(1) to watch;

ba‿e ɣe, deɣ-ɔr-eʋa [ ˥ ˩ / ˥ ˩ ˥ \ ] “watch (it) and see whether he is there!” b-egbe [ ˩ ˥ ] to be watchful;

ɔb-egbe rhia [ ˩ ˥ ˦ / ] he is watchful by character.

b-odɛ [ ˩ ˥ ] to watch the road, e.g. in order to prevent passers-by from spying into secret ceremonies.

(2) to do something stealthily (v. do [ / ]);

ɔba rhi-ɛɽe [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] he took it secretly;

ɔba mu‿ɛ̃ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ (4-1) ] he carried it stealthily.

in ba [ ˥ ] ku [ ˥ ]: (1) to miss;

kɔ̃-ɽ̃ɛ̃-se n-uɣɛba‿e ku [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˦ ˧ ˩ ˥ ] aim at it properly that you do not miss it!

(2) to commit a mistake;

ɔni r-usũ‿eʋ̃i n-ɔ ba ku ɽu [ ˥ / ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] that is among the things he did by mistake.

to snatch off.

bã [ ˥ ] rhie [ / ] to snatch somebody or something away;

ɔb-õxuo na rhie ʋ-ob-ɔdɔ-ɽe [ ˩ ˥ / ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ / ˩ ] “he snatcbed the woman away from her busband”, i.e. he ran away with her.

Iter. bãnɔ [ ˩ ˥ ] ɽua (ɽ̃uã, uã), [ ˥ ] (a) to strip somebody (the iterative is used because more than one cloth is the object);

ɣɛbãnɔ ʋ̃-uã [ ˥ ˩ ˩ (5-3) ] don’t strip me!

(used e.g. by a mother carrying her child on her back when it does not keep quiet and plays with her cloth).

(b) to be stripped, naked;

ɔʋoxã na bãn-uã [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ‿ / ] this child is naked;

cf. bã [ / ].

(1) to be red, or yellow;

v. aɽo [ ˩ ˩ ].

(2) to shine, of the moon;

v. uki [ ˩ ˩ ], siɛ̃ɽ̃ɛ̃ [ ˩ ˩ ].

(1) to put something upright, mostly into the ground;

ba‿ɛɣɛ y-ɛhɛ na [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ / ˩ ] stick this yam-pole into the yam-heap!

ɔrh-igã ba [ ˩ / ˩ / ] “he took feather put (it) upright”: he stuck the feather upright (into his hair).

ba‿ema [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] to stick yam-poles into the heaps;

this is done when the yam-ropes are about a yard long;

when the yam has reached the top of the ɛɣɛ [ ˩ ˥ ], ikpɛsi [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] -poles are added, and the yam-ropes tied from the ɛɣɛ to the ikpɛsi;

v. fi ema [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ].

(2) to stick a needle, etc. into somebody;

ɣɛba olodɛ y-ɔʋ̃-egbe [ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ \ ] “don’t stick a needle into my body!” (e.g. among schoolboys).

ba [ / ] ― igbã [ ˩ ˩ ] “to stick somebody with a thorn”: to proclaim a woman as a wife of the Ɔba;

iɽ̃ã ba-ɽ-igbã [ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ] they proclaimed her as a wife of the Ɔba;

cf. baba 1 [ ˩ ˥ ] (iter.).

to be hard, i.e. difficult;

idiom.: ɔba ʋ-axe n-ɔzɔlua ya l-ɛʋi [ ˩ / ˦ ˩ ˩ ˩ / ˥ ˩ \ ] “it is hard like the pot which (the Ɔba) Ɔzɔlua took to cook oil” (a pot which it was very difficult to heat, and to cool again): it is very hard indeed, e.g. of a piece of work, or a severe illness, etc. ɔba kua [ ˩ ˥ / ] it is very hard indeed;

cf. baba [ / / ].

