nur-biikh hnur-biikanur-bisahuman being, human (n.), mankind (restr.)(Prov.) Nur-biik noai toa kama.The human mouth is bitter (your mouth may hurt other people).nur-biik maaroa [h h m m](cf. maari to help) saviour of mankind (Chr.)
Browse Buli – English
N
nur-boarih h hnur-boaninur-boa(lit. many people) crowd, other people(Prov.) Fi dan namu a pai fi naab a zung chong nur-boari naab kama.Suffering to get your (own) cow is better than sharing a cow with other people (e.g. after inheritance).boari (many)
nur-kaasungh l lnur-kaasungkunur-kaasungtabad (rude, impolite, wicked) person, scoundrelWa le ka nur-kaasung la nying, ate mi kan yaa wa moatika.As he is a scoundrel, I do not want to have anything to do with him (lit. do not wish for his proximity).nur (person), kaasung (spoilt)
nur-koorikh m mnur-koorikanur-koorisamurderer, killerWa kowa jam ka nur-koorik.His father was a murderer.
nur-kpiongh hnur-kpiongkunur-kpientaimportant person (e.g. in the administration), VIPN suoku choroawa ka nur-kpiong.My sister's husband is an important person (has a high position).
nur-soblikh h hnur-soblikanur-sobsa or nur-sobta [h h m]nur-soblukblack (dark-coloured) person, (dark) African (for Africans the term nur-sobluk is preferred)Faarama ale bo faara yeri la, ka nur-sobsa felisa.The Fathers at the mission are ‘White Africans’.nur soblik feliklit. ‘white man’s African’, derogatory term for Bulsa who are not properly trained in their own culture and who seem not to care about cultural traditions
ngathey, them, their, pers. and poss. pron. pl. (nga class, mostly things)Niiga yega-yega le nna, chiimu nga.There (lit. these) are many cows, count them.Bulsa yienga ka yie gilima, nga nansuintanga bo yi-ning.The Bulsa have round compounds, their entrances face west.Mi nya nga [h h l].I see them.Nga bo dela [m m m h].They are there. Nyuengade nala, nga ka dina?These yams are good, how much are they?
nga-chobh lnga-chobwa [h l m]nga-chobafather-in-law; father-in-law's brother; in-lawBani mu ate ti cheng n nga-chob yeri kuub.Accompany me to a funeral of my in-laws' house.ngiak1 (ancestor, origin.)
nga-nangta1musical instruments of a band, music band (term refers more to the instruments than the persons)Anamogsi nga-nangtanga a bora nag.Anamogsi’s music band is playing.Ba nag nga-nangta a cheng ka kuub ale tigi.They play musical instruments when they go to a funeral and a (secular) festival.2measles (syn. kanchuinsa)Nga-nangtanga bo Anala doku kama.There are measles in Anala’s house.nagi (to beat)
nga-nubŋanubnga-nubni [ŋanubni]nga-niima or nga-nubamother-in-law (cf. nga-chob, father-in-law)(Prov.) Ba kan de chaama ale nga-nub-a.They do not eat shea nuts with a mother-in-law.nga-nipok [h h m]mother-in law of a womannga-nidoa [h h m]father-in-law of a womanngiak 1 (ancestor, origin), nubi (female)
ngaa-ngaail mnga-ngaai1anyhow, anyway, somehow, in some wayBa nye nga-ngai a kuli yeri.They did (it) somehow (e.g. not very correctly or incompletely) and went home. 2some, any (indef. pron.?) Sandem yienga nga-ngai za ka Wiag teng po.Some Sandema houses are standing on the land of Wiaga.niiga ngangaaisome cows (of a group)Niiga ngaa-ngaai an jo ya.None (not any) of the cows have come in.
ngaamum mabbr. ngaam [m]in time, early enough (i.e. before something that is expected actually happens)Wa ngaam yiri chali.He ran away in time (i.e. before trouble came).Mi ngaam yiti [h m m m].I got up early enough.Wa ngaam yiti [m m m m].He got up early enough.
