kutawanya

How to say it

Meaning

To break up a crowd or group and send its members in different directions, as police do with tear gas. It also means to scatter or spread things over an area.

Good to know

Transitive: polisi walitawanya waandamanaji, the police dispersed the protesters. The intransitive form is kutawanyika, to be scattered, to break up.

Examples

• Polisi walitumia maji ya kuwasha kutawanya umati.The police used water cannon to disperse the crowd.
• Upepo ulitawanya karatasi zote uwanjani.The wind scattered all the papers across the field.
• Mkulima alitawanya mbolea shambani.The farmer spread fertilizer over the field.

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