Lugungu Dictionary Sep 2012

Ndagiiro
Kiragiro Kiẖandu̱ Kya Uganda Kya 1995
kyatongoori ̱ Bagungu nkeihanga
lyahu̱kanu̱. Ihanga limbura lukobo!! Ee,
ihanga litali na lukobo, hab̯wakubba,
ku̱doosya kasumi kakwo, bya Bagungu
baakookobengi ̱ byalingi byegebeerwe
nka Runyoro lu̱kookobeerwe lu̱sob̯u̱.
Kandi mu b̯wiṟe b̯wakeeri̱, hatali hadei
na deeru, kulukookoba hanzei wa
B̯ugungu, kyabbengi ̱ nka kya muswaru.
Kubba muntu alu̱kookobiṟi ̱, bantu
baamu̱gayengi̱, nibamunyooma, kandi
niḇamu̱cooma-coomya.
Kya mu̱gi ̱sa gurungi hoi ̱ hali bensei ̱
banyu̱miṟwa kandi nibeegondeza mu
lukobo lwab̯u, Kitongole kitali kya
Gavu̱menti̱ (NGO), kikora mu nsi
gyensei̱, kyetwa SIL International,
kyalingi nkwata kujongoora kyetaagu
kya Bagungu nkeihanga kubba na
lukobo kwo. Kubba, myaka miḏooli̱
miṟabiṟiẖo ha b̯wiṟe b̯wob̯wo, makani ̱sa
ga Baku̱ri ̱siṯo ga Bunyoro gaalingi
gamaari ̱ kweta kitongole kiḵyo kya SIL,
kisobore ku̱tandiḵi̱sya ntegeka gya
kuhindula Bbaiḇbu̱li ̱ mu Lugungu. Ba
SIL, baagi ̱iṟye nihaloho mulimo
gukwetaagisib̯wa kutahoona mu̱liṉgo
gwa kuluhandiika kurungi aleke
lusobore kuhandiikwa b̯wangu
ku̱si̱giḵiṟa kwidaara lya nsi gyensei ̱.
Kuhuluka kwa Ntontogoli ̱ kiḵwolokya
nti, kuhanda kwa Lugungu nka lukobo
ku̱doori̱ ha b̯udulu. SIL nkugikuutira
tamaamu gya ku̱gi̱si̱i̱ma hab̯wa mulimo
gu̱nolu̱ gu̱giṯu̱koleeri̱. Twiẕu̱ke nti,
Kitabbu Kihab̯ura Bantu Kuhandiika
Lugungu, kyetwa Lugungu Orthography
Guide, kyamaari ̱ kadei kuhuluka kandi
nakwongera ku̱niẖiṟi ̱iṟwa.
Bagungu na batali Bagungu, kyonkei
banyu̱miṟwa kusoma, kuhandiika na
Foreword
The Uganda Constitution of 1995
recognised the Bagungu as a distinct
tribe. A tribe without a language? Yes, a
tribe without a language, because up to
that time what the Bagungu spoke was
regarded as a mere dialect of Lunyoro,
that is, Lunyoro incorrectly spoken. In
fact in the not too distant past speaking
it in public outside the Bugungu
territory was a social abomination
attracting ridicule and contempt.
Fortunately, for those who cherish their
language, an NGO known as SIL
International was just around the corner
to help out on this shortcoming, having
been commissioned by the Bunyoro
Christian Churches some few years back
to establish a project to translate the
Bible into Lugungu. The Bagungu were
fortunate because SIL discovered that
more work was necessary to develop a
good writing system so that the
language could be easily written
according to international standards.
With the publication of this dictionary,
the Lugungu language has come of age.
I commend SIL for a job well-done. It
will be noted that the Lugungu
Orthography Guide is already in
circulation, having been published and
updated some years back. With this and
the dictionary we are now facilitated to
read, and write the language correctly.
It is not only the Bagungu who have
been facilitated but also all the Lugungu
language enthusiasts.
My appeal now is to the teachers,
preachers and administrators of primary
schools and other institutions of
learning to make use of these
publications and teach the language
correctly. Public officers in the region
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