Uganglish 101

For those that are not up to date with Uganda’s past, Uganda was a British colony until 1962.  This small, East African country, roughly the size of Oregon, has anywhere from 50 to 70 local languages, depending who you ask.  Many of these share the same foundation, that being Bantu, but a handful are unique to those who speak it.  I wonder how that will transfer on my resume…

Anyway, one of the national languages is English.  Thank gosh.  I can’t imagine trying to facilitate a health class in Runyankore.  Now the English they speak here is not your typical American English of “Waz up?” but rather British English.  I am not talking, “Crumpets and tea”, although they do love their tea time, but rather a derivative of British English, which many have coined Uganglish. 

Now for those who know me, I’ve always aspired to have an accent.  Luckily when one speaks Uganglish, you attempt to speak it in some sort of British English.  It is a dream come true.  I somehow feel like Adele. 

I thought I would share with you some rather amusing Uganglish expressions.  Now when you read them you are required to do so like Elton John or The Queen.  Your choice.

Basic Vocabulary Differences

Sweets = Candy

Chips = Fries

Crisps = Chips

Biscuits = Cookies

Torch = Flashlight

Pitch = Field

Rubbish = Trash

Bathroom = Place where you bathe

Toilet = Place where you do your business, most likely a pit latrine

Boot = Truck of a car

Football = Soccer

Trousers = Pants

Balance = Change (as in money)

Pants = Underwear
Slippers = Flip flops

Videos = Movies

To branch = To turn

Assist = Give me

What, what = Etc.

You are most welcome = You are welcome

Flashing = Calling someone and quickly hanging up so they have a missed call from you but you are not using your airtime/credit

Muzungu = White person.  Usually accompanied by a parade of Ugandan children shouting, “Muzungu!  HI!  Howareyouhowareyouhowareyouhowareyou?”

“Extend” = “Move over”

“Are you picking?” = “Do you understand?”

“You are deceiving” = “You are lying”

“I am fearing it” = “I do not like it”

“I will ring her” = “I will call her”
“You have been lost” = “You have been away”

“I am fair” = “I am okay”

“Mind the dog” = “Avoid/be aware of the dog”

“I am shifting” = “I am moving”

“I pick you” = “I take you”

“I am delayed” = “I am late”

“I am reaching” = “I am almost there”

“I stay in Ishaka” = “I live in Ishaka”

“You are smart!” = You are well dressed!  You look good!”

“Not so?” = Don’t you think?

“It’s okay” = Yes

“Let me come” = “I am coming”

“We go” = “Let’s go”

“You are fat” = You are healthy/strong.  This is said to anyone with any remote shape or curve to his or her body.  Flattering at first, thereafter annoying.

More on my favorites…

 “Sure?!”  I have found that this questionable phrase is often said when I give a compliment.  When I get in a taxi where all the windows roll down on their own and the doors all have working locks and handles, I tend to tell the driver, “Ssebo (Sir), you have a very nice vehicle.”  He will typically respond with, “Sure?”  The closest phrase in American English I can think that this equates to is, “Oh really?!”

Somehow.  In America we define somehow as some event that occurred against the odds, something unexpected or surprising.  Here in Uganda “somehow” takes on the meaning of what we would think of as, “kind of”.  Example. 

Me:  “Are we near the market?” 

Ugandan:  “Somehow.”

Me:  “Oh, Uganda.”

“Sorry, sorry, sorry!”  In Runyankore there is no word for sorry.  Often times you will hear Ugandans say, “Bambi”, which acts as a sympathetic phrase but also a term of endearment.  Oh but they do love to say sorry, and multiple times at that.  Ugandans will shower you will a chorus of “Sorry, sorry, sorry” if you happen to trip over your feet, lose a loved one, or drop a pencil.

The mid-sentence, “what?”  You most often come across this in a classroom setting or when someone is trying to convey some information to someone else.  Now let me preface this by saying that the same person is saying the following.  “We can get HIV from what?  From unprotected sex.  We do what to protect ourselves?  Practice the ABC’s.”  Needless to say, I have embarrassed myself plenty of times when I have anxiously raised my hand to answer only to realize, they were not looking for one.

Now versus now, now.  As I have written about before, Ugandans have a very different perception of time, as in they are always late.  When Ugandans say “now”, they most likely mean in a few hours or sometime today.  When you hear them say, “now, now”, which is somehow rare, it typically means now.

Oh and the pronunciation differences…

Clothes sounds like, “cloth-es”, mosquito sounds like, “mo-squit-o”, penis is pronounced “pay-nes”, and juice is “jweese”. 

This doesn’t even begin to encompass the other cultural differences.  For example, the long, awkward handshakes that accompanies the local greetings, the pointing with ones lips, which is meant to give you a sense of direction to your destination, and the eyebrow raise, which is also known as “yes”. 

Now I should apologize if we have spoken on the phone and I have somehow included some of the above phrases into our conversation.  

I’m simply integrating.