Entries | Sengwer Living Dictionary

Entries

sor— hide very fast (in the bush)
chēēpēkaapuku— plant (unknown)
sooksō— fornication
ng’echer— seat, chair
alaptani— brother-in-law for men (from similar Maasai word)
ng’aannya— sand
akutaan— intestines
mus— come early
paan keel— person always on the move (wasting time)
nuukto— doze off
tooyaa— termite
mormor— spotted
tuuy moo— selfish, jealous (lit. black stomach)
ryēch— hiccough
tēkēr— perform ceremony to cast out bad omen from women who keep losing children
atkēy— a while ago (today)
lang'at— yesterday
Kipkween— name for a boy born when the mother was fetching firewood
mēlēk— reward, prize
nyi matyaa— Not long after, not much
uunwa— young bull, bullock (has not bred yet)
iyta— create
nyikan— brave person
ruruuch— gather together things that are scattered, pack
pāyuu— rule
chēērēwēn— small wineskin (tokol) used for honey
kereeng— tibia
kwechat— picking a person
muumul— 1. suck on sweets 2. make something round with your hands
sirmoo-ēēn— swear on someone or something
anyiiny— sweeten
syōsyōōch— shake
nyas— to become weak
songōōywo— Knobwood (Zanthoxylum chalybeum)
paaptōōy— millet given to the daughter when married
kēsiisyō— harvest
po siindaaryeet akeenge— to belong to the same lineage (lit. to belong to one placenta)
Kimutaay— name for a boy born in early morning 4am-6am
ipin— age set, generation
kalap— lift, carry
kwaak— then (at the end of a statement)
samat— take a portion of something dry (eg. popcorn)
Kimuusar— name for a boy born when porridge was being eaten
kipkuut— beehive with an opening on one side, usually shorter. Honey can be harvest using one hand only.
mēt— head
karaaran— beautiful
siiya— claw, fingernail, toenail
Kimooy
riirke— sympathy
meer keey— be proud of
iwe— hey (of a man calling a man)
pookēr— son-in-law (for the mother of the wife)
maasiingyaa— spoiled tuber (potato, sweet potato, arrowroot) which is watery and cannot be cooked, often it is the tuber that was planted initially
Kipliilan— name for a boy whose birth kept people waiting
pukuut— book (from English)
anyuun— indeed, then
pērē chii
sāāmō— dark brown (of cattle coats)
pakaach— leave
leeyta— spread (tr.)
Torooytich— name for a boy born when the animals were being received
Lēēlmēt— name for a cow that has a white head
Kiplakat— name for a boy born between 7pm-9pm
yeetaat— forbidden
Tapnyooleey— old name for a girl (given after initiation)
kēnu— no matter
nwaach— short
chēēsuumēyoo— climber with hanging thin branches, hairlike (from suumēy: long hair)
kaapku-āmpiich— blackspot, place where accidents often happen; cemetery (from am piich: eat people)
ng’osotyaa— ember
siimāātwo— strangler fig (Ficus natalensis, cordata)
poolda— cloud
takalkal— polythene
kuut— scrape out
kaapōōriin— clan member (from oor: clan)
nēsyoo— charcoal, coal
lēēl moo— generous, kind (lit. white stomach)
kāāpēēryōk— barracks
root— spinal column
laay— light, set fire to
Cheesiran— sixth age-set for women
muyaat— buried
sambu— furry pelt cloth for old men, symbolising leadership
āripchō— traditional man's workshop building (for making arrows, beehives and other items), always placed opposite the house and beside the main gate
cheepyooso— woman (from yoos: old)
Kiprōōnō— name for a boy born between 3pm and 6pm (while the goats and sheep are coming home)
Kipyaatich— name for a boy born when the cows are taken out for pasture between 7am-9am
kālkāālyo— cunningness
nuur— soak
chimit— milk the last drop (for women or cows)
miista— chug, down (a drink)
piirēn— play
chēēmukuunguun— married man's hut
cheepiir— a gift to the morner or to the family of someone who was killed accidentally
