to say;

ɔxaɽe w-iɽ̃ɛ̃‿(i)yonwa (wɛ [ / ]; enwa [ ˩ \ ]) [ ˩ / ˩ ˥ / ˩ \ ] he said he would not go just now;

ɔxa-ɽe [ ˩ / ˥ ] or [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] he said it.

xa [ / ] ma [ / ] to tell;

v. ta [ ˥ ] ma [ / ];

ɔxa ma ʋ̃ɛ w-iɽ̃ɛ̃ de [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ / ] he told me that he was coming (the syllable ma is low, not a low-falling tone).

xa‿ɛʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] “to say a word”: (a) to settle a palaver, cf. ɔxaɛʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ];

(b) to curse (with the help of a charm);

ɔy-exwae xa‿ɛʋ̃ɛ nɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ \ ] he cursed him with an exwae [ ˥ ˩ ];

v. t-ihɛ̃ [ ˩ \ ], rhi-ɛbɔ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ].

to sift corn (maize) when mixed with water;

rhi-ahɛ̃ re, n-ayaxã-ka na [ ˩ ˥ \ ˥ ˦ ˩ / / ˩ ] “bring a sieve that we may take (it) to sift this corn” (-ka is ɔka [ ˥ ˩ ]);

v. bɔʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˥ ].

to tire (of food and work);

ema xã ʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] “fufu is tiring me”: I am beginning to get tired of fufu, when the speaker has been eating fufu for a long time, but v. hũhũ [ ˩ ˥ ] which is used after a single rich meal;

v. wɔ [ / ].

(1) to drop;

xarha [ ˩ ˥ ] kua [ ˥ ] to drop off;

alimoi ni xarha kua ʋ-ɔɽueɣ-erhã-ɽ̃ɛ̃ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ / ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ / ˩ ] “those oranges were dropping off when he shook their (lit. ‘its’) tree”.

(2) to repeat;

cf. exarha [ ˩ \ ˩ ].

small;

used with the verb ye [ ˥ ];

cf. xerhe [ ˩ ˥ ];

v. (in descending order of size) tinɛ [ ˦ ˦ ], ɽ̃wɛ̃ỹ [ ˦ ], rwey [ ˦ ], viɛ̃ỹ [ ˦ ].

to be small;

cf. the preceding item, and Yor. kere [ ˧ ˥ ].

to wait, followed by direct object: to await;

dia xɛ(ɛ) ʋ̃ɛ ɣ-ide [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ / ] “(stand and) wait for me for I am coming!”;

ix-arhĩ‿eso ʋ-eʋ̃a [ ˩ / ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ \ ] I am waiting here for some people;

ix-ɔ(ɔ)dɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] “I am waiting on the road”, e.g. as a guard during a secret performance;

v. b-odɛ [ ˩ ˥ ].

to be, preceding a noun-predicate;

okpia‿uxĩ [ ˩ / ˩ ˥ ] you are a man!

(as a word of praise for some work or e.g. success in wrestling).

For the 3rd pers. sgl. nɔ [ ˥ ] is used.

xĩ‿ɛɽe [ ˩ ˩ \ ] also xĩ [ ˥ ] ʋ-ɔ [ \ ] to be of concern to;

to have to do with;

iʋ̃ɛ ʋ-ixĩ‿ɛɽe [ / ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ \ ] “I have not what I am to him”: I have nothing to do with him;

iʋ̃ɛ ʋ-ixĩ ʋ-ɔ [ / ˩ ˩ ˩ \ ] I have nothing to do with (lit. “in”) it;

cf. xĩ [ / ].

to become;

e.g. in the following greetings: ɔxĩ‿ɛdɛ hia [ ˩ / ˥ ˦ ˧ ] good bye!

lit. something like “it becomes all days, any day”, viz. that we meet.

ɔxĩ‿owiɛ [ ˩ / ˥ ˦ ] good night!

lit. “it becomes morning” (the reply is uɣuʋi-ɛse o [ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] may you sleep well o!) ɔxĩ-ʋ-azɛkpɛe [ ˩ / ˦ ˦ / ] “see you later”, lit. something like “it becomes what lasts a little” (in quick speech ʋ̃ is heard instead of ʋ).

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

cf. xĩ [ ˥ ], xiã [ / ], xiɛ̃ [ / ].

(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 [ ˥ ].

to hurt;

owɛ xia-ɽe [ ˩ ˩ / ˩ ] (his) foot hurts him.

(1) to turn (into);

x-ĩkɔ [ / ˩ ] to obstruct somebody’s intentions: 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 transform into something;

the transformation is done by the help of the ɛbɔ Osũ [ ˩ ˥ ];

such “transformers” have no children.

It is said to be possible to be transformed into anything, 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 Osũ (shrine), i.e. the spirit of Osũ has left the place.

All transformers have the powers of witches, but they are not necessarily harmful like witches;

cf. xiɛ̃ [ / ];

v. fi egbe del-egbe [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ ].

