fã [ ˥ ]
to cut loose, in (1) to cut palm nuts (and let them drop);
yaf-ɛ̃dĩ na [ / ˩ ˥ ˩ ] go and cut these palm nuts!
(2) to remove the thatch of a house in order to replace it by new leaves (or, to remove old leaves from the thatch?);
fã‿owa na mɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] remove (the thatch of) this house for me!
(the ã represents only a very short glide).
fã [ ˥ ] fua [ ˥ ] (a) to release;
to acquit in court;
ɔfã‿ɛ̃ fua ʋ-ikotu (or, ʋ-ow-ɛzɔ [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ]) [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˩ \ ˩ ] he released him out of court;
(b) to set free (a slave).
f-ẽma [ ˥ ˩ ] to loosen (i.e. to take out) yams from the stack (eru [ ˩ ˥ ]) ɣaf-ẽma ʋ-eru na [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ] who took the yams out of this yam-stack?
fe 1 [ ˥ ]
(1) to escape;
to slip out;
ahĩaʋ̃ɛ ni f-ima [ ˥ ˦ / / ˦ ˩ ] that bird escaped us;
ɔʋoxã na fe ʋ-iyɔha [ ˩ ˩ / ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˩ ] this boy is free from pawn, i.e. from being pawned;
ɔfe ʋ̃-obɔ de gb-otɔ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] it slipped out of my hand and fell down.
f-ɔrhiɔ̃ [ ˩ ˥ ] “to escape life”, i.e. to faint.
(2) to be cured from a disease;
okpia na fe nɛ ʋ-uhuʋ̃u n-ɔvae [ ˩ / ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ \ ] this man has recovered from (lit. “escaped”) the disease he had;
v. lɛ [ / ].
fe 2 [ ˥ ]
to be rich;
cf. fe [ / ], ɛfe [ ˩ ˩ ].
fɛɛɽɛ [ ˦ ˦ ]
(1) entirely, completely;
used with the verb fo [ ˥ ];
ɔfo fɛɛɽɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˦ ] it is entirely finished (but v. fɛfɛɛfɛ [ ˦ ˦ ˦ ]).
(2) for good, finally;
isi kpaa-ʋa fɛɛɽɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˦ ] I left there for good.
fɛfɛɛfɛ [ ˦ ˦ ˦ ]
entirely, completely, altogether;
used with the verb fo [ ˥ ];
ɔfo nɛ fɛfɛɛfɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˧ ˧ ˧ ] it is completely finished;
ri‿ɔe fo fɛfɛɛfɛ [ ˥ \ / ˦ ˦ ˦ ] eat it all up!
(the fo may be omitted);
v. giɛ̃ [ / ].
fɛko [ ˩ / ]
an auxiliary verb (cf. hɛko [ ˩ / ]) indicating that the main action is carried out gently, gradually, which may come to mean “carefully” or even “secretly” according to the context;
inwin-iɽ̃ã fɛko fo [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˩ / ˥ ] their work is getting slowly finished;
fɛko [ ˩ \ ] gently!
fɛɽɛfɛɽɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ]
very sharp;
accompanies the verb mu 2 [ ˥ ];
v. ʋɛɽɛʋɛɽɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].
fi [ ˥ ]
(1) to throw;
combinations with verbs: fi [ ˥ ] dɔ̃ [ ˥ ] to miss;
to mistake;
ahoa n-ikɔ̃ɽ̃ɛ̃-nwa, ifi‿ɛe dɔ̃ [ ˥ ˩ ˥ / ˩ \ ˩ ˥ / ˦ ] lit. “the hawk I just aimed at, I missed it”;
v. zĩ‿ãɽo [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ].
fi [ ˥ ] fi [ ˥ ] to throw something into;
ɔfi‿ɛe fi oha [ ˩ ˥ / ˩ ˩ ˥ ] he threw it into the bush.
fi [ ˥ ] gbe [ ˥ ] to throw something at...;
ɔfi‿ɛe gbe ʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˥ / ˩ ˥ ] he threw it at me.
fi [ ˥ ] gb-ua [ ˥ ] (gbe [ ˥ ] ɽua [ ˥ ]) to shoot dead.
fi [ ˥ ] kui [ / ] to throw ɛbo [ ˩ \ ] at a man.
fi [ ˥ ] xɛ [ / ] to throw ɛbo [ ˩ \ ] on the road (same as gbe [ / ] xɛ [ / ]).