pananaandi— state of being an orphan or in misery
takis— suffocate, run out of breath
tyal tyal— sound of chewing bubble-gum or roasting maize or sparking fire
ting’an— very clean person
kwarkwar— fast
us— frustration of an animal or woman when trying to conceive without success
kata— could
koom— traditional cup
pas— accumulate
yoo— there
lat— castrate
muy— be afraid
kipsikiryo— tree species (unknown)
āyēpin— giving of blessings
Koorēēny— name for a girl that was born when there were two women taking care of the labouring mother (from koor ā-ēēny: "two women")
kāākātyoot— greetings
kāāmānuut— importance
tēpii— behave
Cheemng'eetich— name for a girl born when the cows are driven away to graze
mōōkyoo— maggot
rwēy— run (for many people)
kooleeta— colendar
mēl— inherit
Kimēēngich— name for a boy who was born first (named after a ram)
Chēēpkētēr— name for a girl born behind the house
moonda— feel that something isn't enough, feel dissatisfied with
soosoo— OK, fine (from Swahili 'sawa sawa')
ichee— they, them (3pp)
loosyaa— tree with berry (unknown, could be tassel-berry)
seemseem— talk behind one's back
je— burst
kiyaang— bow (for arrows)
kaaluut— acid reflux
churaat— irritated (skin)
mēl— smoke (meat, wood, etc.)
ng’atatyaa— mud
munyēyoo— soot, soot strings
chuul— straighten
muuswookiin— carpenter
meerok— spear for big animals
loopchoo— plant species (unknown), used as traditional herb
lokoot— hunt, hunting
sōōsyoo— palm tree
mōsōngorwo— tree species (unknown)
pot— get lost
mēsēwo— cow with high fertility
kiptuukē— wildebeest
kōōngōy— thank you, thanks
koopiilyoo— man from the Koopiil clan
ng'eet— wake (someone) up, get (someone) up
riindonnyo— to be uncookable (of food that has not been cook properly)
pōōy— exclamation of disgust
wirwiir— swing around (sling, hand or stick)
tuuy— black, dark (also of cattle coats)
rumēn— beehive with a hole in the middle of one of the halves
waang’aat— finished
usot— frustration
araaray— lake
mēēn— be snobby, haughty
tepees— wide
ākupo— about, because of, for the benefit of
kulē— that, like
reerees— bat (Chiroptera)
kuutuu— froth, boil milk
nyalil— trouble, problem
inyee— he, she, it (3ps)
chuunnyo— miss someone when trying to meet up along the way
kityō— only, just
koytaap kāāmānuut— precious stone
luum— 1. completely covered, 2. surround with water, cloud, etc.
tis— cleanse
tāwoon— give birth to the lastborn, stop giving birth
sāānnyāākiin— man from the Sanyaak clan
anyinyiit— become sweet
siirpēy— kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros)
keykeey— increase, prefer, add more
ryoony— sneeze
tokool— tough (of a material or skin)
puurēēs— compost, manure
taapta— flower
ng'in— beyond
kwaakwee— yours (pl.)
saani— plate (from Kiswahili 'sahani')
tēriki— woman from Tērik clan
kiptoorkook— dung beetle
tōrōōrin— height, glory
Tapraandich— old name for a girl born when the cows were being driven to grazing (given after initiation)
ruwoon— sleep
tiitēē— take or pick something on the way
oon— chase after, chase away
kwaras kwaras— tears of rage
choorwaandi— friendship
ākoo— with
siisiin— person always quiet and listening
naamtee— attach
Kipchumba— name for a boy born in a hospital
cheemnasooryaa— plant (unknown)
syāānjō— someone (a certain person)
tokyii— face, head towards
chēēmng’ēēsu— steep cliff as a result of erosion or landslide
kwētyii— ignore (maybe to withhold information or when not wanting to do something)
maas— beat with a rod, beat lightly
sōōn— barren cow, woman
kipchirit— cricket (Grylloidea)
cheepoombay— hawk
pisto— leave

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