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*    is heard instead of ʋ). Further



*    in xĩ-ɔ̃maɛ̃ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] to become old;



*    cf. xĩ [ ˥ ], xiã [ / ], xiɛ̃ [ / ].



*xiã [ ˥ ] (1) to walk (i.e. not with



*    a definite aim); to take a stroll.



*    (2) as second part of verbal



*    combinations it means that the



*    main action is stretching over a



*    certain time; in combination



*    with verbs of motion it can be



*    translated by “along”, e.g.



*    ahiaʋ̃ɛ tĩ xiã [ ˥ (4-1) ˩ ˥ ˥ ] the bird is



*    flying along. This translation is



*    also used in the local form of



*    English when no verb of motion



*    is concerned, e.g. “they are



*    working along”: iɽ̃ã nwina xiã



*    [ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ]. In combinations, it is



*    only used in the ipf. mood of



*    action. Redupl.: xiãxiã [ ˥ ˥ ] to



*    go about; v. rie [ / ], yo [ ˥ ].



*xia [ / ] to hurt; owɛ xia-ɽe [ ˩ ˩ / ˩ ]



*    (his) foot hurts him.



*xiã [ / ] (1) to turn (into); x-ĩkɔ



*    [ / ˩ ] to obstruct somebody’s in-



*    tentions: ɣɛx-ĩkɔ lele ʋ̃ɛ [ ˥ / ˩ ˩ ˩ \ ]



*    don’t follow me in order to



*    obstruct my affairs; used e.g. by



*    a girl who is followed by her



*    sister on a secret way to her



*    lover, cf. ikɔ [ ˥ ˩ ]. (2) to trans-



*    form into something; the trans-



*    formation is done by the help



*    of the ɛbɔ Osũ [ ˩ ˥ ]; such



*    “transformers” have no chil-



*    dren. It is said to be possible



*    to be transformed into any-



*    thing, but the most difficult



*    thing which is only achieved



*    by a few adepts is to transform



*    into a cow. At the death of a



*    “transformer” some magic is



*    expected to happen so that he



*    will know when he is going to



*    die. When he dies, a flash of



*    light is said to go up from his