| Slang word | Meaning | Origin | Examples | Slang synonyms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| laga n5/6 | bia yo yote ya kisasa any bottled beer |
Onomastic synecdoche of SE 'Lager beer'. | Jana tulipiga malaga ya kufa mtu. Jana tulikunywa bia kupita kiasi. |
> dhahabu |
| lakuchumpa n5 (n.phr) | buti lenye soli nene (HipHop)-boot with thick soles |
Nominalised expression < (buti) la kuchumpa, chumpa being transfer from SE 'jump' | Msela unapenda kupiga lakuchumpa. Rafiki unapenda kuvaa viatu aina ya lakuchumpa. |
> bandapanda, la kuparama |
| lakuparama, lakuparamia n.phr | buti boots |
Semantic extension of SS *paramia 'climb over sth without a ladder'. | > lakuchumpa, bandapanda | |
| lala mbele v.phr | ondoka go away |
Metaphorical extension of SS *lala 'sleep' plus *mbele 'further ahead'. | Sasa inabidi nilale mbele. Sasa inabidi niondoke. |
> anza, chomoa, ishia, jikata, jisanzua, kipa, kula kona, timka, timua, toa kiwingu, yeya |
| lala mzungu wa nne v.phr | lala wawili katika kitanda kimoja, mmoja anaelekea kichwani, mwingine miguuni pa mwenziwe two people sleeping in one bed, but in different directions: one with head up, the other with head down. |
Semantic extension of SS *lala 'lie' plus *mzungu wa nne 'king in a deck of cards', based on the way the figures are depicted on playing-cards. A couple sleep in this way if one is sick or if they have a quarrel. There is also a connotation of the husband being weak. Recent. | ||
| lamba dume v.phr | kuwa na mafanikio, pata kitu kizuri au chenye nguvu be successful, get sth nice or powerful |
Metaphorical extension of LyM *lamba 'cut a card'' plus SS *dume 'ace'; expression "cut an ace". | Leo nimelamba dume. Safari yangu ya leo ilikuwa yenye mafanikio. |
|
| lamba fuba v.phr | chukua pesa, iba pesa take money, steal money |
Metaphorical extension of LyM *lamba 'take a playing-card from the pile of cards' plus LyM *fuba 'money'; expression "take money". | Wamelamba fuba lote! Wamechukua pesa zote! |
|
| lamba mweleka v.phr | anguka kwa kichwa chini fall down with head first |
Metonymic extension of SS *lamba 'lick' plus *mweleka 'wrestle'. | John alilamba mweleka chali. John alianguka kichwa chini miguu juu. |
> piga mweleka |
| lamba njiti v | piga fimbo, piga bakora beat, hit with a stick |
Metaphorical extension of SS *lamba 'lick' plus *fimbo 'stick'. | Akanilamba njiti sita. Akanipiga fimbo sita. |
|
| lambalamba n | 1. icecream zinazotengenezwa kienyeji 2. mwanamume anayependa sana kufanya ngono 1. icecream 2. man who likes very much to have sex |
Metonymic extension of SS *lamba 'lick'. | 1. Lambalamba hii ni tamu. 1. Icecream hii ni tamu. |
|
| laazizi n | mpenzi wa dhati, wa kike au wa kiume girlfriend, boyfriend |
Metaphoric extension of SS *azizi 'precious thing', or transfer from Arabic. | Wewe ni wangu laazizi. Wewe ni mpenzi wangu wa dhati. |
> asali wa moyo |
| leta za kuleta v.phr | sema mambo ya uongo, taka kuharibu mambo ya watu talk nonsense, lie, try to spoil |
Semantic extension of SS 'bring what is to bring'. | We mshikaji, ukileta za kuleta nakupiga beto. We rafiki, ukileta maneno ya uongo nitakufanyia fujo. |
|
| lia v | kata tamaa despair, lose all hope, resign oneself |
Metonymic extension of SS *lia 'cry, weep'. | Unalialia nini? Kazi ipo, ukifanya kazi utapata pesa. Kwa nini unakata tamaa? Kazi ipo, ukifanya kazi utapata pesa. |
|
| liamba n | asubuhi morning |
Transfer from another Bantu language, e.g. Yao, Makonde, Mwera | Tulijirusha debe mpaka liamba. Tulistarehe katika disko mpaka asubuhi. |
|
| lijua jiji v.phr | koma cease |
Metonymic semantic extension of SS *lijua jiji 'know the city', based on the experience of the hardships of city-life. | Utalijua jiji. Utakoma. |
|
| liwa v.pass | kosa, tapeliwa miss, get cheated |
Metaphorical extension of SS *liwa 'be eaten'. | Umeliwa kaka! Umekosa kaka! |
|
| liwa dude v.phr | 1. danganywa 2. fanywa mapenzi kinyume cha maumbile (firwa) 1. be cheated 2. receive anal sex |
Metaphorical extension of SS *kula 'eat and SS *dude 'worthless person, good-for-nothing'. In Sheng *dude is attested for the meaning 'pregnancy' | 2. Zai aliliwa dude jana. 2. Zai alifanywa mapenzi kinyume cha maumbile jana. |
|
| longa v | ongea, babaisha chat |
Etymology unclear. | We, mshikaji, longa basi. Wewe, rafiki, sema basi. |
> kilongalonga, longolongo |
| longolongo n9/10 | habari ya uongo, maneno mengi yasiyo na maana empty words, false words |
Metonymic extension of nominalisation of LyM *longa 'chat'. | Acha longolongo we sema una shilingi ngapi. Acha maneno mengi, we sema una shilingi ngapi. |
> kilongalonga, longa, usiku |
| lumangia v | kula ugali kwa nyama au samaki bila mchuzi eat ugali with meat or fish without sauce |
< ? Very common. | Nalumangia ugali kwa kuku wa kuchoma. Nakula ugali kwa kuku wa kuchoma (bila mchuzi). |
> kula ugali kwa saiti mira |
| lumbesa n? | mzigo ambao umezidi kipimo, gunia lililojaa sana something packed beyond measure |
< ? | Gunia limejaza lumbesa. Gunia limejaa sana. |
> nyomi |
| lupango n | jela, gereza, rumande prison, jail |
Euphemistic extension of SS *pango 'cave', not directly based on SS, but on another Tanzanian Bantu language that retains the noun class 11 prefix *lu- or *ru-. | Kwenda lupango ni sawa na kuhukumiwa kifo. To go to jail equals being sentenced to death. |
> sero, selo, shimoni, neti |
| luzi n5/6 | msichana ambaye ni rahisi kupata, msichana anayejirahisisha girl who agrees easily to a proposal, loose girl |
Metaphoric extension of SE 'loose ball'. | Mshikaji usifuatilie lile luzi, ni dege la jeshi. Rafiki usifuatilie yule msichana, ana hatari ya kuambukizwa na ukimwi. |
> mlupo, kiluzi |
