da1 [dá] vb.
(usually with obọ as subj.) to affect severely; to feel gravely:
obọ ohanmwẹn da re ― “The hand of hunger was severe on him; i.e. he starved.”
2. (with amẹ) to fall heavily:
Amẹ na wa da ― “This rain fell very heavily”
.
da2 [dá] vb.
to rouse a feeling of longing; to cause to desire:
Ẹmwẹn ọse mwẹn da mwẹn ― “The thoughts of my friends rouse a feeling of longing in me.”^
da3 [dá] vb.
to be stingy with; to hold preciously:
ígho da okpia na gbe ― “This man is very stingy with money.”
da4 [dá] vb.
to drink (especially alcoholic drinks).
da5 [dá] adv.
indicates that an action has just been begun or completed; or that it has just taken place:
Te Ozo da rre na. ― “Ozo has only just arrived.”
da6 [dá] adv.
(usually with expression vbs. such as
tie,
van,
go, etc.): loudly:
Ọ da tie ẹre ― “He called loudly for him”
.
daa1 [dàá] vb.
to treat with respect and consideration:
Ọ daa ne erhae gbe ― “He treats his father with deference.”
(hence Adaa ― name of a person).
daa2 [dàá] vb.
(with
obọ) to stretch out toward;
ọ daa obọ nẹẹ ― “he stretched out (his) hands for him ― i.e. as though to pick him up”
.
daa [dàá] vb.
(with amẹ) to collect rain water dropping from the roof:
lahọ, daa amẹ mẹ ― “Please collect some rain-water for me.”
daa [dàá] vb. part.
toward:
mu aro daa mwẹn ― “turn (your) face toward me.”
dabadogun [dàbàdógṹ] n.
a tree, Parinarium.
dada [dàdá] vb.
to haul by hand (usually involving more than one person).
Iran dada re laọ owa ― “they hauled it into the house.”
daehọ [daehɔ] vb.
― to anticipate; to expect.
dagbẹn [dã́gbɛ̃́] vb.
― to be accurate; to fall into line.
damẹ [dámɛ̃̀] vb.
to become liquified.
dan [dã́ã̀] adj.
bad, evil:
ọmwan dan nọ ― “He is an evil person”
.
dandaandan [dã́dã́ã́dã́] adv.
exactly; precisely (of time or location).
danmwenhọ [dã̀ɱẽ̀hɔ́] vb.
1. to listen:
lahọ danmwenhọ mwẹn ― “Please, listen to me.”
2. to obey; to heed.
danmwẹn [dã̀ɱɛ̃́] vb.
1. to taste something;
2. to test; to try out.
dayi [dàyí] vb.
1. to hold; to grip; to retain.
2. to withhold; to prevent:
Iwinna ẹre ọ da mwẹn yi ne i ma na sẹ eke ne u ye ― “It was work that prevented me from coming to your place.”
dayọn [dàỹɔ̃́] vb.
to drink wine or any alcoholic drink. (cf. da4 ).
de1 [dé] vb.
1. to fall; Ọvbokhan nii dee ― “That child fell.”
2. to be epileptic.
de2 [dé] vb.
1^.^ to result in; to arise or follow as consequence:
Ẹzo de igbinna ne iran ― “The quarrel resulted in a tight between them.”
2. to come about; to happen:
vbe ẹzọ na a ya de hẹ? ― “How did this quarrel come about?”
dè3 [dè] inter. pron.
what? which? as in:
dẹghe? (< de ẹghẹ) ― “what time? when?”
dehe? (< de ehe) ― “what place?: where?”
devbene? (< de evbene) ― “what manner?: how?”
demwin? (< de emwin) ― “what thing?: what?”
dọghe? (< de ọghe) ― “whose?”
dọnwan? (< de ọmwan) ― “who”
. etc.
debaa [dèbàá] vb.
1. to join with; to mix with.
2. to support; to side with.
3. (in the religious sense): to bless.
dede [dèdé] vb.
to embrace.
dee1 [dèé] vb.
to hold in a leash; dee ẹwe nii ne ẹ ghẹ lẹẹ fua ― “Hold that goat in a leash so that it won’t escape.”
dee2 [dèé] vb.
