(1) to break into pieces (that are already designed by nature, and therefore break away without difficulty, such as the parts of a kola-nut).

(2) to butcher.

to branch off (e.g. a yam-rope, or a branch);

inya na va ɣ-obɔ na (ɣe [ / ] “towards”) [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] this yam (-rope) branches to this side.

va [ ˥ ] mu [ ˥ ] to embrace (mainly of prostitutes; but cf. avamu [ ˩ \ ˩ ]; v. dede [ ˩ ˥ ]).

to ail;

in uhuʋ̃u va ʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] I am ill (not of headache only);

cf. va 1 [ ˥ ] (?);

v. uhuʋ̃ova [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ ].

to cry (at a high pitch; used of elephants and toucans);

described by xwaxwa [ \ \ ].

to split into two equal parts (v. sɔ [ / ] “to split into many parts”, e.g. wood, with axes).

to stop at a certain place in order to rest (when on travel);

“to branch”;

t-ivã eʋa [ ˥ ˩ ˩ \ ] I will rest there;

cf. ɔvãʋiɛ [ ˩ ˩ / ].

occurs in a song only, describes a staggering kind of motion broken by intervals of clinging to a tree;

used of the bat avamu [ ˩ \ ˩ ], and also, metaphorically, of prostitutes;

with the verb ɽu [ ˥ ];

cf. va 2 [ ˥ ], and the next item.

describes the flight of herons, hornbills, and of the bats ɔwɔ [ ˩ ˩ ] and avamu [ ˩ \ ˩ ], i.e. that of fairly big, but not powerful animals, whilst vuɣavuɣavuɣa [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] describes the powerful flight of a big bird;

ɔtĩ vaɣavaɣa [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] it flies clumsily;

cf. the preceding item.

to offer a price for something and to argue about it, “to prize”;

il-iɣo‿uv-ɛe [ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˥ \ ‿ ˥ ] how much do you give for it?

v-ɛe mɛ ɣe [ \ ˥ / ] “ask for it for me (to see)”;

used e.g. when the trader is absent or speaks a foreign language.

ve y-urhu [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] lit. “to promise (?) on (one’s) neck”, i.e. responsibility: to promise to pay;

to vote (a sacrifice or cowries) to an ihɛ̃ or ɛbɔ.

(1) to open (of a sore only).

(2) to come out (of a secret);

ɛʋ̃ɛ na vɛe [ ˩ / ˩ \ ] the secret (word) has come out;

cf. vɛ [ / ].

to wrestle;

oko na m-obɔ gua vɛ̃ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ / ˦ ] this fellow knows well how to wrestle;

cf. evɛ̃ [ ˩ ˥ ].

to swear an oath;

v-ɛ̃bɔ [ ˥ ˩ ], v-ĩhɛ̃ [ ˩ \ ] to swear by a god;

“to swear juju”;

v-ɔɛ̃ [ \ ] swear it (i.e. that you have not done it, by cursing yourself with a juju).

to catch (of fire);

erhɛ̃ vɛ̃ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] the fire is catching;

cf. vɛ̃ [ / ].

to reveal (a secret);

ɔv-ɛʋ̃ɛ ni [ ˩ ˩ / / ] he is revealing that word (secret);

ɔv-ɔɽe [ ˩ / ˦ ] he revealed it;

cf. vɛ [ ˥ ].

to light a pipe;

to see that a fire catches;

ivɛ̃-rhɛ̃ na [ ˩ ˩ / ˩ ] I am lighting this fire (by blowing on it);

cf. vɛ̃ [ ˥ ];

v. hie 1 [ / ].

(1) extremely deep (of a hole the bottom of which cannot be seen, such as e.g. fissures caused by an earthquake, but also of a river)+.

Used with the verb ye [ ˥ ].

(2) very far away;

iɣ-ɛɽe vɛɛɛ̃ ʋ-umɔdia [ ˩ / ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˩ ] I see him very far away straight ahead (lit. “in a straight line”, i.e. on a straight road).

to wax (of the moon);

v. ko‿uro [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ], uki [ ˩ ˩ ].

to jump;

vĩ [ ˥ ] ra [ / ] to jump across.

(1) to cut (a swelling) open;

dovĩ ʋ̃ɛ aɽiɣɛɣã na [ / ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ / ˩ ] come and cut me this abscess!

