In this article, we get to translate and know the meaning of the Maragoli saying: umkana umuravu niriduka ria ovotele. Kindly note that this article is part of Learn Maragoli online, Free Lessons for Intermediate learners.
Literal meaning of umkana umuravu niriduka ria ovotele
A light-skinned girl is a shop for all.
Meaning of umkana umuravu niriduka ria ovotele
This Maragoli saying compares well in meaning to the viral internet meme which goes: ‘marrying a beautiful girl is like planting maize by the roadside’; or the African proverb ‘one who plants grapes by the road side, and one who marries a pretty woman share the same problem’. That said the moral of this saying is to warn those blessed with anything widely desirable – wealth, beauty, good looks – that not all who come do so in good faith or with noble intentions.
Let’s meet new Maragoli words
A closer look at some of the Maragoli words in this saying.
Umkana
A young girl; maiden. Umkana is also an affectionate term for an elderly woman.
Umuravu
The casual meaning of this word is descriptive and talks of a fair-skinned or light-skinned person. That said, the more appropriate meaning of ‘umuravu’ is one who sparkles.
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About the Maragoli
The Maragoli or Mulogoli is a Bantu tribe that’s one of the larger houses of the Luhya supra-community that’s presently mainly domiciled in Western Kenya. Maragoli language or Lulogooli, Logoli is the tongue of Maragoli. Join us and learn how to speak Maragoli language. Start of with our free lessons in Maragoli language. Build your vocabulary with our stories from Maragoli culture whose narrative harnesses the richness of L’logoli in telling our origin, beliefs and way of life. Hop on our continuous search for the meaning of different Maragoli proverbs and sayings. Test yourself with our dalliance at the intersections, such as in our ongoing Kinyarwanda-Lulogooli and Lingala- Luhya discourse. Let’s get you started with Kimaragoli, with our mega post: Learn Maragoli Online: The Mulembe Nation list of 60+ common Maragoli words, their translation and meaning.
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