Browse Buli – English


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kpeglinkam m mn.ending, conclusion, (transl.) last; moral of a storyWa jueli kpeglinka a biisi ale Weni.He should climb up last and speak with God.
kpegriv.to break sth. off (from a whole)Naapierika a me naa-sari, ate wa vaanchoawa tab bu jiuku kpegri.The shepherd modelled a cow, and his friend stepped (on it) and broke its tail.
kpekaluh m hn.hopscotchBisanga boro a yog kpeekalu.The children are playing (lit. jumping) hopscotch.
kpelsikpelsiv.to be thrifty, economical, stingy, miserly, to save (e.g. money), to economizeKarichima a yueni skuul-bisanga, ain ba kaa kpelsi ale chaab.The teacher told the school-children not to be stingy towards each other.
kpengtiv.to do sth. completely, to carry on to the end, not to give upNye kpengti.Do not give up. Carry on to the end.
kperal mkperangan.pl.jokesWa nye ka kpera.He is making jokes. He is joking.synwaasagbieri n.
kperikperiv.1to be a problem, to be difficult or insoluble, to bring (sb.) into difficulties, to frustrate (sb.), to perplex, to bewilder, to puzzle, to trouble(Prov.) Wari dan kperi nur-oa, ku a fe ain wa nye di.If something bewilders (is a problem for) somebody, he must act.Nya wari jinla ale kperi tama.Look at the thing, which is a problem for us today.2to be wonderful, strange, surprising, amazing, extraordinary (usu. in a magical sense), to do sth. extraordinary, wonderful..."Eh, fi kperi la, te n jo maa nya!""Oh, you are wonderful (full of magic), let me enter and see, too."
kperikl lkperikakperisaadj.wonderful, strange, supernatural, extraordinary, eccentric, exquisite, miraculous (often implying magic)Dilapo nur kperisa jam boro kama, a tom ase Nawen dek la.In those days extraordinary people were living, they acted like God himself.wa-kperik [h l l]extraordinary affair
kperikaliikm m l mkperikaliikakperikaliisaadj.really wonderful, extraordinary, problematic... (more emphatic than kperik adj.), very wonderfulWa-kperikaliik ale kperi nanchong, ate ku nina kan siagi a kamsi.A very problematic affair is insoluble for the grasshopper, and his eyes cannot wink. nur kperikaliik [h m m l m]a very extraordinary manja-kperikaliik [l m m l m]a very extraordinary thingn doa kperikaliikmy best friendkperi v., kperik adj.
kpesikpesiv.1to look after, to care for, to be careful or attentive, to take notice of, to pay attention to, to beware of(Mk 4.24) Ni kpesi a wom dii...Take note of what you hearWai ale ta kambon-duok la, ku a fe ate wa kpesi ku nalim nyini.Anyone who has a gun must look after it well.Man kpesi ya(said after nudging or hitting a person unintentionally). I was not paying attention. I was not careful. (Free transl.:) Excuse me. I beg your pardon.Tama an kpesi naamu taamka.We did not take notice of the cow passing.kpesi nyeto do sth. with carekpesi womto listen attentively2to investigate, to find out, to examine, to check upWa cheng ka kpesika.He goes to find out (e.g. at the soothsayer’s).
kpesingkabim m m mkpesingkabinikpesingkaban.large type of destructive termite (destroys walls)Kpesingkabanga a kaasi n siaka.The kpesingkabi-termites have destroyed my wall.
kpesingkabi
kpetikpetiv.to scratch out (e.g. pellet from a bird's eye), to remove (e.g. dirt from one's eye or finger-nails or a thorn from one’s skin), to open (e.g. a groundnut or a shell) with one's fingers, to take (restr., e.g. ointment from a containerKpeti dangtanga fi ni-nyiengsanga po.Remove the dirt from your finger-nails.kpeti kpanungto play (pluck) a luteWa bag a kpeti kpanungku nalim nyiini.He can play the lute very well.kpeti jiinito pluck a string (of a lute or a musical bow)kpiti v.
