ma1 [mã́] vb.
to fit; to suit (e.g. of clothing),
Ẹwu naa ma mwẹn ― “This dress suits me (i.e. it looks good on me).”
ma2 [mã́] vb.
to form a crowd; to cram:
Evbo ma ye evba ― “People have formed a crowd there.”
ma3 [mã́] vb.
1. to mould something (e.g. pots or building blocks). (cf. manọ1)
2. to make; to install (into office).
ma4 [mã́] aux.
to pretend to be doing something:
Ọ ma viẹ ― “He is only pretending to be crying.”
ma5 [mã́] adv.
the neg. particle in clauses with past or perfect tense meaning:
I ma yo: “I did not go.”
I ma he yo ― “I have not yet gone”
.
ma6 [mã́] aux.
1. indicates that the action in the main verb had been performed sometime before:
Ọ ma nọ ọnrẹn nẹ ― “He had asked him already before.”
ma [mã̀] pron.
a form of the 1st per. pl. pronoun; it usually serves as subj. of the clause or sentence in which it occurs:
Ma sẹ owa nẹ ― “We have reached home already”
.
maa1 [mã̀ã́] vb.
1. to teach; to show:
Ọ maa ọnrẹn ebe: “He taught her (book)”
.
Ọ maa mwẹn odẹ ― He showed me the way
;
2. prep. occurs after verbs such as
rhie,
ta,
kha, etc. as the equivalent of the prep. “to”:
Ọ rhie ẹre maa mwẹn ― “He showed it to me.”
maa2 [màá] vb.
to be good; nice; proper, etc.
Okhuo na maa mẹ gbe ― “This woman is very good to me.”
malomalo [málómáló] adj.; adv.
1. twisted, rumpled.
2. roughly; untidily: in appearance:
Ọ vbuọ ukpọn nii malomalo ― “He folded that cloth roughly.”
mama1 [mã̀mã́] vb.
1. to adhere; to stick together;
Ukpọn ne ọ hẹ ye ẹkpẹtin hia mama kugbe ― “The clothes he packed into the chest have all stuck together.”
mama2 [mã̀mã́] vb.
to massage:
Ọ ya ukpọn mama ọnrẹn egbe ― “She massaged his body with a piece of cloth.”
manọ1 [mã̀nɔ̃́] vb.
iter. or pl. of ma
3:
Iran manọ akhe vuọn otọ ― “They moulded pots all over the place.”
manọ2 [mã̀nɔ̃́] vb.
to writhe; to twist and roll oneself about. (e.g. with pain or discomfort).
Ọ gha manọ yo manọ rre vbe ukpo ― “He is writhing on the bed.”
meto [mẽ̀tó] vb.
(< mọ ― eto) to plait hair.
mẹ1 [mɛ̃́] vb.
to hiss (to express contempt or grief.)
Ọ mẹ suẹẹn: “She hissed a hissing sound”
.
mẹ2 [mɛ̃́] vb.
to plait hair.
Ọ guẹ eto ne a mẹ ― “She is good at hair-plaiting.”
mẹ3 [mɛ̃́] pron.
1. a form of the emphatic 1st per. sgl. pronominal which serves as subject of the clause or sentence in which it occurs:
Mẹ yo nẹ ― “I have gone already”
;
2. with a high tone, it represents the indirect object form of the 1st pers. sgl. pron.
Ọ rhie mẹ ― “He gave me”
(The high tone on the prououn is realized as slightly lower than the preceding high tone because it is at an utterance final position).
mẹtin [mɛ̃̀tĩ́] n.
cf. sẹtin.
mi [mĩ́] vb.
to squeeze; to wring:
Ọ mi ukpọn nii ọ ke taẹn ― “She wrung that cloth before she spread it out.”
miamia [mỹã̀mỹã́] vb.
to forget:
Ọ miamia eni mwẹn ― He forgot my name
.
miaro1 [myã́ɽò] vb.
(< miẹ ― aro) “to find eye”, to have the opportunity to do something:
I ma miaro ya sẹ odẹ ọghuẹ ― “I did not find the chance to get to your place: I have been pre-occupied”
.
miaro2 [myã́ɽò] vb.
