ra1 [ɽà] inter. part.
question particle requiring a “Yes” or “No” answer:
Ọ rre ra? ― Did he come?
ra2 [ɽà] conj.
or; a conjunction introducing the second of two alternatives:
Ọ gha rre ra ẹ i dee? “Will he come or not?”
ra [ɽá] adv.
inceptive formative which indicates that an action is about to begin:
Ọ ra kpaọ ― “He is about to depart.”
raan [ɽã̀ã́] vb.
to till; to stuff up; to cram:
Ọ ran uvun ne ọ tọnnọẹ ― “He filled the hole that he dug.”
rae [ɽàé] vb.
to go to a place (occurs more generally in a negative clause):
Ọ wẹ irẹn i ghi rae ― “He said that he will not go any more.”
; 2. (with sẹ in sẹ-raẹ): to leave; to depart:
Ọ sẹ erhae rae ye igue ― “He from his father departed at the village” ― “He departed from his father in the village or: He left his father behind in the village.”
raghoragho [ɽáɣóɽáɽó] adj.
describes the shades of colour between light green and light blue.
Ukpọn ne ọ rhuaẹn ye raghoragho ― “The cloth that he tied looked greenish.”
ranmwẹn [ɽã̀ɱɛ̃́] vb.
to fry in oil; to cook by frying ―
Ọ ranmwẹn emiowo ne ima re ― “He fried meat for us to eat.”
ranran [ɽã̀ɽã́] vb.
to melt; to become liquefied by heat:
Ofiugbọn ne ọ mu yan erhẹn ranran nẹ ― “The oil that he put on the fire has melted.”
; 2. (fig.) to melt with fear or apprehension:
ọ te ranran vbe ọ deghe ẹre ― “He almost melted when he saw her.”
re1 [ɽé] vb.
to eat (when followed directly by its object, it becomes rri)
Iran rri ẹma ne ọ le ne iran ― “They ate the pounded yam that he cooked for them.”
re2 [ɽé] vb.
to acquire (something): (when directly followed by its object, it becomes rri) ―
Iran gu ẹre ghọghọ yẹ egie ne ọ re ― “They rejoiced with him over the chieftaincy title that he acquired.”
Ọ rri egie ― “He acquired a title.”
re3 [ɽé] vb.
to incur (e.g. hardship) (when directly followed by its object, it becomes rri):
Ọ rri oya vbe owa ọdọ ọre ― “She incurred abuse in her husband’s house.”
re4 [ɽé] vb.
(of shoes, blades of knives, machetes, etc.) to deteriorate in quality; to wear; to show signs of damage or age as a result of ordinary use:
Ibata na re nẹ ― “These shoes are now worn.”
re5 [ɽè] cop.
to be:
Ọkpa re okpia nọkẹre re okhuo ― “One is male while the other is female.”
ree [ɽèé] vb.
1. to bury (a dead person).;
2. to conceal:
Ọ ree ẹre ye uwu ukpọn ― “She concealed it in her apparel.”
reghe [ɽéɣé] adv.
describes something that is very high up:
Ọ rhie rrọ reghe vbe odukhunmwun ― “He hung very high above (also reghereghe).”
reghereghe [ɽéɣéɽéɣé] adv.
1. very high; far beyond reach;
2. (of eyes): deep-set.
rere [ɽéɽe] int.
a greeting, used mainly by the elderly, to mean “welcome”.
rerere [ɽéɽéɽé] adv.
describes a very high pitched sound ―
Ọ da van rerere ― “He gave vent to a loud shrill.”
rẹẹn [ɽɛ̃̀ɛ̃́] vb.
1. to know ―
I rẹẹn inu ne ọ rre evba ― “I know how many that are there”
.;
2. to be acquainted with; to recognize ―
Ọ ma ghi te rẹẹn ọnrẹn ― “He almost did not recognize him.”
rẹghẹrẹghẹ [ɽɛ̀ɣɛ̀ɽɛ̀ɣɛ̀] adj.
(of colour): shades ranging from pale pink to light shades of red and orange; (of temperature): warm, lukewarm:
Amẹ na ye rẹghẹrẹghẹ ― “This water is lukewarm.”
rẹnrẹn1 [ɽɛ̃̀ɽɛ̃́] vb.
