Entries | Sengwer Living Dictionary

Entries

teey— cry out, scream
akinee— also
wāluutyoo— reply, answer
pkoondo— rebuke (usually accompanied by interjections only)
pootan— shiver, tremble
kōnykōōny— knock
nyaliil— wet, green, unripe
mānwo— Castor-oil tree
ng’woon— toxin vomit
tech— 1. trap 2. defend, protect
miin— plant
pap— slide and fall on your buttocks
teech— build
cheerere— vervet monkey
pirit— penis
māyniin— man of the Mayna age-set
yaam— dry
pōl— shout, quarrel, argue, make noise
poroop— kind
kipiiy— African pied wagtail (Motacilla aguimp)
uuwēē— elephant shrew (Macroscelidea)
rwaakan— assimilated
tōōnōōn— stop, hinder (trans.)
sēētyoo— plant (Mimulopsis solmsii)
chaamat— whispering, act of gossiping
panannyaa— miserable, poor person, orphan
miinjir— twist skin (as punishment)
teep— ask
apoo— father
siindaar— placenta (for humans), lineage
sisiit— eight
ng’woono— arrow poison
piich— people
cheepite— woman afraid of circumcision, crybaby
tyem— try, attempt
kipsuruny— (Thalictrum rhynchocarpum)
wēliin poorē— down there
kēlchii— have good luck
kimng’woonnyoo— bone on ankle
araap kēn— pestle
nyoo— that (p. those)
piryookwo— tree species (unknown, might be Pappea capensis)
yanaat— trusted
cheelitkuut— provocateur, usually for women (from lit kuut: sharp mouth)
chāmchii— allow
weech— turn over
teweer— demean
kēpēn— hole, cave
rapaach— slap
kaapyōōtuut— gap between the lower front teeth
kooy— traditional marriage
ake— other, another
neet keey— learn, study
timtiim— shake to and fro (something big, e.g., tree)
minjirir— having small leaves
yuutuu— be unrecognizable, forgotten
chii— person
lōōkyoo— tears
tisyōk— very grey
saarat— recite a poem
cheepkarapu— untidy person (especially of women)
eey— ox, castrated bull for pulling plough
mbak— walk aimlessly
siipat— woodchip
pooryoot— war
tokoch— face, forehead
nyarpiit— squish
kāā-ōōt— worshipping
tinytiny— scrub or rub (clothes while washing or eyes)
uun— wash
muukuuk— mushroom sprout
pēēn— common yellowwood
āmut— yesterday
saakyaa— Spiderflower
urot— chaos
kaakaatan— bile
ng’atiip— sharp
toortee— push
seer— scatter
toloy— central pillar
chēēpkuutwo— Long-crested eagle (Lophaetus occipitalis)
supēēn— female farm animal (hen, goat, ewe)
kereru— valley with steep gorge, canyon
chāpāāyo— slipperiness
taraany— roof
kiparkoyaa— 1. smooth stone from the rivers and streams (can never be broken) 2. a stubborn and proud person who hurts people but is very difficult to hurt back
kipispiste— meerkat
muruungu— udder
riirek— mourn
Kaapleelach— first age-set for men (from leelach: new)
nam paan— start a journey (lit. catch the journey)
miis— turn off (a candle or a light)
sach— shake
cheepyooseetaap koopur— midwife
mun— 1. (give a) name 2. investigates
kisēkēlē— forest stinging nettle (Urtica massaica)
keet— strangle, choke
chis— feel shy
saratyaa— Ethiopian kale (Brassica carinata)
chāākuu— come quick, hurry
pung— exclamation of warning not to say anything or repeat
ēywēēy— expression used when something bad has happened
peerto— bark
apusan— ignorant person
kwenykweeny— flash on and off, shine
tōpōōnnyoo— sweet potato
tulduuldēē— pour water (from a jerrican)
Mooy— a Sengwer clan (totems: soo kaapumbay: adult buffalo, soo kaapketyeeny: buffalo calf and koong’oonyoo: african crane)
kimooy— woman of the Mooy clan
salat— topple someone while fighting
meel— lick
njoroor— squat
kēruung— clouds (bringing rain)
kwaaryaa— hamstring
tōrōpchoo— bridle
tuuyin— blackness, darkness
kimnun— unexpected rain (during dry season) (from nun 'rot, be wet')
chōōrwo— Common wild elder, brittle wood
meey— death
kaa— home, homestead (the house, the woman, the children, the livestock) – this is the domain of the man
poroopcho— kindness, grace
sāruuno— salvation
mooy— calf
kool— farm, hoe
Saannyaak— a Sengwer clan (totems: cheerere: vervet monkey)
kipuumētyoo— tree species (Ekebergia capensis)
sut— 1. take (away) 2. take away from the fire 3. wrestle, tumble, trip
loot— defeat in an argument or a court case
kimukuung— amputee or victim or an accident
peyes— relax
motoony— vulture (Accipitridae)
kōōy— liver
kipuypuy— whirlwind
tisiisyō— cleansing
taam— accuse someone falsely or accidentally
wal— change, turn into, alter
raprapan— to the brim
muutwa— too sweet, very sweet
saratan— lazy person
tā-uut— ear infection
lelektee— scroll, shake
sasaat— disliked
chōpōōny— disrespectful
itōōn— image, picture, face
terter— light, thin (opposite of dense)
riipsō— guarding
suuy— african wild dog, wolf
uukēywoo— branches used to fill the spaces between rafters
sōōrēy— centre of the roof where beams meet
mirkisto— storm off
pāypāychii— enjoy
tuptēm— twenty
chēēpēēnoon— parrot, parrokeet
paang’aang— hornbill
pesekyaa— wood chips
uututu(ng)— ground hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri)
saaysērē— goodbye (lit. pray everything is well)
cheeptuuya— Giant diospyros (from tuuy: black)
tisya— blue monkey
cham— often, always
kwaany— cook ugali
tēērit— dust (light, flies with wind)
susuryoo— weevil
tingoyiin— man from the Tingo clan
puryeeng'wa— lump or knot
mōsiindoon— loneliness
lool— bag
piririit— become red
sumsumiit— become spoilt
ng’ot— spear
chēēpuunduki— plant (unknown)
chiwit— slip (from your hand)
maangwaan— climbing plants
lil— die (of old age)
keeskees— 1. hatch 2. split into two
mulyang'lyang— cream colour
Sokoom— a Sengwer clan (totem: cheepsiirērē: the hawk)
woosok— become insane, crazy
kiptakalyaa— depraved person, pervert
koopiilō— woman of the Koopiil clan
ng’ēēlo— longing
chisiisyō— feeling shy
chur— describing something enter into a hole or house
muunuunwo— mouth without teeth
peeleelyaa— letter
cheepololo— pumpkin
kipchuuchun— orange or white Leonotis (Leonotis leonurus)
nyanyaawa— marshland, swamp
kurkur— prod
wuuy— move, go
sirimnyoo— chain
muusyoo— corpse
sitōōtwo— Rapanea (Rapanea melanophloeos)
machundoo-ēē kiy— stingy (lit. things don’t fall down from them)
pkaat— think, remember (an action)
chiitaat— slippery
til— very cold
komos— side
chuus— 1. fart 2. to become flat (of a tire)
sētiim— castrated buck

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