(1) to grow up (of men and animals);

ɔʋoxã na fɛko nwa de xerhexerhe [ ˩ ˩ / ˩ ˩ / / / ˦ ˦ ˦ ˦ ] this child is growing up (“come” step by step, lit. “small small”);

inwaɽ̃ɛ̃ [ ˩ / ˩ ] I am grown up.

n-ɔnwaɽ̃ɛ̃ [ ˥ / ˩ ] a grown-up man (from about 40 years of age);

wabu en-inwaɽ̃ɛ̃ n-iɽ̃ã guã y-ɛz-uwa [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ / ˩ ˥ / ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ ] “you (pl.) go and meet senior people that they may decide (lit. ‘talk into’) your case (or, quarrel)”.

(2) to be sensible, reasonable;

ɔnwa gbe [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ], [ ˩ / ˦ ] he is very sensible.

to be bright (of the day);

ɛdɛ fɛko nwa nɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ / / ˥ ] the day is getting bright now (when the morning mist is vanishing);

ɛdɛ nwa m-otɔ (mu [ ˥ ]) [ ˩ ˥ / ˦ ˩ ] “the day has become clear to the ground”: it is light (i.e. at 6.30 or 7 a.m.);

cf. nwa 1 [ / ] (?).

to praise;

ɔɣanwa-ɽ-ovã nwa-ɽ-eni [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] “he is praising his nickname (or, praise-name) and praising his name”: he is quoting his praise-name and his name, adding praises (in order to obtain something);

(the ɽ’s following nwa are not nasalised).

cf. nwɔ [ ˥ ].

cf. enwananwana [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ].

(1) to reply.

(2) to acknowledge a man formally (a) as the betrothed of one’s (infant) daughter, (b) as the trustee for some animals handed over to his care.

In both cases, the man is called oruaɛ̃ [ ˩ \ ].

The acknowledgment is sanctioned by a sacrifice to one’s erha [ ˥ ˥ ] in the case (a), and to one’s obɔ [ ˩ ˥ ] in (b).

The process is called enwaniɛ [ ˩ \ ˩ ] in the case of (b), and inwaniɔmɔ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] in that of (a).

ɔnwaniɛ ʋ̃ɛ-ɽe [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ] “he confirmed me in it” (i.e. as son-in-law, or as trustee);

cf. xuɛ̃niɛ [ ˩ ˥ ].

to separate.

just now (cf. enwa [ ˩ \ ]);

ɣade nwanwa [ ˥ ˩ \ \ ] come just now!

(in quick speech, ɣade [ ˥ ˩ ] is heard instead of [ ˥ / ]).

(also nwaɛ̃nwaɛ̃ [ ˩ ˩ ]) shining;

of velvet, igbegbe [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ];

Japanese silk, (etĩaɽ̃ã [ ˩ \ ˩ ]);

igbegbe na fi nwaɛ̃nwaɛ̃ [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ] this igbegbe stuff is shining;

cf. nwananwana [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].

(1) to wear off (of things which rub against one another, or are tightened, such as parts of machines, screws, but also e.g. a belt, or clothes wearing out through long use).

(2) to squeeze something (so that it falls to pieces).

to scent;

to smell (pleasantly; but v. wia [ / ]);

verbal noun: unwihĩʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˥ \ ˩ ].

to work;

nwina-ɣ-asɔ̃ de [ ˩ / ˩ ˥ / ] work, for the night is coming!

cf. inwina [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].

to drink (water and non-alcoholic beverages);

ɔnw-amɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] he is drinking;

ɔnw-enwɛ [ ˩ ˩ \ ] it is drinking milk (i.e. suckling, of a baby).

da [ ˥ ] is used with alcoholic drinks, but nwɔ alone, without an object, means “to drink (alcohol)” in an emphatic way, in the following: ɔʋenwɔ [ ˩ \ ˥ ] he is (very) drunk again!

and as answer to a question: ɔnwɔ [ ˩ ˥ ] he drinks, i.e. he is a habitual drunkard (worse than ɔd-anyɔ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ]).

yellowish (like half-withered leaves; used with the verb ba [ / ]).

thin;

narrow;

ɔʋ̃a nwɛɛɽ̃ɛ̃ nɔ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˦ ˧ ] he is a thin man;

ɔʋ̃a ne nwɛɛɽ̃ɛ̃ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˦ ] a thin man;

owa n-ɔye nwɛɛɽ̃ɛ̃ eɽ-uɽabɔ ɽa [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˦ ˦ ˩ ˥ ˦ (4-1) ˩ ] is it a narrow house you are going to build?

cf. na 1 [ ˥ ].