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ɔbɛ [ ˥ ˥ ] a salutation (similar to
Yoruba oku, ɛku [ ˧ ˥ ]) which is
followed by another word to
specify time, occupation of the
one addressed, etc.; ɔb-urhiɔʋ̃ɛ
[ ˥ ˥ (4-1) ˩ ] “salute with awaking”:
good morning (also ɔb-owiɛ o
[ ˥ ˥ ˦ ˧ ]); ɔb-avã [ ˥ \ ˩ ] good day;
ɔb-ota [ ˥ \ ˩ ] good afternoon,
or, evening (from ca. 3 p.m.);
ɔb-oxiã [ ˥ ˥ ˦ ] “salute with the
walk”: welcome! (used to some-
body arriving after a journey, or
met on the road going home);
ɔb-inwina [ ˥ \ ˩ ˩ ] “salute with
work”: greeting used while
finding somebody at work; ob-
eʋ-aɽu [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] “salute with what is
being done” is more usual: well
done! The latter is also used
when praising some piece of work
referred to in conversation; v.
xĩ [ / ].
ɔbɛɽɛkoko [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] a timber tree.
ɔbɛʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] stammerer; cf. b-ɛʋ̃ɛ
[ ˥ ˩ ].
ɔbiɔmɔ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] parent; cf. biɛ [ ˥ ],
ɔmɔ [ ˩ ˥ ], ɔbiɔmɔĩrieʋ̃i [ ˩ ˩ / ˩ \ ].
ɔbiɔmɔĩrieʋ̃i [ ˩ ˩ / ˩ \ ] “a parent-
(who)-does-not-eat-anything”:
an imaginary person invoked
by parents when their children
worry them during meals. They
tell them yati-ɔbiɔmɔĩrieʋ̃i re
[ / ˩ ˩ ˩ / ˩ \ ˥ ] go and call ɔb.! to
get rid of them for a while;
cf. ɔbiɔmɔ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ], ɽe [ ˥ ], eʋ̃i [ ˩ \ ].
ɔbo 1 [ ˩ ˥ ] (pl. e-) a “doctor”; there
are oracle-, witch- and ordeal-
doctors as well as those who
cure, or make rain. The oracle-
doctors are composed of four
different groups according to
the different kinds of oracles;
there are ɔb-ogwɛga [ ˩ ˥ (4-1) ˩ ], ɔb-
ewawa [ ˩ \ ˩ ˩ ], ɔb-akpɛlɛ [ ˩ \ ˩ ˩ ],