gba1 [g͡bá] adv.
indicates that the action in the main vb. was performed collectively:
Iran gba rrievbare ― “They ate together”
.
gba [g͡bà] vb.
to tie; to bind:
ya irri gbae ― “Use a rope to tie it: Tie it with a rope”
.
gba3 [g͡bá] vb.
1. to be complete; to be accurate;
2. to assemble; to gather (of people):
Ẹvbo gba ye evba ― “People are gathered there.”
Ígho nii gbae ― “That amount is accurate.”
gbakhẹẹ [g͡bàxɛ̀ɛ́] vb.
to waylay; to lie in wait for.
gbaa [g͡bàá] vb.
to know somebody thoroughly, (especially his/her weaknesses or failures):
Iran hia gbaa ruẹ nẹ ― “They all know all your weaknesses already.”
gbaan [g͡bã̀ã́] vb.
to shift; to cause to move or fall by brushing against:
Ọ ya ukoko-obọ gbaan mwẹn emiowo fua vbe obọ ― “He used his elbow to knock down my meat from my hand”
.
gbadaa [gbádáá] adj.; adv.
(with ye) wide and expansive (e.g. field; lake). (also gbalaa; gbalazaa, gbodoo).
gbae [g͡báè] vb.
to be big; to be full-sized (also digba).
gbaẹngbe [g͡bã̀ɛ̃gbé] vb.
(< gbaẹn-egbe): “to shift body”: to move out of the way for something/someone; to shift one’s position; to avoid.
gbaghada [g͡bàɣàdà] adv.
describes a manner of falling: like the fall of something with branches or extensions (e.g. a person falling from a height with the limbs spread out).
gbaigbai1 [g͡bàig͡bài] adv.
with the verb yunnu: to open and close repeatedly; to gasp:
ọ ghi yunnu gbaigbai vbene ọ khian wu ― “He is now gasping like someone about to die.”
gbaigbai2 [g͡bàig͡bài] adv.
describes a manner of walking: with confident strides: ọ gha ze owe gbaigbai: “He is striding confidently”.
gbakiyẹyẹ [g͡bákíyɛ̀yɛ́] vb.
(< gbe-akiyẹyẹ) “to make a joke”, to make a fool of; to make a joke of:
Iran gha yae gbakiyẹyẹ ― “They are making a fool of him”
.
gbakpan1 [g͡bákpã́] vb.
(< gbe-akpan) to be bald.
gbakpan2 [g͡bák͡pã́] vb.
(< gbe-akpan): “to cause obstruction with foot”: 1. to obstruct or intercept someone walking along by causing him/her to stumble over his/her foot:
Ọ gbakpan yọ mwẹn owẹ, i na de ― “He caused me to stumble, and I fell”
: to cause to falter in one’s walk:
Ukpọn ne ọ rhuaen gbakpan ye ọre owẹ “The cloth she had wrapped around her caused her to falter in her walk.”
gbalama [g͡bálàmà] vb.
(< gbe ― alama) to be meddlesome; to undertake responsibilities that normally belong to others.
gbalaza [g͡bálázá] adj.; adv.
cf. gbadaa.
gbaleto [g͡bàlètó] vb.
(< gbalọ ― eto) “to wrap hair”: to wear a head-scarf.
gbalọ [g͡bàlɔ́] vb.
1. to wrap;
2. pl. or iter. sense of gba: to tie several objects; or to tie a rope round and round several times.
gbangbanangban [g͡bã́g͡bã́ã́g͡bã́] adj.; adv.
1. (introduced by the verb ye): strong; tight;
2. (used with other verbs): tightly; firmly:
Ọ ya ise kan iran kugbe gbangbanangban ― “He nailed them together firmly.”
gbangbanangban [g͡bã̀g͡bã̀ã̀gbã̀] adj.; adv.
erect; stiff; rigid.:
ọ mudia gbangbanangban: “It stood erect.”
gbankangbankan [g͡bã̀kã̀g͡bã̀kã̀] adj.; adv.
describes shape: big and thick (of several objects).
gbannọ [g͡bã̀nɔ̃́] vb.
1. to clear; to brighten up; (e.g. of cloudy weather):
Iso hia gbannọ nẹ ― “The entire sky has cleared. (i.e. it won’t rain any longer)”^
;
2. (of sickness) to improve:
Oni ne ọ gbẹe fẹko gbannọ nẹ ― “The fever that had afflicted him is now gradually improving.”
gbaroghee [g͡báɽòɣèé] vb.