to add;

used as second part of a verbal combination;

v. rhie [ / ], de [ ˥ ];

hence, ba-ɽe [ / ˩ ] “added to it”, may often be translated by “besides”, “as well”, etc.

in ba‿ɛʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] ba [ / ] for the sake of;

ba‿ɛʋ̃ɛ n-odɛ eɽ-ugbe ʋ̃ɛ ba [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ / ] “for the sake of yesterday (i.e. for the thing which happened yester day) you are flogging me”.

to give up, stop, doing something;

to leave alone;

bã oxiã [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] stop walking!

bã rie [ ˩ ˥ ] keep away!

bã ʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˥ ] leave me alone!

cf. bã [ ˥ ].

to stick or peg poles into the ground (plural or iterative form of the verb ba 2 [ / ]).

to grope for the way (in the dark);

ɔbaba yo baba re ʋ-ebiebi [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˧ ] he is groping here and there in the dark;

v. bibi [ ˩ ˥ ].

to be hard, i.e. severe (also used in the literal sense?);

inwina ni ɣizɛbaba, ɔkelɛ fua [ ˩ ˩ / / ˦ ˩ / / ˩ ˥ / ˥ ] when that work was so hard (zɛ: for some time), he ran away.

to hurt;

also in a metaphorical sense;

ɛtɛ balɔ ʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] the sore hurts me;

ɛʋ̃ɛ n-ɔta ma ʋ̃ɛ balɔ ʋ̃ɛ gbe [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˨ ] the word (matter) he told me hurt (enraged) me very much;

cf ibalegbe [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ];

ba 3 [ / ] (?).

to scoop water, with a cup or spoon, etc.;

balɔ [ ˩ ˥ ] kua [ ˥ ] to scoop...out of...;

bal-amɛ kua ʋ-axe na [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] scoop water out of this pot!

a shrub, Funtumia africana;

latex is similar to rubber and is added to rubber to increase its quantity.

(followed by ɛʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˩ ] “word”) to tell a lie;

ɔbaʋ̃a ɛʋ̃ɛ gbe [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ / ˥ ] “he tells (too) many lies (against one)”.

to be naughty, of boys;

it implies acts like touching what must not be touched, riding a bicycle on the handle, turning something over, etc.;

idase [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ], however, implies something skilled, like juggling with breakable things and endangering them in that way.

cf. ba 1 [ ˥ ].

to see;

ibɛ ɣ-ɛɽe [ ˩ ˧ / ˩ ] I saw it;

v. dɛ [ ˥ ] ɣe [ / ].

to tap palm-wine, by making incisions with a knife;

ɔbɛ ɔgɔ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] he is tapping palm-wine (now);

ɔb-ɔgɔ [ ˩ / ˩ ] he taps palm-wine: he is a palm-wine-tapper;

v. so [ ˥ ].

to strive after the affection of young girls by giving them all they want from childhood upwards in order to marry them at the age of puberty.

This does not constitute a betrothal.

describes a protruding abdomen;

used with ye [ ˥ ] or ɽu [ ˥ ];

ɔɽu‿ɛko bɛbɛɛbɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˥ (4-1) ˩ ˩ ˩ ] he has an embonpoint.

(1) (followed by kua [ ˥ ]) to cut into slices;

same as giagia [ ˩ ˥ ];

bɛl-ɔɣɛdɛ na kua [ ˩ ˩ ˩ / ˩ / ] cut this plantain into slices!

(2) to wane, of the moon.

describes a short and very fat man;

used with the verb ye [ ˥ ].

sword;

sabre.

very big, of a farm;

ugb-ɛɽe ye bɛtɛɛ [ ˥ / ˩ ˥ ˦ ˦ ] his farm is very big.

to stammer;

cf. ɔbɛʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ];

v. fu ɛʋ̃ɛ [ / ˥ ˩ ].

to be dark;

dark blue, when followed by dũdũdũ [ ˦ ˦ ˦ ] or sũsũsũ [ ˦ ˦ ˦ ];

cf. ebiebi [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ].

