Entries | Sengwer Living Dictionary

Entries

mereew— cross-eyed
kēēchiiryo— sheep (Ovis aries)
kiirwookiin— chief
kiraak— croak (sound of the crow)
wēch— hate, despise
yaytee— keep, preserve
saram— twin
kookwēēn pēyoo— island (lit. surrounded by water)
chilil— 1. miss (the mark) 2. make a mistake 3. escape
ryaal— empty out (a house, a farm)
silde— East-African buddleja (Buddleja polystachya)
sāy— 1. ssh! expression to invite people to keep quiet 2. ideophone for silent, quiet 3. to drop (of water)
siiryaa— Common rhus (Rhus vulgaris)
lēyō— shoulder
rwat— drop dead or faint suddenly
saannyaako— woman of the Saannyaak clan
kitkitiisyō— tickling
kipsiirwoono— September
til— decide, cut (with a knife)
maas kiirwook— decide precociously
kipchipis— sunbird (Nectariniidae)
kēsuut— harvest
pēsyō— day (night-time and daytime)
kiptapiis— famine
Talay— a Sengwer clan (totems: cheepkiraak nyi lēēl: pied crow and ng’etuny: lion)
raat— now
tōōyoyiin— man from the Tōōyoy clan
put aanum— mother of someone (aanum can be replaced by the name of the firstborn child), used to call a woman
rung— sound of something heavy falling down or a door slamming
liliiyēn— ululate
lamayaa— waterpear, waterberry (Syzygium fruit)
siruut— writing
terekyaa— broken pieces of calabash, plate, clay, pots
kiptamēt— plant species (unknown)
liil— 1. irritate, annoy 2. glare (irritate the eyes)
mēērēēwo— turaco
cheemnyaambu— lazy person (mostly women)
kōsōmnyoo— ground bee
sapteetaap pēy— boat (lit. half a beehive of the water)
sutuu— bring (to)
koroo-iit— colobus monkey (Colobus guereza)
mēēnoot— snobby, haughty
ket— very painful
mbo— even
iriryoo— upper layer of skin
pan— bewitch
manda— walk out of, exit
kwii— fore-limbs of animals
kaleplep— dewlap
Kipkoskeey— name for a boy born after complications with the umbilical cord
sikin— heavy luggage
suruch— scoop
ng’erekaat— happy, joyful
misik— leftover of straining fermented maize flour for a traditional alcoholic brew
iiwē— man, dude (vocative used between men)
Tapkiikēn— old name for a girl (given after initiation)
tikōpkōpcho— black berry from a shrub
kipsaamuum— lid for closing the opening of the beehive
mismiis— blink
kat— greet
uutuut— itch
ketitee— drive away (for animals only)
mētip kiina— nipple (lit. head of the breast)
tooyo— separate people to live in different places
putyēy— warthog (Phacochoerus)
ng’wāānin— feeling pain
sōmōk— three
chiipo kōōr— citizen
torng’oony— grumble
kuuyno— horn
muytāāyiin— patient person
luu— drink milk
Cheepus— name of a cow with a lot of white spots in their coat
roorii— laugh
kaay— delay, become late
murō— sorry (strong)
sōō— used when requesting something (politely)
Kiproop— name for a boy born during the rainy season or when it was raining
Kipsērēm— name for a boy born at the edge of somewhere (e.g. forest, farm)
lok— lay eggs
Kaapōōn— a Sengwer clan (totems: kipyōōngē: baboon, kimnyakaw: frog and kimōōrōrōōch: toad)
puluukto— to do something behind someone's or some people's back
lis— very bad smell
chēēmoo-ēētyoo— glutton
kemeer— lay on, put onto
Siiliingwa— eighth age-set for women
yuweyaat— feared
meeyta chii— to bring someone down with (lit. die with someone)
tun— marry (by the man)
pchey— divide
kwelelde— slug, snail
chēēptorong— flamingo (Phoenicopteridae)
kilkil— very clear (usually of water)
liim— repeat again and again
pōliin— person who argues
eel— block off (from seeing or understanding)
teelyaa— dry meat
kāātikoono— advice
tēē— 1. be a size (only used as a question) 2. at the same time as, while
