construction, wa ʋ-ɔɽe [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] “you
(pl.) and he” is said to be more
in use.) Cf. ʋe 1 [ / ].
ʋe 1 [ / ] an auxiliary verb used
alone or in connection with
another auxiliary verb, e.g. ke 2
[ ˥ ]. It corresponds to the Eng-
lish “again”, “also”, “as well”,
when standing between verbs;
ɔkeʋeɽu‿ɛe [ ˩ ˥ / ˥ \ ] “and he is
doing it as well”; ɔkeʋeɽu‿ɛe
[ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ \ ] “and he did it as well”.
(Instead of ke, keɣi [ ˥ ˥ ] and [ ˥ ˩ ],
may precede it.) Cf. ʋe [ ˥ ].
ʋe 2 [ / ] to be scarce; igaɽi ʋe
ʋ-ɛʋo na [ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ / ˩ ] gari (cassava)
is scarce in this town; cf.
uʋeʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ \ ˩ ].
ʋekpa [ ˩ ˥ ] (1) on account of;
owing to; used with a following
noun or pronoun. (2) about (not
in a local sense); iɣare ʋekpa ɛʋ̃ɛ
n-uxaɽe ni [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ / / / ] “I shall
come on account of that matter
about which you have spoken”.
ʋɛ [ ˥ ] to become, be broad; ɔdɛ na
ʋɛe [ ˩ ˥ ˩ \ ] this road is broad.
Idiom.: ãɽo ʋɛ ʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] “eye is
(or, was) broad with me”: I have
been greedy; said e.g. when
blaming oneself for having taken
the best-looking share of a dish,
only to find onself deceived in
it; cf. ʋɛ 1 [ / ], aɽoʋɛʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˩ \ ˩ ].
ʋɛ 1 [ / ] to widen; iɽ̃ã ʋɔ-dɛ na
[ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] they are widening the
road (ʋɔ is lengthened); cf.
ʋɛ [ ˥ ].
ʋɛ 2 [ / ] in ʋɛ [ / ] re [ ˥ ] to bow.
ʋiɛ [ / ] to sleep; deɣ-uʋiɛɽe [ ˥ ˩ / ˩ ]
(I hope) you have slept (scil.
well)? A formula of salutation:
uɣuʋi-ɛse o [ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] may you
sleep well! (said to be the most
correct and best form); also
