Ateso Nouns
Feminine nouns.
- Females (humans, animals etc) — Ikiroria lu angor (itunga, itiang etc.)
e.g Akingok — Bitch
Angwoko —- Bitches
Apese — Girl
Apesur — Girls
Aberu — A woman
Angor — Women
Atesot — A woman from Teso (Female from Teso)
Ateso — Ateso women (Teso women)
Akaramojait — A woman from Karamojong
Akaramoja — Karamojong women
Acolit — A woman from Acoli
Acolin — Acoli women
Amusogat — A woman from Amusoga
Amusoga — Busoga women (Lusoga women)
Amusugut —A Caucasian woman
Amusugun — Caucasian women
Aluga — An Indian woman
Alugai — Indian women
Ayarabut — An Arab woman
Ayarabun — Arab women
Amusamiat — A Musamian woman
Amusamian — Samian women
Apolish — A polish woman
Apolishi — Polish women
- Countries and language —- Akwapin kede Angajepa
- g Angajep — Language
Amusugun —- English
Ateso—Ateso language
Amugana — Luganda language
Akaramoja —- Karamojong language
Apolish — Polish language
- Drinks —- Imaten
- g Akipi — Water
Ajon —- Beer or alcohol
Akile—Milk
Akawa — Coffee
Akiria — Drink made from fermented baked beer bread
Akima —- Porridge
Acece — Soup
- Abstract —- Ikiroria lu itodiarete/aitodiar
- g Ajokis — Well being
Awojau —- Height
Akwena — Loughing
Awurianut — Shortness
Ailamusa — Bargaining
- Verbs used as nouns—- Alosikineta nu itosomao bala Ikiroria
- g Alosit — Going
Abunore —- Coming
Akerit — Running
Aipo — Cooking
Ailamusa — Bargaining
Masculine nouns.
- Males (humans, animals) — Ikiroria lu Ikiliok (itunga, itiang etc.)
e.g Etunganan — A man
Etelepat — A boy
Ekingok —- A dog
Emere — A rum
Etom — An Elephant
Ekingok — A dog
Emong — A bull
Ekokor — A cock
Emir — A rat
Ekiliton — A scopion
- Trees, fruits, herbs and grass —- Ikiroria lu ikito, araito, ilitia ka inya
- g Emwebe — A mango
Esuju —- Pumpkin
Enimu —Lemon
Emucuga — Orange
Esurulac —- Herb for headache
Eusuk — Medicinal herb
Ebale — Mushrooms
Eswei — Small mushrooms
Enyanya — Tomatoe
Emutungulu — Onion
Emapera — Guava
Enanasi — Pineapple
Etangausi — Ginger
- Local beverages —- Imaten
- g Ewaragi — Waragi (Uganda gin)
Ecai —- Tea
Ekofi —Coffee
Echanga — Local spirit
Ekwete —- Beer nade from cassava or maize
Esike — Honey
Enyanya — Tomatoe
Emutungulu — Onion
Emapera — Guava
Enanasi — Pineapple
Etangausi — Ginger
Nouns
Abstract nouns and names of diseases, as in English, have no plurals.
Some nouns form plurals from other roots.
For example.
Aberu — Woman Angor — Women
Ikoku — Child Idwe — Children
Some nouns, in addition to the normal plural, form generic plurals by adding -sinei to form plurals.
For example.
Etunganan – A man Itunga — People Itungasinei — Mankind
Akwap — Country Akwapin — Countries Akwapisinei — World
There are no definite or indefinite articles in Ateso. Aberu means ‘a woman’ or ‘the woman’ regardless of the context.
Neuter nouns.
Neuter names — Ikiroria lu mam itodiaritos eipone kec
e.g Itunganan — A person
Iboro— Things
Ikito —- Trees
Inya — Grass
Names of diminutive objects —- Ikiroria lu iboro lu idisiak
- g Ikingok — Puppy
Imiot —- Chick
Ipese —A girl
Isapat — A boy
Ikong —- White ants
Noun prefix
All nouns in Ateso have a prefix which varies according to the gender of the noun or whether the noun is singular or plural.
Noun prefixes
Masculine Feminine Neuter
Singular: e a i
Plural: i a i
There are however some exceptions with nouns denoting relationships.
E.g Toto — Mother, Tata — Grand Mother, Papa — Farther, papaka — Grand farther.
And with geographical bearings of East — Kide and West — Too all have no noun prefixes.
Note, noun prefixes are always dropped when the noun comes after the following pronouns or adjectives.
Lo — This, which
Ece — Other, another
Ngol, Ngin, Ngul — Those, other, every
Adio, Edio, Idio — Any, some
Adiope, Ediope, Idiopet — One
Feminine, neuter or plural forms examples.
Etunganan — A man Ecetunganan — Another man
Aberu — A woman Ece aberu — Another woman
Aberu na — This woman Adiope aberu — One man
Etelepat — A boy Ngoli telepat — Every boy
Plural endings
Plural endings of nouns change, change may consist of omission of the last syllable, the addition of another syllable or syllables, or the alteration of the last syllable or syllables.
Here are some examples of omission, addition and alteration.
(Omission) Amukat — Shoe Amuk — Shoes
(Addition) Ekek — Door Ikekia — Doors
(Alteration) Apese — Girl Apesur — Girls
In case of masculine nouns, the noun prefix changes as shown below.
Noun prefixes
Masculine Feminine Neuter
Singular: e a i
Plural: i a i
Noun end changes are so irregular so much so that formulating rules for formulation of plurals is difficult and impossible. Where there are irregular endings of plurals of nouns, brackets will be used to highlight them.
Nouns
Certain nouns derived from verbs form their plurals according to rules.
- Nouns denoting an agent (a person who does the action of the verb) for a singular ending of -an or -on and plural endings of -ak and -ok.
For example.
Ekamejan — Hunter Ikamejak —- Hunters
Ekecokon — Herdsman Ikacokok — Herdsmen
- Nouns denoting something which does or is done, form a singular ending of -et or etait and plural endings of -eta.
For example:
Elacet — A key Ilaceta — Keys
Arapetait —A cover Arapeta — Covers
Some nouns only exist in one plural form covering both singular and plural, they are used without a singular.
For example
Akipi —- Water Ajon —- Beer
Ajo — Sleep Ileic —- Shame
Other nouns only exist in singular form covering both singular and plural, they are used without plural.
For example
Ekuron — Ashes Akolong — Sun
Adam — Brain Aduan — Weeds