Ugandan English

Ugandan English, also colloquially referred to asUglish(/ˈjuːɡlɪʃ/YOO-glish), is the variety of English spoken inUganda.Aside fromUglish(first recorded in 2012), other colloquialportmanteau wordsareUganglish(recorded from 2006) andUgandlish(2010).
The speech patterns of Ugandan languages strongly influence spoken English. Uganda has a large variety of indigenous languages, and someone familiar with Uganda can readily identify the native language of a person speaking English.
TheBantu languagesspoken in southern Uganda tend not to have consonants sounded alone without a vowel in the syllable. Indeed, theLugandaword for consonant is "silent letter". Thus the letterslanddinAlfred/ˈælfrɛd/will be given sound by the addition of/u/, making the pronunciation of the word/ˈalufuredi/. Similarly,muscularis pronounced/ˈmusicular/.
Luganda never has an/r/starting a word; it only appears following the letters/e/and/i/within a word. The/l/sound, conversely, cannot follow these sounds. Thus the wordrailwaygets its/r/and its/l/substituted, giving/leyirwe/.
Luganda does not permit the sequence/kju/; any occurrence of this sound becomes/tʃu/. Thuscuteis pronounced/tʃut/.
The initial/r/is dysphonic to the Luganda speaker but is perfectly natural to the speaker ofRunyankoleandRukiga, which have few instances of the/l/sound. Additionally,/s/in Runyankole and Rukiga is more often heard as/ʃ/. The combination of the above three rules will transformcalciuminto/karuʃim/.
Some Ugandan English words have a peculiar meaning widely understood within Uganda but mystifying to foreigners. The origin of these usages may be obscure. The best known example is probablyto extend, which in Uganda meansmove over on a seat to make room for someone else. Another example, "pop", is used to replace words likebringandcomefor example:Danny, pop that bottle hereorHeno, pop to my house.
Sometimes the usage has a traceable origin. A basement is called agodown, but the usual meaning ofwarehouseis also known in Uganda as proper English.
A building labelledhotel, in a small town, is likely to be a restaurant.
The verbto put onis often substituted forto dress,to be dressed, orto wear. One may hear remarks such as "That lady is rich, don't you see how she is putting on" and "The police are looking for a man putting on a red shirt."
Mobile phoneservices are prepaid. A person finding themselves with inadequate prepaid time to make a call will ring up the intended recipient of the call and hang up immediately. The receiver of the call, hearing the phone ring once and seeing the number, understands themselves to have beenbeeped. Alternatively, it is called beingflashedon account of the brief flashing of the screen.The understood message isI wish to talk to you at your expense.
In the worlds of business and development, the word "facilitation" or the expression "to facilitate someone" have fundamentally different meanings in Uganda from those in Europe or the US. In Uganda, it most often means paying them for something. It is often a payment in part to cover some expenses, but is expected to go beyond just the "out-of-pocket" costs the recipient has incurred. Sometimes it can amount to the equivalent of a week or two's wages just for attending a meeting for a day or two. In business in Europe or the US, it usually means to help organise progress amongst a group of people in some way and almost never involves paying them anything. This is rather about helping them by doing preparation and analysis; by chairing and minute-taking at meetings and by mobilising, coaching and advising.
Children whose fathers are brothers are considered siblings in most Ugandan tribes. The English wordcousinconflates them with the children of a maternal uncle or those of aunts, who in a patrilineal society belong to a different clan. Thus, the termscousin brotherorcousin sisterare used to identify the "close" cousins.
A dependant is a child who is not the biological offspring of the family with whom the child lives. Sometimes, dependants are referred to as sons, daughters, nephews, or nieces. The high number of children orphaned byAIDSand poverty combined with the communal culture of Uganda leads to an extremely high number of dependents and a great deal of confusion for an outsider trying to determine biological family structure.
Drinking a beverage is often described as taking a beverage. A pop is a soda. All tea is also called chai.
French fries in Uganda are called chips, as in British English.
Macrons meansspaghetti, which is generally fried in oil.
Irish potatoes are potatoes, while "potatoes" means sweet potatoes.