(1) to move;

bi [ ˥ ] de [ / ] to rush, pour in, of a crowd;

v. hihia [ ˩ ˥ ] de [ / ], yiyi [ ˩ ˩ ].

bi [ ˥ ] yo [ ˥ ] bi [ ˥ ] re [ ˥ ] to move here and there;

ɔbi yo bi re [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˥ ] he is moving here and there.

bi egbe [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] “to move body”: (a) to walk with swaying body, as cows and pigs do (v. Ɔxwahɛ-songs, 2).

(b) to move aside so as to let somebody pass;

bi egbe n-ugũ ʋ̃ɛ gbe ra [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˥ ˩ / ] “step aside that you may let me pass!” (2) to push;

ɣɛbi ʋ̃ɛ [ ˥ ˩ \ ] don’t push me!

v. bi [ / ], sua [ / ].

bi [ ˥ ] gbe [ ˥ ] to shut;

door, window, box, or anything that has a lid;

v. ɛxu [ ˩ ˩ ].

(3) to vomit;

cf. Yor. bi [ ˩ ];

v. ekpa [ ˩ ˥ ];

cf. ubiʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ \ ˩ ], bi 1 [ / ].

to stab;

to prick with some pointed object;

ɣɛbii ʋ̃ɛ [ ˥ ˩ \ ] don’t stab me!

said e.g. when dancing with an agbada [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].

(This sentence differs from the one given under bi 2 [ ˥ ] “to move” only in the length of the vowel i in bii which, therefore, has been doubled here.)

to concern;

d-en-ɔbi-ʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˧ ] “what does it concern me?” i.e. I have nothing to do with it.

ɔmabi ʋ̃ɛ, iʋ̃-ɔ̃bɔ ʋ-ɔ [ ˥ ˥ / (4-1) / ˩ ˩ \ ] “it does not concern me, I have no hand in it”.

an expression used in the Ɔxwahɛ-cult only (after akaba [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ]-dances), meaning “quite so”;

v. isɛ [ ˩ ˥ ].

to strip a palm-branch, or a banana- or tobacco-leaf by tearing the side-branches or the leaves off separately at each side;

v. xuɔ̃ [ / ], which describes the action of stripping a leaf by gliding along the mid-rib at both sides simultaneously as can be done in the case of a small leaf.

(1) to move to and fro, to grope about;

ɔbibi yo bibi re [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˥ ] he went here and there (not knowing where to go);

v. baba 2 [ ˩ ˥ ].

(2) to miss the way;

ɔbibi odɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˦ ] he missed the road.

(3) to lead astray, in idiom. bibi [ ˩ ˥ ] ― agbɔ̃ [ ˩ ˩ ] lit. “to mislead (somebody) life”;

ɽ̃-ɔ̃bibi ʋ̃-ãgbɔ̃ ʋ-en-iye na [ / ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] “it is he who misled me to where I am now”, he brought me into the state in which I am now;

v. gie [ / ] ma [ / ];

ya [ ˥ ] dido [ ˩ ˥ ].

(4) to be foolish, senseless;

ubibi [ ˥ ˩ \ ] are you mad?

v. kiza [ ˩ ˥ ].

(1) to cook thoroughly, only of beans, so that they are well done.

(2) to be cooked thoroughly, to be done;

same as ga 2 [ ˥ ];

ihɛʋ̃ɛ na bieɽe ɛsɛse [ ˥ ˥ / ˩ / ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] the beans are done.

to bear (a child);

ɣabi-ɔ [ ˥ ˥ / ] “who bore you?”: who are your parents?

d-eke n-anabi-ɔ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ \ ˩ / ] “which place (is it that) you were born”, where were you born?

cf. ibiɛ [ ˩ ˥ ].

describes something very crooked, e.g. a tree with a stem that is bent several times, or a cripple walking zig-zag;

cf. bi [ ˥ ] gɔ [ / ];

v. xuɽuxuɽuxuɽu [ ˦ ˦ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ].

