ABANYALA BA KAKAMEGA: Names for colours in Olunyala (K)

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The Olunyala (K) is a sub-dialect of Luhya language spoken by the Abanyala of Kakamega. The Language is internationally coded as ISO 939-3 nle.

Among Abanyala ba Kakamega, colour is called oukondo. This post shall focus on colours.

Oukondo

 a) Names of colours, oukondo, in Olunyala ((K).
  1. Oubesemu (~besemu)- Red. The colour of blood. To turn red is called okhubesema. 
    1. Amalasire ako mabesemu niko.
    2. Enyuni echio chirimo oubesemu muweni.
  2. Ouchaayi (~chaayi)- snow white or sportless white. A colour of peace after a blood shed felony called esichaayi. 
    1. Beri ali nende engokho enjayi.
  3. Ouchululusi (~chululusi)- striped.  
    1. Embeba ya ouchululusi yifwiriye ewa Achimba.
  4. Ouchungwa (chungwa)- borrowed from Kiswahili for orange colour. 
    1. Namachemo ekofia eya oukondo ouchungwa.
  5. Ouchwenufu (~chwenufu)- colourless like water.  
    1. Nakome kenya amachi amachwenufu.
  6. Oufuliefu (fuliefu)- faded coloured 
    1. Sambula afwaye ekofia efuliefu.
  7. Ouhoseru (~hoseru)- pale coloured.
    1. Mumoni mumwe mulimo ouhoseru.
  8. Oukaki (~kaki)- beige.
    1.  Aonda afwaye ekofia efuliefu.
  9. Oukhiindu (~khiindu)- green. At times, when something turns from green to dark green, it is believed to be adding blackness hence the term oumali. Also kuriini from English is commonly used.
    1. Moni wa Mukwe afwaye omukauti kulimo owukondo oukhindu khu'mukongo..
  10. Oukhonge- pink coloured. Colour of the feared adult desert locusts that appeared at the onset of rains.
    1.  Atiye amatete amakhonge kabiri.
      Etete ekhonge with oukhonge coloration
  11. Oukokhakokhe (~kokhakokhe)- Grey with more light hue. The colour of ash.
    1.  Machika afwaye omukauti kulimo owukokhakokhe khu'mukongo.
    2. Kukhu, akhakokho akhakokhakokhe akhakho khakho?
  12. Oukubiria (~kubiria)- with mix of black and red. Such coloured animal is called engubiria.
    1. Ewunwa engubiria yange.
  13. Oulabirire (~labirire)- yellow. The colour of ripe guavas. To turn yellow is called okhulabirira.
    1.  Afwaye omukauti kulimo owukondo oulabirire khu'mukongo.
  14. Oulafu (~lafu)- brightness. Also used for cotton white. To turn bright is called okhulafua.
    1.  Afwaye omukauti kulimo owukondo oulafu khu'mukongo.
  15.  Ouleesi (~leesi)- sky blue. The colour of the sky or ocean water.
    1.  Afwaye ekamisi yirikho owukondo ouleesi khu'kemo.
  16. Oulobaloba (~lobaloba)- dark brown. The colour of soil. To turn grey is called okhulobalobia.
    1. Afwaye omukauti kulimo owukondo oulobaloba khu'mukongo.
  17. Oumali (~mali)- Black. The colour of soot. Also, any darkening is referred to as oumali. To turn black is called okhumaliya.
    1.  Afwaye omukauti kulimo owukondo oumali khu'mukongo.
  18. Oumayayi (~mayayi)- yellow. Coined from the swahili word for egg.
    1.  Afwaye ekamisi yirikho owukondo oumayayi khu'kemo
  19. Oumeramera (~meramera)- mottled coloured; multicoloured. Abasungu balala babanga nende esikhoba sirimo oung'enda.
    1. Embusi emeramera ya Masika wa Lutulian. 
      oumeramera
  20. Oumoti- dark purple colourationrowm
    1. Amatuma kalimo oukondo wa oumoti kange.
  21. Oung'ong'o (~ng'ong'o)- bright purple like the flowers of the royal amang'ongo flowers..
    1.  Afwaye omukauti kulimo owukondo owung'ong'o khu'mukongo.
  22. Ounyange (~nyange)- white. The colour of the egret. To make something white is okhuyangia.
    1.  Emande yirimo owukondo ounyange.
  23. Oupalapala (~palapala)- spotted or duo-colored. Ekhere lirimo oupalapala lichakhuluma tawe.
    1.  Afwaye omukauti kulimo oupalapala khu'mukongo.
  24. Owurapenda (~rapenda)- dark brown colour.  
    1. Eng'ombe yorimo ourapenda ya Namanda wa Kaula.
  25. Ousiimbie (~siimbie)- golden coloured.  
    1. Engokho ya namasiimbie yivangamo amoya owukondo wa ousimbie.
  26. Outioko (~tioko)- jet black.  
    1. Kaula wa Mutioko kali nende owumali outioko.
  27. Ouwokha (~wokha)- light green. To turn light-greenish is called okhuokhera. 
    1. Afwaye omukauti kulimo owukondo ouwokha khu'mukongo.
  28. Ouwukulu (~wukulu)- spotted with white and black.
    1. Amoya kano kalimo oukondo ouwukulu.
  29. Ouwuusi (owuyuusi)- black and white mix like the colour of a mongoose. Also used for dark grey hue. Esimba lia owukondo ouwuusi litiye engokho embukulu.
    Ouwuusi

b) Other colour sheds in Olunyala (K)

The true shade of a given colour is said to be tikini while light shade is said to be machimachi.Thus, we can have oubesemu tikini and oubesemu machimachi.

c) Noun concord prefix with colours in Olunyala (K)

All names of colours usually take the noun concord prefix to concode with the item being described. For example, the noun concord prefix ou~ that concodes with oukondo, colours, has been used for the colour names above. At time e~ is used to concord with erangi. The following the colours ~besemu and ~mali takes on various noun concord prefixes.

  1. ~besemu
    1. Omuana omubesemu
    2.  Abana ababesemu
    3. Ebiana ebibesemu
    4. Akhana akhabesemu
    5. Okuana okubesemu
    6. Emiana emibesemu
    7. Esiana esibeseme 
    8. Ochuana ochubeseme
    9. Eliana ebesemu
    10. Embwa embesemu
    11. Amakhere amabeseme
    12. Ouliri oubesemu
    13. Oluteru olubesemu
  2. ~mali
    1. Omuana omumali
    2. Abana abamali 
    3. Ebiana ebimali
    4. Akhana akhamali
    5. Oluteru olumali
    6. Okuana okumali
    7. Emiana emimali
    8. Esiana esimali 
    9. Ochuana ochumali
    10. Eliana emali
    11. Ouliri oumali
    12. Embwa em'ali
    13. Amakhere amamali

 

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