Sukuma wiki meanscollard greens. Ovacado or vacado meansavocado. Posho refers to a dense mixture of cooked cornmeal and water also known asugali.
Farming is often referred to asdiggingand fields under cultivation, even large ones, may be referred to asgardens.
The wordvernacular, rarely used in ordinary conversation in most of the English speaking world, is common in Uganda to meanlocal language. It comes from the fact that in most primary schools, pupils are punished for speaking "vernacular", languages other than English. Since there are many local languages, they are usually classified as "vernacular".
When money is spent extravagantly on outings, shopping, recreations and the like, Ugandans are said to be "eating money." It is also a common phrase in reference to embezzlement, corruption, or misappropriation of funds: "The Minister ate the money," or "He was fired from his job because he ate money." This phrase also applies toliving a lavish or abundant lifestyle, hence "You are eating money", which commonly means one is successful and doing well.
In Uganda the verb "demand" is often used instead of "owe", with inversion of subject and object. For example,I demand John ten thousand shillingsmeaningJohn owes me ten thousand shillings.
When out with friends to drink or shopping and someone takes the bill, the termhouseis used. For example,We went out with Kenneth last night and he housed us, meaningWe went out with Kenneth last night and he paid for the drinks.
Foreign currency isforex, and currency exchange bureaus areforex bureaux.
In American and British English, a dishonoured check is said tobounce; Ugandans have adopted this phrase to refer to the inability to the failure to meet with someone – with or without an appointment: "I came to your place and bounced."
Due to the high exchange rate to other currencies , in Uganda 1000 shillings is referred to as 1k, 2000 shillings is referred to as 2k, and so on. ”Lend me some 10k Marvin.” Meaning “Lend me 10000 shillings Marvin.”
Somehowis interspersed frequently, and means slightly, occasionally, or can imply doubt. When asked if you liked the food, and you enjoyed it slightly, you could simply reply 'somehow'.
The wordfakecan be used to chastise a person about something. For example, if one's friend went on an exciting evening out without inviting the other friend, one might hear the latter complain, saying "Eeh, you man, you are fake!"
Asave-deeis someone who has found God, often referred to in other English-speaking countries as being saved.
Individuals who would be referred to elsewhere as atheists and agnostics are referred to as pagans.
Congsis frequently used as shortening of congratulations.Wel be backis a bastardised way of saying welcome back, but it used much more commonly.
The wordlostis used to mean that one has not seen the person in a long time. One would say "Eeeh, but you are lost."
The phrase "ok please" is used to convey agreement or acknowledgement. It can also be used to signal a transition. For instance, if a person is preparing to leave, he might break a moment of silence with "ok please" and then announce that he is leaving. "Thank you please" has a similar meaning but can also mean thank you. "Please" never means please. If Ugandans want something, they say "You give me..." Please is not required; the tone of the voice is normally enough to convey politeness.
Forms of transport are referred to asmeans. For instance: 'I could not reach the party last night; I had no means'.
A "taxi" is a van used like a bus, carrying many persons along a fixed route. A taxi taking one passenger at a time on a negotiable route is referred to as aspecial hire. A tow truck is abreakdown.
A motorbike or bicycle used for the same purpose is abodaboda. The term originated at the Uganda–Kenya border crossing atBusia, where a kilometre separates the downtown area from the border post on the Ugandan side. Travellers dropped off at the bus/taxi station by buses or taxis, or those coming to Uganda from the Kenya side, were ferried over this distance by enterprising cyclists, who would attract business by calling "border, border".
The titleCaptainis applied to all pilots, not just those in command of a plane.Pilotis often used to refer to the driver of a bus, (minivan) taxi or "special hire".
When people walk they say they "foot".
When giving directions, the following expressions are common:to slopemeans going in a particular direction which is not necessarily downhill;to branchmeans to turn.
"To give someone a push" means to accompany a person home for some distance. When a car "sleeps" outside, it means it stays outside, not in the compound or in the garage.
