The Ik language - Terrill B. Schrock

Please enable JavaScript to view the full PDF

Contents 7.9 Oblique (obl) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534 8 Verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534 8.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534 8.2 Infinitives (inf) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 535 8.3 Deverbalizers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 539 8.4 Directionals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 542 8.5 Aspectuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 544 8.6 Voice and valence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 545 8.7 Subject-agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 549 8.8 Dummy pronoun (dp) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 551 8.9 Mood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 552 8.10 Verb paradigms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 553 8.11 Adjectival verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 558 9 Adverbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 561 9.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 561 9.2 Manner adverbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 561 9.3 Temporal adverbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 562 9.4 Epistemic adverbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 565 10 Basic syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567 10.1 Noun phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567 10.2 Clause structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 569 10.3 Subordinate clauses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 575 10.4 Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 578 10.5 Quotations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 580 10.6 Complements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 581 10.7 Comparatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 582 10.8 Clause combining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 583 Appendix A: Ik affixes 589 References 593 Subject index 595 viii Preface When I first heard about the Ik back in September 2005, I was thoroughly in- trigued. Here was a people just emerging from the mists of time, from that now dark and shrouded realm of African prehistory. Judging by appearances, their journey had not been easy. Their story spoke of great suffering in the form of sickness, suppression, starvation, and slaughter. And yet, somehow, there they were, limping into the 21st century as survivors of conditions most of us cannot imagine. Having grown up in a safe and serene community in the American South, I thought the Ik seemed stranger than fiction. People like this actually exist out there? I found myself wanting to know more about them, wanting to know who they are. Subconsciously I sensed that anyone who could endure what they had endured could perhaps teach me something about being truly human. My quest to know the Ik has led me down a winding path to the present. Over the years I have been frustrated by my inability to enter fully into their world, to see reality through their eyes. More than once I wished I were an anthropologist, so I could get a better grasp of their essence as a people. But time and time again, life steered me right back to the language – to Icétôd. I gradually learned to accept that their language is a doorway to their spirit, and that as a linguist, I could only open the door for others, and point the way to the Promised Land while I remain at the threshold. This book can act as a key to that door, a key that has been carefully shaped and smoothened by hands tired yet trembling with purpose. Living in Ikland has taught me a lot about being human, but not in the way I expected. It was not by becoming ‘one with the people’ that I learned what it is like to survive subhuman conditions. And it was not physical starvation, or sickness, or slaughter that I was forced to endure. No, I was spared those things. Yet all the same, in Ikland I became acquainted with spiritual starvation, social sickness, and the wholesale slaughter of my cultural, religious, and intellectual idols. And just as the Ik have learned that life does not consist in ‘bread alone’, nor in health, nor in security – but can carry on living with dignity and humanity – I have learned that at the rock bottom of my soul, where my self ends and the world begins, there is where Life resides. That realization is my ‘pearl of great price’ for which I have sold everything else and would do it all over again. Acknowledgements Compiling a dictionary such as this one is a massive undertaking, far more so than I ever imagined it would be. Although I myself spent many hours, days, and months working alone on this project, a whole host of people put me in a position to do so. And it is here that I wish to acknowledge and thank them all. First, I want to express a heartfelt Ɨ lákásʉƙɔtíàà zùk ᵘ to all the Ik people of the Timu Forest area for welcoming us into their community and patiently putting up with the long process of a foreigner trying to learn their language. To the follow- ing Ik men and women, I give thanks for their participation in a word-collecting workshop that took place in October 2009, during which roughly 7,000 Ik words were amassed: Ariko Hillary, Kunume Cecilia, Lochul Jacob, Lokure Jacob, Lon- goli Philip, Losike Peter, Lotuk Vincent, Nakiru Rose, Nangoli Esther, †Ngiriko Fideli, Ngoya Joseph, Ochen Simon Peter, Sire Hillary, and Teko Gabriel. A second group of Ik men are sincerely thanked for giving me a clearer view of the Ik sound system and for helping me edit several hundred words during an orthography workshop in April 2014: Amida Zachary, Dakae Sipriano, Lokauwa Simon, Lokwameri Sylvester, Lomeri John Mark, Longoli Philip, Longoli Simon, Lopeyok Simon, †Lopuwa Paul, and Lotuk Paul. One of those men, Longoli Philip, deserves special thanks for the years he spent as my main guide into the grammar and lexicon of his mother tongue. The number and quality of entries in this book are owed in large part to his skillful labors. Four other men – Lojere Philip, †Lochiyo Gabriel, Lokwang Hillary, and †Lopuwa Paul – also deserve my thanks for teaching me bits of the language at various points along the journey. But it is another group of Ik men that I wish to give special honor. These are the ones who for an entire year went with me through every word in this dictionary to refine their spellings and define their meanings. They include the respectable elders Iuɗa Lokauwa, Locham Gabriel, and Lemu Simon, as well as our translators Kali Clement, Lotengan Emmanuel, and Lopeyok Simon. The three elders not only shared their intimate knowledge of the language with me but also befriended me with a grace and humility that can only come with age. Every moment I spent with them was a blessing I will never forget. As they said, if I ever come back, I should ask if those old men are still around. I pray they are. Acknowledgements Although teaching foreigners Ik-speak has usually been the domain of men, I wish to bring special attention to two Ik women who, through their resilient friendship and lively conversation, greatly enhanced my grasp of the language. These are the highly esteemed Nachem Esther and Nakiru ‘Akóóro’ Rose. Next, I want