(1) to take (in the meaning of “to use for a certain purpose”);

ɔy-ɔpia ɽu‿ɛe [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ \ ] he did it with a matchet (lit. “took a matchet did it”)+;

ya‿e ɽu‿ɛe [ ˥ ˩ ˥ \ ] “take (it) to do it!” ɔpia n-aya nwina [ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] “a matchet which is taken (used) to work”: a matchet for working;

ukeke n-aya gb-ẽbe [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] “a stick that is used to write”: “a writing-stick”: a pen.

(2) to last (a certain time);

ɔgɔ na y-ɛdɛ-ha, ɔkewu [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] this bottle lasted for three days before (lit. “and then”) it broke.

(3) to cause;

ɽ̃-ɔ̃ya‿e s-unu [ / \ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] “it is he who caused it to happen”;

ɽ̃-ɔ̃ya ʋ̃ɛ ɽu‿ɛe [ / ˥ ˦ ˧ (3-1) ] “it is he who caused me to do it”;

see below: ya [ ˥ ] nwina [ ˩ ˥ ];

ya [ ˥ ] re [ ˥ ];

v. also zɛ 1 [ ˥ ].

Combinations with verbs: ya [ ˥ ] d-egbe (dɛ [ ˥ ]) [ ˩ ˥ ] to substitute somebody for oneself as a pawn or as a victim for a sacrifice.

ya [ ˥ ] dido [ ˩ ˥ ] to lead astray by showing the wrong way, or, by giving false information about something;

ɔya ʋ̃ɛ dido ʋ-en-ɛʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˩ ˩ \ ˩ ] he gave me false information in (or about) this affair (v. also gie [ / ] ma [ / ], bibi [ ˩ ˥ ], gu [ ˥ ] dido [ ˩ ˥ ], gu [ ˥ ] fi [ ˥ ] dɔ̃ [ ˥ ]).

ya [ ˥ ] fi ohã [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] to proclaim a woman or possibly an article as a present to the Ɔba;

this is mainly done when two people quarrel about something, and the weaker party sees that he cannot keep (or obtain) it in any case;

but also when something “causes trouble” to its owner;

it is also done e.g. by a father whose daughter is troublesome;

the Ɔba does not refuse a present.

(This action may also be taken in a similar way by giving something as a present to a “big” man.) ɔy-en-oxuo fi ohã gi-ɔba (gie [ ˥ ]) [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˦ ˦ ] lit. “he took the woman (and) announced (her) as present to the Ɔba”.

ya gbe [ ˩ ˥ ] (imperat. of ya [ ˥ ] gbe [ ˥ ]) cry of encouragment for a wrestler: “knock him down!” or “throw him down!” (when the opponent is lifted from the ground) (Pidgin lɛ go [ ˥ (4-1) ]: let go!);

v. gbaɽaɣada [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].

ya [ ˥ ] hĩ‿egbe [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] to cover oneself with something;

rhi-ukpɔ̃ ni n-uya hĩ egbe [ ˩ ˩ / / ˦ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] take that cloth to cover yourself with!

ya [ ˥ ] ma [ / ] to forgive;

iya‿e ma ɽ̃uɛ̃ [ ˩ ˥ / ˩ / ] I forgave it you.

ya [ ˥ ] m-egie [ ˥ ˩ ] (ma [ ˥ ]) to appoint somebody to a title.

ya [ ˥ ] na [ ˥ ] to present somebody with something (“to dash”);

y-eʋ̃i mɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] give me something (“dash me”).

ya [ ˥ ] nwina [ ˩ ˥ ] to make somebody work.

ya [ ˥ ] re [ ˥ ] to bring about (A. Biogr.).

ya [ ˥ ] ta [ ˥ ] re [ ˩ ] to repeat in one’s second life an illness from which one has suffered during the preceding life;

this is prevented by removing the presumed cause of the disease out of the body, e.g. in the case of a “cough” (consumption?), by removing a “bag containing a white milky substance” out from the abdomen;

v. also eve [ ˩ ˩ ].

