Influence of indigenous languages
The phonological characteristics of Ugandan indigenous languages significantly influence the pronunciation patterns of Ugandan English. The country's linguistic diversity enables speakers familiar with the region to discern an individual's ethnolinguistic background through their English pronunciation patterns. In theVocabulary and idioms
Some words in Ugandan English have unique meanings widely understood within Uganda but unknown to foreigners. The best known example is probably ''to extend'', which in Uganda means "to move aside" or "to create space for someone else to sit". Another example, ''pop'', is used to replace words such as ''bring'' and ''come'', for example: "Danny, pop that bottle here" or "Heno, pop to my house". The origins of some of these words' usages may be obscure.Buildings
; godown : A warehouse or storage area, often used for goods in transit, derived from Malay . The standard English term ''warehouse'' is also known in Uganda. ; hotel : A restaurant found in a small town.Clothing
; put on : To dress, to be dressed or to wear. For example, "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."Communication
; beeped, flashed : To ring up the intended recipient of a call and hang up immediately, indicating that the caller wishes to talk at the receiver's expense. The receiver understands themselves to have been ''beeped'' or ''flashed'', based on the brief flashing of the screen. This is common in Uganda due to the prevalence of prepaid mobile phone services.Education
; facilitation : In Uganda, it means paying someone for attending a meeting or event, often covering expenses and providing additional compensation. This contrasts with the European or US meaning, which focuses on helping organise progress without financial compensation.Family members
; cousin : In Uganda, this term is used to refer to any close relative, including siblings, aunts, uncles and even close family friends. Thus, the terms ''cousin brother'' or ''cousin sister'' are used to identify the "close" cousins. ; dependant : 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 byFood and farming
; take a beverage : To drink a beverage, such as water, soda or beer. ; chai : Another word for all kinds of tea. ; chips : French fries, as in British English. ; digging : A common word to refer to farming. ; garden : A field under cultivation, including large fields. This is a direct translation from several Ugandan languages. ; Irish potatoes : Potatoes in general. By itself, ''potatoes'' refers to sweet potatoes. ; macrons : Spaghetti, which is generally fried in oil. ; ovacado, vacado :Language
; vernacular : Commonly used to refer to local languages, as opposed to English. It originates from the practice in primary schools of punishing students for speaking their local languages, which are often referred to as "vernacular". This usage is not common in other English-speaking countries.Money
; bounce : In American and British English, a dishonoured check is said to "bounce". In Uganda, this phrase has been adopted to refer to the failure to meet with someone, with or without an appointment: "I came to your place and bounced." ; demand : In Uganda, the verb ''demand'' is often used in place of ''owe'', with inversion of subject and object. For example, "I demand John ten thousand shillings" means "John owes me ten thousand shillings". ; eating money : A phrase used to describe the act of spending money, especially in a lavish or extravagant manner. It is derived from the idea that when one spends money, they are "eating" it, as if consuming it. This phrase is widely used in Uganda and has several connotations. 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 to ''living a lavish or abundant lifestyle'', hence "You are eating money", which commonly means one is successful and doing well. ; forex : Foreign currency, and currency exchange bureaus are referred to as ''forex bureaux''. ; house : When out with friends for drinks or shopping, if someone pays the bill, they are said to have "housed" the group. For example, "We went out with Kenneth last night and he housed us" means "Kenneth paid for the drinks". ; terms for shillings : Due to the high exchange rate to other currencies, in Uganda, 1000 shillings is referred to as "1k", 2000 shillings as "2k", and so on. For example, "Lend me some 10k Marvin" means "Lend me 10,000 shillings Marvin."Quality
; fake : A word used to describe something that is not genuine or authentic. 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!" ; somehow : A frequently interspered word used to mean "slightly" or "occasionally". It can also imply doubt or uncertainty. When asked if you liked the food, and you enjoyed it slightly, you could simply reply "somehow".Religion
; pagan : Individuals who would be referred to elsewhere as atheists and agnostics are referred to as pagans, often used to describe those who do not adhere to Christianity. ; save-dee : A person who has found God, often referred to in other English-speaking countries as "being saved".Social interactions
; congs : Short for "congratulations". ; lost : Used to mean that one has not seen the person in a long time. 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. ; wel be back : A bastardised way of saying "welcome back", used much more commonly than the standard phrase.Transport and directions
