Runyankore to English Dictionary – B
baaburangahi n. a person who likes going to parties.
baamwana n. parents of the bride and bridegroom.
baasi n. bus: a big vehicle that transports passangers.Etym: [].
baazina n. namesake. Pl: baazina.
Bagyendanwa n. royal drum: the largest drum in the royal palace in Ankole used for ceremonial purposes.
bahungu n. eyelashes: short curved hairs growing on the upper eye lid.
Baiburi n. Bible: the sacred writings of the Christian religions.
baitu conj. but: a word that introduces something in contrast or unexpected.
bakihuuta n. a person who does things quickly especially in talking: someone who is annoying because he or she talks too much in an offensive way.
bambe adj. a word used to express pitty and sympathy for someone’s misfortune. Etym: [].
banda n. a group of musicians who play popular music together. Etym: [].
banka n. bank: an institution that keeps money. Etym:[].
baro n. your husband: a man to whom a woman is married.
bbiringanya n. egg plant: a big oval purple fruit or vegetable.
bendera n. See: EBENDERA.
bi adj. bad: adjectival root which means having undesirable or negative qualities.
bibiri See: MAGANA ABIRI.
bigahwa adj. empty handed: faillure to obtain or achieve what one wanted.
biguru-by’empitsi adv. speedy: done or occurring quickly.
bihogo n. a uniformly dark brown cow. Pl:bihogo.
biika-oguze n. savings and credit institution; organised groups of people that save and give credit to their members on small interest rates.
biizi-bitootsya n. (colloq) meat of a sheep. binkwatiireki adv. doing something carelessly. binzaari n. orange colour.
birindi adv. the state of someone when he or she is drunk.
birundura n. hyena: a dog-like scavenger with the front leg longer than the hind ones.
Biruuru n. January: the first month of the year.
bishatu n. See: MAGANA ASHATU.
bishunga n. a cow with very white horns, horns.
bitaano n. See: MAGANA ATAANO.
bituri-bingi n. a tool with many holes, which is used to grip and turn nuts or bolts.
biya n. alcohol: a drink made out of sorghum or barley. Etym: [].
bo pron. them: the people mentioned earlier.
bogoya n. banana fruit: a type of banana eaten when ripe.
bombi pron. both: used to refer to two people.
bombiri pron. See: BOMBI. bonka adj. only them: on their own. bonshatu adj. three of them. bontaano pron. five of them.
booda-booda n. bicycle or motorcycle taxi. [Note: Origin: In the 1970s, when bicycles were first used to transport people and goods across the Uganda-Kenya border at Maraba and Busia.]
boodingi n. See: GOMESI. Etym:[].
boodingi n. a secondary or primary school which often has accomodation facilities for students. Etym: [].
booma n. government ground or station.
boona adj. a word used to mean ‘all the people’.
boona-bashome n. a government program aimed at provoding free education to all.
boote-boote adj. senile: a very old person. bucunku n. a type of banana with small clusters. bucura n. last born: a child born last in a family.Macura waitu n’omwojo. Our last born is a boy. Var: macura.
bucuracuriro n. See: BUCURA.
bucuranda n. See: BUCURA.
bucuzi adv. upside down.
bucwekye adv. to be left with nothing: to become destitute.
bucwekye adv. to talk using bad language.
bufunyankobe n. African edible root tuber of sweet potato variety. Ipomea batatas. See: EKITAKURI.
bufuuzi adv. a condition of having no parents.
bugango adj. 1) something of large size. **2) a great extent.
bugiigi adj. not easy to break, bend or deal with.
bugingo n. personification of life.
bugondo n. a cow with small spots.
bugubugu adv. behaviour: doing something with haste. Bugubugu tiguba muriro. Haste does not always achieve effeciency.
bugufu adv. in a short manner; briefly .
buguru-butakora-hansi adv. moving very fast; going helter-skelter. Omushuma abapoorisi bakamukwata buguru-butakora hansi. The policemen arrested the theief and whisked him off.
bugyendandara adv. to walk sluggishly.
bugyengye n. 1) to be in a state of uncertainty, danger or panic. **2) the state of being at risk.
buheekwa n. vehemence.
buhooro adv. serenity/peace; all right: a disposition free from stress or emotion or the absence of mental stress or anxiety. Muri buhooro. Are you all right? Var: obuhooro.
bujenjebere adv. something that is shaky. bujinja n. a sheep without ears. bujumeera n. a good singing voice.
