house building.
ɛgwɛ [ ˩ ˥ ] hoe; gũ ʋ̃ɛ hu‿ɛgwɛ n-
iɣaya gb-ĩɽ̃uʋ̃u [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˦ ˩ ˩ ] lit.
“help me to find a hoe that I
shall take to clean the grass”;
(hu‿ is a real low tone here,
but with a slight fall in hu‿
the sentence would mean “let
me find...”).
ɛgwɛ̃ 1 [ ˥ ˥ ] a bat, living in houses,
smaller than ɔwɔ [ ˩ ˩ ].
ɛgwɛ̃ 2 [ ˥ ˥ ] a rattle, made out of
the long leaves of the uɽua [ ˩ ˩ ]
palm, which are twisted into a
chain of small receptacles con-
taining a few esal-ebo [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ]-
grains each; worn round the
ankle by Ɔvia [ ˩ ˥ ]-dancers.
ɛgũ-abɔ [ ˥ ˥ ˦ ] an obsolete, or at
least idiomatic word for “bead-
armlet” (coral or other beads)
as worn by women and children;
nowadays ivi-abɔ [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˦ ] is mostly
used. ɛgũ-awɛ [ ˥ \ ˩ ] an obsolete
word for “bead-anklet”; same
as ivi-awɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ].
ɛgba [ ˥ ˩ ] armlet, of iron or brass;
also leather armlet on which
charms have been sewn; the
charms are intended to give the
bearer strength, e.g. to a woman
in a difficult case of childbirth;
cf. Yor. ɛgba [ ˩ ˩ ].
ɛgbe [ ˩ ˩ ] a quick dancing step,
accompanied by quick singing
and drumming.
ɛgbenɔgbifie [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] “killer that
kills the cleared bush”: a strong
harmattan wind blowing from
noon until about four o’clock;
cold, with clouds of mist.
ɛgbɛdĩ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] large oil barrel, hogs-
head.
ɛgbɛe [ ˩ ˩ ] widow.
ɛgbɛe [ ˩ \ ] sib; patrilineal, exo-
