to speak ill of a man without just cause;

to slander (the noun is ozã [ ˩ ˩ ]);

cf. zãzã [ ˩ ˥ ].

(1) to scatter, also: zaɣa [ ˩ ˥ ] (ɽ)ua [ ˥ ];

zaɣ-uherhɛ̃ ni‿uã [ ˩ ˥ ˥ / ˦ / ] scatter this firewood!

(if the fire is not yet wanted).

zaɣ-iɣo‿a [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˥ ] (ɽua) to squander money.

(2) to be scattered;

a curse: t-uɽazaɣa-a (ɽua [ ˥ ]) [ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] “may you be scattered!” i.e. all your belongings, etc.;

cf. the next item.

describes the act of tearing something to pieces, and also women tearing each other’s hair;

cf. zaɣa [ ˩ ˥ ], zãzã [ ˩ ˥ ].

describes a brisk and hurried kind of walk, like that of a man who does not want to waste time and e.g. talks to others while hurrying along;

used with the verb xiã [ ˥ ].

to respect;

izam-ɔʋ̃a hiehie [ / ˩ \ ˩ / (4-1) ] I don’t care for anybody;

cf. Uzama [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] (?).

cf. zɛ 2 [ ˥ ].

to scatter the contents of a box, etc., also to tear each other’s hair, of fighting women;

ɣɛzãzã ʋ̃-ũkpɔ̃ [ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] don’t scatter my clothes!

ɔzãzã-ɽ-eto [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] she tore her hair;

cf. zaɣazaɣa [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ], zã [ / ], zaɣa [ ˩ ˥ ].

(1) to be hard, stiff.

(2) to be strong, powerfull;

ze ʋ-udu [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] “to be strong at the heart”: (a) to be courageous, v. dĩ [ ˥ ] “to be bold”.

(b) to be obstinate;

cf. izeʋudu [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].

cf. zɛ 4 [ ˥ ].

very lean and weak, as a man recently recovered from illness;

used with the verb ye [ ˥ ];

v. nyiɣɛ̃ [ ˩ ˥ ].

(1) to choose;

to select;

ɛbɔ z-ɔ [ ˩ ˩ \ ] “is an ebɔ choosing you?” viz. as priest;

said if somebody suddenly becomes excited and moves like someone drunk or mad, such as people do when entered by a spirit;

(also z-ɛbɔ [ ˥ ˩ ]);

iɣa-ɽe nɛ, eɽ-inaz-ɔɣ-ɔe nɛ [ ˩ / ˦ ˧ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˦ (4-1) \ ] I shared it (already), and then I selected his own (share) and gave (it) him.

(2) to take out;

iɽaz-ema ʋ-odo [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ] I am going to take fufu out of the mortar;

iɽaz-ema y-ɔkpã (yi [ ˥ ]) [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˥ ] I am going to put fufu on a wooden plate ( “take fufu out and put on”);

or iɽay-ɔkpã z-ema (ya [ ˥ ]) [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˦ ˩ ] I am going to take a wooden plate to put fufu (sc. “on”), i.e. out of the mortar.

(3) to cause (v. ya 1 [ ˥ ]), used with following iɣe [ ˥ ˩ ] or a construction with -na-;

ɽ̃-ɔ̃zɛ-ɣ-ɔs-unu [ / ˥ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] it is he who caused that it happened;

v. also (e)ʋ- 3.

Combined with verbs: zɛ [ ˥ ] ba [ / ] to take more of a certain thing than accorded or allowed;

ɔzɛ ba‿isawɛwɛ n-iya nɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ (4-1) ] he has taken more of the groundnut than what I allowed (lit. “took gave”) him (the ba is low here, not falling);

v. zɛ [ ˥ ] yi [ ˥ ].

zɛ [ ˥ ] hĩ [ \ ] to take (a certain amount) away from something (e.g. grains, or gari);

ɔzɛ hĩ-gaɽi ni [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˥ / ] (look) he is taking out of that gari!

zɛ [ ˥ ] kua [ ˥ ] to take something out and throw it away;

ɔxɔxɔ z-ize n-ɔfua na kua [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ / ] “the fowl took these crawfish and threw them away”: i.e. scratched some away and made them thereby useless.

zɛ [ ˥ ] lele [ ˩ ˥ ] “to choose (and) follow”: to be next of kin, or in rank, to somebody;

m-ɔɽ-en-ɔzɛ lel-en-uxa ni [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ / / ] lit. “it is I who chooses follows that (one) whom you are (or, were) speaking of”: I am next to the man you were speaking of.

zɛ [ ˥ ] ta [ ˥ ] “to guess say”: to spread rumours;

cf. ɔzɛta [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ].

zɛ [ ˥ ] yi [ ˥ ] same as zɛ [ ˥ ] ba [ / ].

zɛ [ ˥ ] y-ɔ [ \ ] (a) same as zɛ [ ˥ ] ba [ / ], but y-ɔ [ \ ] implies an object which has already been mentioned: “to take more of it.” (b) to take heed of something;

also in ɔzɛ y-ɔʋ̃-ɛ̃ʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] he is minding my word.

