a preposition indicating rest in a locality or motion from a locality;

its meaning is often shown more precisely by a following noun of locality, as e.g. in ʋ-uwu [ ˥ ˥ ] “in inside”: in ʋ-uhuʋ̃u [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] “at head”: on top of;

ʋ-otɔ [ ˥ ˩ ] “in ground”: underneath.

In this way, the English prepositions are expressed by means of one Bini preposition only, linked with various local nouns.

ʋ-obɔ [ ˩ ˥ ] lit. “in hand”, means “from” when a human being is qualified by it.

ʋ- is also employed to form a great number of adverbial expressions, as e.g. ʋ-eʋa [ ˩ \ ] there;

ʋ-odɔ [ ˩ \ ] there (a locality still further away than that indicated by ʋ-eʋa);

ʋ-eʋ̃a [ ˩ \ ] here;

ʋ-oɽe [ ˥ ˥ ] outside;

on the street (used when the speaker is at home and means another place in the town).

The “prepositions” formed by means of linking ʋ- to a noun of place can also be used adverbially, e.g. ʋ-od-aɽo [ ˩ \ ˩ ] in front (generalised by adding odɛ “road”), in front of;

ʋ-iyeke [ ˥ ˩ ˩ ] at the back;

behind;

ʋ-od-uxuʋ̃u [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ] above.

Other adverbs formed with the help of ʋ- are ʋ-ehia [ ˥ ˦ ] “in all”: altogether, e.g. ix-ĩkpɔ̃‿ũgie ʋ-ehia (xiɛ̃ [ ˥ ]) [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] “I sold twenty pounds in all”: I sold goods amounting to the value of twenty pounds.

ʋ-eriɔ [ ˥ / ] or [ \ / ], and ʋ-enia [ ˥ / ] or [ \ / ] “thus”;

ʋ-ɛxoxo [ ˥ ˥ ˥ ] “in the corner”: privately.

as;

like (used with nouns);

ɔba ʋ-eb-axuɛ [ ˩ / ˦ (3-1) ˩ ] it is red like a parrot tail-feather.

ʋ-enɛ [ ˥ ˦ ] “as if” (introducing sentences);

ɔye ʋ-en-ɔmaʋiɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˧ ˧ / ] he looks (lit. “is”) as if he has not slept.

To ʋ-enɛ [ ˥ ˦ ] may be added awɛ [ ˩ \ ] “one says”: ɔɽu ʋ-en-aw-ɔri‿ase [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˧ (2-1) ˥ ˥ ˦ ] he behaves (lit. “does”) as if he were right.

what (interrogative);

ʋ-u-aʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ / / ] what did you get?

ʋ-u-amiɛ̃ [ ˥ ˥ ˦ ] what did you see?

(2) what (relative);

constructions with ʋ- in this sense are in some cases used to denote objects which in other languages would be expressed by nouns, e.g. eʋ-aɽe [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] “what one eats”: food;

eʋ-axuɛ (short for eʋ-ayaxue) [ ˩ / / ] “what one takes to have a bath”: soap;

to this class belongs probably also: eʋ-ariɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] (cf. riɛ [ ˥ ]?) (native) butter.

(3) why (with following gu [ ˥ ] or zɛ [ ˥ ]);

ʋ-ɔgu ɽu‿ɛe [ \ ˩ ˥ ˥ ] why did he do it?

( “what did he do it with, or, for”);

ʋ-ɔzɛ n-ɔna ɽu‿ɛe [ \ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˦ (4-1) ] ( “what caused him to do it”).

(4) how (interrogative);

hɛ [ / ] is put at the end of the sentence: ʋ-uwa ʋiɛ hɛ [ ˩ / / / ] how have you (pl.) slept?

(5) where (but cf. ʋo 1 [ / ]);

ʋ-u-arie [ ˩ / / ] where are you going?

ʋ-u-aye [ ˩ / ˥ ] where do you live?

(6) particle introducing temporal relative sentences (v. n- 1), e.g. ugbɛ̃ (or ɛɣɛ [ ˩ ˩ ]) ʋ-ide [ ˩ ˩ ˩ / ] (at the time) when I was coming.

(1) to meet;

to pass on the road;

iʋa-ɽe [ ˩ \ ˥ ] I met him;

idiom.: ʋa ʋ-owa [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] “to meet in the house”: to deflower;

v. ɔɣɛɽɛ [ ˩ \ ˩ ].

(2) to affect.

a conjunction linking up nouns: “and”;

Ozo ʋ-Odɛ, iɽ̃ã keɣigbĩna n-owiɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˧ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] Ojo and Odɛ (they) were fighting this morning;

wɛ ʋ-iɽ̃-ɔ̃gbay-ugbo [ ˩ ˥ / ˥ ˦ (4-1) ] “you and he, did you (lit. “he”) go to farm together (gba)?” (Instead of this construction, wa ʋ-ɔɽe [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] “you (pl.) and he” is said to be more in use.) Cf. ʋe 1 [ / ].

an auxiliary verb used alone or in connection with another auxiliary verb, e.g. ke 2 [ ˥ ].