to gratefully mention those in the long line of linguists who worked on the Ik language and – in person or publication – passed their knowl- edge down to me: Fr. J. P. Crazzolara who wrote the first recorded grammatical description of the language; A. N. Tucker whose series of articles on Ik expanded my knowledge considerably; Fritz Serzisko who penned several insightful arti- cles and books on Ik and Kuliak; Bernd Heine who wrote numerous works on Ik and Kuliak and authored a grammar sketch and dictionary of the language (1999); Richard Hoffman who studied the grammar and lexicon, devised a practical or- thography, and tirelessly supported language development efforts on behalf of the Ik; Christa König who wrote several articles and an entire book on the Ik case system; Ron Moe who helped me lead a word-collection workshop; Keith Snider who trained me in tone analysis; Kate Schell who collected dozens of hours of recorded Ik texts; and Dusty Hill who supervised me throughout the process. Another group I wish to thank are our friends and family members whose generous and faithful donations have made it possible for us to live and work in Uganda since 2008. It has been a privilege to be financially supported in doing long-term work on the Ik language, and I do not take that for granted. For all their hard work pushing this project through to completion, I grate- fully acknowledge the series editors: Adams Bodomo, Ken Hiraiwa, and Firmin Ahoua. My sincere thanks also go the reviewers and proofreaders who helped me improve this manuscript, to Monika Feinen for drawing up a lovely map of Ikland (Figure 1), and lastly to Sebastian Nordhoff, whose patient help and tech- nical expertise in manuscript preparation I could never have done without. I also want to thank my dear family: my two adopted Ik daughters, Kaloyang Mercy and Lemu Immaculate, and my wife Amber Dawn. Their loving presence enabled me to carry out this long work in an otherwise isolated and often very lonely environment. The existence of this book is owed in large measure to Am- ber’s innumerable sacrifices big and small. It came into being at great cost to her. For that and many other reasons, I thank her from the bottom of my heart. Above all else, I want to praise the God whose Word became flesh – ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο – making a linguistic cosmos where my mind and the Ik language could collide and radiate bright rays of new knowledge out into the world. xii Abbreviations A transitive subject gen genitive abst abstractive H high tone acc accusative hypo hypothetical adj.pl adjectival plural ideo. ideophone adv. adverb imp imperative and andative inc inclusive anaph anaphoric inch inchoative anticip anticipative inf infinitive ATR advanced tongue root infr inferential aux auxiliary ins instrumental bhvr behaviorative int intentional C consonant interj. interjection caus causative ipfv imperfective CC copula complement ips impersonal passive comp completive irr irrealis compl. complementizer L low tone cond conditional lit. literal conf confirmational M mid tone coordconn. coordinating med medial connective mid middle cop copulative n. noun CS copula subject NF non-final form dat dative nom nominative dem. demonstrative num. numeral dist distal nurs. nursery word distr distributive O object dp dummy pronoun obl oblique dur durative opt optative E extended object pass passive exc exclusive pat patientive FF final form phys physical property (pre-pause) adverb Abbreviations pl. plural stat stative plur pluractional subj subjunctive prep. preposition subordconn. subordinating prf present perfect connective pro. pronoun v. verb prox proximal ven venitive pssm impersonal possessum 1 first person pst1 recent past tense 2 second person pst2 removed past tense 3 third person pst3 remote past tense Ø zero realization pst4 remotest past tense - morpheme quant. quantifier boundary real realis = clitic boundary recent recentive […] phonetic form recip reciprocal /…/ phonemic form refl reflexive … morphemic form rel. relativizer [ˊ] high tone S intransitive subject [ˋ] low tone seq sequential [ˆ] high-falling tone sg. singular † deceased sim simultaneous § section xiv Part I Introduction 1 The Ik language 1 The Ik language Ik is the native language of the Ik people who live on a narrow swath of land in the northeastern corner of Uganda, East Africa. The people call their language Icétôd, which means ‘Ik-speech’ or ‘Ik-talk’ and is pronounced ee-CHAY-TOad or in phonetic symbols, [ītʃétôd̻]. Ik belongs to a small cluster of languages called ‘Kuliak’, which also includes Nyang’ía of Lobalangit and Soo/Tepeth of Mounts Moroto, Napak, and Kadam – all in Uganda’s magnificent Karamoja Region. At the outset, let me state definitively that Ik is not a dialect of Karimojong, nor is it even Nilotic or ‘Hamitic’. And it is certainly not Bantu (as some have asked me). Scholars disagree as to whether it is related to Karimojong at all, but if it is, it would be a distant relationship within the great Nilo-Saharan language family, much as English is related to Russian or Hindi within Indo-European. One reason people assume Ik is a dialect of Karimojong is that the Ik have long been surrounded and dominated by the pastoralist Dodoth, Toposa, Turkana, and Jie. These groups, as well as the Karimojong proper, all speak mutually intelligible forms of a speech variety called ‘Ateker’, ‘Teso-Turkana’, or ‘Tunga’. Another reason Ik seems similar to Karimojong is that it has borrowed many hundreds of words from Teso-Turkana speech varieties over the centuries. In addition to lexical borrowing, the close contact between the Ik and Teso-Turkana peoples has caused Ik grammar to become more like Teso-Turkana in various ways. But despite the many superficial similarities one may see between Ik and Teso- Turkana, their grammatical systems are actually quite different. For instance, while their vowel inventories are similar, Ik has many more consonants than Teso-Turkana, including the ejectives /ƙ/ and /tsʼ/, which are found in no other Ugandan language. Ik also has an elaborate case system with eight cases all marked with suffixes, whereas Teso-Turkana languages mark only four cases, some using only tone to do so. And although both Ik and Teso-Turkana order their words as Verb-Subject-Object in main clauses, in subordinate clauses, Ik changes the order to Subject-Verb-Object. These are but a few examples among others that show the significant differences between Ik and Teso-Turkana. 