1. to tickle (somebody); to excite the nerves (of somebody) to produce laughter:
Ọ gha rẹnrẹn mwẹn ― “He is tickling me.”
;
2. to be tickled.
rẹnrẹn2 [ɽɛ̃̀ɽ̃ɛ̃́] vb.
to crawl (like an insect); to glide slowly on the ground.
rẹnrẹnrẹn [ɽ̃ɛ̃̀ɽ̃ɛ̃̀ɽ̃ɛ̃̀] adv,; adj.
describes smooth and gentle motion, or appearance.
rẹrẹ [ɽɛ̀ɽɛ́] vb.
1. to deceive ―
Ọ rẹrẹ ọre miẹ ọnrẹn igho ― “He deceptively took money from him.”
;
2. to lure, to entice:
Ọ ya igho rẹrẹ ọre rhie kpaọ ― “He used money to lure her away with him. He lured her away with money”
.
riin [ɽĩ́i] dem. adj.
a variant of the demonstrative adjective “nii”, used mainly by “^old people”.
rinmwian [ɽĩ̀ɱyã́] vb.
to beg; to plead with:
Rinmwian mwẹn ne i ghẹ kpaọ sẹ ruẹ rae ― “Plead with me not to depart from you.”
ro1 [ɽó] vb.
to be cheap:
Evbare waa ro vbe ẹvbo na ― “Food is quite cheap in this town.”
ro2 [ɽó] vb.
(of a boil or an inflamed tumour) to leak out pus; to discharge pus:
arighẹghan ne ọ mu ẹre owẹ ma he ye ro ― “The boil that afflicted him on the leg has not yet started to discharge pus.”
ro3 [ɽó] vb.
to flood; to inundate; to form a crowd:
Amẹ ro vuọn úkpo ― “Water has flooded the road: The road is flooded with water.”
Ọgba ro ne ẹvbo ― “The tap is crowded (with people).”
rogho [ɽòɣó] vb.
to be undesirably soft or watery; (of fruit or vegetable); to deteriorate; to start to rot.:
Etamatosi hia ne ọ dẹ rre rogho vuọn okhuae ― “All the tomatoes she bought here have started to rot in the basket.”
roro [ɽòɽó] vb.
1. to think, to meditate;
2. to compute; to reckon;
3. to add:
Roro ehia kugbe ne u khama mwẹn inu ne iran khin ― “Add all together and tell me how many they are.”
(also roo).
rọ1 [ɽɔ́] vb.
1. to exchange:
Ya ọnona rọ ọnii ― “Exchange that with this.”
;
2. to change money into smaller denominations; to make change:
Lahọ, rọ ígho na mẹ ― “Please, change this money (into smaller denominations) for me.”
rọ2 [ɽɔ́] vb.
to come to a standstill; to rest; to stop:
Ai miẹ ẹghẹ ne agbanmwẹn ọnrẹn ya rọ ― “There is never a time that his jaws are at rest. (i.e. He is forever talking).”
rọkhọ [ɽɔ̀xɔ́] vb.
(of fruit)
1. to be very ripe:
alimoi na rọkhọ nẹ ― “This orange is now very ripe.”
;
2. to be easy (to do); to be stress-free:
Iwinna ne ọ mu mẹ ru rọkhọ ― “The work that he gave me to do is easy.”
;
3. to be comfortable; peaceful:
Owa na rọkhọ mwẹn egbe ― “This house is comfortable for me (for my body)”
.
4. (of illness) to subside; to lessen:
Uhunmwonva ẹre fẹko rọkhọ nẹ ― “His illness is gradually subsiding.”
rọn [ɽ̃ɔ̃́] vb.
1. to drip; to shed moisture or liquid; to leak:
Ofiugbọn rọn kua vbe uko ― “The oil dripped out of the calabash.”
;
2. to look radiant; to have a sheen:
Ke ne ọ ya sẹ Ẹdo, te ọ ghi rọn ― “Since she arrived in Benin, she has been looking radiant.”
rọnmwẹn [ɽ̃ɔ̃̀ɱɛ̃́] vb.
to marry (used mainly of a woman)
Ọtenmwẹn ẹre ọ rọnmwẹn ― “It is my relation that she married.”
ru [ɽú] vb.
