[ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] they saw me.
ʋ̃ɛ [ / ] to have; iʋ̃ɛ̃-gb-ɔɽe (egbe
[ ˩ ˥ ]) [ ˩ ˩ \ ˥ ] I have the same; lit.
“its body” (also gb-ɔɽe [ ˥ ˦ ]).
ʋ̃ɛ-rhĩɔ̃ (erhiɔ̃ [ ˩ ˥ ]) [ ˩ ˥ ] to be
eager, zealous. ʋ̃ɛ [ / ] iɣo [ ˥ ˥ ],
ʋ̃ɛ [ / ] osa [ ˩ ˥ ] to owe a debt
(money); ɔʋ̃ɛ ʋ̃-osa [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] he
owes me a debt; iʋ̃-ɔ̃ɽ-osa [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ]
I owe him a debt, v. ɽe 1 [ ˥ ],
ɽu [ ˥ ]. ʋ̃-ɔ̃ɣae [ / ˩ ] to be warm
(of water, food, the body);
eʋaɽe na ʋ̃-ɔ̃ɣae [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ / ˩ ] this
food is hot. n-ɛ(i)ʋ̃ɛ [ ˥ / ]
“which has not” corresponds to
the English “without”; n-ɛ(i)ʋ̃-
ɔ̃fo [ ˥ ˩ \ ] “which has no end”:
eternal (Biblical e.g.); uwɛ ɽo-ɣ-
uf-ɛfe n-ɛ(i)ʋ̃-ɔ̃fo ɽa [ ˥ ˩ / ˩ \ ˩ ˥ ˩ \ ˩ ]
“do you think you have riches
without end?” ɛʋ̃ɛ [ / / ‿ ˩ ] “it
has not” followed by a nega-
tive verb expresses necessity:
“must”; ɛʋ̃ɛ‿imayo [ / ˩ ˥ ˥ \ ] “it
has not (there is no chance) that
I do not. (lit. ‘did not’) go”:
I must go (v. the English
“I cannot but...”); n-ɔnwina‿
ɛ̃ʋ̃-ɔ̃mari‿eʋaɽe [ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˥ / ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ \ ]
“(he) who has worked must
(also) eat”.
wa [ ˩ ] pers. pronoun, 2nd pers. pl.,
used in conjunction with a verb.
wa 1 [ / ] (1) to spread; ɔwa‿ukpɔ̃
y-otɔ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] he spread a cloth on
the ground. (2) to divide;
iwa‿eʋ̃i [ ˩ ˩ ˩ \ ] I am dividing
something (also: I am spreading
something on the ground for
sale). (3) to “revive” an exwae
or ɛbɔ by spitting on it (or rather
“to awaken”). The ɛbɔ’s or
charms are awakened in order to
make them attend to com-
