gone” in the case of something
that one takes without intending
to return it, e.g. from a debtor.
gbe 4 [ ˥ ] to break (of day); ɛdɛ gbe
[ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] day is breaking (this sen-
tence is also used as a name).
gbe [ / ] (1) to cross; to pass; in
gbe [ / ] ra [ / ]; ɔgbe ra xiã ʋ-
imi-ɔɛ̃ n-owiɛ [ ˩ ˥ / ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] he
was passing along when I saw
him this morning; gbe ra n-
uɣɛɣiɣe ʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ / ˦ ˦ ˩ ˩ \ ] pass with-
out looking at me! Also “be-
sides”: ɔs-iɽ̃ã‿eha n-ir-eʋa gbe
ra-ɽe (sɛ [ ˥ ]) [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ (4-1) ˩ / ˩ ] there
were three of them there besides
him (lit. “it reached them
three...”). Also used as second
verb in verbal combinations,
imparting a motion across some-
thing, v. mu 1 [ ˥ ], vĩ [ ˥ ]. (2) to
bar by putting something in
(“across”) the way, e.g. (a) to
show that a certain plot has been
chosen for clearing a farm; it is
done by putting two crossed
planks on a small round cleared
spot in the bush; (b) to debar
access to one’s wife by using a
certain “medicine”: uxuʋ̃u n-
aya gb-oxuo [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ / ˩ ] medicine
taken to “cross” a woman.
gbe [ / ] odɛ [ ˩ ˥ ] to bar the road;
to bar one’s way, or, plan;
uhuʋ̃u n-ɔgie re gbe ʋ̃-od-eʋ̃i
n-iteɽaɽu-ɽɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˦ ˧ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˩ ] the
message which he sent prevented
me from doing the thing that
I was going to do to-day. gb-
otɔe [ / ˩ ] xɛ [ / ] “to bar ground
wait”: to put poison (eɽ̃uã [ ˩ ˥ ])
into somebody’s path in order
that he may contract a disease,
etc.; ɔgb-otɔe x-ɔɽe [ ˩ / ˩ / ˩ ] “he
poisoned the ground waited for