(1) to sell;

t-ixĩ-ũkpɔ̃ na, uɣadɛ ɽa [ ˥ ˩ ˩ / ˩ ˩ ˥ (4-1) ˩ ] I am selling this cloth, can (or, will) you buy?

by traders in the market, to passers by;

n-ɔxĩ eʋ̃i kuɛ̃ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ / ˥ ] “he who sells things on credit”: a trader buying on credit and paying when he has sold his goods;

creditor, v. dɛ [ ˥ ].

(2) to beat somebody in a game;

v. axĩɔʋ̃a [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].

to mourn for;

ɔxi-ɔtĩ‿ɔ̃ɽ̃ɛ̃ n-ɔwu [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˥ \ ] he is mourning for his dead “brother” (relative).

xiɛ-gbe [ ˩ ˥ ] to mourn;

to sit lonely and thinking of one’s affliction;

cf. axiɛ [ ˩ ˩ ], ixiɛegbe [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].

(1) to move like a snake;

ɛnyɛ xiɛ̃ yo xiɛ̃ re [ ˩ ˥ / ˥ / ˥ ] the snake is moving here and there.

(2) to twist (round);

ɔxiɛ̃ ʋ̃-obɔ [ ˩ / ˩ ˥ ] he twisted my hand (round);

e.g. in order to bring me down on my knees.

to wipe;

xiɛ̃-ɽ̃ɛ̃ [ / ˩ ] wipe it!

iy-ukpõ xĩ-egbe [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] I took a cloth (towel) and rubbed myself.

xiɛ̃ [ / ] hĩ [ \ ] re [ ˥ ] to wipe off;

xĩ-ũnwɔʋ̃ɛ n-ɔr-uhuʋ̃-ɛ̃kpɛtĩ ni hĩ re [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˦ ˩ / ˦ (3-1) ˥ ] “wipe off the soup that is on (top of) that box!” (boxes are often used as tables).

cf. xiɛ [ / ].

winding;

e.g. of a rope;

used with the verb ye [ ˥ ];

cf. xiɛ̃ 2 [ / ].

to break pieces of a kolanut off with one’s finger-nails;

this is always done when saying prayers to one’s ancestors or any ɛbɔ;

after the prayer, those pieces which have been collected in the palm of the hand, are blown upon (not necessary) and then thrown on the shrine.

cf. xiã [ / ].

to block a passage, or channel;

to cork a bottle;

xiɔ‿uɽoɽ-amɛ na [ ˩ ˥ ˩ \ / ˩ ] stop this gutter!

(1) rushing, of people only (Egh. Hist.);

iɽ̃ã tulɛ mu xiã xirhixirhi [ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] they were rushing along (“ran along rushingly”).

(2) rapid, of speech;

used with the verb guã [ / ];

cf. Yor. kitikiti [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].

to resemble;

ɔx-erha‿e [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ ] he resembles his father;

oko ni xɔ-tɛ̃ ʋ̃ɛ n-ɛr-owa [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˧ ˨ ˩ ˥ \ ˥ ] that fellow (oko is here a man known to the speaker as well as to the person spoken to) resembles my “brother” (relative) who is away (lit. “not at home”).

bad, i.e. useless;

seems to be used with eʋ̃i [ ˩ \ ] only, even when men are spoken of;

v. dã [ ˩ ] which means “of bad character”;

eʋ̃i xɔ ɔna xĩ [ ˩ ˩ / ˩ ˩ ˥ ] this is a useless thing;

eʋ̃i xɔ‿uxĩ [ ˩ ˩ / ˩ ˥ ] you are a naughty child, cf. the next item;

possibly eʋ̃i xɔ is only a short relative sentence with the verb xɔ(?)

to be harsh, severe;

uxɔ gbe [ ˩ / ˥ ] you are (always) severe.

x-ɔrhiɔ̃ [ ˩ ˥ ] to be ugly (of people’s appearance) (the ɔ in x-ɔ is lengthened).

cf. xɔ 2 [ / ].

to wage war;

of individuals: to quarrel continuously, while “to quarrel” (occasionally) is gbĩna [ ˩ ˥ ];

the town, etc. against which war is waged is the direct object of the verb.

xɔ̃ [ / ] mu‿otɔ [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ] to conquer (also metaphorically used);

Ɔbanosa xɔ̃‿ũte mu‿otɔ [ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ / ˥ ˥ ˦ ˦ ˩ ] Ɔbanosa conquered Ute (near Akurɛ);

ixɔ̃-ɽ̃ɛ̃ mi-ɔ̃ɽ-otɔ [ ˩ / ˦ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] I have conquered it (some dificulty or hardship) (miɛ [ / ] instead of mu [ ˥ ] is only used with a pronoun following).

xɔ̃‿ĩhũ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] to be jealous;

Osanobua n-ɔxɔ̃‿ĩhũ mɛ xĩ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] “I am a jealous God” (Akugbe).

to be needed;

iɣo n-amɔmɔ xɔ̃ ʋ̃ɛ ʋ-ɛɣɛ ni [ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ / / ] I needed (lent) money at that time;

v. ho [ / ].

