Ngakarimojong: Time

Telling Time:

Esaa: hour

Adakika (sing.)/ngadakikae (pl.): minutes(s)

Atutubet: half

As in other East African languages such as Swahili, Acholi and Luganda, there is a difference of six hours between Ngakarimojong time and English time.

Esaa ngolo k’epei (lit. first hour): 7 a.m./p.m.

Esaa ngolo a ngiarei (second hour): 8 a.m./p.m.

Esaa ngolo a ngiuni (third hour): 9 a.m./p.m.

Esaa ngolo a ngiomwon (fourth hour): 10 a.m./p.m.

Esaa ngolo ngikan (fifth hour): 11 a.m./p.m.

Esaa ngolo a ngikanikapei (sixth hour): 12 p.m./p.m.

Esaa ngolo a ngikanikaarei (seventh hour): 1 a.m./p.m.

Esaa ngolo a ngikanikauni (eighth hour): 2 a.m./p.m.

Esaa ngolo a ngikanikaomwon (ninth hour): 3 a.m./p.m.

Esaa ngolo a ngitomon (tenth hour): 4 a.m./p.m.

Esaa ngolo a ngitomon ka epei (eleventh hour): 5 a.m./p.m.

Esaa ngolo a ngitomon ka ngiarei (twelfth hour): 6 a.m./p.m.

Sample sentences:

Acami ayong akiryamun ka iyes esaa ngolo a ngikanikaarei ka atutubet akiyan ngatukisio alore yok. 

• I want to meet with you all at 1:30 to discuss the problems of our homestead.

Itemokino iyong tolot namoni aryamun emaanik ngolo adokinit alo nawii kon bien esaa ngolo k’epei. 

• You must go to the bush to find the bull that escaped from your kraal at seven o’clock yesterday.

Important Vocabulary:

Erwait (sing.)/ngirwa (pl.): day

Esabit: week

Akamu: dry season

Akiporo: rainy season

Elap (sing.)/ngilapio (pl.): month

Ekaru (sing.)/ngikaru (pl.): year

Nakwar na: today

Tokona: Now

Bien: yesterday

Taparac: tomorrow

Bien nace: the day before yesterday

Taparac nace: the day after tomorrow

Ngoon nginacekwar: a few days ago

Paaran: A little while ago

Napaaran: by day

Nakware: by night

Kanuan: in the olden days

Kolong sek/kocoolong: long ago

Atipei: quickly

Dopetei: rarely

Jwijwi: always

Jik: forever

Rwanu: in the near future

Mwonan: in the distant future

Sample Sentences:

Anyami ayong atap dopetei, anerai mam nyamina ayong eburet kode ngiimwa.

• I rarely eat atap, because I don’t like maize or sorghum.

Rwanu abuni ayong akilot lo Kampala akisyom arakau edakitar losukul a Makerere University. 

• In the future, I will go to Kampala to study to be a doctor at Makerere University.

Apogakinit ekarikon akitojokiar ngisukulo Najie atipei, nait eroko emamete ngabukyo.

• The politician has promised to quickly improve the schools in Najie, but there are still no books.

Kanuan nooi, ayai egurigur kiding ata papaa a Ngijie ka ngikasikou a Ngikarimojong, kongina alosito ata papaa a Ngijie Najie akiboi ama. 

• Long ago, there was a dispute between the ancestors of the Jie and the the elders of the Karimojong, so the ancestors of the Jie went to live in Najie.

Months of the Year: 

Lokwang: January

Lodunge: February

Lomaruk: March

Titima: April

Eliel: May

Lomodokogee: June

Losuban: July

Lotyak: August

Lolongu: September

Lopo; October

Lorara: November

Lomuk: December