All Nyaudzosingwi

Figurative Expressions

• tununuVariant spelling of "tuni".
• tupfunuDescribes causing something that has been tied to come loose.
• tupuDescribes uprooting something growing in the ground.
• tupururu pfachaDescribes a person turning up all of a sudden, without your knowing how he arrived.
• tupwiDescribes an arrow shooting off from a bow. Also describes standing out conspicuously taller than everything else: in town you may see one building rising up above the city.
• turaDescribes draping a cloth over something. Also used of a water container, which when it goes tura is full of water. Compare turi.
• turiDescribes the filling of a pail with water or with grain (compare tura).
• turiDescribes standing silent, showing fear and not knowing what to do.
• turi-iDescribes letting out a scream that carries far off. When we heard a scream go turi-i, we knew at once that something dangerous had happened.
• turn turnDescribes walking or running about aimlessly, showing that you do not know where you want to go.
• turududuDescribes standing in a way that shows one is at a loss for what to do.
• turumuDescribes rain beginning to fall. Also describes setting out on a journey.
• turunuDescribes taking something down from the high place where it is sitting.
• tushuDescribes a piercing that lets out what is inside a boil of pus or a ripe fruit.
• tusvu
• tusvuDescribes shaving the head so as to remove all the hair. Also used of gouging out the eye of a person or an animal.
• tutumuVariant spelling of "tunduma".
• tutunuDescribes taking things from where they were and setting them down on the ground or somewhere else.
• tutururuDescribes arriving at a place all of a sudden, when you are not expected (compare vhu, bvendu). Also used of a person who is in a sulk (compare hurududu).
• tutururu vhe-e
• tutyuDescribes piercing something so that what is inside comes out. He pierced the orange with a knife and the juice came running out.
• tuvhuThe sound made when drawing water. Also describes dipping the cooking stick in while dishing out food (compare chuvhu).
• tuviDescribes pouring cold water into hot water so that it is merely warm.
• tuwa tuwa
• tuzuVariant spelling of "tumbi".
• twaThe sound of a gun or a catapult being fired.
• twasaVariant spelling of "tasa".
• twasanuDescribes the straightening out of something bent. Also used of the stretching that an animal does, or a person on just waking up.
• tweIf a person says twe, they have let out air, which is heard to make a sound.
• twiDescribes the straightness of something. A road that is twi is perfectly straight.
• twiVariant spelling of "twe".
• twiri twiriDescribes laughing in a way that is inwardly irritating or sickening.
• twiririDescribes keeping one's gaze fixed on a single spot.
• tyaThe sound of a whip cracking or of firewood being snapped. Also describes the stabbing of pains in a person's chest, and used of a person who is fast asleep (compare pfodo).
• tyaka tyakaThe sound made in a person's knees as they walk slowly and lazily.
• tyeDescribes the splitting of a small stick, as done by someone preparing the strands for weaving a basket.
• tyi tyi tyiDescribes laughing in a way meant to irritate someone else.
• tyoWhen a person is told to say tyo, they are being told to calm down. Also describes snapping, as a piece of firewood might.
• tyotyorotyo
• tyotyotyoThe noise made by a tree that has been cut and is about to fall. Also describes the collapse of a wall or other built structure.
• tywanyuDescribes crushing soft meat, such as liver, with the teeth.
• tywiki tywikiThe small noise made by the springs of a bed.
• u-uwiA word for the cry a person calls out when weeping in pain and seeking help.
• ubvunyuDescribes something coming away from another thing by tearing off softly and easily. When meat is tender it simply goes ubvunyu as it comes off the bone.
• uduDescribes being struck by something that shatters on impact, such as a clod. Also describes eating maize by tossing the grains into the mouth one by one until they are finished.
• udyuDescribes the bulging out of the eyes caused by fear or astonishment.
• umburu
• unaunaUsed of leaves that are wilted and drying out; of a person, describes one who is losing strength through exhaustion or illness.
• undumuDescribes a heavy object falling to the ground from a height.
• undunduUsed of looking weak and not feeling well.
• une uneDescribes the appearance of a person who is without joy or without strength, one who is ill.
• unga unga
• uruDescribes leaping over the top of something. The boy went uru over the gully.
• urududuDescribes arousing pity in others while being ashamed of the state you are in.
• uta uta
• utumaUsed of running out of ideas, being at a loss for what to do.
• vaDescribes cutting meat or something else very quickly. Also describes filling a container right up to the brim: the basket was filled va with grain.
• vabvu
• vaduDescribes filling a pot or anything else right up to the brim.
• vafaDescribes lying face down on one's stomach with the head down.
• vagadu
• vaiWhen there is a vai, a light is seen and then goes out at once, as lightning does.
• vakuVariant spelling of "vhai".
• vambara
• vambuDescribes crossing over from one side of a river to the other. See yambu.
• vandanuDescribes bringing out into the open things that had been hidden. Also vandanyu.