ya [ ˥ ] we [ ˥ ] to allot something to somebody;

iy-eʋaɽe n-uãrhirhimiɛ ʋ-eʋa hia w-uɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ / ˥ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ / ] “I have taken food whichever you may find there all (i.e. the food) allotted to you”: I declare all the food you may find there to be yours.

ya [ ˥ ] yi [ ˥ ] to believe;

iy-eʋ-uxaɽe yi [ ˩ ˩ ˥ / / ˥ ] I believe what you have said;

a‿iy-eʋ-uxaɽe yi [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ / / \ ] what you have said cannot be believed;

ɔy-ude ʋ̃ɛ yi [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] he took my advice;

cf. iyayi [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ];

v. ɔmɔbe [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ].

ya [ ˥ ] y-eɽo [ ˥ ˩ ] to hope ( “to put hope”).

ya [ ˥ ] yi [ ˥ ] obɔ [ ˩ ˥ ] to put a certain affair into somebody’s hand, e.g. the revenge for an offence;

ɔy-ɛʋ̃-ɔ̃ɽ̃ɛ̃ y-ɔʋ̃-obɔ [ ˩ ˥ / ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] he put his affair into my hand, i.e. he begged me to take it up.

ya [ ˥ ] y-ɔmɔ [ ˩ ˥ ] to adopt as child;

ɔya‿e y-ɔmɔ [ ˩ ˥ / ˩ ˥ ] he adopted him.

Combinations with nouns: y-egbe [ ˩ ˥ ] kɔ [ ˥ ] to put oneself under the protection of somebody;

y-eɣo [ ˥ ˩ ] to give something (after a prayer) to a priest in order that he may give it to the god later on (also mi-eɣo [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ], from miɛ [ / ]);

v. ɽu [ ˥ ].

y-eɽo [ ˩ ˥ ] ɽu [ ˥ ] to do something with cunning.

ya [ ˥ ] erɔ [ ˩ ˥ ] (a) to provide lodging for somebody;

y-okpia na‿erɔ [ ˩ / ˩ ˩ ˥ ] give this man lodging!

(b) to provide food for somebody.

(c) (idiom., mostly used by old people) to throw away;

y-ɛɽ-erɔ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] throw it away!

ya [ ˥ ] ike [ ˩ ˩ ] to support somebody;

ɔy-ɔsi‿ɔɽ-ike ʋ-en-ɛzɔ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ] he supported his friend in the lawsuit (also rhi-yobɔ na [ / ˩ ˩ ˥ ]).

ya [ ˥ ] obɔ [ ˩ ˥ ] to help a man;

ɔy-erha ʋ̃-obɔ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] he helped my father.

y-obɔ [ ˩ ˥ ] tie [ / ] to beckon to somebody;

iy-obɔ ti-ɛɽe [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] I beckoned to him.

y-obɔ [ ˩ ˥ ] y-otɔ [ ˥ ˩ ] to come about;

to commence (intrans., of a thing, or affair);

ʋ-ɔya y-obɔ y-otɔ hɛ [ \ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ / ] how did it come about?

y-obɔ [ ˩ ˥ ] y-ɔ [ \ ] (yi 1 [ ˥ ]) to agree to it (the second verb, yi, may be followed by nouns as well)+ (v. kwe [ ˥ ] y-ɔ [ \ ]);

iy-obɔ y-ɔ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ (3-1) ] I agree (to it).

y-owɛ [ ˥ ˩ ] rilo [ ˩ ˥ ] to tread (lit. “with feet”);

idiom.: uy-owɛ ril-ɔʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] “you have trodden on me”: you have committed adultery with my wife.

y-ɔɣɔ [ ˥ ˩ ] na [ ˥ ] to honour;

to pay respect to;

y-ɔɣɔ n-en-ɔdiɛ̃ ɽ̃uɛ̃ [ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ / / ] pay respect to your senior!