(< gbe
2 ― aro ― ghee): to take care of; to look after:
Rẹn ẹre ọ gbaroghe mwẹn vbe asikito ― “He was the person who looked after me in the hospital”
.
gbasan [g͡básã́] vb.
1. (< gbe3 ― asan) “to beat (with) cane”; to whip; to cane;
2. (idiomatic); to urinate (of male only).
gbe1 [g͡bé] vb.
1. to hatch:
ọkhọkhọ mwẹn gbe ihinrọn ― “My hen hatched seven (chicks)”^
;
2. to break (of day):
Ẹdẹ ma he gbe ― “The day has not broken: It is not yet daybreak.”
;
3. to force open (e.g. door)
Urho-iyekowa ẹre oyi gbe laọ owa ― “It was the back door that the thief forced open to get into the house.”
;
4. (with ete olighi, etc.): to precipitate something; to cause; to bring about:
Ọ gbe olighi ye iran iko ― “He caused a disruption in their meeting.”
gbe2 [g͡bé] vb.
1. to dance:
Iran gha gbe ugho ― “They are dancing ugho dance”
.
2. to move:
ọ gha gbe yo gbe re ― “It is moving back and forth; i.e. it is not stable”
.
gbe3 [g͡bé] vb.
1. to beat; flog:
Iye Ozo gbẹẹ ye emwin ne ọ mu-fua ― “Ozo’s mother beat him on account of the thing he lost”
.
2. to catch in a trap:
Ọ ya ifi gbe uzo ― “He caught an antelope with his trap.”
3. to kill;
imọto gbe arhunmwenva vbe odẹ Ẹdo ― “A car killed two people along the Benin road.”
gbe4 [g͡bé] vb.
to pick leaves of a plant by hand:
I khian ya gbe ebuwọnmwẹn vbe iyekowa ― “I am going to pick vegetables from the back-yard.”
gbe5 [g͡bé] vb.
to undertake; to do; to make; to produce;
gbugbo gbe ― ugbo): “to do farm” ― to make a farm, or to engage in farming
.
gbe6 [g͡bé] vb.
1. (usually with liquids) to pour, to spill:
Ọ gbe amẹ ye otọ ― “He poured water on the ground”
;
2. to expose to; to come into contact with:
Ọ ya egbe gbe amẹ ― “He got his body wet.”
3. to soil; to make dirty:
Ọ gbe ukpọn gbe ― “she wears out cloth too readily.”
gbe7 [g͡bé] vb.
to be forfeited; to be gone for good:
Igho hia ne o zẹ ye ovbokhan ren uhunmwun gbee ― “All the money he had paid on his wife’s head (i. e. as bride-price) is forfeited.”
gbe8 [g͡bé] adv.
1. very well; very much:
ọ mose gbe ― “She is very beautiful”
;
2. excessively; too much.
Ọghue bun gbe ― “Yours are too plentiful i.e. Yours are more than you should have.”
gbè [g͡bè] prep.
against:
Ọ mu uhunmwun gbe ẹkhu ― “He hit his head against the door.”
gbè-gué [g͡bègwèé] vb.
to protect one’s secrets or weakness; to cover up for someone.
gbè-kaan [gbèkã́ɛ̃] vb.
“to move and touch”: to venture into contact with; to cross somebody’s path (in an adventurous sense):
Ghẹ gbe-kaan rẹn ighẹ ẹ i maa ― “Don’t cross his path, for he is not good!”
.
gbe-kue [g͡bèkweé] vb.
“to break and spill over”: to abuse vituperatively; to revile a person.
Okhuo nii ghi gbe-kue Ozo nẹ, ekhue na ghi mu ẹnrẹn ― “After that woman had reviled Ozo, he became ashamed.”
gbe-muotọ [g͡bèmwótɔ̀] vb.
“to beat to the ground”
1. to ruin completely; to exhaust someone’s resources;
2. to deface; to wreck.
gbe-rua [g͡bèɽuá] vb.
“to beat to the limit”: to kill. (also gbua).
gbee [g͡bèé] vb.
1. to slant:
Owẹ ọvbokhan na gbeere ― “This child’s legs are slanted i.e. they are not straight.”
2.