kpi1v.1to die, to decease, to lose one's life, to pass away, to expire (also fig.: fire, passport etc.), to depart (from this life)(Prov.) Biliok dan ngmari alege wa ma a boro a zung chong wa mawa le kpi.At birth it is better that the baby dies and the mother lives than that the mother dies (and the baby lives).de kom (tuom)to die of hunger (illness)kpi kpaling poto die in battlenam kpi(lit. to suffer and die) to die after a strugglebaling kpito die away (losing strength), to die before one's timekpi pumpotima kumto die a natural death, to die of old age (not being killed by the ancestors), to die without a particular cause (called by God)2to die out, to become extinct, to come to a complete end (also: kpi nueri to die and end)Bai le jam bo dula la, kpi a nueri.Those who lived there died out.3to be paralyzed(Luke 5.18) Wa nisa ale wa nangsa al jam kpi.His arms and legs were paralyzed.kpi goktato dance on the spot (e.g. when a duelingka, walking dance, is stopped), to stage a dance (i.e. begin a walking dance by dancing on the spot)Mi kpi gokta.I stage a dance.Cf. kpi-ale-ngman-jandoa n.
kpi2kpiriv.1to fix (sth. to sth.), to nail, to fasten, to peg, to sew (e.g. a button on sth.)Ba kpi Yezu ja-barim nying.They fixed (nailed) Jesus to the cross.kpi nambiingto sew on a buttonkpi dungto peg an animal2to get stuck (esp. said of tick), to stick to, to adhere to(Prov.) N kan kpi, n daa banjeg-a.I do not die (or get stuck), I am not a tick (pun on the two meanings of kpi)3to form, to grow (restr.), to be shaping up, to take shape (cf. daam v.)Wa biisanga a kpi.Her breasts are beginning to form (e. g. said of a twelve-year-old girl).kpi dunato kneel down (as a gesture of reverence or politeness, as a position of worship in Christian prayer or as a punishment for children)Liewa kpi duna, a te duerima nyiam.The girl knelt down and gave the suitors water.kpi kpaatato repair a calabashkpaasiri n.
kpia-ale-ngman-jandoakpia-ale ngman-jandoawaakpi-ale-ngman-jandoakpia-le-ngman-jandoan.(lit. die-and-again-comer) reborn person (baby)Ayomo ka kpi-le-jandoa.Ayomo is a reborn person.
kpiak1mkpiakakpesa [m m]n.fowl (hen or cock; cannot be used for guinea fowl, cf., kpong), chicken (general term, small fowl: cf. chiib); kpesa (pl.) poultry(Prov.) Kpalung kan pa kpiak a ta kali fara-fara a ngob.A kite does not take a fowl and sit near by and eat it (does not eat it where it has been seized).(Prov.) Kpiak ain ka ngmari ka kpa-buuri noai po, ka kan ngmari ka bisa noai po.A hen said that she would take from another (type of) hen's beak, not from her children's (chicks) mouth (a mother never robs from her children).kpa-nanggbangspec. race of fowl (short legs, not sacrificed)kpa-nubi [l l m], pl. kpa-niima [l l l]hen, female chickenkpa-sari [l l m], pl. kpa-saa [l lm]hen, female chicken (kpa-nubi and kpa-sari are often used as synonyms, though some Bulsa use kpa-nubi only for a hen that has already laid eggs)kpa-viing [l l], pl. kpa-viingsa [l l l]hatching henkpa-gbinggbing [l l m], def. kpa-gbinggbingka [l l l mh], pl. kpa-gbinggbingsa [l l m l]race of hen with short, downy feathers all over the body (not sacrificed)kpa-lobsiri [l l l l], def. kpa-lobsini [l l l m]egg-laying time (about 9 o'clock a.m.)kpesa goom tamtime when chickens go to sleep (about 6 o'clock p.m.)kpesa bui [m m l]hen-house, chicken-coop, chicken-shack, clay pen for chickens (cf. syn. bukuri n.)Cf. also: feli-kpiak n., kpa-chari n., kpa-diak n., kpa-duing n., kpa-jein n.
kpiak2mn.harvest-season, season when a crop is ripeBiikade ba biak wa ka kpiaka weni.This child was born in the harvest season.za-kpiakmillet season (i.e. when millet is ripe)kpa-nubiharvest time of late millet and guinea cornchaaung-wen-kpiakthird weeding (in the harvest season; today often omitted)
kpiak3kpiakakpaata n.lazybonessynkuruk-kpiak
kpibiv.to turn upside down, to overturnChini kpibi.The calabash bowl is upside down.(Mk 11,15) ...nuruba ale ja ta ligranga a tagri la, teebulitanga a tulim kpib.The tables of the men who brought and changed money were overturned.
