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I - Glossary of Terms in Runyoro-Rutooro

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 December 2023

Linda Cimardi
Affiliation:
Martin Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
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Summary

In this Glossary, I have gathered the Nyoro and Tooro (and some Ganda) terms recurring in this book, except for the words in songs’ lyrics, for which a direct translation is provided in the text. In Runyoro-Rutooro language prefixes are fundamental in expressing nominal classes and number for adjectives and nouns, and person and number for verbs, as mentioned in the initial “Note on Language.” For this reason, ordering terms alphabetically can be problematic and various solutions have been adopted by different authors (Davis 1938; Ndoleriire et al. 2009; Rubongoya 1999). Here I follow the method adopted by Margaret B. Davis (1938) in her dictionary, which has been very useful for my research, especially to retrieve terms quite uncommon in today's Runyoro-Rurooro. In particular, as I have done throughout this volume, I omit initial vowels since they have a role similar to that of articles; I normally refer to the singular form of nouns and adjectives (and mention the plural when different from the singular); finally, differently from Davis, I list verbs in the infinitive form with the ku- prefix, in order to help readers finding the searched verb as it mostly appears in the rest of the book.

Akadinda: Ganda and Soga xylophones and xylophone repertoires.

Amadinda: Ganda and Soga xylophones and xylophone repertoires.

Baakisimba: Ganda music and dance genre.

Bakugarukamu (sing. mu-): lit. those who answer; chorus in call-andresponse singing, also known as banukuzi.

Batebe or Kalyota: sister of the Nyoro and Tooro king, female head of the women of the royal clan Babiito.

Banukuzi (sing. mu-): lit. those who answer; chorus in call-and-response singing, also known as bakugarukamu.

Buhangwa: lit. nature, used to mean local tradition.

Buro: millet; millet polenta.

Buswezi: marriage.

Bw’omu mbaju: lit. of the ribs, of the sides; old Tooro dance, then become women's part in Tooro runyege dance.

Firimbi: Nyoro whistle.

-gano: root present in several Bantu languages and referring to storytelling or to repertoires combining singing and narrating.

Hima: pastoralist, referred to Bahima pastoralists from Nkore.

Huma: pastoralist, referred to Bahuma pastoralists from Tooro and Bunyoro.

Icumbiro: kitchen.

Iguulya: music and dance genre similar to runyege and characterized by cloth rings worn by performers dancing the women's dance part.

Ihega (pl. ma-): one of the three stones delimiting the kitchen fire.

Ihuuru: small double-skin cylindroconical drum used in royal music.

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Publisher: Boydell & Brewer
Print publication year: 2023

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  • Glossary of Terms in Runyoro-Rutooro
  • Linda Cimardi, Martin Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
  • Book: Performing Arts and Gender in Postcolonial Western Uganda
  • Online publication: 17 December 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781805430643.011
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  • Glossary of Terms in Runyoro-Rutooro
  • Linda Cimardi, Martin Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
  • Book: Performing Arts and Gender in Postcolonial Western Uganda
  • Online publication: 17 December 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781805430643.011
Available formats
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To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Glossary of Terms in Runyoro-Rutooro
  • Linda Cimardi, Martin Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
  • Book: Performing Arts and Gender in Postcolonial Western Uganda
  • Online publication: 17 December 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781805430643.011
Available formats
×