BANTU NEGROES 687 



Most of this time the grunt ers are crouching in a squatting attitude. 

 Another dialogue of greetings might be between an infeiior and a superior, 

 between master and servant. The servant will say : " Wasuz' otya ? '* 

 ('■ How hast thou slept ? "). The master will reply : " Obulungi " or 

 "Nasuze" (''I have slept well"). 



Another dialogue between equals may be as follows : — 



Q. "Erade?" ("Art thou well?") 



A. "Erade" ("[I am] well"). 



Q. "Nyo?" ("Very well?") 



.4. "Nyo." 



Q. "Nyo ge?" ("Very well indeed?") 



A. "Nyo ge." 



Q. "Mamu?" 



A. "Mamu." 

 When a person is going, or when it is desired to terminate an interview, 

 the following phrase is used : " Mase okukulaba ; nenze " (" I have finished 

 seeing you, I am going"). The not very intelligible reply is " Weraba " 

 ("See yourself"). "Weraba" is the polite phrase for "Good-bye." 

 "Wewao!" is a curt er form of assent or dismissal. Simple expressions for 

 " Thank you " are " Webale " (" Eravo ! well done ! "), " Wainpa " (" You 

 gave me "), " Ompade " (" You have given me "). Equivalents of the English 

 words "sir" and "madam" would be "Sebo" addressed to a man, and 

 "Nyabo" addressed to a woman. A more familiar form of address would 

 be " Munange," or " friend." "Otya baba" ("How do you. do, my dear sir 

 or lady ? ") is a greeting combining affectionate familiarity with respect. 



It is usually a sign of respect in Uganda for men to remove their 

 head-coverings when they enter the presence of a superior or one whom 

 they clo not know very well, and this is clone even though it means the 

 taking off of a turban with many folds. Women under like circumstances 

 will squat down on their "hunkers," and softly clap the hands, bowing 

 the head at the same time. 



With regard to marriage, the peasantry, or " Bakopi," follow this 

 procedure : A man has generally ascertained that his advances will be 

 favourably received before he makes any definite move. If he meets the 

 girl, he asks permission to speak to her elder brother or uncle, and if 

 she consents the peasant buys two gourds full of native beer, and 

 repairs to her father's house. The brother or male relative meets him 

 at the entrance to the enclosure that surrounds the house, takes the 

 beer, and conducts the suitor to the girl's father. As scon as the beer 

 is disposed of, the father mentions certain articles that he should like 

 as a present, possibly 10,000 kauri shells, a goat, a bundle of salt, 

 and a few strips of bark-cloth. The suitor then retires and does the 