2 The dictionary This book contains a bilingual Ik-English dictionary and an English-Ik reversal index. The dictionary section lists all the Ik words I have recorded up to now and offers English definitions for them. Including proper names, there are approxi- mately 8,700 entries in the dictionary. While I have done all I could to collect as 3 many words as possible within the limits of time and resources, no doubt many hundreds of other words still lurk out there in the recesses of Ikian minds. It will not be until more texts are written in Ik that these missing words might be gently coaxed out onto the page and into more books like the present one. Although the presumed purpose of a dictionary is to propound the current meanings of the words of a language, I fear that purpose is only partly achieved in this volume. The true meanings of words are lived meanings, intended by liv- ing beings in a living world. To capture them on a page is to encase them in black rock and white ice. A native speaker of Ik may recognize in my English definitions familiar traces of true meaning but never all of it. As a foreign, non- native speaker of the language, my grasp of the living meanings of Ik words is severely limited. For the only way to learn living linguistic meanings is to expe- rience life linguistically, through a language, through its words and phrases and tropes. Still, I have been fortunate enough to have had a few real-life experiences in Ik, for instance, when I learned the living meaning of the verb ɨsɛɛs ‘to miss’ by actually missing a bushpig boar as I tried to spear it when it charged toward me out of a thicket. The young Ik hunters never let me forget that miss, and as they retold the story with glee, they always used that particular verb. So when I hear it, I not only know what it means in terms of ‘missing’, but I also feel the living overtones that include shame, regret, loss of opportunity, diminution of manhood, and so on. That is how one learns the meanings of words. Due to the exceptional nature of such experiences, most of the Ik words in this volume I have had to define extrinsically, from the outside. Unfortunately, as a foreign lexicographer, I do not inhabit the words. All I could really do was try to understand the words as best I could and render them in perspicacious English, marking out a felicitous meeting place between two very different modes of lin- guistic being-in-the-world. To the degree that I succeeded in this endeavor, this is what I hope to be a worthwhile first full-scale Ik-English lexicon. The English definitions the reader will find are of various types. Some Ik words lend themselves easily to one-word, entirely accurate glosses, for example, gʉɓɛ́rá- as ‘leopard’. Others require a short phrase in English, for instance, ƙóré- as the ‘back of the knee’. Still others, the ones that are conceptually more distant from English, call for longer descriptions, as when makúlí- is defined as a ‘round grass beehive cover that goes over the end of a hollow beehive’. As well as being a record of modern Ik to be used for modern purposes, this dictionary also provides much data for historical research. Because the Ik have left little in the way of archaeology over the ages, and because oral histories tend to be vague, inconsistent, and undated, language is one of the few lenses through 4 2 The dictionary which to investigate prehistory. Already the Ik lexicon gives some tantalizing hints as to the ancient northern East African origins of the Ik, for example in the link between words like sɔkɔ́- ‘hoof’ and Arabic saaq ‘foot’ and Gumuz tʃagw ‘foot’, or between ƙídz- ‘bite’ and Maltese Arabic gidem ‘bite’ and Uduk kʼūcūr ‘suck’. Every Ik word is a cultural relic, a linguistic artifact sticking out of the red clays of time and memory. Each one has been molded by a million mouthings, much as grains of sand are ground down by wind and water. Each has its own history, an origin and a tortuous path of descent to its present form, the same path, we can assume, that its many speakers have taken. This is where the fields of etymology and historical linguistics (or ‘paleolinguistics’) can provide some evidence on which to build a grounded sense of identity and cultural history. A deeply rooted sense of history and identity is important because it could help give the Ik a more sure footing as they transition into a nationally-minded Ugandan society and a globally-minded international society. If I imagine the fu- ture fate of the Ik language, I can see two possible developmental paths it could take. The first is that it could be lost by being totally assimilated by Karimojong, much like Nyang’ía already has and Soo/Tepeth is in danger of doing, or by suc- cumbing to the dazzling promise of upward mobility that English seems to offer. If either of these forms of language death should take place, at least this book would remain as a monument to a once noble language-mediated world-view. The second path the Ik language could take into the future is the one I have often daydreamed of. It is the one that would fulfill my scholarly strivings and confirm my greatest hopes for the Ik. In this path, Ik would go on to become the language of a highly literate populace who would use it skillfully to promote their own well-being. With explicit knowledge of their grammar and lexicon, ed- ucated Ik people would harness the expressive power of their native-born tongue and make it a vehicle of music, poetry, fiction, philosophy, theology, medicine, education, policy – the full gamut of human expression. This scrappy language that has barely scraped by countless threats to its existence yet somehow man- aged to pull through, this language that contains the linguistic genes of so many other languages from unrelated stocks, this small language of a small people in small place, could go on to become an enduring symbol of the Ikian spirit. As portrayed in Figure 1, the Ik language area can be viewed imaginatively from an ‘Ik-centric’ perspective as a ‘heart’ of East Africa. There it lies, near the arterial convergence of four East African nations: Uganda, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya. Over the centuries the Ik have migrated through and throughout each of these four countries. While doing so, their language absorbed words and grammatical traits from the many languages spoken there. So, in a real sense, Ik 5 Oromo Nuer E T H I O P I A Majang Shabo Anuak Kafa Dinka Dawro Murle Me’en Lake Chamo S O U T H S U D A N Mursi Toposa Nyangatom Hamar Lake Dhaasanac Chew Bahir Otuho Didinga Ik Lake Borana Mening Turkana Turkana Nyangia Acholi Karimojong U G A N D A Rendille Soo/ Lango Tepeth Pokot Samburu Lake Albert L. Kyoga Teso Sabaot Lumasaaba Luganda K E N Y A Dholuo Lake Victoria 16 Figure 1: Ik language area in an ‘Ik-centric’ perspective (CC-BY Monika Feinen) 6 3 Using the dictionary embodies the linguistic heritage of northern East Africa. Thus, could it be that Ik is providentially situated to blossom into a language that can serve the full range of communicative needs of a modernized Ik society, and then extend its fruited boughs over the escarpment in four directions to become a blessing to the neighboring nations? In the end, only time will tell, and yet it is toward the fulfillment of that dream that this work on Ik has been lovingly consecrated. 