Combined with nouns: z-abɔ [ ˩ ˥ ] to do something quickly, v. also giɛgiɛ [ / ˦ ].

z-abɔ ɣaxiã n-urherhere [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˦ ˧ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] “go quickly that you may come in time!” z-abɔ ɽu‿ɛe [ ˩ ˥ ˦ (4-1) ] do it quickly!

Idiom.: z-ak-ĩhã [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] lit. “to bring out the tooth in the wrong direction”: to be irritated, of otherwise peaceful people, e.g. by mockery;

also of animals when attacked or wounded;

the more ordinary expression is ohu m-obɔ mu‿ɛ̃ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ \ ] “anger seizes him strongly”.

z-axɔwa [ ˥ ˩ ˩ ] to choose as substitute.

z-azɛ [ ˥ ˩ ] to pay a fee to a “doctor” or somebody who has taken care of a man;

z-en-azɛ [ ˩ \ ˩ ] pay the fee!

z-ebaɣa [ ˩ \ ˩ ] to be out of control;

to be restive;

ɛsĩ na z-ebaɣa [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˩ \ ˩ ] this horse is troublesome, uncontrollable;

okɔ na z-ebaɣa [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ \ ˩ ] the canoe is out of control (e.g. in a strong current).

ɛki z-ebaɣa [ ˩ ˩ ˩ \ ˩ ] there is a slump in the market;

z-en-unu [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] to state one’s case (in the Bini with a following possessive pronoun; this combination belongs perhaps to zɛ 4) also gwi‿en-unu‿ɛ̃ɽ̃ɛ̃ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ];

zɛ [ ˥ ] unu [ ˩ ˥ ] in the idiom: ɔmɔ z-ɔɽ-unu [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˥ ] “the child chose his mouth”: he (or she) had a child several times, but it always died (“never stayed”).

z-eto [ ˩ ˥ ] to shave (hair);

lahɔ, doz-ɔʋ̃-eto [ ˩ ˥ / ˩ ˩ ˥ ] please, come and shave my hair!

(gb-eto [ ˩ ˥ ] is “to cut hair with scissors”) z-ɛgbɛle [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] to commit suicide by hanging oneself.

z-ɛtĩ [ ˩ ˥ ] to oppose;

to contradict;

ɔz-ɔʋ̃-ɛ̃tĩ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] he opposed me.

z-ɛtu [ ˥ ˩ ] to shave (beard).

z-idase [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ] to play naughty tricks, of boys;

ɔz-idase gbe [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˦ ˧ ] he is naughty.

z-idũna [ ˩ \ ˩ ] “to play magic tricks”, i.e. to vanish, or to transform things (but “to transform oneself” is xiã [ / ]);

it is also used of conjuring tricks, as e.g. in ɔz-idũna y-ɔka x-ĩnya [ ˩ ˩ \ / ˥ ˦ ˩ ˥ ] he is playing tricks, turning corn into yam (xiã [ / ]).

z-igie [ ˥ ˩ ] to select the best (used by old people);

ʋ-u-az-igie ba, z-ɔkpa (or rhi-ɔkpa [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ]) ʋ-ɔ [ ˩ / ˩ / / ˥ ˩ \ ] “what are you picking (for the best) for, take one among them!” z-igwɛ [ ˥ ˩ ] to give presents, of a wife to her husband, or of a man to his superior chief, v. hĩ‿oha [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ], imuohã [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].

z-iɣo [ ˥ ˥ ] (a) to cut teeth, of a small child;

(b) to pay money, as a fine, or when blackmailed;

but v. ha 2 [ / ] (for a debt);

ɔz-iɣo y-amiɔʋ̃aʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˥ (4-1) ˩ ] he payed money for adultery.

zɛ [ ˥ ] iɣo [ ˥ ˥ ] to fine (or blackmail) somebody;

iz-ɔɽ-iɣo [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˦ ] I fined him.

z-ihĩ [ ˩ \ ] to blow one’s nose.

z-obɔ [ ˩ ˥ ] lit. “to take out hand”: to give up;

to cease;

ɔz-obɔ ʋ-inwina [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ] he has ceased working;

ɔz-ɔɽ-obɔ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] he gave it up.