ner— 1. get fat or become big 2. grow
mayo— alcoholic drink (used originally for traditional brew only)
chuumbiirēn— walk showing off, parade (for women), strut
pulyaal— dilute
kaamet— mother (one's own)
maanga— tree sap
mursi— fermented milk, sour milk
Kipkēēmooy— name for a boy born at night between 10pm-3am
Kipruuto— name for a boy born when the mother was visiting someone
kwēr— bark
marar— observe
macheey— drill used for the beehive
sokot— 1. plan for celebration 2. roll
chēēpkuruuy— name for a girl born when people were sleeping
tiiyēē— lean on
syeep— 1. wait and ambush (someone)
kipyaatoor— name for a boy whose birth opened the way for good fortune in the family
yāāmsō— drying
nyit— bore
siitēt— stick, cane
toos— tomb, grave
milmil— scorpion (Scorpiones)
chēēptoombiriirō— rotation, spinning (from toombiriir: spin)
maangerech— guinea fowl
māā-ōōtyoo— prophet
Kimariich— Sengwer dialect of the area from Kaapterit to Kaapcherop
kēruunēē keey— to use someone/something to defend yourself
pāāniin— witch
akuk— you (p.)
tōk— very black, very red
mwāāchii— be told, tell someone
rii— break (something hard)
makiikat— great-great-grandchild
tusēn— boiled round chunk of meat that is then dried
sēēsē— dog (Canis familiaris)
pang— sit down carelessly, slapping sound
nyaayaat— healed
tuuyiit— become black or dark
ng’ōōki— act of wickedness
kya-aak— livestock, domestic animals, herd
kipleelach pēy— May
cheepiilat— bee-eater (probably from thunder: iilat)
chuulaat— straight
kwaal keey— sit down and do nothing (idiom.)
ēētyo— traditional log bridge over a stream
kōōti— coat (from English)
koorkoop sēēsē— female dog, bitch
Tiliiteey— name for a boy named after a ox that has a white spot at the tail
tēmbwo— valley with flat bottom
yot— large intestines
cheematuryaa— someone who eats excessively
taariirya— misfortune
ā-ēēny— two
taanguruur— snore
Kipoor— name for a boy born on the road
sēkuutyoo— type of short rough grass
twēkuu— make a sound
kimni— face to face
tuwaay— together (of two people)
tuuyēē— make people meet, put things together
kēērō— peregrin falcon (Falco peregrinus)
tēērtēērēn— stumble
chēēpiskuut— swollen sores in the mouth
pooyna— bushbuck antelope (Tragelaphus scriptus)
mōkōōngē— hoe
tuktuk— very dark (outside)
akwee— you (2pp)
yii— give birth for animals
manda-ee— to have diarrhoea
nyokoor— fearful, afraid, shy
chēēmirkis(-yoo)— hot-headed, quick-tempered person
chaam— whisper, gossip
ng'aany— open (a lid, a book)
sōōngi pēy— light yellow (lit. yellow water)
lopuunot— misbehaviour
muuswo— plant species (unknown)
tur— 1. crash into 2. search for leftovers after harvest 4. go through a liquid
pooyoo— elder
ryōng— be thrown up and down
prisyaa— old-fashioned brassieres (from English)
piyoony— get satisfied, get full
mirkisēn— storm in (of a person walking)
āwēn— search stolen cattle
kōōytēē— peep
sapsap— to feel out (in the dark or in bag)
wirki— distilled traditional alcohol made with rotten maize
koorkēēn— to spoil
sāāsuurwo— wild banana (Ensete ventricosum)
siich— 1. force 2. to breath heavy, pant
pa-uurnat— testimony
kāānsō— giving dowry
Miso— name for a cow that is black without any spots
Kitowēēt— name for a boy who was named by a last-born
ngēpēr— upper ear arch
new
ruutooy— visit
kāāmāāng’uuno— hope, graduation
Chēēpturēēru— second age-set for women
wāluu— reply, answer
pēēt— day
alchani— leaf of marijuana (from Maasai for 'plant' or 'tree')

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