Lexicon · 15 entries

GW

-gwa1v

tell (no vowel suffix): Gwa m̄ife mēlụ ị bị̄arọ ụ̀nyàafụ̀ Tell me why you did not come yesterday: Ọ chọ̀ igwā m ịfe He wants to tell me something

ọ̀gwụgwa telling

-gwagbu slander (a person) to death; curse bitterly

-gwaghalị tell again

-gwakwụlụ reply

-gwa okwu address

-gwata hint to a person

-gwa2v

mix

ọ̀gwụgwa mixing

-gwa agwa mix

-gwa gàrị mix gari

-gwa mmanya mix wine with water or other wine

-gwazi mix properly

-gwa3v

revenge; avenge

-gwa ọchụ̀ pull apart

-kụgwa revenge, avenge a beating

-megwa revenge; avenge (lit. do back): Agà m̀ èmegwa yā ịfe ọ mēlụ m I will take vengeance for what he did to me

-tigwa revenge; avenge beating (lit. beat back): Ọ bụlụ nà o tie gị̄ ịfe, tìgwalụ yā If he beats you, beat him back

-gwev

pound, grind (usu. dry objects)

ògwugwe pounding

-gwelì pound well

-gwe ọkà pound corn

-gwesị pound all

ǹgwe grinder; apparatus, machine for grinding

gwègèlègwègèlèn

weak flabbiness

-tụ gwègèlègwègèlè move in a weak, flabby way

-gwòext. suff. 1

into pieces (something harder than -lì)

-gbugwò cut open (pot, etc.), till (something hard)

-tigwò break into pieces (e.g. iron pot)

-gwọ1v

mix; cure

ọ̀gwụgwọ curing

-gwọ nsị work sickness or death by means of magic or poison

-gwọ ọgụ̀, ọgwụ̀ make poison or medicine

-gwọ ọyà cure disease

-gwọ ụla keep oneself awake by using kolanuts, drugs, etc. dibị̀à ọkpụ̀lụ ọ̄gwọọ! praise name for a native doctor (lit. doctor who cures as soon as he sips). Native doctors sometimes sip or chew certain medicines in the mouth, then spit it on any part of the patient’s body, or in the air, following this sometimes by incantations

ọ̀gwọ ǹnụ̀ ọyà panacea; medicine capable of curing all diseases (lit. ‘curer of 400 diseases’)

-gwọ +2v.:

-gwọ ụla snore

-gwọ3v

sit with the lower limbs twisted and drawn up, as a lame person or as Moslems during prayer; sit with the lower limbs drawn up (usually on the floor)

-gwọlụ be seated on flat surface (e.g. floor) and unable to stand

-gwọ ǹgwụlọ̄ sit with the lower limbs drawn up (like a lame person, usually on the floor) (cf. -kụ̀ ǹgwụlọ̄)

ǹgwọ̀lụ̀ ǹgwọlụ, (slang) food prepared by mashing together different kinds of

ǹgwọ̀lụ̀ǹgwọ food (e.g.

akpụ a gwọ̄lụ agwọ shredded cassava mashed with ụkwà or òkwè)

-gwọ̀ +1v

-gwọ̀ àgwọ̀ be flexible, pliant Osisi à gwọ̀lù àgwò This tree is flexible

-gwọ̀ ile speak in metaphor or slang unintelligible to an outsider

-gwọ̀v

scrape, scoop out (cf. -ghụ)

ọ̀gwụ̀gwọ̀ scraping; scooping out

-gwọ̀ ofe take all the meat, etc., of soup at expense of others

-gwu, -guv

dig

ògwugwu digging

-gwufìè dig in the wrong direction

-gwumì dig deep inside

-gwu ọba make a barn of yams

-gwupụ̀te dig up

-gwurube dig around: Ọ nà-ègwurube ànị̀ n’ukwù osisi He is digging holes around the tree

-gwute dig up:

-gute ji harvest yams

-gwù unyì dig, mine coal

-gwù +1v

swim

ògwùgwù swimming

-gwufè swim across

-gwù mmilī swim

-gwù +2v

play

-gwù egwu play

-gwùli egwu play about

ngwùli play; fun

-gwùso egwu play with someone

-gwụ, gụv

finish

ọ̀gwụgwụ ending (cf. ngwụsị)

-gwụcha finish; end

-gwụfọ finish, leaving a little quantity: Ọ gụ̄fọgo It is just about to run out

-gwụ ike tire; be weary; be tired; have one’s energy sapped: Ife à àgwụgo m̄ike I am tired of this thing, or, This thing has tired me

-gwụsị finish

ngwusị ending (cf. ọ̀gwụgwụ): Ọ gà-àbịa ebe à na ngwụsị arọ̀ She will come here towards the ending of the year

agwụ̄ agwụ inexhaustible

ike ọ̄gwụgwụ tiredness