Entries | Kalanga Living Dictionary

Entries

jila— cloth
khekhe— cake
imi ndemi tofa— you & I are dying
watjiyenda— he has gone
pila nemhuka— animal offering
Ndlana— September
yani?— who?
bhanana— banana plant
katiti— bird, tiny
kuhhele— full
lobesa— cause to beat
woma— dry
temelela— chop into pieces
akuzopiza— blunted
zwidla zwibuyanana— clean cooking vessels
nzano— dance
vulalata— close (eyes)
zewula— chew the cud to
bhakhwa ndehoni— ashamed be
sola— complain
wotji— castrated pig
fupa— bone
mwana— child
lebeleka— speak
madaka— mud
buya ngeno— come here
mbisana— son (a male child)
mima— cry
sewolobela— as usual
kutema— black (colour)
Pato— buttock
kuhule kwenzi, kwen'umba— backyard
bupitipiti— deceit, corruption
ludozo— walking stick
bilebile— hot chili (from the paprika family)
kula— clear the bush
dati— bow, to string a
ngwa— war
ntshibha— neck (not nape)
iwe ndemi atinde— you & I go
nyenyedzi— star
batjiyenda— they have gone
whalo yetjikumbilo— application form
nyala— claw
yenda mbeli— advance
nungilila— collect
nyama— meat
hanhisa— appealing
nyanyayidza— argue to
bula— intestine
hule kwawhoku— after that
tjengeta— back up, to
Gulu— Hundred
bhera— bell
sungila mudandili— attach string to bow
lobogwa— be married (take a husband)
whoku— this
yezela— sleep
ndeni?— why?
pehhuhhugwi— sky
nungilila— collect (pick in bits and pieces, collect solids all at once)
whungubele— butterfly
ntengi— customer
mpfuli wetshipi— blacksmith hearth
kwakanaka— good
lefu— tall
zwin'udza— bathe, oneself
mvubu— hippo
ntebe— armlet
tema— dark, black
nyutji— hive
nyoka— snake
hali yakavunika— broken pot
bhepe— gourd, used as a container particularly for beer
ndudzi ntjenje— ant species
kunotendeka, kunotondeka— seven
kubunganya— assemble to (intransitive verb)
patuka— crack (intransitive verb), become cracked
hhoba yetjenjedzo— alarm sound
mbambo— abutment
nsikana wakatjenjela— clever girl
ndebvu— beard, moustache
iwe ndemi toyenda— you & I are going
pisiwa— be burnt (resultative)
bhuta— lip, kiss (originally this is a verb for kiss)
whuluka— fly
n'umba yen'ulila— bathing place
tina— brick, stone or brick used for
mhahha— benediction
tshipi— iron
iye ndemi takatinda— he & I were going
Mbudzi— November
nlomo wenyunyi— birds mouth
lembedza— carry something as a bag
ntumbu— belly
bhata ndeluboko— catch by hand to
mhaho— locust
butjila, loba mhande— clapping
lukuni gwentswayilo— broom stick
nyama— flesh (meat)
nghoyi tjehango— cat, wild
kwakafanila— appropriate
thewuko— corner
ntjiya— eyebrow
bhuda— come out (sparks)
fumbata— close the fist (verb)
wha— hear
hazwadzi— a sibling (younger or older) of the opposite sex from the speaker
bhentji— bench
noyenda— you are going
n' umba imun' umba— a room of the house
ziba— know (facts)
ngwena— crocodile
leyana— cross (intransitive) (roads)
hanya— care
masimbe— charcoal
tatamila— chase another
kuhule kwembili, whumbu— back (body part)
tutiwa— carried, be
tina— brick
khendidethi— candidate
yenelisa— be able
bhete— cockroach
bona— see
matomu— break
whuwhudza— blow
tjenesa— make thoroughly clean or clear
kwakwatila— claw
bumbila— accuse
vuna— break
mbisana— boy
kopota— it is cold (weather)
mvuni— broker
tjibvi— knee
umwe nhu— a certain person
hhuba lose— all day
bugalo— compartment
gumbo— foot, leg (whole or any part of the leg)
gwala— fall ill, become sick
kutanhatu— six
galufu— memorial rite performed (6 months to a year after a death)
bhiya, busukwa— beer
golide— gold
tjiyala— crown
nti wakavunika— broken tree
loba mbijana— beat slowly
lulamiso— remedy
whungubele— butterfly
gwadzamoyo— angry
guwhu— cave
nungi— collector
femela mkati ndapahhe— breathing in and out
halula— choose
bhatisa— cause to hold
mapato— buttocks
nkaka— milk
unonda— he goes
suka— make clean (physically or spiritually)
Mikono— January
nun'una— brother younger
whola— adult
jila lakapaluka— torn cloth
bubula— bark, roar, shout, cry, to
homoka— come off (earring)
upi?— which one?
mahhuba wose— daily, everyday
handuka— come back to
mfumakadzi— woman
tata— chase
unoofa— he will die
n'ombe— cow
pheku— charm
muBrahmin— brahmin
nzano— ceremony
kokonono— bug
se— as
shiti— sheet
tonhola— become cold
nayigoguya lubaka— at that time,
tjini?— how?
nkweleti— creditor
wakatjiyenda— you have gone
pasi— floor, the ground, on the ground
mbaba— chill
lulama— well (physically or generally)
hanhu, dumulo— axe
njenjebvu— astrologer, wise person
ani?— who?
iwe ndemi toonda— you & I will go
toyenda— we are going
mayibakulu, mmebawhola— aunty (mother’s elder sister)
tjelo wakabola, wakatjinyika— bad fruit
whalo dzelubaka— almanac
tjivulamabgwe— hail
patula— break something hard like a stone
ngalo— arm (a term borrowed from Northern Ndebele)
penya— bright
kungwe— beetle
hhuba legumi ndekuna— fourteenth day
tafuna— chew

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