Browse Buli – English


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n1l or mpron.1I (only subject case, before b and m sometimes assimilated to m, pers. and poss. pron.; it is not abbr. of mi! different tone!) N dig jentanga ta jam.I prepare a soup and bring (it).N wom biika [l m l l].I hear the speech.N nya fu [l m l].I see you.Cf.: Mi nya fu [h h l].I (see) saw you.2myNaa yaa ni maar mu kama, n bisa?Do you want to help me, my children?Fi wom n biika [h h l l m].You heard my speech.
n2not, abbr. of neg. part. an or kan (cf. also man I not, wan he not etc.)Awiesa n bag mogni a basi.(The people of) Wiesi cannot bridge the river.
n-yuenjɥe:; l lnum.old way of counting, cannot be used as an attribute; cf. bayuebi, ngayuebi etc.) six
n-yuebinjɥebinum.old way of counting, cf. bayuebi, ngayuebi etc.) six
na1v.1to shoot (only fire-weapon), to burst, to explode, to get a punctureYaaloa a na suomu ale kambonduok.The hunter shot a hare with a gun.Kambonduoku na.The gun shot.Nampangka a na.It (lit. thunder) is thundering.Abuntori ngman fuusi gaam di, a yaa deri na pusi kpi. Mrs. Toad bloated herself up too much and suddenly (she) exploded and died. Logni an ga ning-a, ate di nangka kanyi na.The car had not gone far, when one tyre (lit. leg) got a puncture.nakashot, gun salute (e.g. at funerals by means of the da-goong); naka buye: two shotsCf. tongito shoot with a bow or catapult2to crack, to split, to break (restr., cf. mobi v., we v.)N dan kan yuen ale kpi, n boosuk ale na.If I do not confess and die, my grave pot will crack.pusi v.
na2v.to shout (at), to scream (at), to yell (at)Ka boa ate fi a na mu di?Why are you shouting at me like that?niak n.
na3v.to emerge (from), to rise up out of (water)Ku an beni ya ate pi-nyung kpieng yaa jam na nyiamu zuk.It did not take long, before a big crocodile rose up out of the water.
na-biinil m lna-biininaabiiman.slow walking of the chiefSandemnaab a cheng na-biini.The Sandemnaab walks slowly (in a majestic way)nabiing n.
na-ngmali-ngmiakm m m mhna ngmali-ngmiaka [m m m m h]na-ngmali-ngmaasa [m m m m m]n.lily-trotter, jacanaNang-meli-ngmiak a yaa nyiam.A lily-trotter likes water-places.Actophilornis africanus
ngmiagi (to squeeze out)
na-ngmaribazuingnaŋmaribazɥi:ŋ; l m m l lna-ngmaribazu(i)ngkana-ngmaribazu(i)ngsana-ngmaribazung [naŋmaribazuŋ; l m m l l], abbr. ngmaribazu(i)ng [m m l l] or ngmaazu(i)ng [m l]n.pepperN mawa bori ka na-ngmaribazuing wa koomu zuk.My mother has planted pepper on her plot.ngmazung diak(lit. male pepper) hot pepperngmazung nubi(lit. female pepper), mild pepper, sweet peppersynngmaribazungCapsicum frutescens
na-nyiina boningl m m l mna-nyiina boningkana-nyiina bonsan.large species of grasshopper; appr. 14 cm; lower part green; with some red spotsNa-nyiina-bonsa kan kaasi za.The nanyiinabonsa (grasshoppers) do not harm millet.Cf. mankarik (grasshopper, a little bigger than na-nyiinabongingAcrida ungarica?
naa1pron. you (pl.), your (pl.), subject of pers. pron; poss. pron. (< ni a),Naa (or nama) jam ain ni nye ka boa?What have you (pl.) come for?Naa yue ale boa? [l m l m l]What are your names?ni pron. and nama pron.
naa2part.part. for a generally recognized statement (cf. var. laa < ale a)Nurba naa (or laa) a cheng.(Everybody knows that) humans walk (upright).
naa-bulim m mnaa-bulan.young early millet (approximately one month after sowing)Naamu a ngobi naa-bulinga miena.The cow has eaten all the early millet.
naa-buurih m mnaa-buuninaa-buuran.early millet kept as seed (cf. za-buuri millet grains mixed with other grains or seeds)Donla kom yigi nurba yega yega, ate ba nye ba naa-buura a de.This year there is a great famine (lit. hunger has caught people very much), and people are eating their seeds (of early millet).