1. to approach; to be in the process of coming;
Ọten mwẹn dee vbe odẹ “My sister is approaching down the road”
;
2. to indicate that referent will be available in a short while:
ọ dee ne ọ do tuọ ― “He will soon come to greet you.”
deghẹ1 [déɣɛ̀] conj.
if.:
deghẹ u yo, u gha miọẹn ― “if you go, you will see it.”
deghẹ2 [déɣɛ̀] inter part.
an interrogative marker requiring a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answer: Q: Deghẹ u miọẹn? Ans. Ẹo, i ma miọẹn; or Ẹẹn, i miọen ― Q: “Did you see it? Ans No, I did not see it; or Yes, I saw it.”
dekaan [dèkã̀ã́] vb.
to touch; to come in contact with:
abọ ukpọn ọnrẹn dekaan mwẹn ― “The tip of her cloth touched me.”
dekẹe [dèkɛ̀é] vb.
to remain; to be leftover. (also dekẹrre).
dekuun [dèkũ̀ṹ] vb.
to collide with; to bump into:
Iran dekuun egbe vbe odẹ ― “They bumped into each other on the way.”
demu [dèmú] vb.
to pertain to; to concern.
dele [dèlé] vb.
plural or reiterative sense of de1.
dẹ [dɛ̀] vb.
to buy:
ọ dẹ evbare vbe ebuka ― “He bought some food at the canteen.”
dẹghe [dɛ̀ɣé] vb.
to see; to sight:
I dẹghe ẹre vbe obọ ọre ― “I sighted it in his hands.”
dia1 [dìá] vb.
to be located at; to reside at:
Edo ẹre i dia ― “I resided in Benin City”
.
dia2 [dìá] vb.
to menstruate.
dia [dyá] vb.
1. to be straight:
úkpo naa diae ― “This road is straight.”
2. dia [dìá] to straighten, to make straight;
dia erhan na mẹ ― “straighten this stick for me.”
diake [dyàké] vb.
to be located close to; to stay with;
Diake omọ mẹ ne i ya giẹgiẹ khuẹ ― “Stay with the child for me while I go quickly to bathe.”
diakhẹẹ [dyàxɛ̀ɛ́] vb.
to wait for:
Diakhẹ mwẹn ― “Wait for me”
.
dido [dídò] vb.
1. to be large; expansive:
ukpọn na dido ― “this cloth is very wide.”
2. to be mature; experienced with age; strong:
erhan na dido ne ― “This tree has achieved full maturity.”
diẹn [dĩ̀ɛ̃́] vb.
to be senior to; to be older than:
Rẹn ọ diẹn mwẹn ― “He is older than me.”
digiẹ [dìgyɛ́] vb.
to become firmly established.
digiẹn [dìgỹɛ̃́] vb.
to squat.
diguẹ [dìgwɛ́] vb.
to kneel down.
digba [dígbà] vb.
to be big; large; extensive ―
Ugbo ẹre digba sẹẹ ọghomwẹn ― “His farm is larger than mine.”
dihoi [díhoì] vb.
to become nothing; become worthless or useless; to fail.
dikhuẹkhuẹ [díxwɛ̀xwɛ́] vb.
to be dwarfed.
din1 [dĩ́] vb.
to be brave; to be bold.
din2 [dĩ́] vb.
to be hoarse ―
urhu mwẹn din ne eve ― “My voice is hoarse from crying.”
dinmwin1 [dĩ̀ɱĩ́] vb.
1. to be deep;
2. to be complex;
3. (of Edo) to be idiomatic:
Ẹdo na dinmwin ― “This Ẹdo speech is deep; i.e., very idiomatic.”
dinmwin2 [dĩ̀ɱĩ́] vb.
to dip into liquid:
Ọ dinmwin ukpu ye uwu akhe-amẹ ― “He dipped the cup into the water pot.”
dinmwindinmwin [dĩ́ɱĩ́dĩ́ɱĩ́] adj.
(usually introduced by the verb ye) very deep.
dinna [dĩ̀nã́] vb.
to reach; to arrive at:
Ẹghẹ dinna ẹgogo eha nẹ ― “Time has reached 3 o’clock already.”
divu [dìvú] vb.
(of seed-yam only) to rot and germinate.
diyi [dìyí] vb.
1. (used as a curse) to become an outcast; to be denounced.
Te u gha diyi ― “May you be denounced.”
2. (< de1 + iyi): “to contravene a rule or law”; to commit a breach.
diyẹndiyẹn [dĩ̀yɛ̃̀dĩ̀yɛ̃̀] adj.
clumsy in shape or motion.
dizigha [dízìá] vb.
to commit murder.
do1 [dó] vb.
to weave:
ọ guẹ okhuae ne a do. ― “He knows how to weave a basket.”
do2 [dó] vb.
1. (of a gathering or an occasion) to hold:
iran gha do iko vbe Ẹdo ― “They are holding a meeting in Benin.”
