gate in Ɔzuɔla’s big wall and
ditch.
unuɣisɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ] “mouth cannot
reach”: an old expression equi-
valent to oloi [ ˥ ˥ ] “wife of the
Ɔba”.
Unwagwɛ [ ˥ ˩ ˩ ] the senior chief at
the Iwebo [ ˩ \ ˩ ]-society; he is in
charge of the Ɔba’s dresses, and
especially his coral-beads. He
used to act for three years as
the Ɔba when an Ɔba had died,
during which three years the
Ɔba’s death was kept a secret
(this practice was not followed
the last time); thus he was (and
still is in theory) the only man
to wear the Ɔba’s dresses; the
title is hereditary, or, at least,
it remains in the family (Igi-
esã [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ ]): if the son of an
Unwagwɛ is too young, a near
relative takes the title.
unwaʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ \ ˩ ] brightness (of day
or weather); unwaʋ̃-ɛ̃dɛ n-ɛɽɛ
l-uɣaɛ̃ gbe [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ \ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] lit. “the
brightness of to-day is very
different”: to-day it is much
brighter than usual (ovɛ̃ [ ˩ ˩ ]
might be substituted above for
unwaʋ̃ɛ); cf. nwa 2 [ / ].
Unwɛ [ ˥ ˥ ] a god of the Ɔba’s;
v. Ɔsa [ ˥ ˩ ], Osuã [ ˥ ˩ ].
unwɛrhiɛ̃ [ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] whip; idiom.: ɛse
rhi-unwɛrhiɛ̃ [ ˩ \ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] “kindness
has taken a whip”: things have
taken a bad turn, or, something
well intended has had a bad end
(e.g. an advice not taken); ʋeɣe
ʋ-ɛse rhi-unwɛrhiɛ̃ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ / ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] “see
again how kindness has come
out wrong”. unwɛrhĩ-ɔ̃tã [ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ]
“squirrel’s whip”: a shrub,
Glyphaea laterifolia; F.D. list:
unwɛrhĩ-ɔ̃t-ɛ̃gbo [ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˦ ˦ ] (ɛgbo