3 Using the dictionary 3.1 Writing system The Ik script used in this dictionary and grammar sketch is based on what is called the Linguistic Orthography (LingO) as described in Schrock (2015). The LingO is a compromise between the simpler Popular Orthography (PopO) and a more scientific writing system. The main reason for choosing the LingO over the PopO is that the LingO encodes three very important features of the Ik sound system: voiceless vowels, vowel harmony, and tone. Although these three fea- tures are difficult to remember and write, they are indispensable for the correct pronunciation of Ik. Therefore it was decided that for this book to be an accurate and reliable record of the language, the proper pronunciations would have to be reflected in the spellings. LingO writing can easily be converted to PopO, but the reverse is not true, since it requires greater linguistic awareness. The alphabetical order of Ik letters is given below. Note that the vowel pairs E/Ɛ, I/Ɨ, O/Ɔ, and U/Ʉ – whose two members differ only in terms of a linguistic feature called Advanced Tongue Root [ATR] – are alphabetized as if they were the same letter. This is done to assist non-native speakers of Ik in finding words beginning with vowels they might not be able to distinguish at first. Also note that the letter (Ʒ) is in parentheses because even though it belongs to the alphabet, no recorded Ik word begins with it. For the pronunciation of these letters, the reader is referred ahead to §2.1 of the grammar sketch section. • Ik alphabetical order: A B Ɓ C D Ɗ Dz E/Ɛ F G H Hy I/Ɨ J Jʼ K Ƙ L M N Ɲ Ŋ O/Ɔ P R S T Ts Tsʼ U/Ʉ W X Y Z (Ʒ) 3.2 Structure of entries The Ik-English dictionary section contains entries of the following kinds of Ik words: nouns, pronouns, demonstratives, quantifiers, numerals, prepositions, verbs, adverbs, ideophones, interjections, nursery words, complementizers, and 7 connectives (or conjunctions). For a brief description of each word class, the reader is referred to §3 of the grammar sketch at the back of the book. The goal of the present section is to explain to the user the structure of lexicographical entries. To do this, an example of a noun entry and a verb entry are discussed. A typical noun entry has several components. To identify them, match the numbered components in this explanatory paragraph with the superscript num- ber in the model entry below. 1) The lexical headword is in bold typeface. It is the citation form of the noun, that is, the form of the noun spoken in isolation. In Ik, the citation form takes the nominative case (see §7.2). 2) The root or lexical form is in parentheses. It is hyphenated to show that it still needs a case ending, and it is the form on which to base all other case forms of this noun. This par- ticular noun is also hyphenated in the middle to signify that it is a compound noun made of two parts (see §4.3 of the grammar). 3) This is an abbreviation for ‘plural’, indicating that the next item is the plural form of the headword. 4) This is the plural form of the singular headword bàdìàm. 5) This number (1) indicates that what follows is the first and primary sense or meaning of the headword. 6) This is an abbreviation of the grammatical category of the word, in this case n. for ‘noun’. 7) After the primary sense, one or more other numbered senses of the word may be added. 8) After the senses, one or more notes may mention further information about the entry, for example cultural details or suggestions for synonyms or near-synonyms. 1 bàdìàm 2 (bàdì-àmà-) 3 pl. 4 badiikᵃ 5 1) 6 n. sorcerer, wizard 7 2) anything spooky, weird, or uncanny | 8 The concept of bàdìàm includes nocturnal animals like bats, hyenas, and owls that have strange characteristics… tobacco is also called bàdìàm because its strong physiological effects are not attributable to human agency. A typical verb entry has similar components but also some different ones: 1) Just as with nouns, the verbal headword is shown in bold typeface. This is the citation form of the verb, which in Ik appears in the infinitive form and nomina- tive case (see §8.2 in the grammar). As an infinitive, the verb is acting as a noun at this point, much like ‘to go’ or ‘going’ in English. To use an Ik infinitive as a verb, simply remove the infinitive suffix (either -ònì- or -ésí-) and use the appro- priate suffixes (see §8.7). 2) Then, the form in the parentheses is the lexical form of the infinitival headword, the one that is the base for all other case-inflected forms of the verb. 3) This number (1) indicates that what follows is the first and primary sense or meaning of the headword. 4) This is an abbreviation of the grammatical category of the headword, in this case v. for ‘verb’. 5) After the 8 3 Using the dictionary primary sense, one or more other senses of the headword may be added. 6) This short note directs the user to a synonym or near-synonym of the headword. 1 betsínón 2 (betsínónì-) 3 1) 4 v. to be awkward, gauche, inept 5 2) to be left-handed, sinistral | 6 See also ɨɓaŋɨɓáŋɔn. Over a hundred Ik verb roots end in /a/, /e/, or /ɛ/, meaning that when an infinitive suffix is added to the root, these root-final vowels are assimilated (see §2.4.4). For example, though the root for ‘miss’ is ɨsá-, the infinitive form is ɨsɛɛs, which obscures the root-final vowel. Lest the dictionary user hear a form of the root ɨsá- in speech and then fail to deduce that its infinitive is ɨsɛɛs, both root and infinitive have been listed in the dictionary. The entry for ɨsá- includes the notation (<ɨsɛɛs) which indicates that ɨsɛɛs is the entry the user should go to for the definition. Conversely, the entry for ɨsɛɛs ‘to miss’ includes both the lexical form of the infinitive and the bare root, as in: ɨsɛɛs (ɨsɛɛsí-/ɨsá-). 3.3 Tips for finding words Finally, because a good number of Ik words have more than one form, and be- cause many of them can be reasonably spelled in multiple ways, let me offer the user the following tips for locating polymorphous words in the dictionary: • If you are looking up a verb beginning with /i/ or /ɨ/ and cannot find it, remove the /i/ or /ɨ/ and try again. Conversely, if you are looking up a verb and cannot find it, try adding an /i/ or /ɨ/ to see if that takes you to a word. • If you are looking up a word beginning with /w/ and cannot find it, try replacing the /w/ with /ɔ/, /o/, /ʉ/, or /u/ and vice versa. • If you are looking up a word beginning with /y/ and cannot find it, try placing the /y/ with /i/ or /ɨ/ and vice versa. • If you are looking up a noun beginning with /ɲa/ and cannot find it, try replacing it with /ɲe/ and vice versa. • If you are looking up a noun beginning with /ɲe/ and cannot find it, try replacing it with /ɲo/ and vice versa. • If you are looking up a word beginning with /ts/ and cannot find it, try replacing it with /tsʼ/ and vice versa. 9 • If you are looking up a word beginning with /dz/ and cannot find it, try replacing it with /ts/ or /tsʼ/ and vice versa. • If you are looking up a word beginning with /d/ and cannot find it, try replacing it with /ɗ/ or /t/ and vice versa. • If you are looking up a word beginning with /g/ and cannot find it, try replacing it with /ƙ/ or /ŋ/ and vice versa. • If you are looking up a word containing the vowels /e, i, o, u/ and cannot find it, try replacing the vowel with /ɛ, ɨ, ɔ, ʉ/. 10 Part II Ik-English dictionary aaii aeétón a aaii (aaii) interj. ouch! ow! (an expres- Acúkwa (Acúkwaá-) n. a personal sion of pain). name. abáŋ (abáŋì-) pl. abáŋín. 1 n. my fa- àdàbì (àdàbìà-) n. vine species found ther. 2 n. my uncle (father’s brother). growing on rocky outcroppings and 3 n. pope of the Catholic church. whose leaves are crushed, soaked in ábaŋ (ábaŋ) interj. oh! wowǃ (an expres- water, and applied to the skin to treat sion of amazement). Lit. ‘my father’. acne and rashes. abáŋídzàƙa (abáŋí-dzàƙà-) n. son of my àdɛ̀nɛ̀s (àdɛ̀nɛ̀sà-) n. bird species. father (brother or male cousin on fa- ádʉdʉƙɛ́s (ádʉdʉƙɛ́sí-) v. to pour from ther’s side). a small opening. abáŋìɲòta (abáŋì-ɲòtà-) n. my father-in- aɗáɗá (aɗáɗáà-) n. ringworm: an itchy, law (sibling’s spouse’s father). circular skin fungus. abér (abérí-) pl. áberaikwa . n. ter- àɗe (àɗè) num. three. mite colony actively flying and mound- àɗèŋèlìò (àɗèŋèlìò-) n. large hardwood building. tree that grows in the ravines and àbɛ̀ta (àbɛ̀tà-) n. lesser kudu. Tragela- riverbeds of Rift Valley escarpments; phus imberbis. Heine (1999) reports that its fruits may abûba (abúbà-) pl. abúbìka . 