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    [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] “empty things empty
    things (they are which) you are
    doing”: you are doing nothing
    but useless things; cf. d-ihoi [ ˥ ˩ ].
    
ihɔʋ̃egbe [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] “brushing body”:
    purification of oneself after a
    breach of taboo. This consists in
    a complicated process of brush-
    ing one’s head with a chicken,
    certain leaves (aya [ ˩ ˥ ]; eb-
    ixiʋ̃i [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ ]), and the tip of a
    palm-branch while pronouncing
    certain purifying formulas.
    Drawing circles (b-oxi [ ˥ ˩ ]) also
    plays a part in the ceremony;
    cf. hɔʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˥ ], egbe [ ˩ ˥ ]; v.
    ihɔʋ̃owa [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ], ihɔʋ̃ɛʋo [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].
    
ihɔʋ̃ɛʋo [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] “brushing town
    (village)”: purification of a
    viilage or town. This was, in
    Benin City, performed by mem-
    bers of the Ɔba’s household (and
    in villages it is done by a man
    appointed by the ɔdiɔ̃weɽe [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ]).
    They took a man, dog, goat,
    and fowl, tied branches of a
    palm, the ixiʋ̃i [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ]-tree and
    the shrub aya [ ˩ ˥ ] to them, and
    dragged them round the town.
    Then they prepared afɔ [ ˩ ˥ ],
    splashed it on the roads and
    said: ɔfu re [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] “it is cool”, i.e.
    peaceful, absolved. Dogs are
    nowadays used for the purpose,
    and in bush-villages, chickens;
    cf. hɔʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˥ ], ɛʋo [ ˩ ˩ ]; v. ihɔʋ̃egbe
    [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ], ihɔʋ̃owa [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].
    
ihɔʋ̃owa [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] “brushing house”:
    purification of a house with
    a chicken (e.g. after the breach
    of a taboo); cf. hɔʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˥ ], owa [ ˩ ˥ ];
    v. ihɔʋ̃egbe [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ], ihɔʋ̃ɛʋo [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].
    
ihu [ ˩ ˥ ] foam; cf. hu [ ˥ ].
    
ihuã 1 [ ˩ ˥ ] song; ihuã n-aya gbe
    [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ] “a song that is taken to
    dance”: dancing-song; and spe-