A practitioner ofwitchcraftis referred to as aWitch doctor. The origin is unclear and is not a direct translation from a Ugandan language. A practitioner of witchcraft in Uganda is referred to as a Witch doctor, though this term is often also used to refer to practitioners of local medicines (e.g. herbal medicines). Nightdancer, however, refers to a person who has been possessed by a spirit, causing them to dance naked in the wee hours of the night, and very often causing them to defecate and smear human excrement on people's door posts. This usage can be found throughout Uganda, regardless of tribal origin. It eventually became synonymous with witch doctors, as they were usually possessed by these spirits. Nightdancer, is also commonly used to refer to cannibals, not that this is a common practice. For example, a parent may say,You will become anightdancer.to a child who is biting their fingernails. This implies that the child may eventually start eating human flesh instead of just fingernails.
The worddowneris used instead oflower, used in opposition toupper. For example: "I broke my upper leg, but my downer leg was paining, too." The word paining is often used in place of the word hurting to mean the same thing.
"Sorry" tends to be used in different ways in Uganda and England. Ugandans are perfectly correct to use the word to express sympathy and sadness for something undesirable that has happened to someone by saying "Oh, sorry" or "I'm sorry". However, in England direct use like this is now usually an expression of regret with some responsibility attached – a form of apology. If they were not involved and just mean to express sympathy, they are likely to be less direct – "I'm sorry to hear that" or "that's really sad", or "that's terrible".
Everis used to meanoften, in the same wayalwaysis used in American English. It is the opposite of the exaggerationnever. For example, if someone is often late, a Ugandan might say "She is ever late."
The Broadway playThe Vagina Monologueshad a brief, but notorious, appearance on the Ugandan stage before being banned by government censors. The brouhaha led to the entry of the wordmonologueinto Ugandan English as a euphemism forvagina. The newspaperRed Pepperpopularised the use of the wordkandaharand after the 2010 World Cup,vuvuzelafor vagina, andwhopperfor penis.
The adjectivewholeis used to emphasise disapproval of conduct unbecoming a person's rank or station. Examples: "How can a whole Minister go to that cheap nightclub?" or "How can a whole headmaster dress so badly?" The usage is a direct translation from several Ugandan languages.
Among younger people,proggie(shortened version of programme) is common when referring to one's social plans, e.g.Susan, what's your proggie for the weekend, let's hook up.
The wordZibbsis an often-used word to mean problems. Example:I failed the exam, now those are other zibbsThis term originates from the Luganda word for problemsebizibu
The adverbJustis often used at the end of the statement to express obviousness. Example: During a phone call, one would tell a friend,I am at home eating food, just.
The nounGasis in some scenarios used to denote physical strength as opposed to an air like fluid or gasoline. Example:I have no gas to read for the exam.
Among studentsPapermeans exam. One can normally hear Ugandan students exclaiming,The paper was hard!to mean that the exam was difficult.
The nounMobdoes not necessarily denote a large unruly crowd of people but can also be used to mean objects. In some contexts, to Ugandans,mobcan mean "a lot" or "a significant amount". For example,There are mob people in that buildingmeans that there are a lot of people in the building. The people represented in the example do not have to be unruly to be referred to asamob. Another example,We have mob food heremeans we have a lot of food.
In the dialect of English used in Karamoja, toenjoycan be used as "to be married to", as in the sentence, "I used to enjoy Narot but now, since the divorce, I am enjoying Nakoto."
Ugandan words are often inserted into English because the English equivalent does not convey the sense the Ugandan speaker intends.
The standard English termbrother-in-lawapplies to both a spouse's brother and a spouse's sister's husband. A man's relationship with these two entails two quite different sets of obligations and norms in Ugandan society. Thus, Luganda speakers will often usemuko(wife's brother) andmusangi(literally "one you met", meaning you met at the girl's home while wooing her) to make the distinction.