2. to be in full session (e.g. of ẹki):
Eki do vbe odọ ― “The market is in full session overthere.”
do3 [dó] vb.
to move restively:
Ọ gha do yo do rre ― “He is moving back and forth.”
do4 [dó] adv.
stealthily; secretly:
Ọ do ta ma rẹn ― “She told him secretly.”
dobọyi [dòbɔ́yì] vb.
to stop; to terminate:
Iran we ne Ozo dobọyi vbe iwinna ― “They said that Ozo should stop at work; i.e. Ozo was terminated at work.”
(cf. da-yi).
dodia [dòdyá] vb.
to stay quietly; to live peacefully.
doẹki [dwɛ́kì] vb.
to trade.
dogaa [dògàá] vb.
to surround; to encircle.
domia [dòmỹã́] vb.
1. to toss and roll about uncomfortably:
Ọ gha domia vbe ukpo vba ― “He is tossing about overthere on the bed.”
2. to wander aimlessly; to drift:
Te ọ ghara domia khian vbe uwu agbọn. “He was just wandering about aimlessly in the world.”
domu [dòmú] vb.
to carry secretly; to steal (a large or heavy object).
doo1 [dóó] int.
an informal greeting, equivalent to “hello”, expressed between peers, or by an older or senior person to a younger or junior one. The plural form, wa doo!, is usually used by an older person to two or more younger people. It is also used by an adult visitor to announce his presence in a house.
doo2 [dòó] vb.
an expression inviting somebody to do something:
Doo tota! ― “Come and sit down.”
doo3 [dòó] adv.
serves as a sequential marker in a narrative or discourse:
iran ghi se evba, iran na doo tue evbo hia; iran na doo tota . . . ― “when they got there, they then greeted everybody; they then sat down.”
dorhie [dòryé] vb.
to steal.
dovbe [dòʋé] vb.
to toss about in sleep.
dọlọ1 [dɔ̀lɔ́] vb.
1. to repeat; to do again (also dọlegbe):
Ọ dọlọ bọe ― “He built it again.”
dọlọ2 [dɔ̀lɔ́] vb.
to rub a mud floor or wall with the traditional muddy solution.
dọlọ3 [dɔ̀lɔ́] vb.
(with ukpọn): to sew:
Ọ ya emasini dọlọ ukpọn mwẹn ― “He sewed my cloth by machine.”
dọlọ4 [dɔ̀lɔ́] vb.
to reconcile; to make up after a quarrel:
Iran dọlọ nẹ vbe ẹzo ne iran te gha gui ― “They have reconciled after the quarrel that they had.”
dọlọyi [dɔ̀lɔ̀yí] vb.
1. to repair; to mend:
Ọ dọlọ ikẹkẹ mwẹn yi ― “He repaired my bicycle.”
2. to take care of; to arrange; to put in safe keeping:
Ọ dọlọ emwin hia yi vbe uwowa ― “She arranged everything in their proper place inside.”
dọmọ [dɔ́mɔ̀] int.
1. a deferential greeting, normally used for chiefs or other elderly people to whom courteous regard is due:
Dọmọ, edionmwan! “Greetings, old man!”
2. a greeting used for people resident at the Oba’s palace.
dọmwandẹ [dɔ́ɱã̀dɛ́] adj.
each one; everyone:
Dọmwandẹ ẹvbo mwẹn urhu ne ọ zẹ ― “Each country has the language that it speaks.”
dọn [dɔ̃̀] vb.
to be or become lean; to be emaciated.
dọnmwẹn [dɔ̃̀ɱɛ̃́] vb.
to construct the frame of a roof with rafters, before it is covered with thatch.
dọnmwinyi [dõ̀ɱĩ̀yí] vb.
to proclaim a law or regulation.
dọọn [dɔ̃̀ɔ̃́] vb.
1. to snap.
Ifi Ozo dọọnrẹn ― Ozo’s trap snapped (i.e. and caught some animals)
.
2. to operate a switch.
dọyọ [dɔ̀yɔ́] vb.
to quench; to cease burning:
Erhẹn naa dọyọ nẹ ― “This fire has ceased to burn.”
dududu [dúdúdú] adv.
very dark:
Ọ siere dududu ― “It is extremely dark.”
duẹ [dùɛ́] vb.
to scatter; to disrupt.
dunmwun1 [dũ̀ɱṹ] vb.
to pound:
Iran dunmwun ema ne ima ― “They pounded pounded-yam for us.”
dunmwun2 [dũ̀ɱṹ] vb.
to introduce into fashion; to bring into vogue:
igoru ikhuo-Ẹdo ghi vbe ya dunmwun rre ― “Gold is what Benin women have introduced into fashion.”
dunna [dũnã] vb.
to be successful; to turn out right.