ugbo ɽuɛ ɽa [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˥ ˩ / ˩ ˩ ] is the fell-
ing of trees finished already on
your farm? cf. gbɔ [ ˥ ]; v. itẽrhã
[ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].
egbɔ̃ [ ˥ ˩ ] (1) a high fence (with
openings at the side) made of
ixiʋ̃i [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ]-trees, and standing at
the village entrance (uɣe [ ˥ ˩ ]);
it keeps off evil spirits and bad
charms; ixiʋ̃i is used because
of its particular “power” as the
most senior, “aged”, tree. (2)
a name.
egbɔɣɔ [ ˥ ˩ ˩ ] native tobacco, much
planted on farms.
egbu [ ˥ ˥ ] a kind of woodpecker
with a big head and short beak
(akpalakp-erhã [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] has a
smaller head, but its beak is a
little longer).
eɣã [ ˥ ˩ ] (1) chain; not as big as
ɔgiɔɽɔ [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ]; eɣã na kɔ̃kɔ̃ gbe
[ ˥ / ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] this chain is very big.
(2) prison (in the meaning of
imprisoment); amu‿ɛ̃ y-eɣã
[ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˧ ˩ ] they put him in prison;
cf. Yor. ɛnwɔ [ ˩ ˩ ]; cf. also oleɣã
[ ˥ ˥ ˩ ], ɔsuoleɣã [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ]; v. ogba 1 [ ˥ ˩ ].
Eɣaɛʋo [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] “sharers of the
country”: this term refers to
two groups of Bini chiefs, the
Eɣaɛʋo N-ogbe [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] and the
Eɣaɛʋo N-oɽe [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ]. While the
first group contains the house-
hold officials at the Ɛguae [ ˩ ˩ ],
the second consists of the fief-
holders in the country, who,
however, reside in Benin City.
The four most important mem-
bers of this group are: Iyasɛ
[ ˥ ˩ ˥ ], Esɔgbã [ ˥ ˩ ˥ ], Esɔ̃ [ ˥ / ], and
Osuma [ ˥ ˩ ˥ ]; they are also called
Eɣaɛʋo n-enɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ \ ˩ ], “the four
Eɣaɛʋo”; while the others are
the Eɣaɛʋo n-ikotɔ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ \ ˩ ˩ ], the