naa-kan-kpi-n-kan-kpil l m l l mn.(lit. transl.: the chief does not die, I do not die) name of a very common (unidentified) plantteng-kan-kpi-n-kan-kpi
naa-kuuih hnaa-kuuninaa-kue, def. pl. naa-kuungan.1resting place for cows and shepherds (e.g. a meadow with or without a small hut; not very far from the settlement)Cheng naawa yeri naa-kuuni a juisi naa-biisim ta jam ate n mog ba-bisanga.Go to the naa-kuui of the chief's house, ask for some milk and bring it so that I can feed the puppies.2community (e.g. a section, a group of households or even a whole village in relation to the whole district)Tama naa-kuuni wa-zogni ale ti maachaab a nya te biik miena cheng sukuur.Our community planned (lit. the plan of our community was) to come together to see to it that every child goes to school.naab (cow), kuui (place)
naa-sarih h mnaa-saninaa-sa [h h]n.young cow that has not yet calved, heifer(Prov.) Tiirim ka naa-sari, butuem ka lalik.A gift is a young cow (it pays off), avarice is a bull.
naa-vuukh hnaa-vuukunaa-vuutan.1cattle track (cf. naapie-vuuk n.), resting place for cattle and shepherds (at the end of the cattle track)Naapierisanga ale niinga tigsi za naa-vuuku.The shepherds and the cattle gathered at the naa-vuuk.2spec. haircut (obligatory in certain ritual situations, e.g. after a child's death)Wa biika kpi, ate ba mobi naa-vuuk ate wa.Her child died, and they cut a naa-vuuk for her.
naab1lnaawanalima, def. nalimangan.chief, king (as a title often connected with the name of the town, e.g. Sandemnaab, Chief of Sandema)Ka dilapo-dilapo ate naab a jam boro a ta wa pooba.Long, long ago there lived a chief with his wives (lit. and had his wives).nalima kpagi [l l l m m](lit. the head of chiefs) paramount chief (Sandemnaab)naa-yeri [l l m]chief's house, chief's palacena(a)-biik [l lm], pl. na(a)-bisaa chief's child, princeCf. also: nabiing n., naa-kan-kpi-n-kan-kpi n., nakogla n.pl., nakpegi n., namuning n., natasiri n., Naawen n., nayerini n., naayogsum n.naam n.
naab2hnaamuniiga, def. pl. niingan.cow, bull, bullock, ox; niiga: cattle (sing.: bu-class, pl. nga-class)(Prov.) Naab kan pe ale goai ya.A cow will not swear by the bush (because she finds her grass there).naa-biam [h l], pl. naa-biama or naa-biema [na:bie:ma; h l l] n.cow which is not yet infertile (i.e. which can still give birth to a calf; cf. biam birth)naa-biik [h h], pl. naa-bisacalf (male or female)naa-bi-gbanghide of a calf, used for tangkalung (leather apron)naa-bi-lam [h h m], pl. naa-bi-lanta [h h m m]vealnaa-bi-mari [h h h h], pl. (rare) naa-bi-maravery young calf (e.g. one week after birth)naa-biisim [h l l], pl. (rare) naa-biisintacow's milknaa-biisim-kpaam [h l l lm], pl. naa-biisim-kpaata [h l l m l]butter (made from cow's milk)naa-gbang [h h](untanned) cow hide naa-lam [h m], pl. naa-lanta [h m m]beefnaa-nubi [h h h], pl. naa-niima(female) cow (cf. also lalik bull)naa-sari [h h h] n., pl. naa-sa [h h]young cow that has not yet calved, heifernaa-varik [h h h] n., pl. naa-varisacastrated bull, bullockCf. also: naa-kuui n., naapierik n., naa-vuuk n.
naab-nuimh mnaab-nuimunaab-nuinsan.ox-peckerNaab-nuim kali naamu chiak.The ox-pecker sits on the back of the cow.
naabanyuirina:baɲɥiri; l m l lnaabanyuini [l m l m]naabanyuira [l m l l]n.sweet potato (not very common among the Bulsa, grown on very small plots)Jinla junoai taa ngob ka naabanyuira.This evening we shall eat sweet potatoes.Ipomoea batatas
naammnaamunaantan.chieftaincy, rule, reignKu ale nye dii ate ba bob Abil naamu la...When it happened that they made Abil chief... (lit. tied Abil to chieftaincy).de naam(lit. to eat chieftaincy) to be chief, to be installed as a chief, to reign, to enjoy life, to live a luxurious life (like a chief)(Prov.) Fi dan de naam, fi pa niniga sugri.If you live a luxurious life, you will live in poverty (in the end; lit.: if you eat chieftaincy, you take and wash yourself in poverty).naam deka [m m m]rule, reign, dominionnaab 1 (chief)
naam-gbainm hnaam-gbaninaam-gbana n.chief's skin (most important symbol of chieftaincy), "throne" (corresponds to stool in Southern Ghana)Atiim kal naam-gbani zuk ka bena pisiye.Atiim has been sitting on the throne (skin) for twenty years.