reddish brown, like the ordinary kind of house-mud;

used with the verb ba 1 [ / ].

to exorcise evil spirits by offering them isusu [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ], i.e. food that is taboo to them;

cf. bi 2 [ ˥ ].

in b-oxi [ ˥ ˩ ] to make circles as part of the ritual of bodily purification.

describes the walk of a big man who is in a hurry: he strides along powerfully and does not look where he goes so that he may stumble;

a little funny-looking;

used with the verb xiã [ ˥ ].

to move to and fro;

of a fowl about to lay an egg;

ɔxɔxɔ na bobo [ ˩ ˩ / ˩ ˩ ˥ ] this fowl is running to and fro;

cf. bo [ ˥ ] (?).

cf. ba 1 [ ˥ ].

describes an idle sort of walk, or that of a man who is not feeling well;

used with the verb xiã [ ˥ ].

describes the fall of an object like a palm branch, or the branch of a plantain, i.e. of a big, leafy, but not heavy branch;

used with the verb de [ ˥ ].

to peel (skin);

to strip (bark of a tree);

ɔbolo ʋ̃-egbe [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] he tore my skin off (when wrestling, e.g.);

ɔbol-egbe [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] he has a bruise;

bol-itue ni n-ɔgi-aya b-owa [ ˩ ˥ ˥ / ˦ ˧ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] “strip that itue-tree (so) that it may enable (us) to use (it) for house-building!” v. kpalɔ [ ˩ ˥ ];

rhuã [ / ].

to build;

b-owa [ ˩ ˥ ] to build a house;

ɔb-owa [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] he built a house.

(1) to tell the future;

to predict;

ɔbɔ mɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] he told me the future;

n-ɔbɔre [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ] “who predicts comes”: chiefs supporting the Ɔba’s (and Ezɔmɔ’s [ ˥ ˥ ˥ ]) arms;

they are said to tell the future for the Ɔba.

(2) to have one’s future told by a “doctor”;

iɽayabɔ ʋ-ɔɣ-ɔbo [ ˩ ˥ / ˩ ˥ ˥ ˦ ] I am going to (go and) have my future told at the doctor’s (i.e. by casting the ogwɛga [ ˩ \ ˩ ]).

to be kind to somebody;

to treat kindly;

to favour;

ɔbɔ‿e gbe [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˧ ] he treats him kindly;

impersonal: ɔbɔ ʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] it is favourable for me;

cf. isibɔ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] (a name).

also bɔɽɔbɔɽɔ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] gentle drumming such as on the oloi’s [ ˥ ˥ ] drum.

(The word occurs in the Ɔxwaɛ song 6.)

cf. bɛ 1 [ / ].

big, of stalks of maize;

same as bɔɔzi [ ˩ ˩ ];

used with the verb ye [ ˥ ].

fleshy, fat;

uɣuye bɔlɔzɔ [ ˥ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] you are becoming stout;

v. itoto [ ˥ ˩ ˥ ].

big and long, of cobs of maize;

v. bɔhũ [ ˩ ˩ ].

(1) to spread grains (y-otɔ [ ˥ ˩ ] on the ground).

(2) to winnow, e.g. groundnuts, by crushing the husks and blowing away the light skin from the palm of the hands;

bɔʋ̃-isawɛwɛ ni [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ / / ] winnow those groundnuts!

(3) to shake off, e.g. sand, dust, but also fruit from a tree;

bɔʋ̃-exae ni y-otɔ ukela‿(o)wa [ ˩ ˥ / ˦ ˧ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] shake that sand off before you enter the house!

ɽueɣ-erhã na n-ɔm-ɔ̃ɽ̃ɛ̃ bɔʋ̃ɛ kua [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ / ˩ ˩ / ] shake this tree (so) that its fruit is shaken off!

bɔʋ̃-egbe [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] to brush and slap oneself with the hand, if covered with dirt, as after a walk in the bush, or in order to remove insects;

v. udiã [ ˩ ˥ ].

to be plentiful, numerous;

eʋ̃i na bũ gbe [ ˩ / ˩ ˥ ˦ ] “these things are numerous”: many of these things are there;

iɽ̃ã bũ [ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] they are numerous;

bũ [ ˥ ] gbe [ ˥ ] means also “to suffice”.