1 n. spider. be eaten raw. Allophylus sp. 2 n. cobweb, spiderweb, web. àɗo num. three times, thrice. ábʉbʉƙɛ́s (ábʉbʉƙɛ́sí-) v. to dip out (liq- àɗòn (àɗònì-) v. to be three. uid with a vessel). aɗoniɛn (aɗoni-ɛní-) n. third time. ábʉ̀bʉ̀ƙɔ̀n (ábʉ̀bʉ̀ƙɔ̀nì-) 1 v. to bubble, àɗònìke n. for the third time. burble, gurgle. 2 v. to bellow, roar (like a charging animal or angry per- aɗúŋkú (aɗúŋkúù-) pl. aɗúŋkúìka . son). See also béúrètòn. n. guitar-like stringed instrument found in many East African cultures abʉtɛtɛ́s (abʉtɛtɛ́sí-) v. to sip, take a sip. (and whose body was traditionally See also tsʉɓɛtɛ́s. made from a tortoise shell). abutiam (abutiamá-) n. sippable food Àɗùpà (Àɗùpàà-) n. a personal name. like beer or porridge. aeam (aeamá-) n. any food that is ripe abutiés (abutiesí-) v. to sip or slurp con- or otherwise ready to be eaten. tinually. See also tsʉɓɛ́s. aeásá bùbùì n. gluttony. Lit. ‘ripeness aɓíɓílánón (aɓíɓílánónì-) v. to roll of the belly’. around. aeétón (aeétónì-) 1 v. to ripen up, start aɓúlúkánón (aɓúlúkánónì-) v. to flip, ripening. 2 v. to light up. 3 v. to flip over, somersault. catch fire. 4 v. to switch or turn on (of Acóka (Acókò-) n. a personal name. electricity). 13 aeitetés aƙʉ́ƙʉ́rɔ̀n aeitetés (aeitetésí-) 1 v. to light (a fire or akarér (akarérí-) pl. akaréríka . n. hole lamp). 2 v. to switch or turn on (an dug to trap edible termites. electronic device or electric switch). akatɛ́ta (akatɛ́tí-) pl. akatɛ́tíka . n. gourd aeitetésíàwa (aeitetésí-àwà-) pl. aeiteté- plug (made from a gourd tip cut off and síawíka . n. ignition, switch. inverted). Aemun (Aemuní-) n. a personal name. akátsʼɛ́a na pakós n. cleft palate. Lit. àèòn (àèònì-) 1 v. to be ripe, ready to eat. ‘mouth skin that is split’. 2 v. to be lit. akɛda (akɛdɛ-) 1 n. mouth, opening. 2 aeonuƙota (aeonuƙotí-) v. to become n. muzzle of a weapon. ready to eat, ripen. akílìka (akílìkà-) 1 n. intelligence, mind. aeonuƙota kíʝáe n. readying for harvest 2 n. skill, talent. (of people’s gardens). àkìlɔ̀ (àkìlɔ̀) prep. instead (of). A noun following this word takes the oblique áɡɨrɨkácà (áɡɨrɨkácàà-) 1 n. agricultural case. training course. 2 n. tall variety of maize. akín (akínɔ́-) n. greater kudu. Tragela- phus strepsiceros. àɡìta (àɡìtà-) pl. áɡìtìka . n. metal ringlet sown on women’s traditional aprons. Akɔl (Akɔlí-) n. a personal name. áɡʉʝɛ́s (áɡʉʝɛ́sí-) v. to gulp, guzzle. Also akɔ́ŋɨkɔŋ (akɔ́ŋɨkɔŋí-) n. cliff chat. pronounced as íɡʉʝɛ́s. Myrmecocichla cinnamomeiventris. áí (áí) interj. ouch! ow! (an expression Akóóro (Akóóroó-) n. a personal name. of pain). Akúɗúkori (Akúɗúkorií-) n. a personal àʝa (àʝì-) pl. áʝítín. n. pestle. See also name. iwótsídàkwa and kuɲuka . akúkúròn (akúkúrònì-) v. to crawl. See also tolíón. aka (aká-) pl. akɨtín. 1 n. mouth, oral cavity. 2 n. entrance, opening. 3 akwɛ́tɛ́kwɛ́tánón (akwɛ́tɛ́kwɛ́tánónì-) n. burrow, den, hole, lair. v. to wriggle or writhe around. aka ɡwaáe n. beak. áƙáfòn (áƙáfònì-) v. to yawn. akáám (aká-ámà-) pl. akáíka . n. one aƙár (aƙáró-) pl. aƙáríkwa . n. palate, skilled at talking deceptively or persua- roof of the mouth. sively. Lit. ‘mouth-person’. aƙata (aƙatí-) pl. áƙátìka . 1 n. nose. 2 Akaɗééróta (Akaɗéérótò-) n. a personal n. nostril. name. aƙatíékwa (aƙatí-ékù-) pl. aƙatíékwitín. akákwáywa (aká-kwáyò-) pl. akákwáí- n. nostril. Lit. ‘nose-eye’. tín. n. lip. Lit. ‘mouth-tooth’. áƙátìkìn (áƙátìkìnì-) n. points, topics. Lit. ‘its nostrils’. akáƙúm (aká-ƙúmù-) pl. akáƙúmítín. n. cheekbone, malar, zygomatic bone. aƙatíɔ́ka (aƙatí-ɔ́kà-) pl. aƙatíɔ́kítín. n. nasal bone, nosebone. akání (akání) prep. until, up to (an event or place). A noun following this word aƙóláánón (aƙóláánónì-) v. to swing. takes the oblique case. aƙʉ́ƙʉ́rɔ̀n (aƙʉ́ƙʉ́rɔ̀nì-) v. to creep. 14 aƙwa amʉ́tsáàm aƙwa (aƙɔ́-) pl. aƙwɨtín. n. inside, inte- ámánànès (ámánànèsì-) n. humanness, rior. personhood. áƙwɛ̂da (áƙwɛ́dɛ̀-) n. inner part, inside, ámáze (ámá-zeá-) pl. roɓazeíka . 1 n. big interior. man, boss, chief, head honcho. 2 alálá (aláláà-) n. augur buzzard. Buteo n. mister, sir. 3 n. lord, master. 4 augur. n. adult, big person, grown-up. alámááránón (alámááránónì-) v. to dis- ámázeám (ámá-ze-ámà-) pl. roɓazeíka . perse, dissipate (like ants or a crowd of 1 n. big man, boss, chief, head honcho. people). See also ɨlámááránón. 2 n. mister, sir. 3 n. lord, master. alárá (aláráà-) n. shrub species whose ámázeáma awáe 1 n. chief village elder. red or yellow berries are eaten raw 2 n. village chairperson. and whose stems are made into arrows, ámázeáma na kɔ́nɔ̀nì n. councilor in spears, and walking sticks and are used the Local Council I (LCI), a unit in to build houses and granaries. Grewia the Ugandan government at the village tenax. See also ɔɡɔn. level. álìf (álìfù-) pl. álìfìka . n. thousand. ámázeáma ɲápukaní n. government of- ficial. alólóánitetés (alólóánitetésí-) v. to dan- gle, suspend in the air. ámázeáma ɲépárìxì n. parish chief. alólóánón (alólóánónì-) v. to dangle, ámázeáma ɲésukúluⁱ n. headmaster, hang freely. head teacher, principal. alólóés (alólóésí-) v. to dangle, hold up, ámázeáma teréɡì 1 n. boss, employer. 2 suspend in the air. n. crew chief, foreman. alólóŋòn (alólóŋònì-) v. to be anxious, ámêda (ámédè-) pl. ámín. n. one respon- fret, worry. sible, owner, proprietor. ám (ámá-) pl. ròɓa . n. person. áméda kíʝáe 1 n. landowner. 2 n. indige- e nous person, local, native. 3 n. God. ámá na biyá n. foreigner, outsider. See also ɦyɔ̀àm and ɲeɓúkúita . Amérìkà (Amérìkàà-) n. America. ámá nà mìɲ n. deaf person. Amérìkààm (Amérìkà-àmà-) pl. Améri- kaika . n. American. ámá nà ŋwàx n. disabled person. amózà (amózàà-) n. small black flying ámácèka (ámá-cèkì-) pl. roɓacɨkám. ant species that often appears after a n. someone’s wife. rain as a sign of the coming emergence ámáìdwa (ámá-ìdò-) n. breast milk. Lit. of edible termites. ‘person-milk’. amʉ́tsa (amʉ́tsá-) pl. amʉ́tsíka . n. debt, a ámáìm (ámá-ìmà-) pl. roɓawik . obligation (like having drunk some- n. someone’s child. one’s beer without having paid for it ámákɔrɔ́ɓâda (ámá-kɔrɔ́ɓádì-) pl. ámá- by doing work in their garden). kurúɓâda . n. personal item, personal amʉ́tsáàm (amʉ́tsá-àmà-) pl. amʉ́tsí- property. kaika . n. debitor, debtor. 15 amʉtsanés arí amʉtsanés (amʉtsanésí-) v. to collect on Apáásiá (Apáásiáà-) n. a personal name. a debt. apápánà (<apápánɔ̀ɔ̀n) v. anás (anásí-) n. male greater kudu. apápánɛ̀ɛ̀tɔ̀n (apápánɛ̀ɛ̀tɔ̀nì-) v. to Tragelaphus strepsiceros. make peace, reconcile (often for self- ànɛ̀ (ànɛ̀ɛ̀-) n. vine species whose tuber- centered purposes). ous roots are peeled and eaten raw or apápánɔ̀ɔ̀n (apápánɔ̀ɔ̀nì-/apápána-) roasted and whose beanlike seeds are v. to make peace, reconcile (often for cooked and eaten. Vigna frutescens. self-centered purposes). Possibly the same vine as málákʉ́r. apéléle (apéléleí-) pl. apélélèìka . n. ces- anɛ́sʉ́ƙɔta (anɛ́sʉ́ƙɔtí-) v. to recall, re- tode, tapeworm. member (often with regret). Apéríta (Apérítì-) n. a personal name. anɛtɛ́s (anɛtɛ́sí-) v. to recall, recollect, apɛ́tɛ́pɛ́tánón (apɛ́tɛ́pɛ́tánónì-) 1 v. to be remember. See also tamɛtɛ́s. scattered around, strewn about. 