Idiom.: z-ukpɔ̃‿obɔ [ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] lit. “to give up (wearing a) cloth”: to die (v. Ɔxwahɛ song 7).

z-ogiɛ [ ˩ ˥ ] “to take out laughter”: (a) to joke;

(b) to cause laughter;

to be ridiculous;

amaɽu egbe z-ogiɛ [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ \ ] “one does not do each other to cause laughter”: the things you do to each other are no matter for laughing.

Idiom.: az-ogiɛ z-ɛʋ̃ata [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ \ ˩ ] as a matter of fact: lit. “we joke and say the truth” which means perhaps “though it seems a joke it is true”.

The more modern expression is ʋ-od-ɛʋ̃ata [ ˩ ˥ (4-1) ˩ ] lit. “on the road of truth”.

z-okeke [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] to make false excuses;

uya yi-ɣ-Ozo z-okeke ɽa [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ] do you believe that Ojo makes false excuses?

z-oko [ ˥ ˩ ] to pay a fine (but not in money);

cf. oko [ ˩ ˩ ].

z-otu [ ˥ ˩ ] to divide up in working gangs;

waz-otu n-uwa rherheɽu‿ɛe [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ / ˩ ˩ ˥ \ ] “divide yourselves in gangs that you may do it in time!” z-owɛ [ ˥ ˩ ] to step.

z-ɔkã [ ˩ ˥ ] to shout (at somebody);

to speak harshly;

ɔz-ɔkã da ʋ̃ɛ (da [ / ]) [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] he is (always) shouting at me (but “to shout to somebody” is da [ ˥ ] tie [ / ]).

z-ɔrhɔ̃ [ ˥ ˩ ] to purify oneself from being a widow.

z-ɔxi-aɽo [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ] lit. “to have a strong eye (?)”: to make a pretence of strength or power, in order to obtain something.

z-unu [ ˩ ˥ ] “to choose mouth”: to be squeamish about one’s food, cf. izunu [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].

z-uwu [ ˩ ˥ ] “to choose death”: to commit suicide, v. z-ɛgbɛle [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ].

(3) to send;

iz-ɔʋ̃a bu‿ɛɽe [ ˩ ˥ (4-1) ˩ ˥ ˩ ] I sent a man to meet him.

to be proud (in a good sense).

z-aɽo [ ˥ ˩ ] to be severe;

iz-aɽo mu‿ɛ̃, ɔkeɣaxiã [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ \ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˦ ] I was severe with him, and then he went.

an auxiliary verb indicating that the main action is performed or has been performed for some time.

zɛ [ ˥ ] kpɛe [ / ] (to be) soon;

iɣas-odɔ ʋ-azɛkpɛe [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ / ˩ / ] I shall arrive there soon;

lit. “when it has lasted some time”.

to speak a certain language;

ɔz-ɛdo [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] he speaks Bini (or [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] e.g. when hearing a foreigner suddenly speaking Bini);

ɔz-uhobo [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ] he speaks Sobo.

z-edu [ ˩ ˥ ] to interpret;

edu n-ɔzɛ ma gbe [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ / ˦ ] the interpretation (which he performs) is very good.

as;

according to;

ma ɽu‿ɛe zɛ ʋ-en-uxaɽe [ ˩ ˥ / ˦ ˧ ˨ / ˩ ] we did it as you said;

cf. zɛɛ [ ˦ ].

to be guilty;

ɔzɛbi [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] he is guilty;

cf. Yor. jɛbi [ ˩ ˧ ].

(1) exactly;

eriɔ ye zɛɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˧ ] it is exactly so.

(2) quietly;

intensifies sɛ [ ˥ ] ɽae [ / ] “to leave alone”;

s-ɔ(e) ɽae zɛɛ ʋ-en-iɣe ɽuɛ na [ \ / ˦ ˧ ˩ ˩ / ˩ ] lit. “leave him alone as I am looking at you now”, i.e. something like: can’t you see that I am angry?

leave him alone!

cf. zɛ ʋe [ ˥ ˦ ].

loose;

shaking, e.g. of a tooth, or rafters in the roof-construction of a house;

used with the verb ɽu [ ˥ ];

ɔɽu zɛɣɛzɛɣɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] it shakes.

trembling;

violent, esp. with fear;

stronger than that described by hiɣahiɣa [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ];

zɛzɛzɛ is mostly used with the verb gwɔ [ ˥ ].

to bear;

to endure;

also zĩ‿egbe [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ];

ɔzĩ‿egb-ɛɽe [ ˩ ˥ ˥ / ˩ ] he endured it.