1. to do; to perform ―
Ọ ru iwinna ne a munẹẹn nẹ ― “He has already performed the task that he was assigned.”
;
2. to perform the ritual rites (e.g. of ancestors or a deity); to offer sacrifice:
Akhuẹ ẹre ọ khian ru erhae ― “It is tomorrow that he will perform the rites of his father (or ancestors).”
;
3. to be like; to have the characteristics of:
Ukpọn ne iran dẹe ru ebebe ― “The cloth which they bought is greenish (is like foliage)”
.
rua1 [ɽùá] adv.
indicates that the action in the verb with which it co-occurs was performed to the extreme limit:
Ọ bun mwẹn obọ rua ― “He broke my hand completely.”
(Other forms of the adverb are ruan; -uan; -ua, -a).
ruan1 [ɽũ̀ã́] vb.
to drug (a person); to administer poison (to a person).
Iran ruan rẹn vbe ehe ne ọ yoo ― “They drugged him where he went.”
ruan2 [ɽũ̀ã́] pron.
a form of the 2nd person pl. pron. (poss. & obj.) which is used mainly by the elderly:
Ẹmwẹn ruan ọ ya mwẹn sẹ usẹ ― “It is on your (pl.) account that I am suffering”
: “^I am suffering on your account”. Now most people would say: “Emwẹn
uwa ọ ya mwẹn sẹ usẹ.” (other forms of the pronoun are rua, -uan, & -ua).
ruburubu [ɽùbùɽùbù] adj.
(usually introduced by the vb. ye) describes something that is round and smooth.
rue [ɽùé] vb.
to vie with (usually of co-wives).
ruegbe [ɽwègbé] vb.
to engage in a verbal or physical tussle with somebody:
Te iran eveva ruegbe sin ― “Both of them have since been engaged in a tussle.”
rueghe [ɽwèɣé] vb.
to shake; to move back and forth; to be unsteady.
ruẹ1 [ɽùɛ́] vb.
1. to learn:
Ọ ruẹe vbene a ya kuun ẹnrẹn hẹẹ ― “He learned how it is constructed”
;
2. to teach (to somebody)
Ọ ruẹ ọre ikẹkẹ ne a hin ― “He taught him how to ride a bicycle.”
ruẹ2 [ɽùɛ́] pron.
a form of the 2nd pers. sgl. pron. (possessive):
ebe ruẹ ― “Your book”
; (other forms of the pron. are ruẹn, -uẹ, -uẹn, -ẹn, -ẹ).
ruẹn [ɽ̃ũ̀ɛ̃́] vb.
to pour liquid into a container; to fill with liquid:
Ruẹn amẹ ye ọgọ nii mẹ ― “Fill that bottle with water for me.”
ruẹn [ɽ̃ũɛ̃] n.
same as ruẹ
2, but occurs only in a nasal environment:
ẹmwẹn ruẹn ― “your matter”
.
ruẹse [ɽwɛ̀sé] vb.
1. (< ru1 ― ẹse) “to do a kindness”; to help; to bestow a favour;
2. (as part of the greeting: “U ruẹse”) to be deserving of one’s gratitude or indebtedness:
“U ruẹse vbe egbe mwẹn ” ― “I am grateful for your help/kindness to me.”
rundẹnrundẹn [ɽ̃ũ̀dɛ̃̀ɽ̃ũ̀dɛ̃̀] adj.
(usually intr. by the vb. “ye”) describes something (or somebody) that is weak and unhealthy-looking.
runran [ɽ̃ũ̀ɽ̃ã́] vb.
to be startled; to start or shudder (e.g. with shock or fright):
Ọ runraẹn vbe avan-nukhun-mwun vaẹn ― “She shuddered when it thundered.”
ruosa [ɽwòsá] vb.
(< ru1 ― osa) to incur a debt; to be in debt.
rururu [ɽùɽùɽù] adj.
(usually introduced by the vb. “ye”) describes a big and distended object.