Combinations with nouns: fi‿agba [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] to summon a meeting;
in a saying which occurs in a story;
but v. also tie [ / ], t-iko [ ˩ ˥ ].
fi‿axwɛe [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ] to play marbles.
fi egbe del-egbe [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ ] to transform oneself, e.g. into an animal;
v. xiã [ / ].
fi‿ema [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ] to dig the big yam-poles (ikpɛsi [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ]) into the ground;
for the ɛɣɛ [ ˩ ˥ ]-poles it is ba‿ema [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ], v. ba 2 [ / ];
fi [ ˥ ] “to throw” expresses a more forcible action than ba [ / ] “to pierce”.
fi‿eso [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] weri-egbe [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] “to turn some things round”: to revise (Egh. Hist.).
fi‿exwae [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ] yɔ [ \ ] to wish something bad to a man, holding an exwae [ ˥ ˩ ] in front of the mouth and spitting after the words;
to curse by means of a charm;
“to implicate”.
fi‿ɛkũ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] refers to the movements during the coitus;
a formula of blessing is: uɣufi ɛkũ ihoi [ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ] may your coitus movements not be in vain;
used by a person senior to a woman met when sweeping the house, or the dais of her husband’s Erha [ ˥ ˥ ], as an act of purification when having cleansed herself after menstruation;
v. axuɛ [ ˩ ˥ ].
f-iha [ ˥ ˩ ] to cast an oracle (does not indicate which oracle is meant);
n-ɔf-iha [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] for “oracle-doctor” as given by N.W.Th. is said not to be as good an ɔb-iha [ ˩ \ ˩ ], v. ɔbo [ ˩ ˥ ].
f-itã [ ˥ ˥ ] to quote a proverb as answer to somebody’s question;
he has to guess the meaning;
“to drop a proverb”, v. kp-itã [ ˥ ˥ ].
f-iʋe [ ˥ ˩ ] to give somebody a hint by means of a proverb;
the person thus adadressed needs further explanation;
ɔf-itã f-iʋe mɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˥ ] he gave me a hint by means of a proverb.
f-iyeke [ ˥ ˩ ˩ ] gbe [ ˥ ] to turn the back towards something, e.g. gb-odɛ [ ˩ ˥ ], to the road.
fi‿obɔ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] yi [ ˥ ] to put one’s hand into something.
fi‿okĩ [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ] to perform okĩ [ ˥ ˩ ], v. gbe [ ˥ ].
fi‿ukusɛ [ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˩ ] to construct a rattle, i.e. to throw the cord round the calabash to and fro when making the net covering the calabash.
fi [ ˥ ] unu [ ˩ ˥ ] to speak in an unseemly way of, or to, one’s superior (Egh. Hist.).
(2) to beat (also of the pulse);
obɔ ɽuɛ fi leilei ɽa [ ˩ ˩ / ˦ ˧ (3-1) ˩ ] is your pulse (lit. “hand”) beating?
fi [ ˥ ] eʋ̃i [ ˩ \ ] to hit somebody, lit. “to hit (somebody) something”, viz. a blow: refers e.g. to a blow in anger, while gbe 1 [ ˥ ] means “to flog as a punishment”;
ifi‿ɛɽ-eʋ̃i [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ \ ] I hit him, cf. egbe n-ɔfi‿ɔʋ̃a‿eʋ̃i [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ \ ].
fi oɣoɽoko [ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˦ ] to hop on one foot.
(3) to shoot;
v. sa 2 [ ˥ ].
(4) to attack;
of a disease;
eʋ̃ifi fi‿ɛe [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ / ] “small pox has struck him”: he has caught small pox.
(5) it also denotes the direction (of a throw only?) into some locality, v. fi [ ˥ ] fi [ ˥ ].
(6) to leave, in fi [ ˥ ] yi [ ˥ ];
ɔfi‿ɛ(e) yi [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˧ ] he left it.
fi [ ˥ ] ya [ \ ] to die, of a man with family;
wu [ ˥ ] is used of a single man;
of a man who has a family it was said that “part of his body is still living”, v. also ikiã [ ˩ ˥ ].