; bodaboda : A motorbike or bicycle used for the same purpose as a taxi. The term originated at the Uganda–Kenya border crossing at Busia, 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". ; branch : To turn. ; captain : The title applied to all pilots, not just those in command of a plane. ''Pilot'' is often used to refer to the driver of a bus, (minivan) taxi or "special hire". ; foot : To walk. ; give someone a push : To accompany a person home for some distance. ; means : Forms of transport. For instance: "I could not reach the party last night; I had no means." ; sleep outside : When a car "sleeps" outside, it means it stays outside, not in the compound or in the garage. ; slope : To go in a particular direction which is not necessarily downhill. ; taxi : 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 a ''special hire''.Witchcraft
; nightdancer : A person who has been possessed by a spirit, causing them to dance naked in the wee hours of the night, often defecating and smearing human excrement on people's door posts. This term is used throughout Uganda, regardless of tribal origin, and has become synonymous with witch doctors, as they are usually possessed by these spirits. It can also refer to cannibals, although this is not a common practice. For example, a parent may say, "You will become a nightdancer" to a child who is biting their fingernails, implying that the child may eventually start eating human flesh instead of just fingernails. ;Miscellaneous
; downer : Often used in place of ''lower'', used in opposition to ''upper''. For example: "I broke my upper leg, but my downer leg was paining, too." ; enjoy : In the dialect of English used in Karamoja, to ''enjoy'' can 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." ; ever : Used to mean "often", in the same way "always" is used in American English. It is the opposite of the exaggeration "never". For example, if someone is often late, a Ugandan might say "She is ever late." ; gas : 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.'' ; just : 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." ; kandahar : The newspaper '' Red Pepper'' popularised the use of this word. ; mob : A large number of people or things. In Uganda, the word ''mob''does not necessarily denote a large unruly crowd of people but can also be used to mean objects. In some contexts, to Ugandans, ''mob'' can mean "a lot" or "a significant amount". For example, ''There are mob people in that building'' means 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 as ''a'' ''mob''. Another example, ''We have mob food here'' means we have a lot of food. ; monologue : The Broadway play '' The Vagina Monologues'' had a brief, but notorious, appearance on the Ugandan stage before being banned by government censors. The brouhaha led to the entry of the word ''monologue'' into Ugandan English as a euphemism for ''Borrowed terms
Ugandan words are often inserted into English because the English equivalent does not convey the sense the Ugandan speaker intends. The standard English term ''brother-in-law'' applies 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 use ''muko'' (wife's brother) and ''musangi'' (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 prefix ''ka-'' before a noun denotes smallness. A Member of Parliament, referring to a Finance Minister, said in a debate "the ''ka-''man is innocent." ''Ka-child'' and ''ka-thing'' are also common. Thus, in most cases it is used to refer to the size of an object. For example, many cell phones in Uganda have torches, 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 conjunction ''nti'' is often slipped into English sentences instead of ''that''. Thus, one will hear a quotation like "The Minister said ''nti'' corruption will not be tolerated." If the speaker is skeptical, he will use ''mbu'' instead of ''nti'': "The Minister said ''mbu'' corruption 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 express ''thanks'', ''congratulations'', and ''appreciation 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 expression ''well done'' is extrapolated to specific actions. Examples include ''well fought'', to soldiers on the winning side after a war; ''well bought'', to someone with a new car or house; and even ''well put on'', to a well-dressed person.Note previous discussion on the interchangeability of ''to dress'', ''to wear'' and ''to put on''. Ugandans often createGrammar differences
Ugandans will frequently combine two sentences into one using the word ''and''. 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 word ''and'' is 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".Verbs
There is a tendency to create strong verbs from 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" as ''gam'', "to fetch" as ''fatch'' and "to chop" as ''chap''.Spelling
Standard English spelling rules are often openly disregarded, even in official publications. For example, the word ''dining'' is frequently spelt "dinning", which to a native English speaker would imply a pronunciation with a "short" ''i'' , 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 labelled ''saloons'' are, in reality, western salons. Another frequent change is the confusion of ''u'' and ''a'' . An example would be the use of "batter" for "butter" (spread on bread).See also
*Notes
References
Further reading
*External links