ba¹ [ '][bá] {SS::} vb. to watch; to guard: ghá
ba ẹre ne ẹ ghẹ lẹ fua ― “keep watch-
ing it so that it does not run off”.

ba² [ '][bá] {SM::} vb. 1. to do something steal-
%%

thily: te ọ ba la owa ẹre i ma na họn
― “he sneaked into the house, and
that is why I did not hear him”. 2.
to walk lifelessly, as if from weak-
ness.
$Page 013$

ba³ [ '][bá] {SS::} aux. to pretend to be doing
something; to fake: Te ọ ba viẹ ― “He
is pretending to cry” (also ma).

baa¹ [ `'][bàá] {SM::} vb. 1. to be red or orange;
2. to be brightly coloured. 3. to shine,
e.g. of the moon; to be lit (of lamps &
other sources of light).

baa² [ `'][bàá] {SM::} vb. 1. to implant a straight
object into something, mostly into the
ground; to thrust: ọ baa erhan ye
otọ ― “he stuck a stick into the
ground”. 2. (idiomatic) (with ohoghoi):
to pin on, to attribute to: ọ baa mwẹn
ohoghoi ― “he pinned lies on me;
i.e., he told lies against me.”

baa³ [ `'][bàá] {SS::} vb. to be difficult, arduous.

baa⁴ [ `'][bàá] {SS::} vb. 1. (with ẹmwẹn) to
twist; to alter: ọ baa mwẹn ẹmwẹn ―
“he twisted my words: he lied against
me”.

baa⁵ [ `'][bàá] {SS::} vb. part. (usually with vbs.
such as rhie, mu, viọ, etc.) to add to:
rhie ọna baa ọni ― “take this to add
to that; i.e. add this to that”.

baa⁶ [ `'][bàá] {SS::} adv. compltz. for the sake
of; because of: ọ gbee mwẹn baa
ẹmwẹn ruẹn ― “he beat me
because of your affair: he beat me
because of you.”

baan [ `'][bã̀ã́] {SS::} vb. to abstain from; to give
up something; to stop doing something.

baba¹ [ ` '][bàbá] {SS::} vb. plural or reiterative
sense of baa³ i.e. to implant several
objects or to implant the same object
repeatedly: ọ baba erhan lele otọ ―
“he stuck sticks along the ground”.

baba² [ ` '][bàbá] {SS::} vb. reiterative sense of
ba¹ above; i.e. to watch repeatedly;
to spy on continuously: gha baba ẹre
ne ọ ghẹ lẹ fua ― “keep watching it
%%

---

so that it does not run off.”

baba³ [ ` '][bàbá] {SS::} vb. to grope; to feel
about as one does in the dark.

ba igban [ `' `][bàígbã̀] {SS::} vb. (idiom) to pro-
claim a woman as the wife of the Ọba
of Benin: iran baa uvbi nii igban ―
“they declared that young woman
a wife of the Ọba.”

ba ku [ ` '][bàkú] {SM::} vb. 1. to make a mistake,
to miss; 2^.^ in the Christian sense ― to
transgress; to sin.

balọ¹ [ ` '][bàlɔ́] {SS::} vb. to be painful; to hurt.

balọ² [ ` '][bàlɔ́] {SM::} vb. 1. to scoop liquid with
a small container; 2. to spill; to pour
out.

ban [ '][bã́] {SM::} vb. 1. to peel off; 2. to se-
parate forcibly: ọ gha ban ikpakpa re
fua ― “he will peel the skin off”.

banbaan [ ' '`][bã́bã́ã̀] {SS::} adv. immediately;
right now. (also: banbanna and
banbanbanban).

bannọ [ ` '][bã̀nɔ̃́] {SS::} vb. plural or reiterative
sense of ban: e.g. to peel off several
slices; or two or more people peel off
something.

bebe [ ` '][bèbé] {SM::} vb. 1. to be mischievously
overactive; troublesome (usually of
children): ọvbokhan na bebe gbe ―
“This child is too troublesome.” 2.
adventurous.

begbe [ ` '][bègbé] {SS::} vb. (< ba egbe) to be
self-protective; to be on one’s guard.

bẹbuu [ ` '`][bɛ̀búù] {SS::} vb. child language ex-
pression meaning “to lie down”.

bẹẹ¹ [ `'][bɛ̀ɛ́] {SS::} vb. to slice: bẹẹ iyan nii
ye akhe ― “slice that yam into the
pot (and cook it)”.
$Page 014$

bẹẹ² [ `'][bɛ̀ɛ́] {SS::} vb. (with ọgọ) to tap (palm
wine); to collect and store away. (cf:
ọbọgọ; bọọgọ).