2 v. to aniesúƙota (aniesúƙotí-) v. to recall re- wave limbs wildly during a seizure or peatedly (often with regret). when dying. See also ɨɗɛríɗɛ́rɔ́s. aŋaras (aŋarasá-) n. gravel. apííròn (apíírònì-) 1 v. to jump down, jump off. 2 v. to jump to it, leap into aŋarasááƙwa (aŋarasá-áƙɔ̀-) n. gravelly action. See also ipííròn. area. Apʉs (Apʉsí-) n. a personal name. Aŋatár (Aŋatárì-) n. name of a hill or mountain. aráɡwan (aráɡwaní-) pl. aráɡwànìka . 1 n. moon. 2 n. month. aŋawa (aŋaú-) n. yellowish tobacco aráɡwànà kɔ̀n n. maize variety. Lit. leaves. ‘one month’. Also called katʉmán. aŋɨrɛs (aŋɨrɛsí-) 1 v. to turn, twist. 2 aráɡwaníɛ́bɨtín (aráɡwaní-ɛ́bɨtíní-) v. to steer (a vehicle). n. new moon. Lit. ‘moon-horns’. aŋiriesón (aŋiriesónì-) v. to swerve or aráɡwaníékwa (aráɡwaní-ékù-) n. full veer repeatedly. moon. Lit. ‘moon-eye’. Aŋolekóka (Aŋolekókò-) n. name of a Aramasán (Aramasánì-) n. personal hill or mountain. name of a Bokora man who settled in Apáálokiɓúka (Apáálokiɓúkù-) n. per- Ikland and married an Ik. sonal ox-name of a colonial British Dis- Árápííʝí (Árápííʝíì-) n. place named after trict Commissioner. rocket-propelled grenades (RPG). Apáálokúka (Apáálokúkú-) n. name of arasí (arasíì-) n. councillor in the Local an Italian priest (Father Daniel) who Council I (LCI), an administrative unit founded the Kaabong Catholic mission in the Ugandan government at the vil- and was killed by the Turkana. lage level. Apáálomúƙa (Apáálomúƙú-) n. a per- arétón (arétónì-) v. to cross (this direc- sonal name. tion, to this side). Apáálòŋìrò (Apáálòŋìròò-) n. a per- arí (aríɛ́-) pl. arííka . n. section of the sonal name. small intestine. 16 Aríkó aya Aríkó (Aríkóò-) n. a personal name. atɔŋ (atɔŋɔ́-) n. spotted hyena. Crocuta àrìŋàs (àrìŋàsì) adv. all the time, always. crocuta. See also natɨŋá. arír (arírá-) pl. aríríka . n. flame mixed àtsòn (àtsònì-) v. to come. with smoke. átsʼa (átsʼá-) pl. átsʼítín. n. Sycamore fig: àrònìàwa (àrònì-àwà-) pl. aroniawíka . huge branching tree in which beehives n. crossing, bridge, ford. are placed, whose fruits are eaten raw, and whose wood is used to carve bowls aronuƙota (aronuƙotí-) v. to cross (to and troughs. Ficus sycomorus. that side). atsʼam (atsʼamá-) n. gnawable food (like arʉ́rʉ́bɔ̀n (arʉ́rʉ́bɔ̀nì-) v. to stalk. maize or meat). arútón (arútónì-) 1 v. to make noise, re- átsʼɛ́s (átsʼɛ́sì-) 1 v. to chew, gnaw. 2 sound, sound. 2 v. to be famous, well- v. to bite, sting (of insects). 3 v. to known (when one’s name resounds). ache, cause pain, hurt. See also ƙídzɛ̀s. arútónuƙota (arútónuƙotí-) v. to make átsʼɛ́sà bùbùì n. bellyache, stomach a noise, sound out. ache. Áryánkòrì (Áryánkorií-) n. a personal átsʼɛ́sa ɡúróe 1 n. acid reflux, heartburn. name. 2 n. heartache. as (así-) pl. ásíka . pro. self, -self. átsʼɛ́sìàmà ròɓàe n. cannibal. àsàka (àsàkà-) pl. asákíka . 1 n. door, átsʼɛ́sʉƙɔta (átsʼɛ́sʉƙɔtí-) 1 v. to eat all, doorway. 2 n. patriclan: clan based eat up (by chewing or gnawing). 2 on the father’s lineage. 3 n. verse. v. to bite or sting thoroughly. àsàkànèba (àsàkà-nèbù-) n. main body átsʼietés (átsʼietésí-) v. to hurt intermit- of a door. tently. asínítòn (asínítònì-) v. to dream, envi- atsʼímétòn (atsʼímétònì-) v. to wear out sion (at night or prophetically). (of clothes, shoes, etc.). asínítònìàm (asínítònì-àmà-) pl. asíní- aúɡòn (aúɡònì-) v. to emerge and feed toniika . n. dreamer, fortuneteller, at night (of termites). prophet. aukes (aukesí-) v. to fill (one’s mouth) asínón (asínónì-) v. to delay. See also with drink before/without swallowing. ɨtíɔ́n. awa (awá-) pl. àwìka . 1 n. abode, Asiróya (Asiróì-) n. a personal name. home, homestead, manyatta, village. 2 asʉnán (asʉnání-) pl. asʉnáníka . n. place. n. African pencil cedar, a tall evergreen awa ná zè 1 n. big home or village. 2 tree whose fragrant poles are used for n. capital city. 3 n. Heaven. building and whose bark is pounded awa Ɲákuʝí n. Heaven. and soaked as a decoction against stom- awááƙwa (awá-áƙɔ̀-) 1 n. compound, ach ailments. Cupressus lusitanica. grounds, yard. 2 n. home life. áta (átí-) n. um: a filler word that can awáám (awá-ámà-) pl. awáíka . n. home- replace a forgotten word of any gram- body, stay-at-home person. matical category. aya (aí-) pl. aitín. 1 n. side. 2 n. area, átà (átà) subordconn. even if. location. 17 bàbà bálábálatés b bàbà (bàbàà-) pl. bábàìka . n. armpit, un- bàdòn (bàdònì-) 1 v. to die. 2 v. to derarm. be in a coma, unconscious. 3 v. to be babata (babatí-) pl. babátíkwa . 1 broken. n. his/her/its father. 2 n. his/her un- badona aráɡwaní n. lunar eclipse. Lit. cle (father’s brother). ‘death of the moon’. babatíím (babatí-ímà-) pl. babatíwíka . badona fetí n. solar eclipse. Lit. ‘death n. his/her cousin (father’s brother’s of the sun’. child). badona ná jèjèⁱ n. natural death. Lit. babatínánès (babatínánèsì-) n. father- ‘death on a sleeping mat’. hood, fatherliness. bàdònìàm (bàdònì-àmà-) pl. badoniika . babatíɲóta (babatí-ɲótà-) n. his/her n. dead person, deceased. father-in-law (sibling’s spouse’s fa- bàdònìsìm (bàdònì-sìmà-) pl. badoni- ther). simitín. n. sisal species whose flat bábò (bábòò-) pl. báboín. 1 n. your fa- white leaves are cut into strips and ther. 2 n. your uncle (father’s brother). used to bind bodies for burial. badonuƙota (badonuƙotí-) 1 v. to die. 2 bábòìm (bábò-ìmà-) pl. bábowika . v. to collapse, go unconscious. 3 v. to n. your cousin (father’s brother’s break. child). bàɗa (bàɗà-) n. muscle twitching. báboɲóta (bábo-ɲótá-) n. your father-in- law (sibling’s spouse’s father). baɗɨbaɗas (baɗɨbaɗasí-) pl. báɗíbàɗà- sìka . n. fontanelle, soft spot. See also bácíka (bácíkà-) pl. bácíkìka . 1 n. area, bɔɗɨbɔɗɔs. place, spot. 2 n. corridor, walkway. 3 n. part, section. bakutsa (bakutsí-) pl. bákútsìka . n. breast, chest, pectus, thorax. bàda (bàdì-) n. giant, goliath: any huge person or thing. bakútsêda (bakútsédè-) 1 n. middle, cen- tral part. 2 n. belly (of a pot). Lit. ‘its bàdìàm (bàdì-àmà-) pl. badiika . 1 n. sor- chest’. cerer, wizard. 2 n. anything spooky, bakutsísítsʼa (bakutsí-sítsʼà-) n. chest weird, uncanny. hair. bàdìàm (bàdì-àmà-) n. canine tooth, cus- baƙáíka (baƙáíkà-) n. exhaustion pid. brought on by exertion, hunger, or badiréta (badirétí-) n. devilry, sorcery, thirst. wizardry. baƙúlúmòn (baƙúlúmònì-) v. to be badirétínànès (badirétínànèsì-) n. sor- thickly round (of long objects like rope, cery, wizardry. See also ƙʉtsʼánánès. string, trees, etc.). badítésuƙota (badítésuƙotí-) 1 v. to bálábálatés (bálábalatésí-) v. to disre- make die. 2 v. to make break. gard, ignore, tune out. 18 balɛ́s bátsɛ́s balɛ́s (balɛ́sí-) v. to disregard, ignore, ne- barítɛ́sʉƙɔta (barítɛ́sʉƙɔtí-) v. to enrich, glect. make rich (originally in terms of live- balɛ́sá así v. to neglect oneself (e.g. in stock). hygiene or work). bàrɔ̀àm (bàrɔ̀-àmà-) pl. baroika . n. rich balɛtɛ́s (balɛtɛ́sí-) v. to disregard, ignore, or wealthy person (originally in terms neglect. of livestock). See also bàrɔ̀nìàm. banɛ́s (banɛ́sí-) v. to sharpen, whet. bàròìm (bàrò-ìmà-) pl. bárítíníwika . n. small flock or herd. bàr (bàrɔ̀-) pl. bárítín. 