kpiemkpiengv.to be older, senior, bigger, taller, larger, greater, more important; to surpassMi kpiem fu.I am older (bigger) than you.(Prov.) Zuk kan kpieng ngeri-ya.The head cannot be older than the neck.N nya fi yamu ale kpiem naawa.I see that your intellect surpasses (that of) a chief.
kpienghkpiengkakpiengsa or kpiengtaadj.big, large, great, important, strong, powerful, mighty, almighty (Chr.)Mogi kpieng ale doa naawa yeni teng.There is a big lake near the chief's house.Viok kpiong ale yiti.A strong wind (storm) arose.ja-kpieng [l lm], pl. ngan-kpiengta [l lm l]big thingkpaling kpieng [l l lm], pl. kpaling-kpiengsa [l l lm l]big battlewaa-kpiem [l l], pl. waa-kpiema [h h m]big snake, pythonNaawen kpiong [l l m]almighty God (Chr.)nur kpiong [h h], pl. nur kpiongta or nur kpiengta [h h m]big man, important manko-kpieng [l lm], pl. ko-kpiengsa [l lm l]grandfatherma-kpieng [l lm], pl. ma-kpiengsa [l lm l]grandmotherCf. kpiem, def. kpiemu, pl. kpiema; kpien, def. kpieni; kpiong, def. kpiongku, pl. (rare) kpiongta (kpieng, kpiem, kpien and kpiong are not always interchangeable, but depend on the preceding noun, though a total class concord does not exist)
kpieriv.1to fail, to miss, to be in vain; to do sth. in vain, transl.: in vain, to no availWa yaa kal yeri, ate duerima miena cheng yaali a kpie.She stayed in the house, and many (lit. all) suitors came to woo her but failed. Wa vi kpiak ka kpieri.He chased a hen and failed (to catch it).2to be unable to (do sth.), cannotWa che tiimu kpieri.He could not fell the tree.3to finish, to come to an end, to end, to run out, to run short, to peter out, to be exhausted, to be used up or depleted (e.g. water in a tank), to dry up (e.g. a well or a river), to disappear, to vanish, to be spentNyiamu kan daling kpieka.The water easily dries up (lit. does not delay drying up).Ligranga kpieri.The money has been spent ("has finished").nye kpierito despair, to be downcast, (euph. for:) to die, to be dead (cf. kpi, to die)Nye kpieka ale soa cheng beka.Despair is the cause of going astray.nye kpiekadespairNurwa nye kpieri kama.The man died. The man is dead.kpieka v.n.failure, inability, end (n.), exhaustion, lack, want, absence etc.
kpiesakpeesa, ni-kpiesan.pl.handcuffsPolika pa ka kpiesa a su nuruwa nisima.The policeman put handcuffs on the old man’s hands.hinged joints: kutuk kpitima; iron ring: nalik or bang (or, if worn around the legs: na-taasa); chain: chorini; iron band: bang paglak
kpiesa
kpigitalegiv.to end, to finish (cf. kpiti v.), to be all (esp. used for stories, speeches, talks etc.)Mi sunsuelini miena kpigitalegi ale la.This ends my whole story.Wani miena kpigitalegi.This is all about the problem.
kpiiriv.1to pour (sth. over or into sth.), kpii nyiam: to pour a libation (S.B. chiiri v.), to spread, to empty (a container)Nipoowa a kpiiri nyiam sueri chaa ngaye.The woman poured water and filled two chari-basins.kpiiri...basito pour out, to throw out (e.g. grains, rubbish, water etc.; always from a container; cf. yug basi to throw out by hand)Ba kpiiri yaata a basi wa doku.They threw rubbish into her room.kpiirika or kpiikapouring (sth.), libationkpiiri... duen tengto spread (sth. on the ground)2to turn upside down (e.g. millet gruel from cheng-pot into kpalabik bowl; cf. labri v.)Ayabalie kpiiri saamu nyo chini po.Ayabalie poured the T.Z. into a calabash.3to scratchWa kpiiri wa nyingka ale wa ni-nyieng.He scratched his body with his fingernail.Biika pa kutuku a kpiiri siaka.The child used an iron and scratched the wall.4to pull up (a zip)Kpiiri fi kurika zipwa.Pull up the zip of your trousers.