In our previous post on the Kinyarwanda and Maragoli connection, we traced the roots of these two East African Bantu languages spoken by a combined over 15 million East Africans to that point before the great divergence in central Africa. Today, we highlight what the two languages, Lulogooli and Kinyarwanda, carried with themselves.
Our focus in this analysis are words that sound the same but carry different meaning. Once again, we build on the excellent work of the community of a popular Kenyan chat room. We also invite our readers to point out any issues lost in translation, provide context if need be and also contribute to grow of list. ENJOY!
Kinyarwanda – Lulogooli Word Pairings and Their Meanings
Kwigurira
In Kinyarwanda is ‘to give completely to’. In contrast, a similar sounding word in Lulogooli, kwigurira, would be making hard work of saying, kwigulla, which means ‘to open’. Like in opening a door. Moreover, kwiguria in Lulogooli is to say: to buy for yourself; from the word, gura, which means to buy.
Kugaragara
This is what a Munyarwanda says when describing the state of being visible: ‘to be visible’. On the converse, Kugaragara is the KiMaragoli ‘corruption’ of the Swahili word Kugaagaa. Or rather, is it Swahili that has corrupted the Bantu word? All the same, the online Swahili- English dictionary glosbe has the meaning of gaagaa as:
be idle, be lazy, stretch, toss restlessly, turn restlessly, writhe in discomfort or pain, roll from side to side.
Kwambura
In Kinyarwanda means ‘to take clothes off’ possibly after being rained on? Because – imbura- is the rain in Lulogooli.
Kuhamba
The Maragoli would say, kuteza, to mean what a Kinyarwanda speaker means when they say, Kuhamba: to bury. However, hamba is to ask someone to ‘come here’ in Lulogooli. Whilst, hambika, is to ‘get or be drunk’. †
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Mugogo
Mugogo in Kinyarwanda means foot bridge. In lulogooli, mugogo means wife. The word for bridge in Maragoli is borrowed from Swahili daraja. But in Lulogooli, the prefix sound of ‘e’ is added by having an ‘i’ before daraja to make iDaraja. Moreover, the word mugogo sounds more like gentrified Maragoli where, gogo, refers to the off cuts timber from lumbering.
Gogo is a Swahili word that means a tree trunk cleared off it’s branches. Therefore, one can infer the meaning of gogo that’s similar to that of Kinyarwanda. This is because a good number of bridges in the olden days were made of laid down log or logs, or from tree off cuts.
Kuganira
That’s to ‘converse with’ in Kinyarwanda. A similar sounding word, Kuiganira, means to visit in the Maragoli language. Quite different in meaning these words are, but not entirely ‘out of context’.
Kugurana
Means to ‘exchange articles’ or to borrow’ in Kinyarwanda. The similar sounding word in Lulogooli would be, Kuguranira, which means ‘to buy for each other. To achieve a meaning as that in Kinyarwanda, one would have to say, Kusava, in the Maragoli language. On the converse, Kuisava would mean to wash up, like in washing hands; while, Kuisinga would be ‘to bathe’ in Lulogooli.
Kungigimira
Means ‘to stutter’ in Kinyarwanda. Conversely, Kugimira is ‘to be in possession of, to hold or to arrest’ in Lulogooli.
Kuhuga
This means ‘to forget for the moment or be busy’ in Kinyarwanda. Mulogooli would use the same word to mean ‘to be astonished’ such that one is in a state of disbelief and can’t move or do anything.
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Gukama
That’s ‘to milk’ in Kinyarwanda, which would be, Kokera, in Kimaragoli. Though Kukama means ‘to dry’ in Lulogooli, in the context of a well, water source or river drying up. On the other hand, Ziumi, is what one would say of clothes that have dried, kivambara that’s perfectly sub dried, or even firewood that’s dry for use.
Kuhangara
Mahangari means ‘arguments or points of conjecture or counter- arguments’ in Kimaragoli. A person who likes to argue for arguments sake is termed to like to ‘kuhangara’ in Lulogooli. We’d imagine this to be the state one is likely to find themselves in if they had called Kibisu a coward for hiding up in liungu. However, in Kinyarwanda, ‘kuhangarara’ means ‘to stand’; an action that we call, kusingira, in logooli.
Kuhanga
To introduce something in Kinyarwanda. On the other hand, Kujaga means to start something in Kimaragoli.
Kuhirwa
Means to be fortunate or blessed in Kinyarwanda. On the contrary, Kuhirwa, in Maragoli would mean ‘ to be taken to’. Furthermore, kuhiirwa, means to ‘get burnt on’.
Kuhinda
Is ‘to thunder’ in Kinyarwanda. Moreover, kuhindira, is to mature or grow up in Lulogooli. Thus a grown up in Maragoli is called mundu (person) muhindira.