(< mi ― aro) “to squeeze eye” 1. to make faces at; to sneer at.
miegbe [myẽ̀gbé] vb.
(< miẹ ― egbe) “to see each other”; to meet.
miẹ [myɛ̃́] vb.
to see; to find:
I miẹ iyan ne u viọ rre ― “I saw the yams that you brought.”
miẹ [myɛ̃́] vb.
to accept; to receive:
Ọ miẹn mwẹn ígho ― “She accepted (the) money from me.”
miẹdia [myɛ̃̀dìá] vb.
to be in waiting; to grant audience to.
miẹfan [myɛ̃̀fã́] vb.
to redeem; to rescue.
miẹkue [myɛ̃̀kwé] vb.
to admit (something) as fact; to confess to something.:
Ọ miẹkue íghe rẹn ọ rriọe ― “He admitted that he was the one who ate it.”
miẹrhie [myɛ̃́řìè] vb.
(< mie ― rhie): “to see and take”; to come upon; to find; to discover.
Ọ mie ígho rhie vbe odẹki ― “He found some money on the way to the market.”
miẹmiẹ1 [myɛ̃̀myɛ̃́] vb.
to suck something:
Ọ gha miẹmiẹ ikpẹ ọmerhan ― “He is sucking the seed of a fruit.”
miẹmiẹ2 [myɛ̃̀myɛ̃́] vb.
to be sugarysweet:
ọ miẹmiẹ sọsọsọ: “It is overly sweet”
.
miẹmiẹmiẹ [myɛ̃̀myɛ̃̀myɛ̃̀] adj.
(usually with the vb., ye) sugary sweet.
migbo [mĩ́g͡bó] vb.
to echo:
Urhu ẹre migbo la umọdia ― “His voice echoed down the street.”
mile [mílè] vb.
(< miẹ ― ile) “to accept a bet” to make a bet; to bet. (also tile: < ta ile ― “to say a bet”^).
mimi [mĩ̀mĩ́] vb.
(with aro) to shut; to close:
Wa mimi aro ne a nerhunmwun: “Close your eyes and let us pray.”
mina [mĩ̀nã́] vb.
to dream:
Ọ mina miẹ ọse ọre nasọn ― “He dreamt about his friend last night”
.
miobọ [myõ̀bɔ́] vb.
“to find hand”: to find time; to be chanced:
I ma miobọ ya rre nodẹ ― “I did not find time to come yesterday.”
(cf. miaro).
miọghọn [mĩɔ̃̀ɣɔ̃́] vb.
1. to be slippery; to cause to slip:
Eke ne ọ tue amẹ yi na miọghọn ― “This place where he spilled water is slippery”
;
2. to slip:
Ọkpan miọghọn fua vbe obọ mwẹn ― “The plate slipped out of my hand.”
(cf. khuo).
miọghọọn [mẏɔ̃̀ɣɔ̃̀ɔ̃̀] adj.
(usually with ye) smooth glossy:
Egbe ẹre ye miọghọọn ― “Her body is very smooth.”
mitan [mĩ̀tã́] vb.
to be lazy; to be sluggish:
Ọvbokhan naa mitan gbe ― “This child is very lazy.”
mitanmitan [mĩ̀tã̀mĩ̀tã̀] adv.; adj.
lazy; weak; wretched:
Ọ gha họ ukpọn vba mitanmitan ― “She is washing clothes over there in a very lazy manner.”
Oghẹdẹ na ye mitanmitan ― “These plantains are very wretched”
.
miuhunmwun [myũ̀hṹɱũ̀] vb.
(< mie ― uhunmwun) “to see head”: to survive:
Ẹi miuhunmwun vbe eke ne iran gie ẹre na ― “He won’t survive from this mission that they have sent him.”
mobọ [mòbɔ́] adv.
very much; very well:
Evbare na mobọ rhiẹnrhiẹn ― “This meal is very delicious”
.
mohu [móhù] vb.
to be angry. (also muohu).
mose [mòsé] vb.
to be beautiful; lovely; nice.
mosee [mòsèè] adj.
very beautiful; appealing:
Ẹvbo na ye mosee ― “This town is very beautiful.”
. (also mosemose).
mosemose [mòsèmòsè] adj.; adv.