ɔy-ɔɣɔ mɛ [ ˩ ˩ / ˦ ] he (always) pays respect to me.

y-ɔmɔ [ ˩ ˥ ] na [ ˥ ] to betroth (“dash”) a girl to somebody (i.e. generally as a child, when the suitor has asked for her);

after the betrothal, the suitor starts the ugaʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ \ ˩ ], the service for his father-in-law;

v. also mu [ ˥ ] xuɛ [ / ];

ɔy-ɔmɔ nɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ (3-1) ] he betrothed a girl to him.

y-unu [ ˩ ˥ ] y-ɔ [ \ ] to demand a price for something (of the seller);

il-iɣo‿uy-unu y-ɔ [ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˦ ˧ ] how much (money) do you want for it?

(v. ve [ ˥ ].)

an auxiliary verb used in relative sentences when the relation is a temporal one: “when”;

d-ɛɣɛ n-ɔya re [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˦ ] or [ ˩ ˩ ˥ \ ˥ ] “at what time (was it) when he came?”: when did he come?

cf. ya 1 [ ˥ ] (?);

v. na 4 [ ˥ ].

to join, in ya [ ˥ ] ba [ / ] to join.

ya [ ˥ ] gba [ ˥ ] to stick together;

to become knotted;

e.g. of a rope into which somebody has made a loose knot that has become tight: iri na ya gba [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] this rope has become knotted.

ya [ ˥ ] ku [ ˥ ] gbe [ ˥ ] to agree with one another;

ma ʋ-ɔɽe ya ku gbe [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˧ ˧ ˧ ] we agree sometimes.

a verb implying the idea “to go”, but only used with a main verb following it;

corresponds to do 1 [ / ] “to come and...”;

ɔyaɽu‿ɛe [ ˩ / ˥ \ ] he goes to do it;

[ ˩ ˥ ˥ \ ] he went and did it.

to be: (1) indicating quality;

ɔy-eriɔ [ ˩ ˥ / ] it is so;

ɔye sɔgwɔsɔgwɔ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] it is tender (of a child).

(2) to be in a certain place (but only in relative clauses; otherwise v. re 1 [ ˥ ]);

owa n-ɔye [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] the house where he lives.

to remember;

imaɣiy-ɛʋ̃ɛ na [ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˩ / ˩ ] I cannot remember this word;

iy-ɛɽe re [ ˩ ˩ / ˥ ] I am remembering him;

cf. ayere [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].

an auxiliary conferring the idea that the action of the main verb is still or again done;

eʋ̃i n-akaɽu yi ayeɽu‿ɛe [ ˩ ˩ ˩ / ˥ ˥ ˩ / ˥ \ ] what has been done before, is still being done;

ɔyer-eʋa [ ˩ / ˥ \ ] he is still there;

ɔyeweri-egbe re [ ˩ \ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] he has come back again.

cf. yɔ [ ˥ ].

to please;

ɔyɛ ʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] it pleases me.

describes the tired walk of very fat people, esp. women (and among the animals, of fat cows);

ɔxiã yɛgbɛyɛgbɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] she is moving wearily (because of her stoutness).

big;

fat;

of rats or pigs;

also describing the walk of such animals;

ɔfɛ̃ na xiã yɛkuyɛku [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] this rat is walking clumsily (because of its being fat);

v. ɛbete [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ].

to be foolish;

v. kiza [ ˩ ˥ ].

a verb indicating the direction in which an action is performed;

something like “to put into”, “to put in a certain place”;

or simply “into”, “in”;

eke n-irhi-ɛɽe yi [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˦ ˧ ] the place where I put it;

irhi-ɛɽe y-eʋa [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ \ ] I put it there.