to drive (away);

iterat.: xulo [ ˩ ˥ ] to drive in different directions.

xu [ ˥ ] kua [ ˥ ] to drive out;

ɔxul-iɽ̃ã kua ʋ-owa [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] he drove them out of the house.

to hate (a word used by the older people);

ɔxu‿iwu ʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] he hates me;

v. mu‿ohu [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ] which is not so strong a term, but is used with the above meaning by young people.

to pinch;

ɔxua ʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] he is pinching me;

anwa xua ʋ̃-obɔ [ ˩ ˥ / ˩ ˥ ] “tongs have pinched my hand”: I pinched my hand with the tongs.

used as second part of a verbal combination, with si 1 [ ˥ ] only.

to be heavy;

agba na xuaa [ ˩ / ˩ / ] this stool is heavy.

to touch faintly;

ɣɛxu-ɛɽe n-ɔɣɛz-ɔʋ̃a xu [ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ \ \ ] don’t touch it that it may not drive us;

e.g. a sleeping snake;

xu-egbe [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] to shake, move a little, e.g. in sleep;

v. ɽueɣe [ ˩ ˥ ].

to set a trap;

ɣa xũ‿ĩfi y-okpa n-ɔr-ades-odɛ ni [ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˦ ˧ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˥ / ] who has set a trap on the track that is in the middle of that road?

(1) to take a bath.

(2) to wash (oneself, i.e. the whole body), in xuɛ‿egbe [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] (but xuɛ [ / ] gbe [ ˥ ] means: “to wash oneself with a charm and kill (somebody)”);

v. hɔ [ / ] (for things, and also the hair);

kpe [ ˥ ] (for parts of the body, e.g. hands, feet).

(3) to swim;

ɛgua xuɛ [ / / / ‿ ˩ ] he cannot swim.

to cut the remnants of a farm-fire;

xuɛ̃-ʋ̃a na ɛse, rhuʋ̃uda-ɣ-ɔmato [ ˩ / ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˥ \ ] cut this place properly because it is not burnt well!

cf. exuɛ̃ [ ˩ \ ].

to answer;

xuɛ̃n-iroro [ ˩ ˩ / ˩ ] to answer without being called.

to strip off the grains from the maize stalk (with the fingers);

also to strip leaves from the mid-ribs.

to be ill;

uxuɔʋ̃i ɽa [ ˥ ˩ \ ˩ ] are you ill?

to become thick, to be thick, of soup.

describes the walk of a cripple with his knees together, and his feet wide apart;

used with the verb xiã [ ˥ ].

to thrash (somebody, with one’s hands only);

serves as iterative verb to kiʋ̃i [ ˩ ˥ ];

ixwarha‿e [ ˩ ˩ \ ˥ ] I thrashed him, or, I gave him several blows.

rough;

like a rasp, or unplastered mud-walls, or the fish ekpalakpala [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ];

used with the verbs ye [ ˥ ] or ɽu [ ˥ ];

v. kpãnɔkpãnɔ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].

to jostle one another (in a crowd);

to be crowded;

cf. uxwaxwaʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˥ \ ˩ ];

v. keke [ ˩ ˥ ].

strict;

enya xwãxwaãxwã [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˦ ˦ ] a strict promise.

(1) to be soft;

ɔxwɛrhɛe [ ˩ ˩ \ ] it is soft.

(2) to soften, e.g. mud, fufu;

ɔxwɛrh-ɔe [ ˩ ˩ \ ] he is softening it;

also xwɛrhɛ [ ˩ ˥ ] (ɽ)ua [ ˥ ] (both trans. and intrans.);

ɔxwɛrh-ɔɽ-ua [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ‿ / ] he made it too soft, by adding too much water;

cf. xwɛrhɛɛ [ ˩ ˩ ].

(1) cool, not as cool as the degree indicated by rhiɔɔ̃ [ ˦ ];

ɔfu re xwɛrhɛɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˩ ] it is cool.

(2) gentle, mild (of character), also reduplicated, e.g. ɔʋ̃a xwɛrhɛxwɛrhɛ ɔɽe okpia na xĩ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ / ˩ ˥ ] lit. “a very mild man (it is) is this man”.

black;

ukpɔ̃ ne xwi‿ɔna xĩ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] this is a black cloth;

ɔʋ̃a ne xwi [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] “black man”: African;

cf. xwixwi [ ˩ ˥ ].

to lock (box or door);

yaxwi‿ɛkpɛtĩ ni mɛ [ / ˩ ˥ ˩ / (4-1) ˥ ] go and lock that box for me!

undersized;

of human beings, animals, or corn;

used with the verb ye [ ˥ ];

cf. d-ixwiɛxwiɛɽi [ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ].

very black, apparently not as high a degree as dũduũdũ [ ˦ ˦ ˦ ].

to be black;

ukpɔ̃ na xwixwi [ ˩ / ˩ ˩ ˥ ] this cloth is black;

cf. xwi [ ˦ ].