(1) to get hold of something to which one is not entitled, but with the intention of using it exclusively (“by force”).

(2) to stamp the ground, or to beat the soil with a stick round a pole newly rammed-in in order to fix it.

zĩ-ãɽo [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] yi [ ˥ ] to look carefully at (something);

to scrutinize.

to force into;

ɔziɛ̃zĩ-ũkpɔ̃ y-uwɛɽe [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ / ˥ / ˩ ] he is forcing the cloth into it (e.g. a box);

cf. ziɛ̃ [ / ].

to try;

v. hia 2 [ / ];

ɔziga ɽu‿ɛe [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ (4-1) ] he tried to do it;

cf. zigala 2 [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ].

to fly, of butterflies;

very idiomatic, used only by old people (the existence of this word was doubted by A.);

cf. ziga [ ˩ ˥ ].

to try hard;

to strive, same as hia 2 [ / ];

occurs in a certain song;

cf. ziga [ ˩ ˥ ].

describes the walk of a man suffering from rheumatism, lumbago, or any complaint concerning the hips, i.e. a sort of walk with the legs a little apart and a careful movement of the hips;

used with the verb xiã [ ˥ ].

to be firm, solid;

e.g. of trees.

(1) to germinate;

to shoot up;

eʋ̃i‿okɔ na zɔɽ-ɛsɛse [ ˩ ˥ ˥ / ˩ / ˩ ˥ ˦ ] this seed has come up well.

(2) to pick out, with a pointed instrument, or with the finger-nail (also zɔ [ / ] fua [ ˥ ]);

zɔ‿akɔ̃ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] to pick one’s teeth, with a pin, or the quill of a broom.

Iterat. zɔlɔ [ ˩ ˥ ] kua [ ˥ ] to pull or pick many things out of a heap, or out of a mass of things which are pasted together, by means of something pointed, e.g. one’s finger-nail;

but v. yuo [ / ] “to get hold of part of a plant and pull it out”;

zɔl-en-ɔgbɛhũ kua ʋ-ɔka ni [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˥ / ˦ ] pick the useless (scil. ears, or grains) ones out of that corn!

(fua cannot be used with zɔlɔ.)

in zɔ‿ese (or zɛ‿ese) [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] to perform as sacrifice ordered by an oracle or any prediction in order to “pacify” for some offence, especially adultery (by the husband of the guilty wife);

ese n-azɔ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ / ] performing the “pacification sacrifice”.

The powers to be pacified are Erha [ ˥ ˥ ], Osũ [ ˩ ˥ ] and Ogũ [ ˩ ˥ ];

but Ɔɽ̃ɔ̃mila [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ] priests pacify their wives’ adultery besides at the shrines of Ɔɽ̃ɔ̃mila [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ], Esu [ ˩ ˩ ] and Oɽiolɛ [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ].

If the husband has no Erha [ ˥ ˥ ] himself, i.e. if he is a junior son, his eldest brother must perform the ese [ ˩ ˩ ].

In case the senior brother dislikes his junior brother or the culprit woman, he sends for the ɔka‿ɛgbɛe [ ˩ ˥ ˥ (4-1) ], the head of the sib who will insist on all the amount paid by the paramour (or damages) being used for the sacrifice as well as the money received by the woman (as a present);

then the husband cannot keep any of the money paid to him by the paramour as he would otherwise do, esp. as the ɔka‿ɛgbɛe comes accompanied by other elders of the sib, and must be entertained.

to watch a man eating, in the hope of obtaining food (or usually some more food) by this silent appeal;

cf. uzuãʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ \ ˩ ].

to trouble (of stomach only);

ɛko z-uɣu ʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ \ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] “stomach is troubling me”: I have indigestion;

cf. t-uɣu [ ˩ ˥ ], l-uɣu [ ˩ ˥ ].

describes the walk of a man, as it were, afraid of hitting against something though there is nothing to be afraid of, of “people not bright in movement”;

possibly “slouching” is the nearest adequate term;

used with the verb xiã [ ˥ ].

describes a smell like that of a dead animal;

used with the verb wia [ / ];

v. hũhũhũ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].