1 n. flock, herd. 2 n. riches, wealth. bàrɔ̀n (bàrɔ̀nì-) v. to be rich, wealthy, well-off (originally in terms of live- baráʝónuƙota (baráʝónuƙotí-) v. to sleep stock). (of more than one person). bàrɔ̀nìàm (bàrɔ̀nì-àmà-) pl. barɔniika . barata (baratí-) pl. bárátìka . n. sisal n. rich or wealthy person (originally in species with flat leaves whose fibers terms of livestock). See also bàrɔ̀àm. are used to make string, rope, hunting nets, and termite traps; pieces of the barɔnʉƙɔta (barɔnʉƙɔtí-) v. to get rich plant may be tied to the limbs of the or wealthy. dead before they are burried. Sanse- bás (básá-) pl. básín. n. beam, ray, or vieria sp. shaft of light. See also sʉ́wa . barata (baratí-) pl. bárátìka . n. large fig basaúr (basaúré-) n. eland. Tragelaphus tree species whose fruits are eaten and (Taurotragus) oryx. whose sap is chewed as gum; beehives basaúréèkwa (basaúré-èkù-) n. medium- are placed in its branches. Ficus platy- sized tree species found growing down phylla. the Rift Valley escarpment; it has red baratídɛ̀ (baratí-dɛ̀à-) n. base or foot of flowers and extremely hard wood used a fig tree (Ficus platyphylla), often a sa- for roof rafters. Lit. ‘eland-eye’. cred place or the site of significant cul- Basaúréika (Basaúré-icé-) n. traditional tural activities like dances and prayers. men’s age-group with the eland as its baratíɡwà (baratí-ɡwàà-) n. yellow totem (# 6 in historical line). Lit. white-eye. Lit. ‘fig tree bird’. Zosterops ‘Eland-Folk’. Also called Ŋíwápɛtoika . senegalensis. bàsɔ̀n (bàsɔ̀nì-) v. to dot, fleck, spot (e.g. baratísím (baratí-símà-) pl. baratísímí- insect droppings). tín. n. rope made of the fibers of a San- batánón (batánónì-) 1 v. to be easy, sim- seviera sisal plant. ple. 2 v. to be ‘easy’, easily seduced. 3 baratsa (baratsó-) pl. barátsíkwa . 1 v. to be gentle, kind. 4 v. to be humble. n. morning. 2 n. morrow. 5 v. to be cheap. baratso n. in the morning. bàtse (=bèè/bɛ̀ɛ̀) adv. last, yester-: bárɛ́tɔ̀n (bárɛ́tɔ̀nì-) v. to start getting yester-hour, yesterday, yesteryear. rich or wealthy. bátsɛ́s (bátsɛ́sì-) v. to scrape off (e.g. barís (barísá-) pl. barísíka . n. rock hyrax. bark, peelings, skin). See also sɛkɛ́s and Procavia johnstoni. tʉkʉrɛs. 19 bátsʼa bɛrɛtɛ́s bátsʼa (bátsʼá-) n. pus, suppuration. bɛfa na ɡóɡòròʝìkàe n. Gaboon viper. baúcùè (baú-cùè-) n. amniotic fluid. Lit. ‘adder with ridges’. Bitis gabonica. bɛ́bam (bɛ́bamá-) 1 n. fat slug (describ- bɛfácɛ́mɛ́r (bɛfá-cɛ́mɛ́rí-) n. small reed- ing termites with fatty bodies). 2 n. fat- like plant species with thorns and ass, fatso. whose roots are pounded, ground, and applied to snake-bites; legend is that béberés (béberésí-) 1 v. to pull, tow. 2 puff adders themselves taught people v. to draw out, extract (e.g. blood or about this treatment. Lit. ‘puff adder information). herb’. Cissus rhodesiae. béberésúƙota (béberésúƙotí-) v. to drag bɛfʉ́dɔ̀n (bɛfʉ́dɔ̀nì-) v. to be bulky, hefty. away/off, pull away. See also bɛfʉ́kʉ́mɔ̀n. béberésuƙota así 1 v. to scoot, skid. 2 bɛfʉ́kʉ́mɔ̀n (bɛfʉ́kʉ́mɔ̀nì-) v. to be v. to refuse treatment for oneself. bulky, hefty. See also bɛfʉ́dɔ̀n. béberetés (béberetésí- ) 1 v. to pull in, bèkwa (bèkù-) pl. bekwitín. n. warthog pull this way. 2 v. to imbibe, ingest, boar. Phacochoerus aethiopicus. take (drink or medicine). bɛná (<bɛnɔ́ɔ́n) v. béberiés (béberiesí-) v. to drag or pull along. beniitesa kíʝáe n. transformation of the land (e.g. due to development or bɛ̀ɗɛ (bɛ̀ɗɛ̀) 1 ideo. thinly. 2 ideo. lightly weather patterns). in color. beníón (beníónì-) 1 v. to not be (some- bɛɗɛ́dɔ̀n (bɛɗɛ́dɔ̀nì-) 1 v. to be delicately one or something). 2 v. to be unique. thin, gossamer. 2 v. to be light in color. See also bɛnɔ́ɔ́n. bɛ́ɗɛ́s (bɛ́ɗɛ́sì-) 1 v. to need, want. 2 beníónuƙota (beníónuƙotí-) v. to v. to look or search for, seek. 3 v. to change, transform. intend (to do). 4 v. to almost do (by accident). bɛnɔ́ɔ́n (bɛnɔ́ɔ́nì-/bɛná-) 1 v. to not be (someone or something). 2 v. to be bɛ́ɗɛ́sa ɦyekesí v. to try to earn a living. unique. See also beníón. Lit. ‘to look for life’. bɛrɛ́s (bɛrɛ́sí-) 1 v. to build, construct, bɛ́ɗɛ́sa wasɔ́ɛ v. to stand (for nomina- mould, make. 2 v. to develop, raise tion). up (e.g. a community or country). 3 bɛɗɛtɛ́s (bɛɗɛtɛ́sí-) v. to look or search v. to braid, plait, weave. 4 v. to bom- for, seek. See also ɨkʉʝɛs. bard with spears, spear (many animals béɗíbeɗú (béɗíbeɗúù-) pl. béɗíbeɗúìka . at once). 1 n. butterfly. 2 n. letter, missive. See bɛrɛ́sá mɛnáɛ v. to go over matters, pro- also bóɗíboɗú. cess issues. Lit. ‘to build matters’. beemón (beemónì-) v. to crack slightly bɛrɛ́síàm (bɛrɛ́sí-àmà-) pl. bɛrɛ́síika . without coming apart. n. builder. bɛf (bɛfá-) pl. bɛfɨtín. n. puff adder or bɛrɛ́síama dómítíní n. potter. viper in general. Bitis arietans. bɛrɛtɛ́s (bɛrɛtɛ́sí-) v. to craft, form, bɛ̀f (bɛ̀fʉ̀) ideo. bulkily, heftily. shape, sculpt. 20 bɛrɛtɛ́sá mɛnáɛ bìta bɛrɛtɛ́sá mɛnáɛ v. to come to a consen- bɨlamʉ́síàm (bɨlamʉ́sí-àmà-) pl. bɨlamʉ́- sus. síika . n. village elder who adjudicates bèrrr (bèrrr) ideo. baa! (bleating sound community matters. of goats and sheep). bílíkɛrɛtɛ́ (bílíkɛrɛtɛ́ɛ̀-) n. crested fran- betsínákwɛ̀ta (betsíná-kwɛ̀tà- ) pl. be- colin. Francolinus sephaena. tsínákwɛtíka . n. left hand. bilóbà (bi-lóbàà-) n. your grandchild. betsínáŋabér (betsíná-ŋabérí-) pl. be- bílɔɔrɔ́ (bílɔɔrɔ́ɔ̀-) n. fiscal, shrike. La- tsínáŋabéríka . n. lefthand rib. nius sp. betsínón (betsínónì-) 1 v. to be awk- binamúí (bi-namúíì-) pl. binamúátikwa . ward, gauche, inept (e.g.in one’s limbs 1 n. your sibling-in-law (husband’s sib- or speech). 2 n. to be left-handed, sinis- ling). 2 n. your sister-in-law (brother’s tral. See also ɨɓaŋíɓáŋɔ̀n. wife). bɛ̀ʉ̀r (bɛ̀ʉ̀rà-) n. fork-tailed drongo. Di- binamúíìm (bi-namúí-ìmà-) pl. bi- crurus adsimilis. See also mɛ̀ʉ̀r. namúíwika . n. your niece or nephew béúrètòn (béúrètònì-) v. to bellow, roar. (husband’s sibling’s child). See also ábʉ̀bʉ̀ƙɔ̀n. binêba (bi-nébù-) n. yourself (singular). bezekanitetésá tódàe v. to exchange Lit. ‘your body’. words. bìɲ (bìɲì-) n. tiny red waterworm that bezekánón (bezekánónì-) v. to fail to swims vertically. cross paths or meet. bɨɲɛ́s (bɨɲɛ́sí-) v. to push nearer to. bézèkètìkìn (bézèkètìkìnì-) n. crossroad, biɲóta (bi-ɲótá-) 1 n. your foreign junction. friend. 2 n. your sibling-in-law (child’s bì (bì-) pl. bìta . pro. you/your (singular). spouse’s parent). bîba (bíbà-) n. dove, pigeon. biɲótáìm (bi-ɲótá-ìmà-) pl. biɲó- a a táwika . n. your niece or nephew-in- bɨbɨʝ (bɨbɨʝí-) pl. bíbìʝìk . n. chicken law (child’s spouse’s sibling). breastbone. bicéka (bi-cékì-) n. your wife. bɨrá (<bɨrɔ́ɔ́n) v. bìɗa (bìɗà-) pl. bɨɗɨtín. 1 n. bile, gall. 2 bɨráʉ́tɔ̀n (bɨráʉ́tɔ̀nì-) v. to be decreased, n. gallbladder. less. bìɗàhò (bìɗà-hòò-) pl. bɨɗahoíka . bírɛ́s (bírɛ́sì-) v. to avail, give, help. n. gallbladder. bíro (bíroó-) n. bird species. biéákwa (bi-éákwá-) n. your husband. bɨrɔ́ɔ́n (bɨrɔ́ɔ́nì-/bɨrá-) v. to be lacking, biemetá (bi-emetáà-) pl. biemetátikwa . not there, unavailable. n. your parent-in-law (of men). bɨrɔ́ɔ́nìmɛ̀n (bɨrɔ́ɔ́nì-mɛ̀nà-) n. lack (as biɛ́n (bi-ɛ́ní-) pro. yours (singular). in ‘due to the lack of …’). biím (bi-imá-) pl. biwíka . 1 n. your child. bisáka (bisáká-) n. appetite for meat, 2 n. your niece or nephew (brother’s meat hunger. child). bìta (bìtì-) pro. you/your (plural). 21 bitáŋá bɔlɔnʉƙɔta bitáŋá (bi-táŋáì-) n. your co-: cohort, bɔɗɔ́ka (bɔɗɔ́kʉ́-) pl. bɔɗɔ́kíka . 