y-ɔ [ \ ] “in it”, e.g. ɔkegbĩna wu y-ɔ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ \ ] “he fought and died in it”: he died while fighting (Egh. Hist.).

y-ihe [ ˥ ˩ ] “into the place”: instead;

irhi-ɔna y-ih-ɔɣ-ũʋ̃ɛ n-ɔwiɽi [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ / ˩ ] I take this instead of mine which is lost.

to create;

Osa yi agbɔ̃ [ ˩ / ˥ ˥ ˩ ] it was God (or Osa) who created the world;

uyiʋ̃ɛ n-osa yi‿ɔ ɔɣ-igbogiɛ nɔ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ / ˥ / ˥ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] “the creation (as) which Osa has created you, was one of a joke”, said e.g. when somebody has done a very stupid thing.

yi‿ama [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ] (a) to make a mark (indicating ownership e.g.);

(b) to wound.

y-uhi [ ˥ ˩ ] to make a law, or rule.

in yi [ ˥ ] ɛɽo [ ˥ ˩ ] to watch;

to observe;

ɔy-ɛɽ-ɛɽo [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ] he observed him;

ama n-ɔya y-ɛɽ-ɛɽ-ɔna xĩ [ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] “this is the mark he has used to watch it” (e.g. a piece of his property, lest it be stolen).

a particle often used at the end of questions (but not necessarily), meaning possibly “be fore”;

ukaɽu‿ɛe yi [ ˩ ˥ ˦ (4-1) \ ] have you done it before?

v. ɽa [ ˩ ].

describes the fall of a small fruit (e.g. avocado pears) and big leaves (for bigger fruit, v. kpu [ ˩ ]);

ɔde yiɣɛɽɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˦ ˦ ] it fell, of a small fruit;

v. boɛɛ [ ˩ ].

describes the continuous flow of a liquid;

v. viɛ [ ˥ ].

(1) to go to a certain place;

in the imperf. it expresses habitual action only;

progressing action is expressed by rie [ / ];

uy-eskuɽ(u) ɽa [ ˩ ˩ \ ˩ ] do you go to school?

ɛ̃, iyo [ ˦ ˩ ˥ ] yes, I go (i.e. usually);

iy-eʋa [ ˩ ˥ (4-1) ], iy-ɛe (lit. “it”) [ ˩ ˥ ‿ / ] I went there;

iyo [ / \ ] I am not going (as a refusal; viz. on an errand, etc.);

(but: irie [ / ˩ ‿ \ ] I am not going away).

yo and re when added to a verb of motion express the idea of “to and fro”, e.g. ɔxiã yo xiã re [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˥ ] he is walking to and fro.

tall, not of human beings;

erhã na yo [ ˩ ˥ ˩ \ ] this tree is high.

in y-erhɛ̃ [ ˥ ˩ ] to set fire (to farmland only; “to make fire in kitchen or sleeping-place” is kok-erhɛ̃ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ]);

mu egbe n-ayay-erhɛ̃ [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ / ˥ ˩ ] “get ready that we may go and set fire to the farm!”

to fill gaps in a crop by a second sowing.

cf. yi 1 [ ˥ ].

big and fat;

of birds, mostly fowls, and also of insects as e.g. mosquitos when full of blood;

ɔye yɔkɔɔ [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˦ ] it is big and fat;

cf. yɔkɔyɔkɔ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].

describes the clumsy movement of very fat fowls;

cf. yɔkɔɔ [ ˦ ˦ ].

describes a noise as of distant rainfall in the forest, or of a distant waterfall or rushing river;

in the Benin Area only the Oxuo [ ˩ \ ] river rushes like that.

describes long falling hair, or a beard;

cf. iyɔyɔ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ], Ɔtɔmiyɔyɔ [ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ].

(1) to pull out.

(2) to drop out;

ɔyuo fua [ ˩ / ˥ ] it is dropping out;

cf. wie [ / ];

wio [ / ].