1. cf. mosee.
2. beautifully.
mọ [mɔ̃́] vb.
to bear fruit.
Erhan ogui na ma mọ ukpo na ― “This ogui tree did not bear fruit this year.”
mọmọ [mɔ̃̀mɔ̃́] vb.
1. to borrow:
Ọ mọmọ igho vbe aza ya bowa ― “He borrowed money from the bank to build a house.”
;
2. to lend:
Ọ mọmọ igho nẹẹn ya dẹ evbare: “He lent him money to buy food with.”
mọtọn [mɔ̃́tɔ̃̀] vb.
“to acquire rust”
1. to rust;
2. to be rusty;
ise na mọtọn ― “This nail is rusty”
(also muọtọn).
mu1 [mṹ] vb.
to carry; to lift up:
Ọ mu aga yan uhunmwun eteburu ― He lifted the chair on top of the table
.
mu2 [mṹ] vb.
to catch; to capture; to arrest:
Olakpa mu iran vbe odẹ ẹki ― “The police arrested them on the way to the market.”
mu3 [mṹ] vb.
1. to be afflicted (e.g. by disease or sickness) (the cause of affliction is always subject of sentence):
Oni mu ẹnrẹn nasọn ― “He was afflicted by fever last night”^
.;
2. to be moved emotionally or psychologically (the emotion or psych. state often occurs as subject):
Ohu mu mwẹn ― “I am angry”
.
Ekhue mu ẹnrẹn ― “He was shamed.”
mu4 [mṹ] vb.
to acquire (usually a status):
Ọ mu okaro vbe edanmwẹn ne iran ruu ― “He acquired the first position in the exam that they did.”
Ọ mu eyẹ nẹ ― “He has already acquired a grandparent’s status.”
mu5 [mṹ] vb.
to be sharp:
Ọpia na i mu ― “This machete is not sharp.”
mu6 [mṹ] vb.
1. (of soup) to lose taste; (e.g. from having been kept for too long):
Uwọnmwẹn na mu nẹ ― “This soup has deteriorated”
;
2. (of day) to lose light; to grow dark:
Ẹdẹ mu nẹ ― “The day has grown dark.”
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-gba [mũ̀g͡bá] idiom.
cf. mu-rri.
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.”
mua1 [mũ̀ã́] vb.
to multiply; to increase.
Ọ mua ígho ne ọ ya suẹn ẹki igbava nẹ ― “She has multiplied the amount with which she started trading twice over already.”
mua2 [mũ̀ã́] vb.
(with ẹmwẹn) to argue with; to disagree with.
Ọ mua arowa re ẹmwẹn ― “She disagreed with what her husband said.”
muawẹ [nw̃áwɛ̀] vb.
(< mu ― awẹ) “to hold fast”: to observe a fast; to fast.
muegbe1 [mwẽ̀gbé] vb.
(< mu1 ― egbe) “to carry body” to prepare; to get ready.
muegbe2 [mwẽ̀gbé] vb.
(< mu ― egbe) to dress up; to adorn oneself.
muẹmuẹ [mwɛ̃̀mwɛ̃́] vb.
to idle:
Ọ gha muẹmuẹ vbe ẹziekẹn ― “She is idling by the corner.”
mugbo [mwgbó] vb.
(< mu ― ugbo) to make farm; to start a farm.
muigbinna [mwígbĩ́nã̀] vb.
to stop a fight; to settle a quarrel.
muma [mũ̀mã́] vb.
to form a lump; to cling together into a lump.
muniẹ [mṹnĩɛ̃́] vb.
to be sluggish; clumsy.
muohan [mwõ̀hã́] vb.
1. to be afraid; to be frightened:
Ọ muohan mwẹn: “He is afraid of me”
;
2. to terrify; to make afraid:
Ebiebi mu mwẹn ohan ― “Darkness terrifies me.”
muohan [mũõ̀hã́] vb.
to offer as a gift; to present.
Ọ ya igho muohan ne iran ― “He presented them with money”
.
muohioro [mũóhióɽò] vb.
to be lonely; to be desolate.
Owa na mu ọmwan ohioro ― “this house makes one feel lonely.”
muohu [mwóhù] vb.
cf. mohu.