Browse Buli – English
M
me-lal l(cf. me 3 to surround; fat surrounds body), fat, corpulent, stoutMi nye (nna) me-la [h h (l m) l l].I am fat.(Prov.) Bai ale tin nye me-laa alege yuag, yaa naa nya ka bai ale zula.Those who are fat still fall ill (lit. break), not to mention those who are thin (lit. those who dangle).
melimmelim1to coil, to wind around (e.g. used for creeper), to reel, to twist, to twine, to twirl (e.g. a thread), to wriggle or writhe (e.g worm), to wrap oneself roundWaab ale boro a melim tiimu.A snake is coiling up the tree.Nisomoawa a melim ka boomsa.The old man is making (lit. twining) ropes. – Cf. vili v.melim...ngiri(lit. to coil neck) to embarrass, to be in distress or difficultyWari le melim mi ngiri.The affair embarrasses me (the affair is coiling round my neck).2to be difficult or problematic, to be in distress or difficulty(Prov.) Ku daa a melim la kperi, ba tuilim koluk-nyono a guuma.If there is a problem that cannot be solved (lit. ‘and fails’), they turn the owner of (big) testicles (i.e, sb., who suffers from elephantiasis of the testicles) and bury him (meaning: they use another method).meling v. (cf. me 2 to mould and me 3 to surround
meling‘mɛliŋ; m mmelingka, melini [m m h]melingsa, melimamelini1winding, meandering, wriggling, twistedMi kan yaali su-meling.I do not like a winding road.beli meling [l l m m]a meandering riverwaab meling [h m m]a wriggling snake2difficult, complicated, hard, embarrassing, perplexing, mysterious, strangeWanide ka wa-meling.This affair is complicated.tuim melinghard (difficult) workmelim v.
memiokm mmemiokumemaata(small) space between two things, gapBi-fiika a va tiisanga mimioku po.The small child passed through the gap between (two) trees.syn. pain / pari n.
metimetito remove the skin or shell of a fruit or nut (e.g. a groundnut)Meti sumanga ate n nyo kpaam du a te fu.Remove the skin of the round beans so that I can put some oil on it for you.Wa meti wa yoani.He let his penis come out (of the foreskin).
metikmetikametisathinNurwa ka ja-metik.The man is thin.nur metik [h h h]a thin manja-metik [l l m], pl. ngan-metisaa thin thingmeti v., matik adj.
mi1I, my [as a pers. pron., subj. case: high tone] pers. and poss. pron. (obj. mu; present tense: maa <mi a; other forms: man <mi an, I not; min <mi an or mi ain; midek [h h] myself)Mi nya fu [h h m].I see you. I saw you.Maa saalim, tulisi.Please (I beg you), answer.Min beg wa.I didn't ask him.(Prov.) Man nya waaung jueka ale nya ku singka. I did not see the monkey climb up, how can I see it climb down?Mi gbangka ale nna [h h h m h l m].This is my book.Mi nya ndek [h h l m].I see myself. I am proud.Man beg wa-a?Did I not ask him?
mi-baringm m lmi-baringnimi-barinsaa specific type of knot and loop, which can be pulled tight; used, for example, for traps or for a cow’s legMi pa ka mi-baring a bari yik mi suemu.I used a rope-trap to (trap and) catch my rabbit.
mielih mmienimielangmieli1small hoe of specific shape; worn out hoe or hoe bladeNurba gela pa miela a che za.Some people use a mieli for harvesting millet. (cf. dial. syn. kunkui n. and kunku-liak n.)2tool for softening leather (a mieli-blade fixed to a straight handle)Ba pa mieli a tag gbangka.They take a mieli to soften leather.