Iterat. filo [ ˩ ˥ ] (a) to drop things one by one;
(b) to shoot birds or animals one by one;
(t)-ifil-iɽ̃ã [ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] I am shooting them one after the other;
(c) to be foolish;
t-ufilo [ ˥ ˩ \ ] are you mad?
v. kiza [ ˩ ˥ ];
cf. fieɣe [ ˩ ˥ ].
fiã [ ˥ ]
(1) to cut;
fiã [ ˥ ] fua [ ˥ ] to cut off.
fiã [ ˥ ] gbe [ ˥ ] “to cut (and) add to (?)”: to bless;
of a Christian blessing (but v. n-erhuʋ̃u (na 2 [ ˥ ]) [ ˥ ˩ ˩ ] na [ ˥ ] “to say prayer for (somebody)”: to bless in the pagan way);
cf. afiãgbe [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ].
fiã [ ˥ ] na [ ˥ ] to cut (food) for somebody;
t-uɽami-ɔ̃mɔ fiã na [ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] “may you get a child (or, children) to cut (food) for!”: used as a formula of thanksgiving after a meal by a woman towards a senior woman or man, also to her own parents, v. ɛrɛe [ ˩ \ ].
fiã [ ˥ ] ra [ / ] (a) to cross a river by swimming, or a road;
iɽ̃ã fĩ-ɛ̃zɛ ra [ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ / / ] they are crossing the river;
cf. gbe [ / ] ra [ / ], v. gwa 1 [ ˥ ];
(b) to break into a row of people called ikpokpã [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] at an ugie [ ˩ ˩ ], or into a row (single or double file) of people at an Ɔvia [ ˩ ˥ ] festival.
In the case of the Ɔvia, the man was (is?) whipped for it;
in the case of the ikpokpã, he was formerly killed and is nowadays made to pay for a big sacrifice costing up to £5.
fiã [ ˥ ] ɽe [ ˥ ] (a) to bite;
ekita fiã ʋ̃ɛ ɽe [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˧ ] a dog has bitten me;
(b) idiom.: to cheat;
iɣafiã‿ɛ̃ɽ-ɛsɛse, ɣaɣe ʋ̃ɛ ɣ-ɛɽe [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ \ ˥ ˦ ˥ ˩ ˥ / ˩ ] I shall cheat him ( “bite him eat”) properly, (just) look at me and (look) at him!
Combinations with nouns: f-ĩdĩ [ ˥ ˩ ] to dig a grave: fĩ-enwɛ [ ˩ ˩ \ ] “to be cut breast”: to be weaned.
fiã [ ˥ ] iɣo [ ˥ ˥ ] “to cut money”: to fine somebody;
v. zɛ 1 [ ˥ ];
afĩ-ozo‿iɣo ʋ-ikotu n-owiɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˦ ˦ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] Ojo was fined in court this morning.
f-ĩɣo [ ˥ ˥ ] to change money;
f-ĩɣo na (i)mɛ [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] change this money for me!
f-ĩhue [ ˥ ˥ ] “to be cut at the nose”: to be defaced, of a coin or cowrie.
fi-odɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] yi [ ˥ ] obɔ [ ˩ ˥ ] “to cut the road to somebody’s hand”: to reach a certain place earlier than somebody else by using a shorter road;
to make a short cut.
fĩ-osuɣu [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˩ ] yi [ ˥ ] egbe [ ˩ ˥ ] to trouble somebody (by means of charms or intrigues).
fĩ-ovã [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] to give a nickname (praise-name), v. also ɽe 1 [ ˥ ];
ɔfĩ-ovã mɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˥ (4-1) ˥ ] he gave me a nickname.
fĩ-ɔ̃ka [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ] to reap corn (maize).
(2) to become, be, cut or broken;
to come off (of a button e.g.);
iri n-itaɛ̃ n-iteɽat-ũkpɔ̃ (tã [ ˥ ]) yi fiaɛ̃ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ \ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˥ \ ] “the rope I put up (tã [ ˥ ]) on (yi [ ˥ ]) which I was about to spread clothes has snapped” (bũ [ / ] is only used of wood and iron; v. also wu [ ˥ ]).
(3) to kill a sacrificial victim.
(4) to be salty;
v. tãtaãtã [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].
(5) to smell sharp;
v. taĩtaĩ [ ˩ ˩ ].
fĩaʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˥ ]
to hit (a man);
ifĩaʋ̃-ɔ̃ɽ-eʋ̃i [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ \ ] lit. “I hit him something”, i.e. a blow (the ɽ is not nasalised).
fie [ / ]
to make a clearing for a farm, with matchets, previous to felling the trees on the plot;
fi-fie ni-sɛse [ ˩ ˥ (4-1) ˥ ˦ ] make that clearing properly!;
cf. ifie [ ˩ ˥ ];
v. gb-itɛ [ ˥ ˥ ].
