Language & translation
Proverbs & sayings
The wisdom of the elders, with translations and meanings.
Igeno buo ngor ata.
In English: You put your trust fruitlessly in the froth of cooked beans. Meaning: You neglect the substance for the shadow.Ikwoyo abeno nono bala?
In English: Do you sew a baby's hammock without cause? Meaning: That is, before the child is born.Ibolo apuk i pi.
In English: You throw a tortoise into the water.Acho yam oto ki tong achel keken bo?
In English: Did a man ever die of one spear only?Aweno yam olaro ki won tol.
In English: A guinea-fowl once struggled with its snarer.Chulo twol i apoko.
In English: To imprison a snake in a drinking cup. Meaning: Said of a malicious and dangerous act.Kupa olunyo nge gweno.
In English: The termite escapes behind the chicken's back.Ogwang omone gwene awelo.
In English: The mongoose is at feud with the chicken who is a stranger to the place.Tong gwen yam obeko duchu ba?
In English: Do all eggs hatch out?Kal ka otu mam dong olworo cheng.
In English: Grown grain does not fear the sun.Oyo oywayo i ngony dero.
In English: A rat pulls at the bottom of a granary. Meaning: Said of an unexpected loss.Engato makok mam oneko le.
In English: A roaring lion kills no game. Meaning: All bark and no bite.Lyel acho tye i tim.
In English: A man's grave is in the bush. Meaning: To die in battle is a man's death.Mach onywalo buru.
In English: Fire produces ashes. Meaning: Said of a lazy or ineffectual person.Gwen obuk i wi duru.
In English: Chickens scratch on the midden. Meaning: Like the English proverb of a cock on his own dunghill.Mam gichob' anyeri duch.
In English: They do not all kill rats. Meaning: Someone has to go home empty-handed.Winyo ochodo tol.
In English: The bird breaks the snare. Meaning: Said of a lucky escape.