pers. pronoun, 2nd pers. pl., used in conjunction with a verb.

(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 complaints, for some of them “travel”, i.e. the spirits leave the shrine.

The charm is “awakened” by blowing chewed kola and “alligator-pepper” on it;

ɔwa‿ɛbo [ ˩ ˩ ˩ \ ] he is reviving charms;

ɔwa‿uxuʋ̃u [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ] he is reviving “medicine”.

(4) to give food to witches;

wa n-azɛ̃ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] give food to the witches!

(e.g. before telling the future);

cf. ewa 2 [ ˩ ˥ ], ɔwaeʋ̃i [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ], ɔwaisɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].

to castrate;

cf. ɔwa 2 [ ˩ ˩ ].

to fall to pieces;

to crumble;

of bread, tobacco, e.g. but also of sandstone;

also waɣa‿a (i.e. ɽua) [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ];

cf. waɣawaɣa [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].

crumbly;

used with the verb ye [ ˥ ];

cf. waɣa [ ˩ ˥ ].

describes a man with big buttocks sitting: ɔtota warha [ ˩ ˥ / ˩ ˩ ].

cf. wo [ ˥ ].

to order (something);

w-eʋ̃i mɛ ʋ-ɛki [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] order me things from the market!

iɽaw-eʋ̃i ʋ-ebe [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] I am going to order things from the catalogue.

to open anything covered: a box, book, etc.;

ɔw-ɛkpɛtĩ na [ ˩ / ˩ / ˩ ] he is opening this box.

to shout in applause;

used with the onomatopoeic kpii [ ˩ ];

iɽ̃ã we kpii [ ˥ ˩ / ˩ ] they are shouting in applause.

cf. wo [ ˥ ].

(1) to roll.

(2) to turn, change.

weri-egbe [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] to return.

weri-egbe [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] ha [ / ] to repay.

weri-unu [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] to withdraw one’s word.

to say;

ɔwɛ [ ˩ \ ] he said;

aɽowa ʋ̃ɛ wɛ do [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ / ˥ ] my master says “do”, i.e. greets you.

gently, gradually;

ɔde xiã wɛɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ ] he is falling gradually;

ɛhoho ne wɛɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] a gentle breeze.

describes stealthy walk, like that of a thief;

ɔxiã wɛɛwɛɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˦ ] he is walking stealthily.

describes a quick way of walking with short steps;

used with the verb xiã [ ˥ ].

(also wɛlɛwɛlɛ) describes the walk of a duck e.g., but is also applied to a woman walking with swinging hips.

describes a soft and steady motion, as e.g. that of a waving flag or feather.

shallow, of ponds, also of pots, plates, etc., but not of flowing water;

ɔye wɛwɛrhɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˦ ˦ ] it is shallow.

denoting whisper, secret talk;

ɔguã wɛwɛwɛ [ ˩ / ˦ ˦ ˦ ] he is talking secretly.

to get lost;

ɔpia ʋ̃ɛ wiɽi [ ˥ ˩ ˥ / ˩ ] my matchet is lost.

to smell;

ɔwiaɽe [ ˩ / ˩ ] he is smelling it;

ɔwia re [ ˩ / ˥ ] the smell is coming over here (lit. “it smells comes”).

ɔwia‿ixã [ ˩ / ˥ ˩ ] it smells bad.

to pull out yam (in order to store it);

iwi-nya ʋ-otɔ [ ˩ / ˩ ˥ ˩ ] I pulled the yam out of the ground;

cf. wio [ / ], yuo [ / ].

(1) to fall out, e.g. quills, broom-sticks, fibres of a mat;

igb-õwɛe na wio kua fo [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ / ˩ / ] (igbã) the bristles of this broom have fallen out entirely.

(2) to take out (a quill).

to be strong, in w-aɽo [ ˥ ˩ ] to be covetous, to snatch things from other people.

w-egbe [ ˩ ˥ ] to become, be strong;

ɔwegbe gbe [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˧ ] he is very strong.

to make noise, of a crowd of people, e.g. in a market;

cf. owoɣo [ ˥ ˩ ˥ ].

(1) to be strong.

(2) to have powerful and effective charms;

okpia na wohia gbe [ ˩ / ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] this man’s charms are effective;

cf. wo [ ˥ ];

v. dido [ ˥ ˩ ].

describes a fire burning with low flames;

ɔba woo [ ˩ / ˩ ] it burns with low flames.

describes fire, same as ɣiɽiɣiɽi [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].

to tire;

n-inwina wɔ ʋ̃-egbe [ \ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] this work is tiring me;

egbe wɔ ʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˥ / ˦ ] “body has tired me”: I am tired.

(also [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ]) describes voracious eating;

used as a verb in a song.

denoting tallness;

ɔye wɔɔɽɔ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ] he is tall.

to die (mostly of a childless person);

also apples to animals and plants as well as to breakable things with the exception of wooden things.

Further, it may be used to denote an abandoned road.

It is also used of the end of the masquerade dances.

uɣegbe na wu [ ˩ ˩ / ˩ \ ].

this mirror is broken (so as to be useless);

ukpu na wu [ ˥ / ˩ \ ] this cup is (completely) broken;

odɛ wu [ ˩ ˥ (4-1) ] the road is abandoned;

ɛdɛ n-ɛɽ̃iʋ̃i wu [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] the day when the masquerade dances finish;

v. fi [ ˥ ].

(1) to rub oneself;

to mark oneself with chalk;

iy-udɛ̃ wuo [ ˩ ˥ ˥ / ] I greased myself with palm oil (after a bath, to keep the skin smooth, especially during the time of harmattan).

wu-orhue [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] to mark the shrine and temple of an ihɛ̃ [ ˩ \ ] with chalk patterns, as done by the priests on every ɛd-ekɛ̃ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] and ɛd-ekɛ̃ n-aka [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ].

(2) to make (scratch together) a yam heap;

wu-ɛh-inya ni mɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ (3-1) ˥ ] pile that yam heap for me!