bukabuka n. plant: a type of medicinal plant that is traditionally used to heal different diseases.
bukara n. plant: a type of weed with small brown leaves that grows in banana plantations.
bukarasa n. a cassava variety originally developed in Bukalasa Agricultural College. Etym: [].
bukiika adv. lying horizontally or diagonally.
bukiizi n. sideways: facing or coming from the left or right side.
bukizi-bwa-bumosho n. See: AMASHUUMA. bukizi-bwa-buryo n. See: AMATEMBA. bukunya adv. state when all or part a person or partof the body is exposed, without clothes.
bukuru adv. 1) length of time one has lived.**2) maturity.
bumosho adv. left hand side.
burahanda n. pan cake: a flat round cake made with baking flour. Usage: KG. See: AKABANDA.
burangiti n. blanket: a woolen covering used especially on bed for keeping people warm while they are sleeping. Etym: [].
burengyerwa-izooba n. West: the direction where the sun sets.
buri adv. 1) that time. Buri obu oija, okaba noomanya ngu ari hanu. Last time when you came, did you know that he was here. **2) each: every. Buri omwe. Everyone, each person.
buriijo adv. See: BURIIZOOBA.
buriizooba adv. everyday: a word used to mean everyday. Buriizooba nindya enyama. I eat meat everyday.
burikooti n. black wattle: a hard black tree from whose black shoe polish is made.
buroro adv. behaviour: bad way of bringing up a child. Ogu mwana bakamukuza buroro. This child was badly brought up.
burugwa-izooba n. East: the direction from which the sun rises.
burungi-bwansi n. a government policy that encourages voluntary unpaid communal labour. Abantu baaza kukora burungi-bwansi omu ruguuto. People have gone to clean up the road.
bururu adj. blue: the colour of the clear sky or the sea in the sunlight. Etym: [].
buryo n. 1) the right hand side. **2) on or to the right side of something.
busha n. 1) nothing: something with no value. **2) for free. Akakorera busha. He worked for free.**3) empty. Omwo harimu ki? Harimu busha.What is in there? It is empty.
bushoberwa n. 1) misery or dejection: great suffering or discomfort of mind or body.**2) desparation.
busimba adv. See: BUTSIMBA.
buso-bwa-ntaama adv. head on collision.
busya adv. afresh; once more.
butaamisi n. a type of cassava that is often sour.Var: rutaamiisi.
butandu n. accident: unpleasant event that happens unexpectedly and causes damage or loss of life. Abantu baingi bakafeera omuri butandu bwa motoka. Many people died in a car accident.
butsimba adv. upright: something that is straight.Var: busimba.
butunu adv. face-to-face: in each other’s presence.
butwe-bwa-ntaama adj. See:BUSO-BWA-NTAAMA.
buzima adv. truly: in a sincere and genuine way.
bwa adv. to speak openly. Akagamba bwa omu rukiiko. He spoke openly in the meeting.
bwahara adj. big or huge: very large in size. Aine ente bwahara. He has a large herd of cattle.
bwakyeire-bwaizire adv. now and then. Akaba anyihuza bwakyeire-bwaizire. He would ask money every now and then.
bwana adj. master: tittle of a person who has authority over others. Etym: [].
bwanamukuru n. a parish priest. Usage: Catholic.
bwangu adv. quickly.
bwanyima adv. afterwards; later. Haine ebi nkiriyo ninkora, oije bwanyima. I am still busy, come later.
bwara n. plant: a thorny wild tree whose pods produce gum.
bwasheesha n. period of time: the day after tomorrow. Oije bwasheesha nkuheereze esente zaawe. Come the day after tomorrow and I’ll give you your money. Usage: NK. See: BWATAHO.
bwataho adv. See: BWASHEESHA.
bwatu adv. doing something openly. Ekimukundira we agamba bwatu. I like her because she speakes openly.
bwemi adv. standing upright. Yemerera bwemi.Stand upright.
bwereere n. a very young baby. Var: omwereere.
bwesherekye adv. doing something secretly or in hiding. Ekitabo kye naakishoma bwesherekye. I read his book secretly.
bwino n. a coloured liquid that is used in writing, drawing, printing, etc. Akacumu kangye kahweiremu bwino. My pen has no ink.
bwino n. first hand information. Usage: slang.
bwiraninkonda n. wood pecker: a very small black bird.
bwizi adv. filling something to the brim.
bwohe n. temptation.
byafandimu adv. See: BINKWATIIREKI.