• vandanyuVariant spelling of "vandanu".
• varavaraDescribes moving something very quickly.
• vare
• vataWhen things are vata, they are all even and alike. The maize in the field stands vata.
• vatamaDescribes evenness, such as that of grass or hair.
• vavava
• vazuDescribes a person suddenly getting up quickly. Also describes splitting something, such as firewood, into small pieces.
• vazvuDescribes standing still, showing that one is at a loss over what has happened. The dog was left standing vazvu after the hare had gone into the hole.
• ve
• veka vekaDescribes walking as though staggering under a heavy load.
• venguDescribes the sudden swiftness with which a person or thing vanishes from where it was in sight. It went vengu into the water, where it feeds on fish. Compare nyengu, sveerere.
• venyu
• venyuDescribes the quick disappearance of something, as it slips behind another thing or sinks into water. The duck went venyu into the water.
• verevereDescribes a long thing entering into somewhere, as a snake going verevere into a hole. Also describes arriving at or leaving a place stealthily, moving softly so that people do not see you.
• vhinyu
• vhurumuUsed of a person suddenly coming out with talk that cannot be understood.
• virikitiUsed of a person who comes out of hiding and suddenly appears in the open.
• wadzu
• wanyuDescribes pulling something so that it stretches out flat. Pull that hide wanyu, so that we can all sit on it.
• warakataDescribes many small things falling to the ground with a rattling sound.
• waranu
• waranyuDescribes taking off a cloth or something else that had been spread out or laid over something as a cover.
• wararaDescribes maize grains being flung down and falling all over the place, here and there. Also used of papers sent scattering in every direction by a gust of wind. Compare bvururu.
• warashu
• warawaraDescribes falling gently and without any noise, as drizzling rain does.
• warawashuDescribes springing up and bolting away in haste for fear of being caught. Example: the hare went warawashu and dashed off before the dogs spotted it.
• ware
• warnDescribes taking off a blanket or something else that had been spread out.
• washuwashuThe sound of walking that makes a rustling noise, caused by dry leaves underfoot or by shoes that are wet inside. Example: I walked washuwashu beneath the trees.
• watsanyu
• way aThe ringing sound made by silver coins when they are dropped. Also describes scattering seed or grain on the ground in a field. Cf. -kusha.
• wayawayaDescribes the way things fill a vessel or container right up.
• we-e
• wedere wedereDescribes walking in a lazy, sluggish way. A tired person walks wedere wedere.
• weshuweshuDescribes walking carelessly and noisily.
• wewenu
• wewerereDescribes the drawing or yanking out of a big knife or some other long object.
• wiDescribes thrusting something quickly inside something else.
• wi-i
• wire-eDescribes the embracing of people when they meet and greet one another. Example: a mother and child embraced one another joyfully.
• wiriwiriDescribes going down at a run. Example: the boys came down the hill wiriwiri, fleeing a leopard. Also used of falling into a deep pit, such as a mine shaft.
• wobvodo
• wodzvoDescribes the pouring out of seed grain onto the ground or into containers or a sack; e.g. the grain was poured into the measuring container. Also used of a person speaking before having thought about the words they are going to say.
• woo-oThe sound or manner of rain falling very heavily.
• wovo
• wudyuDescribes staring at something for a long time, with the eyes not blinking.
• yambuDescribes crossing a river over to the other side. Example: they escaped by the skin of their teeth, for they had only just gone yambu across the Ngezi when a crocodile seized a cow left behind.
• yangararaDescribes tears welling up and filling the eyes. Also used of the way a thing sits on top of water without sinking, i.e. floating. Compare yengerere, yangaru.
• yangaruDescribes floating on the surface of water. Compare yangarara.
• yarnUsed of reaching the age at which a girl's breasts first begin to form, or at which a boy's voice first begins to deepen.
• yemu
• yengerereVariant spelling of "yangarara".
• yerereDescribes the flowing of water as it runs down a river.
• zanandaDescribes the swelling of the belly after eating too much, as of children left with bellies distended full of boiled cowpeas. Compare tananda.
• zariDescribes the closing or shutting of a door or something similar.
• zaruDescribes the opening of something that was shut.
• zavhuDescribes striking someone a painful blow with the fist, such that the one struck sees stars. Also used of swiping or slapping at someone in that manner.
• zeeDescribes the turning of something round and round, going forward and coming back again.
• zendaTo lean means to rely on something else.
• zeteDescribes a chopping stroke in which the blade goes down into or sinks deeply into the thing being cut.
• zhindingu zhindinguDescribes something that keeps on spinning round in one place. Also the sound of a vessel being struck so that noise comes out of it.
• zi-iUsed of a place that is zi-i: it is completely silent, without the slightest sound.
• zivhaUsed of a person who is sitting relaxed and at ease, as in: 'Don't sit there at your ease while we ought to be going back to the field.'