ene [ènẽ́] def. art.
the:
ene okpia vboo? ― “Where is the man?”
(e)né2 [(e)né] dem.; art.
1^.^ serves to specify a definite reference; the vowel is usually deleted before a following vowel in normal speech:
ene ọmwan vboo? “Where is the person?”
I dẹ ene ukpọn ne u khare ― “I bought the cloth that you indicated.”
In this sense, ne, though translated as “the”, is different from the English def. article in that when it occurs with a noun, it does not merely indicate that the noun is not a first mention, but more strongly indicates that it is a specific reference: note the difference between these two sentences:
I miẹ ọnrẹn vbe ẹki. “I saw it at the market”
.
I miẹ ọnrẹn vbe ene eki. “I saw it at that particular market”
;
2. also serves to make attributive adjectives out of certain stative vbs:
kherhe ― “to be small”
;
nekherhe ― “small”
;
wẹnrẹn ― “to be thin”
;
newẹnrẹn ― “thin.”
nene [néne] dem. art.
emphatic form of né
2:
n’okpia ọna khin ― “This is the man (we were talking about).”
nene okpia ọna khin ― “This is the very man (we were talking about).”