Sometimes only a prefix is borrowed. In Luganda the prefixka-before a noun denotes smallness. A Member of Parliament, referring to a 5-foot-tall (1.5 m) Finance Minister, said in a debate "theka-man is innocent."Ka-childandka-thingare also common. Thus, in most cases it is used to refer to the size of an object. For example, many cell phones in Uganda havetorches, as an accessory of the phones. Ugandans refer to this light as the "katorchi" since the light emitted from the phone comes from a small bulb at the top. But it can also be diminutive, such as in the case when a woman is telling her friends how she was bothered by an overly flirtatious young man on the taxi, "Eh! this ka-boy really disturbed me on the taxi. He would not stop asking for my number." Here the ka is used not so much to refer to whether or not the boy was short or tall, but rather as a way to reflect how he bothered her.Ka-timba, however, in the context of building construction refers to a thin piece of steel (such as re-bar), rather than the wood which one might expect. On the other hand, akatimba (obutimba, plural) is the name for a mosquito net. Thus, as is common in Uganda, one word will have multiple, if not numerous, meanings depending on the context in which it is used, as will the prefixes.
The Luganda conjunctionntiis often slipped into English sentences instead ofthat. Thus, one will hear a quotation like "The Minister saidnticorruption will not be tolerated." If the speaker is skeptical, he will usembuinstead ofnti: "The Minister saidmbucorruption will not be tolerated" implies that it is just talk; business will go on as usual.
In some Ugandan languages, the same verb can be used to expressthanks,congratulations, andappreciation of a job well done. It is normal for an African working in his own garden to be thanked for his work by a passing stranger. If one buys a new car in Uganda, or wins a race, one should not be surprised to find themselves being thanked.
People are also thanked early in the morning as a form of greeting. Therefore, a Luganda speaker may translate "gyebale" by saying "well done". They are just greeting others by way of thanking them for their usual work, not necessarily for a particular task.
The expressionwell doneis extrapolated to specific actions. Examples includewell fought, to soldiers on the winning side after a war;well bought, to someone with a new car or house; and evenwell put on, to a well-dressed person.
Ugandans often createportmanteausfrom Luganda English words. For example, "I am going to change into a dress" becomes "I'm going toku-changi-nga." In other cases, they add-ingat the end of a Luganda word; thus, a young girl can say "That gentleman waskwaana-ringme" to meanthe gentleman was chatting me up. Or still letter "-d" or "-ed" can be added at the end of a Luganda word. For example, "Brenda kwanjula-d Brian at her parents' home" to mean "Brenda introduced Brian at her parents' home".
Ugandans will frequently combine two sentences into one using the wordand. For example, a barber will say "Sit down and I cut your hair," or a messenger might say "They told me to come and you give me the package." The usage makes sense in most Ugandan languages, but in these languages the wordandis implied, not stated.
The personal pronoun is usually added to imperative sentences. Thus, one hears the phrase "Go to Entebbe;" or "Please go to Entebbe" will become "You go to Entebbe." "Please come here" becomes "You come." "Let's go" becomes "we go".
There is a tendency to createstrong verbsfrom weak English verbs. For example, the past participle of the verb "to flop" is "flap" instead of "flopped". "I flap the test" means "I didn’t do well in the test". Other examples include rendering the past participle of "to game" asgam, "to fetch" asfatchand "to chop" aschap.
Like many speakers of foreign languages, Ugandans change, add and omit prepositions that are normally used by native speakers. For example, Ugandans:
Ugandan pronunciation of English varies widely depending on the level of education of teachers and the exposure to English. Since native speakers, English recordings, and dictionaries with pronunciation guides are not readily available to most Ugandans, they rely on spelling to guess how to pronounce words. As a result, visitors will hear "spelling pronunciation". For example, in Kampala, "acacia" as in Acacia Avenue is pronounced /a ˈka sia/, not /əˈkeɪʃə/ or /əˈkeɪ sɪə/.
Standard English spelling rules are often flouted, even in official publications. For example, the worddiningis frequently spelt "dinning," which to a native English speaker would be pronounced with a "short"i/ɪ/, as if it refers to making a loud noise (din) rather than referring to the room in which eating takes place (dine). Businesses that are labelledsaloonsare, in reality, western salons.
Another frequent change is the confusion ofu/ʌ/anda/æ/. An example would be the use of "batter" for "butter" (spread on bread).