(1) to meet;

bu ʋ̃ɛ ɣade [ ˩ ˥ ˦ / ] “meet me coming”: come and meet me!

ibu‿ɛɽe xiã [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ] “I am meeting him going”: I am going to meet him.

(2) to be equal in quantity, e.g. two heaps of grains when being compared by people when trading.

bu [ / ] y-ɔ [ \ ] to pay a sum of money towards something;

iy-isil-isɛ̃ bu y-osa n-iʋ̃ɔ̃-ɽe (ʋ̃ɛ [ / ]) [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ \ ] “I took five shillings paid towards the debt I owe him” (ɽ is not nasalised).

to decide;

bu ɛdɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] to fix a date, to make an appointment for something;

ɔbu ɛdɛ mɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˥ (4-1) ˥ ] “he promised me a time”: he gave me a date, i.e. when he would come.

ibu‿ɛdɛ nɛ n-ɔɣaya re [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˦ ] I fixed a date for him when he should come, lit. “which he should take to come”;

ibu‿ɛdɛ nɛ n-iɣaya s-eʋa (sɛ [ ˥ ]) [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ \ ] I notified him when I should arrive there.

bu ɛʋo [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] to found a settlement;

ɣa bu ɛʋo na [ ˥ ˩ ˥ / ˥ ] who founded this “town”?

bu ohiɛ̃ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] to give a decision about a lawsuit;

ohiɛ̃ n-ɔbuɽu [ ˩ ˩ ˥ / ˩ ] the “case” which he settled.

bu [ / ] ― ude [ ˩ ˩ ] to give warning, advice;

ibu ɽuɔ‿(u)de fo nɛ [ ˩ / / ˩ ˩ ˥ ] I have warned you!

used when the man spoken to does not pay enough attention to the words;

cf. ibude [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].

(1) to break, of wood, iron, bones, but not glass;

ibũ‿obɔ [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˦ ] I broke (my) arm;

ɔbũ‿ɛ̃ɽ̃ɛ̃ [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˦ ] he broke it;

iter.: bũnɔ‿ɛ̃ gũ ʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] break them for me!

When followed by ikuɛ̃kuɛ̃ [ ˥ ˩ ˥ ], bũnɔ means “to be wrinkled”, of a face.

(2) to get broken, to be broken;

ɔbũɽ̃ũ [ ˩ / ˩ ] it is broken.

to confess the name of a lover, by an adulteress;

this was formerly obtained by subjecting the woman to the feather-ordeal;

ɔbũ‿ɛ̃ɽ̃ɛ̃ [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˦ ] she confessed him (to be her lover);

cf. ka 1 [ ˥ ].

to do something enough;

used as second member of a verbal combination;

iguã buã-ɣ-et-ɔmahɔ̃ [ ˩ / / ˩ ˥ ˥ \ ] I have been talking long enough, but (lit. “that”) he does not hear me;

ixiã l-oke l-ugboɣodo buã nɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] “I have gone far and wide enough”, i.e. I do not want to travel any more;

cf. bue [ / ] (?)

to stop for a long time in a certain place;

the word was said not to be known to some of the young people;

uteɣabue ʋ-eke n-uyo [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ \ ] you have really stayed a long time in the place where you went!

(-teɣa- expresses that the speaker did not think that he would stay as long as that);

cf. buã [ / ] (?).

formula of thanks given by women after a meal;

this is also used as a greeting to somebody who has sneezed;

v. ɛrɛe [ ˩ \ ], kada [ \ ˩ ].

crumpled, of cloth;

ɔye buyɛbuyɛ [ \ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] or [ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] (oh), it is crumpled!

(The fall on ɔ- is due to emotional reasons.)