It corresponds to the English “again”, “also”, “as well”, when standing between verbs;

ɔkeʋeɽu‿ɛe [ ˩ ˥ / ˥ \ ] “and he is doing it as well”;

ɔkeʋeɽu‿ɛe [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ \ ] “and he did it as well”.

(Instead of ke, keɣi [ ˥ ˥ ] and [ ˥ ˩ ], may precede it.) Cf. ʋe [ ˥ ].

to be scarce;

igaɽi ʋe ʋ-ɛʋo na [ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ / ˩ ] gari (cassava) is scarce in this town;

cf. uʋeʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ \ ˩ ].

(1) on account of;

owing to;

used with a following noun or pronoun.

(2) about (not in a local sense);

iɣare ʋekpa ɛʋ̃ɛ n-uxaɽe ni [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ / / / ] “I shall come on account of that matter about which you have spoken”.

to become, be broad;

ɔdɛ na ʋɛe [ ˩ ˥ ˩ \ ] this road is broad.

Idiom.: ãɽo ʋɛ ʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] “eye is (or, was) broad with me”: I have been greedy;

said e.g. when blaming oneself for having taken the best-looking share of a dish, only to find onself deceived in it;

cf. ʋɛ 1 [ / ], aɽoʋɛʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˩ \ ˩ ].

to widen;

iɽ̃ã ʋɔ-dɛ na [ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] they are widening the road (ʋɔ is lengthened);

cf. ʋɛ [ ˥ ].

in ʋɛ [ / ] re [ ˥ ] to bow.

to sleep;

deɣ-uʋiɛɽe [ ˥ ˩ / ˩ ] (I hope) you have slept (scil. well)?

A formula of salutation: uɣuʋi-ɛse o [ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] may you sleep well!

(said to be the most correct and best form);

also ʋi-ɛse o [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ], and (most used) uʋi-ɛse o [ \ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ].

(1) to warm up (water);

ʋiɛʋi-amɛ na mɛ n-iyaxuɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ / ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ / ] warm this water for me so that I may have a bath;

(2) to be warm;

ɔʋiɛʋiɛe [ ˩ ˩ \ ] it is warm (water, the body);

v. rã [ / ] (soup, weather), ti [ / ] (soup).

(to be) where (interrogative);

wɛ ʋo [ ˩ / ] where are you?

nɛ (or lɛ) ʋo [ ˩ / ] where is it?

ɽ̃ɛ̃ ʋo [ ˩ / ] where is he?

to be ripe (with yellow colour, as bananas, pineapples, oranges, and pawpaws);

alimoi na ʋoɽo [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ / ˩ ] this orange is ripe.

(1) to hold oneself on somebody’s back;

“to back” (an infant);

doʋoʋo n-ugi-aɣaxiã [ / ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ / ˥ ˥ ] “come and hold on to my back that you may let (us) be going”: come on my back, and let’s go!

(2) to carry on the back;

ɔʋoʋ-ɛe [ ˩ ˩ \ ] she carried it on her back.

(1) to be flexible;

ɔʋoxo [ ˩ ˩ \ ] it is flexible.

(2) to bend;

ɛhoho ʋox-erhã ni [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ / ] the wind is bending the tree;

v. gulɛɛ [ ˩ ˩ ].

to praise pounded izɛ [ ˥ ˩ ] as eʋoxo [ ˩ \ ˩ ];

only used in a certain saying.

solid, starchy, as result of good pounding (fufu);

used with the verb ye [ ˥ ].

(1) to hop straight up with both legs;

ɔʋɔe [ ˩ \ ] he jumped;

v. sã [ / ], vĩ [ ˥ ].

(2) to pull out;

e.g. a plant, with the hand;

v. zɔ [ / ] (with a pointed instrument);

“out” is fua [ ˥ ] or hĩ [ \ ];

ʋ-uhoɽo ni fua [ ˥ ˥ / ˦ / ] pull that pawpaw-shrub out!

describes tears running down over the face, and latex flowing out of the rubber tree;

used with the verb viɛ [ ˥ ];

v. anyɔ [ ˥ ˩ ].

not solid;

powdery;

of fufu which is not well pounded;

well pounded fufu sticks together;

ɣa duʋ̃-ema na yi? ɔye ʋuɛʋuɛ [ ˥ ˩ ˥ / / ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ] who has pounded this fufu?

it is powdery.

fat, of human beings;

ɔye ʋuɛʋuɛʋuɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] he is fat.

(1) to bake yam or avocado pears by digging them into ashes.

(2) to become, or be rotten (of meat, leaves, and corpses);

ɔʋuoʋuo [ ˩ ˩ \ ] it is rotten;

v. gbe 3 [ ˥ ].