Page-051-R prev next

*ɛɣute [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] a dance, danced at



*    an ugie [ ˩ ˩ ].



*ɛhã [ ˥ ˩ ] buffalo; cf. Yor. ɛfɔ̃ [ ˧ ˩ ].



*ɛhae [ ˩ ˩ ] forehead.



*ɛhexue [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] green pigeon, Vinago



*    calvus.



*ɛhɛ [ ˩ ˩ ] yam-heap.



*ɛhɛ̃ [ ˩ \ ] yes (as reply to a



*    question).



*ɛhi [ ˩ ˩ ] (1) one’s personal guardian



*    spirit; ɛhi is believed to live in



*    the ɛɽ̃iʋ̃i [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ]; it “prays in ɛɽ̃iʋ̃i



*    for our long life”, and it is also



*    responsible for any lucky or



*    unlucky happenings. It is be-



*    lieved to be “with a man all the



*    day”, and at night it gives



*    account to Osa [ ˩ ˩ ]. The ɛhi is



*    represented by an object near a



*    man’s sleeping-place; the com-



*    position of this substitute seems



*    to vary according to the sib to



*    which the owner belongs. The



*    ɛhi does not want any blood



*    sacrifices. Uhuʋ̃u [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ], the head,



*    is believed to be the ɛhi’s helper



*    and to render account of the



*    happenings during the day to



*    it; ob-ɛhi nɔ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] it is the ɛhi’s



*    work (lit. “hand”): this is said



*    whenever a man has achieved



*    anything extraordinary, or has



*    had outstanding luck. (2) Ɛhi‿



*    ɔba [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˥ ] title of a chief, lit.



*    “the Ɔba’s ɛhi”; he is chosen



*    by divination to be the repre-



*    sentative of the Ɔba’s ɛhi, and



*    his main qualification is that the



*    oracle must have pronounced



*    him to grow very old. He has



*    great privileges, e.g. he can say



*    anything he likes to the Ɔba



*    without committing any offence.



*    Formerly, he had to die when



*    the Ɔba died; v. egi-egbe [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˦ ].



*    (3) ɛhi n-oha [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] lit. “bush-