bẹbẹẹbẹ [ ' '' '][bɛ́bɛ́ɛ́bɛ́] {SS::} adj. (used with the
verb ye): very large extensive; nene
akhe ye bẹbẹẹbẹ ― “the pot is ex-
tremely large.”

bẹghe [ ` `'][bɛ̀ɣèé] {SS::} vb. to see; to sight: I
bẹghe ẹre vbe ọ dee ― “I saw him as
he was approaching”. (cf: dẹghee).

bẹkun [ ` '][bɛ̀kṹ] {SM::} adv. 1. (usually with vbs
such as ru; bọ; re, etc.) ― incomplete-
ly: ọ bọ owa nii bẹkun serae ye evba ―
“he built that house half-way and
left it there”. 2. (usually with the vb.
hoo: “to look for”) abortively; un-
successfully: iran hoo ẹre bẹkun ―
“they searched for him unsuccessful-
ly; i.e. he is nowhere to be found”.

bẹlẹ [ ` '][bɛ̀lɛ́] {SS::} vb. plural reiterative sense
of bee¹: to cut into several slices; or
for several people to engage in slicing.

bẹtẹ [ ` `][bɛ̀tɛ̀] {SS::} adj. (usually introduced
with the vb: ye) fat; stocky; chubby:
ovbi-ẹre ye bẹtẹ ― “her child is
chubby.”

bẹtẹbẹtẹ [ ` ` ` `][bɛ̀tɛ̀bɛ̀tɛ̀] {SS::} adj. pl. sense of
bẹtẹ: ivbi-ẹre ye bẹtẹbẹtẹ ― “her
children are all chubby.”

bẹtẹẹ [ ' ''][bɛ́tɛ́ɛ́] {SS::} adj. (usually introduced
with the vb. ye) very large; expansive:
eki ni ye bẹtẹẹ ― “that market is very
large.”

bẹmwẹn [ ' `][bɛ́ɱɛ̃̀] {SS::} vb. to stammer.

bi¹ [ '][bí] {SM::} vb. 1. to shove, to push: bi
ẹre hin odẹ rre ― “push it out of the
way”. 2. (idiomatic) to be moved by;
to be of concern to; (usually occurs
in negative clauses): ẹmwẹn ọnrẹn ma
bi mwẹn ― “His affairs are not of any
%%

---

concern to me”. (cf. kaan).

bi² [ '][bí] {SS::} vb. to vomit: ọ bii ukhunmwun
nii hia kua ― “He vomitted all that
medicine out”. (cf. kpa).

bi³ [ '][bí] {SM::} vb. 1. to be dark in shade or
colour: ukpọn naa ẹre ọ bi sẹ ọnii ―
“This cloth is darker than that one.”
2. (with amẹ) to threaten; to be
imminent: amẹ bi ― “Rain is threaten-
ing” (that is, there are dark clouds
in the sky). 3. (with certain fruits,
such as orunmwun; orhurhu; etc.):
to be ripe; to be ready-to-eat:
orunmwun naa bi nẹ ― “This pear
is ripe.”

bian [ `'][bĩ̀ã́] {SS::} vb. to slice off a strip.

bibi¹ [ ` '][bìbí] {SS::} vb. to grope; to roam aim-
lessly (cf. bibi-odẹ).

bibi² [ ` '][bìbí] {SS::} vb. to be foolish; to be
stupid: ú bibi ― “you are stupid.”

bibiode [ ` ` '][bỳbiòdɛ́] {SS::} vb. to get lost; to
go astray (bibi (vb) + odẹ ― road).

biegbe [ ` '][byègbé] {SS::} vb. to give way; to
dock.

biẹ [ '][byɛ́] {SM::} vb. 1. to give birth; 2. to have
children (as opposed to being barren);
3. to have off-shoots (with plants such
as iyan or igari).

bigọọ [ ` `'][bìgɔ̀ɔ́] {SS::} vb. to be crooked; curved
or bent; not straight: erhan na bigọọ
― “This tree is crooked.”

bigọbigọbigọ [ ' ' ` ` ' '][bígɔ́bìgɔ̀bígɔ́] {SS::} adj. (us-
ually introduced by the vb. ye): very
crooked.

bigbe [ ` '][bìgbé] {SS::} vb. to shut; to close.

bii [ `'][bìí] {SS::} vb. to stab; to jab with a
pointed object: ọ ya opia bii ẹre ―
$Page 015$

---

“He stabbed him with a knife.”

bobo [ ` '][bòbó] {SS::} vb. to run anxiously back
and forth (like a hen about to lay an
egg); to wander aimlessly.

bodẹ [ ` '][bòdɛ́] {SS::} vb. to stand guard (ba¹ +
odẹ ― road).

