twelve
dala,— altar, platform
nyunyi— bird
putika— blow with hand
hola— check
hhi'ho— eye
pela— completed, finished
mbaba— cold (weather)
nda— louse
mandebvu— beard grow
kusumikilisa— adjudgement
mbeli— ahead
hhapkhwa— armpit
nlota— ash(es)
tema— black
yipisisa— bad, nasty
Hhanalume— nine
batategulu— grandfather
whola— age
yipa— bad
naka— attractive
kubgwelele— green (colour)
bgwelele— green
buya— come
nzani— artiste
bulemo— difficulty
bhurasi— brass
sewolobela— as usual
gala— be stay
kunna— four
imwi mulibabili makatjinda— you two have gone
pola— heal
mahhokuyedza— dawn
mumhepo— atmosphere
yipa— bad (also means ugly)
bayakanyila— arrange to
bhulawuzi— blouse
gole— 1) cloud; 2) year
nyeluka— abscond
yelesedza— approximately

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