Literal meaning: firewood that is not yet in the fire laughs at the one burning. This phrase is similar in meaning to the Swahili saying ?Mwenzako akinyolewa, chako tia maji.? It cautions against laughing at or celebrating another person?s misfortune. It can also be used in place of the English idiom ?What goes around, comes … Read more
Today we learn how to say ‘come and close the gate’ in Bukusu. Learn new Bukusu words, translations and meaning. Yicha wikaleo silibwa Let’s learn new Bukusu words Yicha English translation: Come Wikaleo English translation: Close One of the ways you learn Bukusu with us is when we get to answer random questions from our … Read more
To get to the meaning of the figure of speech nyanga ya mabasa in Bukusu, we will break down the phrase and learn new Bukusu words along the way. Meaning of nyanga In Bukusu language, nyanga means: The sun, also called enyanga; Day Meaning of khubasa The word mabasa comes from the Bukusu action word khubasa … Read more
Drawing from my experience growing up Luhya in the village, I recall curious associations and myths about the owl in Bukusu culture. As you know, the owl is much feared in Luhya culture. The sighting of an owl is considered a bad omen. It tells of death stalking the community where it is sighted. And … Read more
A reader had the following question for us: How do we say, I am amazed in Bukusu language? Khuuka In Bukusu language khuuka means to be amazed (greatly surprised or astonished). Additionally, khuuka used to refer to exclamation sounds or ‘words’ common in Lubukusu such as: Wah! Eh! Eish! Balebe! Befwe! Bayee! Khuuka practice sentence … Read more
Here are names of 10 common rodents in Bukusu language + Bonus: Bukusu names of animals thought to be rodents, but are scientifically not rodents. Emuna Esabale Yabunje In Bukusu culture, this rat is said to be the ‘royal rat’ for its strange habit of having its resting nest littered with money. Curious to know … Read more
The Bukusu do have a specific greetings for different times of day. Let’s learn how to say good morning in Bukusu. Bwasiele You can comfortably say bwasiele translated as its dawn. This is closely related to how other Luhya subtribes say it, the only difference being the pronunciation. For example. the Maragoli say ‘vuche’, which … Read more
The moon was so bright that you could pick a needle in the grass. When you have a bright moonlight illuminating the night, in Bukusu language, it’s described as enje chelechenje. Meaning of phrase A moonlit night either in full moon or even earlier phases when the skies are clear. Learn new Bukusu words from … Read more
Drawn from across the 18 houses of mulembe, these are common Luhya words for darling. Come, let’s learn Luhya, the language of love. Common Luhya words for darling As we will be regularly updating this list, bookmark it for future reference. Egiswidi That’s sweetie in Kimaragoli. Kimeremende Peremende is sweet (the confectionary) in Swahili. Kimeremende … Read more
Mulembe is peace in Luhya language. However given that the Luhya language has a number of dialects, the pronunciation of mulembe varies with slight differences in intonation of sound: m-re-mbe and m-lembe are some of the common pronunciations of the word. Interestingly, peace in Luhya language does have a plural. This is because its Luhya … Read more