bolo [ ` '][bòló] {SS::} vb. to peel (skin), to strip
off: ọ bolo alimo ― “he peeled the
orange.”

bọ¹ [ '][bɔ́] {SS::} vb. to build; construct: ọ bọ
egedege: “he built a storey-house.”

bọ² [ '][bɔ́] {SM::} vb. 1. to predict; to tell one’s
fortune: ọbo bọ mẹ ― “the native-
doctor told me my fortune.” 2. to
consult a fortune-teller or native
doctor: i khian ya bọ yọ ― “I am
going to consult a native-doctor on
the matter.”

bọ³ [ '][bɔ́] {SS::} vb. to be favourable to; to be
good for (usually in proper names
such as Isibọ; Edobọ; etc.).

bọlọzọ [ ` ` `][bɔ̀lɔ̀zɔ̀] {SS::} adj. (introduced with
the vb. ye) chubby; pleasingly fat and
healthy-looking: ọmọ ni ye bọlọzọ ―
“that child looks nice and chubby.”

bọnmwẹn¹ [ ` ][bɔ̃̀ɱɛ̃] {SM::} vb. 1. to drop in
small pieces, or granular form; to flake
off: iku ehẹn esọ bonmwẹn kua ―
“some small pieces flaked off from
the fish.” 2. to winnow. 3. to shake
off dust or dirt from a surface:
bonmwẹn aga nii u ke tota yọ ― “dust
that chair before you sit on it.”

bọnmwẹn² [ ` '][bɔ̃̀ɱɛ̃́] {SS::} vb. (usually with
verbs such as rhie, mu, kpaọ, dee,
etc.) to do swiftly; to do briskly; to
whisk off: ọ bonmwẹn kpao ― “She
left briskly”.

bọọ [ `'][bɔ̀ɔ́] {SS::} vb. to console; to cheer up
%%

(usually a child who has been crying).

bọọn [ `'][bɔ̃̀ɔ̃́] {SS::} vb. (of wearing apparel) to
lift, to raise up: bọọn ukpọn ― “to
raise up cloth (thereby revealing what
lies below)”^.

bọọzi [ `` `][bɔ̀ɔ̀zì] {SS::} adj. (usually introduced
with the vb. ye) big and long; larger
than normal size.

buan [ `'][bũ̀ã́] {SS::} adv. sufficiently; in more
than enough quantity or value: ọ
winna buan ― “he worked sufficiently
or hard enough.”

bubu [ ` '][bùbú] {SM::} vb. 1. (usually with verbs
like kpaegbe; tota; kpao, etc.); to
move in an awkwardly brisk manner:
ọ bubuu kpaegbe: “he got up in an
awkwardly brisk manner.” 2. to be
awkward; clumsy.

bue [ `'][bùé] {SS::} vb. to stay long; to linger:
ghẹ bue vbe ẹki-o ― “don’t linger at
the market.” iran buere ― “they
stayed long”.

bukpẹ [ ' `][búkpɛ̀] {SS::} excl. formula of thanks
expressed by females to their elders
after a meal; it is also used as a greet-
ing to an older person who sneezes.

bun [ '][bṹ] {SM::} vb. 1. to be plentiful; to be
numerous: ẹvbo bun vbe odọọ:
“people are plentiful over there”^. 2.
vb. (usually with the adv. gbe) to be
much with: iku bun ẹnrẹn gbe: “he
is too fond of playing ― he plays too
much.”

bunnọ [ ` '][bũ̀nɔ̃́] {SS::} vb. plural or reiterative
sense of buun: aberhan bunnọ kue
otọ ― “Tree branches have broken
off on the ground”.

buu¹ [ `'][bùú] {SM::} vb. 1. to go toward; to
approach something/somebody; to
meet or join: Ọ buu erhae ― “He
$Page 016$

---

went to meet his father.” 2. to ap-
proximate or approach in size or
value: ọna buu ọnii ― “This one
approaches that one in value”. 3. to
deposit money toward; to make a
down-payment on.

buu² [ `'][bùú] {SM::} vb. 1. to settle (e.g. a case):
Ọ buu ohiẹn ne iran ― “He settled the
case for them.” 2. to decide on
something; to fix (e.g. a date): ọ buu
ẹdẹ ne iran ― “He fixed a date for
them (i.e. He gave them an appoint-
%%

---

ment).”

buu³ [ `'][bùú] {SM::} vb. 1. to found; to est-
ablish: Ọ kpẹre ne a ghi buu ẹvbo nii ―
It is a long time since that town was
founded. 2. to assemble for a meeting;
to meet as a group.

buun¹ [ `'][bũ̀ṹ] {SS::} vb. to break; to snap.

buun² [ `'][bũ̀ṹ] {SS::} vb. to confess to adultery
by a woman.