Iran mu erhan gbee odẹ ― “They placed a stick across the road to block it.”
gbegbeegbe [g͡bég͡béég͡bé] adv.
all (without exception); totally:
Iran hia kpaa gbegbeegbe ― “They all left totally.”
gbei [g͡beí] adv.
usually occurs after a clause or sentence to denote that the action expressed by the verb in the clause/sentence was performed in vain:
Vbene iran gualọ ọre sẹ, gbei, a ma miọẹn ― “In spite of how hard they looked for it, it was in vain; it was not found.”
gbehẹn [g͡béhɛ̃̀] vb.
(< gbe3 ― ehen) “to catch fish”: to fish.
gbenbe [g͡bẽ̀bé] vb.
(< gbẹn-ebe) “to write book”: to write; to write a letter.
gbele [g͡bèlé] vb.
pl. or reit. of gbe:
Ọ ya asan gbele iran ― “He flogged them with a cane.”
gberraa [g͡bèràá] vb.
to pass; to cross; to go through.
gbẹbẹn [gbɛ́bɛ̃̀] vb.
(< gbe2-ebẹn) “to dance (with) ẹbẹn”: to toss ẹbẹn in the ceremonial dance performed by chiefs while paying their respects to the Ọba.
gbẹhun [g͡bɛ̀hṹ] vb.
(< gbe ― ẹhun) “to break into a decayed state”: to decay from insect contamination.
gbẹmwẹnho [g͡bɛ̀ɱɛ̃̀hó] vb.
(< gbe-ẹmwẹn-ẹho): to spell out the meaning of a word in direct terms; to speak in direct, rather than idiomatic language.
gbẹn1 [g͡bɛ̃́] vb.
to write; to carve; to mark.
gbẹn2 [g͡bɛ̃́] vb.
to deflesh a piece of meat; to chew around bone.
gbẹn3 [g͡bɛ̃́] vb.
to clear off grass from a plot:
gbẹn irunmwun ― “cut grass”
.
gbẹngbẹn [g͡bɛ̃̀gbɛ̃́] vb.
1. intensive sense of gbẹn2;
2. to narrate in great detail, especially in secret:
Emwin hia ne iran ru ẹre vbe iyẹe i rre owa, ọ na doo gbẹngbẹn ehia ma iyẹe ― “All the things that they had done to her when her mother was away from home, she then narrated it all in great detail to her mother”
.
gbẹnnẹ [gbɛ̃̀nɛ̃́] vb.
pl. and reit. sense of gben
1:
Ọ gbẹnnẹ emwin ye aro ― “She has marks on her face.”
gbẹro [g͡bɛ́ɽó] vb.
to be exterminated.
U gha gbẹro ― “May you become exterminated”. (a common curse)
.
gbẹtẹ [g͡bɛ́tɛ̀] vb.
(< gbe ― ẹtẹ): to have an ulcer or a sore (usually on a leg or foot).
gbẹu [g͡bɛ̀u] adv.
describes a sudden and hard fall.
gbidii [g͡bídíí] adv.
with the verb (hunwan): mute; without uttering a sound.
I tuẹ ọre: ọ hunwan gbidii ― “I greeted him; he remained dead silent.”
gbìdii [g͡bìdìì] adv.
describes the sound of something heavy, such as a tree falling into water.
gbigiawẹ [g͡bìgyáwɛ̀] vb.
(< gbe2 ― igiawẹ) to move with loud steps: to stamp around; to step firmly and loudly.
gbigunma [g͡bìgṹmã̀] vb.
(< gbe5 ― iguma) to grunt (e.g. with pain or fatigue).
gbigbi [g͡bìg͡bí] vb.
to spread like the wind:
Iyẹn nii gbigbi se ehe hia nẹ ― That news has spread everywhere (like the wind)
.
gbigbigbi [g͡bìg͡bìg͡bì] adv.
describes
1. the sound of a forceful knock on the door;
2. the movement of a strong wind or storm.
gbigbo [g͡bíg͡bò] vb.
(< gbe3 ― igbo) “to hit a top”^: to play the game of igbo (in which a top is spinned in sand, by means of a piece of string tied to a stick).
gbii [g͡bíí] adj.; adv.
(with ye) numerous; very many.
gbighidi [g͡bìɣìdì] adv.
describes the falling of a big and heavy object.
gbikhiavbọ [g͡bíxyavɔ̀] vb.
