(2) a pad used to raise women’s
hair in some styles of hair-
dressing, e.g. okuku [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ]; it was
mostly made of itaxuɛ̃ [ ˥ \ ˩ ].
(3) a stopper put into native
guns in order to prevent the
powder and charge from falling
out; it is made from rolled coco-
nut fibre; the gun is charged as
follows: first the powder (exae
[ ˥ ˩ ]) is put in, then uke, then
igele [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] (shot) or efu [ ˩ ˩ ]
(bullet) which is again followed
by an uke. (4) a small round
drum used by men.
uke [ ˥ ˩ ] stamping (in dancing);
v. gbe 1 [ ˥ ].
uke 1 [ ˩ ˩ ] (pl. ike) (1) (cross-legged)
cripple. (2) porter at the Ɛguae
[ ˩ ˩ ]: cripples are doing the
service of porters at the Ɛguae,
because they are reliable: they
do not steal nor commit adultery
at the Ɛriɛ [ ˩ ˥ ] (harem), because
they cannot run away. (3)
crooked, in uk-adɛ̃ [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ] hook
for picking fruit; v. aɽɔe [ ˩ ˩ ].
uke 2 [ ˩ ˩ ] something hollow:
(1) tortoise-shell, also uk-egwi
[ ˩ ˥ ˦ ]. (2) lap, when followed by
egbe [ ˩ ˥ ] “body”: uk-egbe [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ];
ɔmu‿ɛ̃ nya uk-egbe [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] she
(or, he) took it on her (his) lap
(a baby e.g.).
ukeke [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ] stick; ukeke n-aya
gbẽbe [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] “stick for writing”:
pen; ukeke n-aya kpɛ̃ma [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ / ˩ ]
“stick for playing drum”: drum-
stick; ukeke n-aya bowa [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ]
“sticks for house-building”:
beams put on the walls in order
to support the rafters (n-aya:
lit. “which one takes”); ukek-
ɔvia [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˦ ] “sticks of Ɔvia”: two
sticks knocked against each