(2) to make a mark (on paper, sand, a wall, etc.);

vĩ‿ũviɛ̃ y-eʋ̃a [ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˩ \ ] draw a link here!

vĩ owɛ y-ada n-ulao [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ \ ‿ ˥ ] “make a mark with (your) foot at the junction which you take (lit. enter)” (said to somebody going in front that he may mark the way for the people who follow).

(3) to make a tribal mark (the place must be indicated);

ɔvĩ ʋ̃-ĩrho [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ] he marked my cheeks.

to grumble (e.g. about the lack of something);

ɣɛviã ma ʋ̃ɛ [ ˥ ˩ ˩ \ ] “don’t grumble show me”: don’t grumble to me!

cf. oviã [ ˩ ˩ ].

cf. viɔ [ / ].

(1) to weep (cf. eve [ ˩ ˥ ]).

(2) to discharge blood or water (of a wound or sore);

ɛtɛ n-ɔr-ɔɽ-owɛ viɛ yiyi(yi) [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] “the sore on his leg is discharging (water) continuously”.

(3) to crow (of a cock);

ɔkpa viɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] the cock is crowing;

cf. uviɛʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ \ ˩ ].

to be ripe (of palm fruit);

ɛdĩ na maheviɛ̃ [ ˩ ˥ / ˥ ˥ \ ] these palm fruits are not yet ripe.

or viɛ̃ỹ [ ˦ ] very small (of infants and things; the very smallest size, smaller than ɽweɽweɽwe [ ˦ ˦ ˦ ]);

ɔye viɛ̃ỹ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] it is very small, tiny.

cf. vɛ̃ 2 [ ˥ ].

to take (with a plural object; v. mu [ ˥ ], rhie [ / ]);

viɔ [ / ] kua [ ˥ ] to throw away;

viɔ [ / ] de [ / ] (re [ ˥ ]) to bring;

vi-eʋ̃i ni re [ ˩ ˩ / (4-1) ˥ ] bring these things!

viɔ [ / ] loʋiɛ [ ˩ / ] to lay down;

ɛhoho v-iɽ̃uʋ̃u na loʋiɛ [ ˩ \ ˩ / ˩ / ˩ ˩ / ] the wind lays this grass down (i.e. flattens it) (but also iɽ̃uʋ̃u na viɔ loʋiɛ lel-otɔ [ ˩ ˩ / ˩ / ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] “this grass lies down along the ground!”) vi-ab-ema [ ˩ ˩ \ ˩ ] to take the drooping branches and creepers of yam and tie (or wind) them up the poles and ropes (clipping them as well);

iri-ugbo‿iyavi-ab-ema [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˥ / ˩ ˩ \ ˩ ] I am going to the farm to (go and) tie the creepers up.

to become, be full;

ɔvɔɛ̃ [ ˩ \ ] it is full;

ɔvɔ̃ [ ˩ ˥ ] it is getting full.

vɔ̃ [ ˥ ] na [ ˥ ] to be full of (v. Yor. kũ [ ˥ ] fũ [ ˥ ]);

uko na vɔ̃ n-amɛ [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ] this calabash is full of water (also amɛ v-ũko na [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ ]; cf. vɔ̃ [ / ]).

to fill;

ɔvɔ̃-ɽ̃ɛ̃ [ ˩ / ˦ ] he filled it;

cf. vɔ̃ [ ˥ ].

(1) to pull (not dig) out (e.g. fruit in the ground, cassava; wie [ / ] is used of yams);

dolele ʋ̃ɛ yavu‿igaɽi [ / ˩ ˩ ˥ / ˥ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] come and accompany (follow) me to (go and) pull out cassava!

(2) to root out (tree-stumps).

(3) to force one’s partner in wrestling out of his posture.

to fall by accident (of men and animals only);

ɔvu‿ã ʋ-uhuʋ̃-erhã [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] he fell down from the top of the tree (vu‿ã [ \ / ] in a pause);

general term v. de 1 [ ˥ ].

describes the flight of big birds like vultures, ducks, hawks, eagles, toucans, etc.;

ɔtĩ vuɣavuɣavuɣa [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] it flies heavily;

cf. vaɣavaɣa [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].

very deep (of a well without water the bottom of which is almost invisible, or of a very deep river);

ɔye vuuũ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] it is very deep;

v. vɛɛɛ̃ [ ˦ ] (deeper still).

describes the noise of a flying beetle (or other insect);

ɔgwi xiã vuuũ [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˦ ] lit. “it is making a noise (going) along”.