1 n. bark, colleague, comrade, etc. husk, rind. 2 n. gun safety mechanism. bítés (bítésì-) v. to spray. bɔ̀f (bɔ̀fɔ̀) ideo. puffily. bɨtɛ́tɔ́n (bɨtɛ́tɔ́nì-) v. to increase, multi- bofétón (bofétónì-) v. to shout, yell. ply. bɔfɔ́dɔ̀n (bɔfɔ́dɔ̀nì-) v. to be puffy, tumid, bitiɛn (biti-ɛní-) pro. yours (plural). turgid. bɔfɔƙɔr (bɔfɔƙɔ́rɛ́-) pl. bɔfɔƙɔ́ríka . bitinebitín (biti-nebitíní-) n. yourselves n. ram: uncastrated male goat. (plural). Lit. ‘your bodies’. bófón (bófónì-) v. to shout, yell. bɨtɨtam (bɨtɨtamá-) n. increase, profit. bóɡès (bóɡèsì-) v. to catch off guard, bɨtɨtɛtɛ́s (bɨtɨtɛtɛ́sí-) v. to increase, mul- storm, surprise, take by surprise. See tiply. also itúúmés. bitsétón (bitsétónì-) 1 v. to expire, pass bɔɨbɔ́ɔ́n (bɔɨbɔ́ɔ́nì-) v. to be reddish- away, perish. 2 v. to be exhausted, brown. used up (energy, wealth). bɔ̀ka (bɔ̀kà-) pl. bɔ́kítín. n. crotch or fork biya (biyá-) n. outside. in a plant or tree. biyáxán (biyá-xánà-) n. outside. bɔ̀kɛ̀da (bɔ̀kɛ̀dɛ̀-) pl. bɔ̀kìn. n. crotch or bízès (bízèsì-) v. to press, push, squeeze. fork in a plant or tree. bòkìbòka (bòkìbòkì-) pl. bokíbókìka . bízetés (bízetésí-) v. to press out, n. jowl. squeeze out. bokímón (bokímónì-) v. to get caught bízibizatés (bízibizatésí-) v. to press or or stuck in/on. squeeze all over. bɔkɔ́ka (bɔkɔ́kɔ́-) pl. bɔkɔ́kíka . n. old bɔ̀ (bɔ̀ɔ̀-) pl. bɔɨtín. n. section of the black honeycomb. large intestine. bɔkɔ́s (bɔkɔ́sí-) pl. bɔkɔ́síka . n. neck- bɔbá (bɔbáà-) pl. bɔbáín. 1 n. my grand- bone, upper cervical vertibrae. father. 2 n. my father-in-law (of bɔƙátín (bɔƙátíní-) pl. bòkèta . 1 n. bride. women). 2 n. daughter-in-law. bɔbata (bɔbatí-) pl. bɔbatíkwa . 1 bɔƙátíníèàkwa (bɔƙátíní-èàkwà-) n. his/her grandfather. 2 n. her father- n. bridegroom, groom. in-law. bɔlɛ́sʉ́ƙɔta (bɔlɛ́sʉ́ƙɔtí-) v. to forego, bɔ́bɔ̀ (bɔ́bɔ̀ɔ̀-) pl. bɔ́bɔín. 1 n. your grand- give up, relinquish. father. 2 n. your father-in-law (of bɔlɨtɛ́sʉ́ƙɔta (bɔlɨtɛ́sʉ́ƙɔtí-) v. to make women). someone stop doing. bɔɗɨbɔɗɔs (bɔɗɨbɔɗɔsí-) pl. bɔ́ɗí- bɔlɔl (bɔlɔlɔ́-) pl. bolólíkwa . n. back- bɔ̀ɗɔ̀sìka . n. fontanelle, soft spot. See yard: spot outside a home where also baɗɨbaɗas. ashes/rubbish are dumped and where bóɗíboɗú (bóɗíboɗúù-) pl. bóɗi- people go for their toilet. boɗúìka . 1 n. butterfly. 2 n. letter, bɔlɔnʉƙɔta (bɔlɔnʉƙɔtí-) v. to cease, de- missive. See also béɗíbeɗú. sist, stop doing. 22 bòmòn bositíníàm bòmòn (bòmònì-) 1 v. to be dense, thick bòròkùìm (bòròkù-ìmà-) pl. boroku- (of undergrowth). 2 v. to be fertile, wika . n. bushpig piglet. prolific (of people and animals). borokuŋwa (boroku-ŋwaá-) n. bushpig bɔn (bɔnɛ́-) n. caretaking, provision (for sow. dependent persons). bɔrɔƙɔƙa (bɔrɔƙɔƙɔ́-) pl. bɔrɔ́ƙɔ́ƙìka . bɔnán (bɔnání-) pl. bɔnánáikwa . n. de- n. tobacco cone. pendent, orphan. bɔ́rɔ́n (bɔ́rɔ́nì-) 1 v. to be tired. 2 v. to bɔnánés (bɔnánésì-) n. dependence, or- be bored, uninterested. phanhood. bɔrɔ́ɔ́n (bɔrɔ́ɔ́nì-) 1 v. to be ajar, open. bɔnɛ́ám (bɔnɛ́-ámà-) pl. bɔnéíka . n. care- 2 v. to be loud (of a voice). See also taker, provider. ŋawíɔ́n. bɔnɛ́s (bɔnɛ́sí-) 1 v. to care or provide bɔ́rɔ́rɔ̀n (bɔ́rɔ́rɔ̀nì-) v. to cry out (in for (esp. with food). 2 v. to feed, give alarm, fear, or pain). See also werétsón. food relief. 3 v. to domesticate, tame bɔ̀rɔ̀tsa (bɔ̀rɔ̀tsà-) n. erosion, landslide, (by feeding). mudslide. See also dìdìàka . bònìta (bònìtà-) pl. bonítíka . 1 n. kind, Bɔ̀rɔ̀tsààka (Bɔ̀rɔ̀tsà-àkà-) n. name of a species, type, variety. 2 n. clan. See place. Lit. ‘erosion-mouth’. also ɲákaɓɨlá. borotsiés (borotsiesí-) v. to blow gently bɔ̀ɲ (bɔ̀ɲɔ̀) ideo. brittlely. on. bɔɲɔ́dɔ̀n (bɔɲɔ́dɔ̀nì-) v. to be brittle. bɔrɔ́tsɔ́mɔ̀n (bɔrɔ́tsɔ́mɔ̀nì-) v. to be bɔ́ŋɔ́n (bɔ́ŋɔ́nì-) 1 v. to be nearly ripe goopy, sludgy (of any viscous liquid). (showing some color). 2 v. to be fruit- See also ɓɔrɔ́tɔ́mɔ̀n. laden. bòs (bòsì-) pl. bositín. n. ear. boŋórén (boŋórénì-) pl. boŋórénìk . a bósánòn (bósánònì-) v. to be blue-gray. n. red dirt or soil (naturally occuring See also kábusubusánón. or from being burnt). bɔsɛtɛ́s (bɔsɛtɛ́sí-) 1 v. to collect, gather bòrèn (bòrènì-) pl. bórénìk . 1 n. fatty a (e.g. contributions, donations). 2 v. to chicken tail. 2 n. small bottle-like summarize, sum up. See also ɨtsʉnɛtɛ́s. gourd used as a butter or oil flask. bòsìèkwa (bòsì-èkù-) pl. bosiekwitín. bɔrɛ́tɔ́n (bɔrɛ́tɔ́nì-) 1 v. to become tired, n. ear hole. tire. 2 v. to become bored, lose inter- bòsìɔ̀ka (bòsì-ɔ̀kà-) pl. bosiɔkɨtín. 1 est. n. temporal (outer ear) bone, os tem- bɔrɔ́ɗɔ́mɔ̀n (bɔrɔ́ɗɔ́mɔ̀nì-) v. to be shriv- porale. 2 n. inner ear bone. eled, shrunken (like a deflated ball or bòsìsìtsʼa (bòsì-sìtsʼà-) n. ear hair. one’s eyes). bɔsɨtɛtɛ́s (bɔsɨtɛtɛ́sí-) v. to extract con- bòròka (bòròkù-) n. bushpig. Potamo- tributions from. choerus porcus. bositíníàm (bositíní-àmà-) pl. bosití- borokucúrúka (boroku-cúrúkù-) níika . 1 n. deaf person. 2 n. nickname n. bushpig boar. for a hare or rabbit. 23 bota bùɗàm bota (botá-) pl. botitín. 1 n. burden, bubú (bubú) nurs. nighty-night! (a nurs- cargo, load. 2 n. migration, movement, ery word for sleeping). wave. bùbù (bùbùà-) pl. búbùìka . n. abdomen, a belly, gut. botáám (botá-ámà-) pl. botáík . n. im- migrant, migrant. bùbùàƙwa (bùbù-àƙɔ̀-) 1 n. abdominal botedo n. all, as a whole, entirely. cavity, bowel, gut. 2 n. bolt carrier. bɔ́tɛ́s (bɔ́tɛ́sì-) v. to shape (with a blade), búbùèda (búbùèdè-) n. underbelly, un- shave. derside. Lit. ‘its belly’. bɔtɛtam (bɔtɛtamá-) n. wood shaving. búbuiem (búbui-emé-) n. back part botétón (botétónì-) v. to migrate or or underpart of an animal’s leg, from move this way. the ankle to the thigh, which is the women’s special cut of meat. botibotos (botibotosí-) v. to be migra- bʉbʉn (bʉbʉná-) pl. bʉ́bʉ̀nìka . 1 n. cin- tory, nomadic. der, coal, ember. 2 n. bullet, slug. botibotosíám (botibotosí-ámà-) pl. bo- bʉbʉnɔ́ɔ́ʝa (bʉbʉnɔ́-ɔ́ʝà-) pl. bʉbʉnɔ́ɔ́ʝí- tibotosííka . n. drifter, migrant, nomad. tín. n. bullet or gunshot wound. botitín (botitíní-) n. baggage, cargo, lug- bùbùɔ̀ʝa (bùbù-ɔ̀ʝà-) pl. bubuɔʝɨtín. gage. n. stomach ulcer. bòtòn (bòtònì-) v. to migrate, move. bubuxánón (bubuxánónì-) 1 v. to be soft botonuƙota (botonuƙotí-) v. to migrate (like ripe figs). 2 v. to blistered, vesi- or move away. cated. bótsón (bótsónì-) 1 v. to be clear, open, bubuxánónuƙota (bubuxánónuƙotí-) 1 vacant. 2 v. to be empty, hollow. v. to become soft, soften (like ripe bótsóna ikáe v. to be clear, sober (of figs). 2 v. to blister, vesicate. See also one’s mind). ileɓíléɓòn. bóx (bóxá-) 1 n. nightjar. 2 n. idiot, budés (budésí-) v. to conceal or hide moron, stupid person. oneself. boxoƙoréta (boxoƙorétí-) pl. boxoƙo- búdès (búdèsì-) 1 v. to bury, inhume, in- rétíka . n. tall softwood tree species ter, lay to rest. 2 v. to conceal, hide. whose bland, red berries are eaten by See also muɗés and tʉnʉkɛs. children and whose wood is carved budésón (budésónì-) v. to be concealed, into bowls and cups. Cussonia arborea. hidden. bú (búá-) n. airborn dust, dust cloud. budésónuƙota (budésónuƙotí-) v. to be- a buanítésuƙot (buanítésuƙotí-) v. to come hidden. lose, hide, make disappear, misplace. búdesuƙota (búdesuƙotí-) 1 v. to bury. buanón (buanónì-) v. to be lost, disap- 2 v. to conceal, hide. peared, misplaced. búdòs (búdòsì-) v. to be concealed, a buanónuƙot (buanónuƙotí-) v. to dis- covert, hidden, private, secret. appear, fade, evaporate, get lost. bùɗàm (bùɗàmà-) n. darkness. 24