ghabiona? [ɣábyɔ́ná] idiom.
“Who gave birth to this?”: a great, great, great grandchild; i.e. the fifth generation of offspring. (cf. eyẹ; ihiẹnhiẹn; esakparẹghodin).
gharrao [ɣáráo] idiom.
a goodwill greeting used for chiefs ― wishing them long life.
ibaigban [ìbaìg͡bã̀] idiom.
“planting a thorn”: the act of declaring a woman an oloi (a wife of the Ọba) or a boy an ọmada (sceptre-bearer of the Ọba).
ighobioye [íɣóbyóyé] idiom.
something very expensive; something considered precious.
ivin-eva [ívỹèvá] idiom.
“two nuts”: twins; ivin eha: “tree nuts”: triplets, etc.
iye-nagbon [íyènág͡bɔ̃̀] idiom.
mistress; lover.
iyẹn-nọma [ìỹɛ̀nɔ̀má] idiom.
1. (Christian): gospel;
2. good tidings.
kada [kádà] idiom.
a greeting formula expressed by males to their elders after a meal as a mark of respect and gratitude. It is also expressed as a good-will greeting to an elder when he sneezes.
la4 [lá] idiom.
(as part of a clan greeting): the first part of a clan greeting, such as “Lamogun”; “Laani” etc., which is used by younger or junior people to their elders and superiors as part of the morning greeting. The greetings may also be used on other occasions to extend respect, deference or goodwill.
mu-dede [mũ̀dèdé] idiom.
to embrace; to hug:
Ọ muerhae dede ― “He embraced his father.”
mu-fua [mũ̀fùá] idiom.
to lose:
Ọ mu ígho fua vbe odẹ ― “He lost money on the way.”
mu-gbọọ [mũ̀g͡bɔ́] idiom.
to establish; to found:
Ọ mu esuku gbọọ ye ẹvbo ima ― “He established a school in our town.”
mu-hẹn [mũ̀hɛ̃́] idiom.
to initiate; to start:
Ọ ma he ye mu iwinna nii hẹn ― “He still hadn’t started on that job.”
mu-hin [mũ̀hĩ́] idiom.
to store away (something); to conceal:
Ọ ya mu ígho hin vbe aza ― “He went and stored away money in the bank.”
(also mu-lẹree). 2. to remove from; to take away from.
mu-kee [mũ̀kèé] idiom.
to put on the fire (to cook):
Ọ mu iyan kee ― “He put some yam on the fire (to cook).”
mu-khuẹ [mũ̀xùɛ́] idiom.
to promise away in marriage; to betroth:
ọ mu ovbi-ẹre nọdiọn khuẹ mẹ ― “He betrothed his oldest daughter to me”
.
mu-khui [mũ̀xwí] idiom.
to arrest.
Olakpa mu Ozo khui ― “The police has arrested Ozo.”
mu-kpaa [mũ̀k͡pàá] idiom.
to help to carry load.
Ọ ma miẹ omwan ne ọ gha mu ihẹ kpaa ore ― “She did not find anybody to help her carry some of her load.”
mu-lẹree [mũ̀lɛ̀ɽèé] idiom.
to conceal something. (cf. mu hin).
mu-maa [mũ̀màá] idiom.
to show (something) to.
Ọ mu owẹ ne ọ bunrun ma mwẹn ― “He showed me his broken leg.”
mu-na [mũ̀nã́] idiom.
to give (something big or bulky) to:
Ọ mu owa ne ima ― “He donated a house to us.”
The particle
na changes to
ne when immediately followed by its object.
mu-rre [mũ̀ré] idiom.
to bring:
Imoto mu iran rri Ẹdo ― “A vehicle brought them to Benin.”
The particle
rre changes to
rri when immediately followed by its object.
mu-rri [mũ̀rí] idiom.
to get stuck; to experience a stalemate; to encounter difficulties ―
Ẹmwẹn iwinna rẹn mu-rri. He has encountered a stalemate in the matter of his job. (i.e. he hasn’t made any progress in his job prospects)
. (also mu-gba).
mu-roo [mũ̀ɽòó] idiom.
“to worry about (something)”; to grieve over:
Ẹmwẹn ovbi ẹre ne ọ wuu ẹre ọ mu-rooro ― “It is the matter of his deceased child that he is grieving about.”
mu-ru [mũ̀ɽú] idiom.
to cheat (somebody).
Ọ mu iyẹe ru gbe ― “He cheats his mother excessively.”
mu-ve [mũ̀vé] idiom.
to buy wholesale:
Ọ mu ikhiavbọ nii ve ― “He bought that okro wholesale.”
mu-vbovbo [mũ̀ʋòʋó] idiom.
to carry on the back:
Ọ mu ovbi-ẹre vbovbo ― “She backed her child.”
naa-ẹko [nã̀ɛkó] idiom.
to make pregnant; to put in the family way:
Ozo o naa Atiti ẹko: “It was Ozo that put Atiti in the family way.”
zenunu [zènúnù] idiom.
(< zẹ
4 ― ene ― unu) “speak that of the mouth”^: to state one’s case (in a dispute):
Iran we ne ọ zenunu ẹnrẹn ― “They asked her to state her case.”
zẹ-baa [zɛ̀bàá] idiom.
to tell lies against:
Ọ zẹbaa re ― “It was a lie that he told against her.”
zẹ-ta [zɛ̀tá] idiom.
to fabricate; to make up something:
Ọ zẹ ẹmwẹn nii ta ― “He made that information up.”
zẹ-yi [zɛ̀yí] idiom.
to mind; to pay attention to:
Ọ ma zẹ-yọ mwẹn ẹmwẹn ― “He did not mind my words.”
zẹgbẹle [zɛ̀gbɛ̀lé] idiom.
to commit suicide by hanging (also
“rhie ukọ rrọọ” ― “hang up the calabash”
).
zidase [zìdásé] idiom.
to play pranks; to behave naughtily.
zokeke [zòkékè] idiom.
(< zẹ ― okeke) to pretend; to make false pretences.