mienamje:na, h hmeena [me:na; h h]1all, every, both, (the) wholeBa miena yaa din deri nyin.Then suddenly they all came out.(Prov.) Biik miena kan jog wensie.(Lit.:) Every talk is not without some truth. (There is a grain of truth in every talk)Daa wensienga miena le la.That is not the whole truth.wari (wie) miena or jaab miena. everythingMi nya nganta miena [h h m m h h].I see everything.Waa yaali ain wa seb jaab (wie) miena.He wants to know everything.Ku miena le la.That is all. It is finished.Miscanthus giganteus2onlyWa biik miena le la.(Lit.: He is all his child). This is his only child. He has no other children.
miensaupper parts of millet stalks
mierim m mmieni or mianimie or mieramiedi (Wi.) or miadi (Sa.)termites, "white ants" (are collected by Bulsa as chicken feed in the dry season; in Sa. also called wurung n.), (sing. miedi has pl. meaning) Wa lag miedi goai a te wa kpesanga.He collected termites in the bush and gave them to his fowls.lag miedi(lit. to open termites, i.e. a termite hill) to collect termites (together with clay of the hill)Wa bo miedi po.He has gone to collect termites (lit.: he is in the termites).mie-daasa pl.male termites (not eaten by chickens)mie-niima pl.female termites (eaten by fowls)miedi chengclay vessel for collecting termitesmie-pielik, pl. mie-pielalit. white mieri-ant; destroys wooden poles and thatched roofs in the compound; not eaten by chickenmieri laka tamtime of opening (the termite hill and collecting) termites (around 6 o’clock)
miglato be (too) small, to be (too) thin, to be (too) narrowPaani migla.The gap is too narrow.
miigah mmiigangapair of tongs, pliers (tool of the Bulsa blacksmith; may be used ritually at a blacksmith's funeral)Choa-biika a ta miiga ngaye.The blacksmith has two pairs of tongs.mi-nang, pl. mi-nangsaone of the two pivotal parts of pliers nisom-miigatongs decorated with leather strips, used only for ritual purposes
miigiabbr. mii1to be or turn sour (e.g. cooked rice, flour-water, milk, pito etc.), to curdle (milk)Naa-biisimu mii kama.The milk has turned sour (has curdled).2to be or become (get) weak, exhausted, tiredWa nyingka miigi ya.His body has become weak (e.g. after an illness).3to have stiff or numb limbs (temporarily, e.g. after sitting on a leg etc.), to become or go numb or stiff, to have sore musclesN nang miigi.(Lit.: My leg is sour). My leg has become numb (e.g. after lying on it).Wa noai ale miigi.Lit.: His mouth became numb. He died.
miik1hmiikamiisa1rope, string, cable, cord(Prov.) Gami kan dari miik-a.A leper cannot pull a rope.garu-miik [l l lm], pl. garu-miisa [l l m l] n.(cf. garuk smock, dress) thread (for sewing)kuta-miik [m m h], pl. kuta-miisa [m m h m] n.wire (mod., cf. kutuk, iron)kpilima miik [l l l lm]imaginary string with which ancestors may strangle their descendantsnuensa miikshoe lacemi-daring [h l l] n., pl. mi-darisa(cf. dari to pull) strong rope (e.g. for drawing water from a well or trace of a donkey or horse)mi-chogsumlonger string of a double stringed musical bowmi-diakshorter string of a double stringed musical bowmiisa foruk [h h l l] n., pl. miisa forta [h h l l]shepherds' string bag - mi-miiroa rope-makermiisa vaata n.pl."string apron", cf. viok n.tabi-miikroll of tobaccomi-geringstraps made of rope (e.g. of a war-helmet)miik daringtrace (of a donkey)2stripe, (mod.:) military stripe (V-shaped, showing rank)Wa ta miisa siye.He is a full corporal (lit. he has two stripes).gari mi-pielik [l l m l l] n., pl. gari mi-pielisawhite stripe of a Bulsa smock, (or) white threadBa pa gari mi-pielik a baali mi garuku.They took a white thread to mend my smock.3wrinkle (e.g. in the face) Bulsa naawa ale bo Kumasi la yaa kpang kama; wa nindiakka mi ka miisa.The Bulsa chief of Kumasi is now old; his face is wrinkled up.
mi 2 v.
miisa-foruk
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