ngaanglngaangkangaangsa1back (of body or object), buttocks, backside (restr.) cover (e.g. gbangka ngangka, cover of a book)(Prov.) Ngaang tuag be ale ge goruk-oa.Where does the back go without (lit. and leaves) the hunchback?2descendant, grandson, granddaughter, grandchildNaawa ngaang ale ti karichima kpagi.The chief's grandson is our headmaster.ngaang biik [l lm] n., pl. ngaang-bisa [l m l](lit. grandson's or granddaughter's child) great-grandchild, great-grandson, great-granddaughter, descendant3transl.: behind, after (sometimes untranslated)Wa za ka tiimu ngaang.He is standing behind the tree.Va ba ngaang.Follow them (va to follow). Go after them.ngaang wie [l lm]words or deeds of the past; past (time)Wanide ka ngaang wie.This affair is past (belongs to the past).ngaang gambari (cf. gambari adj., bari v., to cross), pl. ngaang gambastrings plaited by shepherds, worn crosswise on the back.4surface (restr.)samoaning ngaangouter surface of a samoaning vesselCf. also: ngaanga interj., ngaang-chiak n., ngaang-choa n., ngaang-denoa n., ngaang-viroa n., ngaa-nying adv., nya ngaang zum (cf. zum)
ngaang gambari
ngaang-chiakl mngaang-chiaka [l m h]ngaang-chaasa [l m m]back part of the waist (above the waist), the small of the backAte wa pa mang wa ngaang-chiaka nying.And he took and fixed (the feathers) to the back part of his waist.
ngaang-choal mngaang-choawa [l m h]ngaang-chaab [l m]co-wife, woman married to one's own husband (polygamic system)Nipoowa ale wa ngaang-choawa a de nyuri.The woman and her co-wife were jealous of each other.
ngaang-denoal m mngaang-denoawa [l m m h]ngaang-dem(a) [l m (m)]person who is dependent on another person (e.g. inhabitant of a compound on yeri-nyono), also used for the follower of an important person, who joins a related person, when this person goes to a funeral of in-laws; descendant of a person (cf. ngaang-viroa n.)Naawa ale wa ngaang-dema chien ka junoai.The chief and his followers will come this evening.ngaang-demabackward people, “bush-people”Dagbama ka ngaang-dem.The Mamprusi are backward people.ngaang (back, descendant), denoa (inhabitant, member)
ngaang-nyingl mngaa-nying1later on, finally, (too) late(Prov.) Baa siag ja-kpak noai ka ngaang-nying.They agree to an old man's statement when it is too late.Mi jam ngaang-nying [h h l m].I finally arrived.2at the back of, behindAnala yeni bo ka Atuga yeni ngaang-nying.Anala’s compound is at the back of Atuga’s compound.3anti-clockwiseBiika chali gilim ngaang nying.The child turned round anti-clockwise. - syn. gala-nyingngaang (back); nying (body)
ngaang-viiroal m mngaang-viiroawangaang-viiroaba or ngaang-viiriba, def. pl. ngaang-viirimafollower (e.g. of a chief), companion of an important person (e.g. if he goes to court), helper, assistant, (pl.:) councilWa yaa yiag wa ngaang-viirima ain ba nyini a gisi yig nipoowa ale nurwa a ta jam.Then he sent out his followers telling them to go out and look for the woman and the man to capture them and bring them (back).
ngaangam mHallo! Hey! (lit. behind, back, in the meaning "Is there anybody behind?" interj. only used for calling sb. when approaching a compound as a stranger or neighbour)Ni ngaanga!Hey, you (pl.)!
ngaarim mngaaningaaraedible fruit of the ngaarib-tree, called "blackberry" by English speaking Bulsa; berries frequently eaten by shepherdsNgaarimude ta ngaara yega-yega.This blackberry-shrub has many blackberries.nga-bieseeds of “blackberries”
ngaarib n.
ngaaribm mngaarimungaarisatree with edible fruit, called "blackberry"- or “ebony” tree in Bulsa EnglishNgaarimude ta ngaara yega-yega.This blackberry-shrub has many blackberries.ngaarib viokleaf of the ngarib-tree (used for treating piisim, the bad smell of dead bodies)Vitex cienkowskii or Vitex doniana
ngaari n.
ngaarungl lngaarungkungaarintaraft, boat, canoe, shipDaam dema ngaarintanga ka niesi jinla ngaarintanga.The old boats did not look like modern boats (lit. the rafts of people of former times did not look like the boats of today).
ngaasi1to yawnFi daa ngaasi, lig fi noani.If you yawn, cover your mouth (with your hand).2to make a special sound with one's mouth in order to drive birds away from crops.Bisanga ngaasi nuinsa zaanga po.The children drove birds away from the millet (by producing spec. sounds).
ngari v., ngasi v.
Buli Dictionary © 2021 Franz Kroeger®