(< gbe3 ― ikhiavbọ) to beat okro in a wooden mortar with a pestle (the traditional method of preparing okro for use in soup.)
gbinna1 [g͡bĩ̀nã́] vb.
to fight.
gbinna2 [gbĩ̀nã́] vb.
to seek the protection of somebody (from an adversary).
gbinrunmwun [g͡bĩ́ɽũ̀ɱũ̀] vb.
(< gbẹn ― irunmwun): to clear grass.
gbirhu1 [g͡bìřú] vb.
(< gbe5 ― irhu) to make a roost (of a bird) to sit on eggs; to brood.
gbirhu2 [g͡bìřṹ] vb.
(< gbe5 ― irhu) “to make a shade” to cast a shade.
gbirro [g͡bírò] vb.
(< gbe ― irro): to pose a riddle.
gbiyarre [g͡bìyárè] vb.
(< gbe-iyare) “to shout ‘Iyare’”: to wish well somebody who is embarking on a challenging enterprise by uttering “Iyare” (May you go and come); to wish safe return from the performance of a feat.
gboba [g͡bóbà] vb.
(< gbe ― oba): to be dented; to cave in.
gbobodo [g͡bóbóòdò] vb.
(< gbe ― obodo): “to dance obodo”: to pirouette; to spring and spin round and round on one foot.
gbodan [g͡bódã́] vb.
(< gbe ― odan): to interrupt; to obstruct.
gbodoo [g͡bódóó] adj.; adv.
very wide, broad (also gbodoo [gbòdòò]; gboo).
gbogiẹ [g͡bògyɛ́] vb.
(< gbe ― ogié) laugh at; to make fun of.
gbohio [g͡bòhyó] vb.
(< gbe ― ohio): to cave in; (of ground): to give way.
gbokoo [g͡bókóó] adj.
(used with ye) well-built; (of human beings); tall and stout.
gbokhokho [g͡bóxoxò] vb.
(< gbe3 ― okhokho): to hit on the head with the knuckles.
gbokhokheve [g͡bòxóxèvé] vb.
(< gbe1 ― okhokho-evẹ): to burst into tears; gbokhokhogie: “to burst into laughter”.
gboo [g͡bóó] adj.
cf. gbodoo.
gbotọ1 [g͡bótɔ̀] vb.
(< gbe3 ― otọ): to wear routinely; to wear everyday.
gbotọ2 [g͡bótɔ̀] adv.
(< gbe ― otọ): against the ground; down:
Ọ de gbotọ: “It fell down”; “it dropped”
.
gbọfọ [g͡bɔfɔ] vb.
(< gbe ― ọfọ): to break out (with) sweat: to become damp; to be wet.
gbọhun [g͡bɔ́hṹṹ] adj.; adv.
of human beings: to be tall and stout (e.g. an over-grown child).
gbọọ [g͡bɔ̀ɔ́] vb.
to bark (of a dog).
gbọọ [g͡bɔ̀ɔ́] vb.
to plant seedlings or cuttings:
Ọ gbọọ iyan ― “He planted yam seedlings.”
gbọọọ [g͡bɔ̀ɔ̀ɔ̀] adv.
staring foolishly; looking agape.
gbọrho [g͡bɔ́řɔ̀] vb.
(< gbe1 ― ọrho): “to hit mud”:
1. to be muddy, to get into mud;
2. to move around in the mud.
gbọtọn [g͡bɔ́tɔ̃̀] vb.
(< gbe1 ― ọtọn) to break out with rust: to become rusty.
gbọvo [g͡bɔ̀vó] vb.
(< gbe5 ― ọvo―)^: to begrudge; to resent.
gbua [g͡bùá] vb.
(see gbe-rua).
gbubi [g͡búbì] vb.
(< gbe3 ― ubi): to slap (somebody).
gbugbo [gbúgbó] vb.
(< gbe5 ― ugbo) “to make farm”: to farm.
gbuke [g͡búkè] vb.
(< gbe2 ― uke): “to dance uke dance”: to dance with joy by stamping around to a beat.
gbukegbuke [g͡búkég͡búké] adv.
describes a revolting smell:
Ọ wia gbukegbuke ― It smells very badly
.
gbukpukpẹ [g͡búk͡púk͡pɛ̀] vb.
(< gbe2 ― ukpukpe)
1. to dance “ukpukpe” dance;
2. to trek back and forth anxiously.
gbuu [g͡bùù] adv.
describes a bad smell; (e.g. of fermented cassava.).