fieɣe [ ˩ ˥ ]
to sway, to swing something;
ɔfieɣ-uherhɛ̃ xiã ʋ-imi‿ɔɛ̃ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ / ˩ ˥ ˥ / ] he was swinging the firebrand (along) when I saw him;
cf. fi [ ˥ ];
v. ɽueɣe [ ˩ ˥ ] (to shake something that is on the ground).
fiɛ̃fiɛ̃fiɛ̃fiɛ̃fiɛ̃ [ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˥ ]
imitates the cry of the rat oxã [ ˩ ˩ ].
fioɣofioɣo [ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˥ ]
very tall and thin, of a tree only;
used with ɔtaɛ̃ [ ˩ \ ] “it is tall”.
fo [ ˥ ]
to finish;
often followed by nɛ [ ˥ ] “already”;
fo [ / ] also often follows another verb in order to express that the action expressed by that verb has been finished;
erhã na fo nɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˥ ] this (fire) wood is finishing (already);
ɔrhi-ɛɽe fo [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˦ / ] “he has taken it finished”: he has taken it all;
cf. ufoʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ \ ˩ ].
fɔ [ ˥ ]
to perspire;
used with the subject ɔfɔ “perspiration”;
ɔfɔ fɔ ʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˧ ] I am streaming with perspiration;
cf. ɔfɔ [ ˩ ˥ ], fɔ [ / ].
fɔ [ / ]
to splash a liquid “medicine” on plants in order to make them yield plentifully.
This liquid, called ɛbo n-ayafɔ‿inya [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ], i.e. “medicine to be splashed on yam”, is obtained from the tree osuɔ̃bɔ̃ [ ˩ ˥ / ];
cf. afɔ [ ˩ ˥ ] (which is also splashed on the body or the house for the purpose of purification).
fu [ ˥ ]
in fu [ ˥ ] re [ ˥ ] to become, be, cool;
fu [ ˥ ] egbe [ ˩ ˥ ] to be peaceful, comfortable for somebody;
eʋ̃a na (or, aga na [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ] “this chair”) fu ʋ̃-egbe [ ˩ / ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] “this place is comfortable (i.e. peaceful, without worry) for me”.
fu‿ɛko [ ˩ ˩ \ ], only in the pf. (fu‿ɛko [ ˥ ˥ (4-1) ]): to be of peaceful disposition.
fũ [ ˥ ] kugbe [ ˥ ˥ ]
to mix;
ɔfũ‿ofigbɔ̃ ʋ-igaɽi ku gbe [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] he mixed palm-oil with gari.
fu 1 [ / ]
in fu [ / ] re [ ˥ ] to cool;
ɔfu‿amɛ na re [ ˩ ˥ ˥ / ˩ ˥ ] he cooled this water.
fu 2 [ / ]
to snatch;
to grab;
ibiɛka ni, wafu ɛʋɛe n-ɔr-eʋa viɔ [ ˩ / ˥ / ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ (4-1) / ] “(you) children there, snatch the kolas there and take them!” fu ɛʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] to stammer, or, more exactly to begin one word before finishing the other (v. b-ɛʋ̃ɛ [ ˥ ˩ ]).
fua 1 [ ˥ ]
second part of verbal combinations implying that the object is thrown away (but for liquids and grains, v. kua [ ˥ ]);
v. mu [ ˥ ], fiã [ ˥ ], fã [ ˥ ].
fua 2 [ ˥ ]
to be white;
ɔfua ʋ-akɔ̃ n-unu [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] “it is white like the teeth of the mouth”;
cf. fuɔfua [ ˩ ˥ ], ɛfua [ ˥ ˩ ].
fuã [ / ]
(1) to perish;
a curse: uɽafuã [ ˥ ˦ / ] may you perish!
(answer: iwua‿en-ɔfuã o [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ (5-4) ˧ ] “I am forbidden what is perished o”: something like “God has not destined me to perish”).
(2) to die out;
ɛgbɛ-iɽ̃ã fuã xiã [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ / ˥ ] lit. “their family (sib) are perishing along”, i.e. dying out.
This would be a bad curse if uttered to a member of the clan;
cf. fua [ ˥ ] (?).
fuɛ̃fuɛ̃fuɛ̃ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ]
smothering, of a fire that only smokes a little;
a smaller fire than that described by ɽuɛɽuɛɽuɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ];
used with the verb ba [ / ].
fuɔfua [ ˩ ˥ ]
to be white;
ukpɔ̃ n-ozo rhuaɛ̃ fuɔfua [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ \ ˩ ˥ ] the cloth Ojo wears is white;
cf. fua 2 [ ˥ ].