Lexicon · 27 entries

W

-wa1v

cut; split; divide; space B. hold annual (religious) new yam festival

ọ̀wụwa cutting; splitting; dividing

-wa ànị̀ break up land by digging; divide land for planting; dig ground

awa ànị̀ division, plot, of land

-wa ezē file teeth

-wa ji A. divide or split yam: Agà m̀ àwa jī I shall cut the yam

ogè ịwā ji annual yam festival

ọ̀wụwa jī feast of new yams

-wa okè make a boundary; put a mark; demarcate

-wa ọjị break kola

-gbuwa split by cutting (esp. with axe or matchet)

-gbuwa akụ oyìbo Ǹsugbē speak out, break the news, bluntly (lit. break the Nsugbe coconut)

ọkị̀lị m̄gbawa īsi -tiwa very severe headache break (esp. accidentally)

-wa2v

A. come out; break through; burst out (on); force one’s way in B. come out from the soil (of water); flood: Mmilī àwago n’ụnọ̀ Underground water has flooded the floors of the house C. come out, rise, shine (of sun)

-wabà rush in; invade

-wabàta rush inside

-waku(lu) attack; rush at

-wakpò rise upon; invade; attack; raid: Elèghelū àwakpògo ọkụkọ̀ n’ime ụ̄la ọ̄kụkọ̀ Giant ants have invaded the fowls in the battery

-wakwàsị attack

-wakwute attack

-wapụ̀ta burst out; flow

-wakpò submerge

mmili ọ̄wụwa coming out of underground water, flooding the land (e.g. when water seeps into buildings in swampy areas)

ọ̀wụwa anyaanwụ̄ East; sunrise; rising of sun

-wa +3v

wander; explore (e.g. forest)

-wagota wander up (nearer)

-waghalị wander about: Kèdu ǹkè ọ nà-àwaghalị n’ime ọfị̄a? Why is he wandering in the forest?

-waghalị n’ụnọ̀ wander about lazily in the house

-wa ọfịa wander in, explore, the forest

-wa4v

break; shatter

ọ̀wịwa breaking

afele ọ̄wịwa breakable dish

-wa5ext. suff. 1

continuing; becoming more and more

-bawanye increase (in number): Ụmụ̀ ọlụ̄ ya nà-àbawanye ụ̄ba His apprentices are increasing more and more

-gawa go further, straight on: Àrụ nsògbu yā nà-àgawanye n’iru His illness is becoming worse (lit. going further and further)

-wà +v

put in between two closely placed objects with little or no space between them; insert B. = -wà ọ̀gọ̀dọ̀ B. A. put on loincloth B. put on loincloth ceremonially. In olden days, this ceremony marked the time when a boy stopped appearing nude. From thenceforth he had the privileges and obligations of a man: Èke awàgo ọ̀gọ̀dọ̀ Eke has become an adult

-wà akwà A. put on loincloth

-wànye insert in (between)

-wà ọ̀gọ̀dọ̀ (= -wà akwà)

-wapụ̀ pull out thing stuck in

-wà ụnọ repair thatch of a house (= -wàchi ụnọ̀)

walalan

narrowness

walala ụzọ̀ path (opposed to road)

-dị walala be narrow: Ụzọ̄ ǹkaà dị̀ walala This road or path is narrow

wàyon

fraud (Pidgin wàyo)

afịa wàyo inferior goods

okwu wàyo deception

onye wàyo fraudulent person

-wev

be angry, annoyed

-we iwe be angry, annoyed

-wewụsa iwe be annoyed, angry, with; vent anger upon

mwewụsa iwē anger, vexation (with a person, etc.)

-wèv

take B. be better

òwùwè taking

-wèbìpụ̀ take out some

-wèdàta bring down

-wèdàta ànị̀ bring down; humble; abase; humiliate: Wedàta ōnwe gị̄ ànị̀ Humble yourself (lit. Bring yourself down)

wèe used in many common phrases

wèe ganye nà, wèe nye nà till; until; pending: Agà m̀ na-àpịa gị̄ ìtàlị̀ wèe ganye nā ī kwupụ̀ta ife ọjọọ̄ i mèlụ̀ I shall continue to flog you till you confess the bad thing you did

wèe lue nà until; as far as to

wèe lue n’ụ̀wà for ever; for ever and ever

ebìghèèbì

wèe pụ̀ until

kà.....wèe in order that; so that: Ànyị nà-àyọ Chinēkè kà O nye ānyị àmàlà ya n’ụ̀wa ǹkaà kà ànyị wèe gbakụ̀ta ajọ òmùme āzụ kà ànyị wèe bụlụazị ndi gā-abā ànị̀ ezè Ya n’ogē ìkpe āzụ We are praying God to give us His Grace in this world so that we may eschew bad deeds and so that we may also be those who will enter His Kingdom at last: Ọ kwèsị̀lị̀ kà ànyị na-ème ezi òmùme kà ànyị wèe nwee ike ịbà ànị̀ ezè enu igwē n’èmesịa We ought to continue doing good in order that we may be able to enter the Kingdom of God afterwards: Achọ̀ m̀ ijī gboo rapụ̀ Nneēwi kà m wèe nwee ike ịfụ̄ ụzọ̀ lu Āba I want to leave Nneewi early so that I may reach Aba before dusk: Achọ̀lụ̀ m̀ ịbà ụgbọ enū kà m wèe lue Òbòdò Oyìbo ọsọọ̄sọ I want to take an aircraft to be able to arrive in the United Kingdom quickly: Bikō nye m̄ afele kà m wèe kulu mmīli Please give me a plate to take some water

-wèfìè ụgwọ̄ seize for debt; seize wrongly for debt

-wèghalị move, move (something) about; remove; change the position (of something)

-wèju aka have enough

mwèju akā sufficiency; enough

-wèlụ take: Wèlụ ǹkè ị Take yours

-wèlụ oche take a seat

-wèmì take far away

-wènata bring home: Wènata jī Bring home yams

-wèni take up; raise

-wèni aka take hand from; raise hand; abandon; leave alone: Wènie akā gị Hands off! or, Stop being involved: Wènie akā gị n’ànị̀ afụ̀ Take your hand off that land or, Have nothing to do with that land any longer or, Abandon the land

-wèni aka enū raise hand

-wèni enū raise up: Wènie akā enū Raise (your) hand

-wènita A. lift up; take up; pick up

-wènita àrụ get better (lit. raise body): Ọ nàfu ewènita She is improving (in health);

-wènita enū lift up; take up

-wè nni reap; harvest (lit. take food

-wèpụ̀ remove; take off, away; subtract

mwepụ̀ act of taking away, removing; subtraction

-wèpụ̀ aka take hands off (e.g. a matter): Wepụ̀ akā gị Remove your hand

-wèpụ̀ anya overlook; ignore; give up hope; connive at (lit. remove eye from)

-wèpụ̀ obì dismiss from the mind

-wèpụ̀ta bring out; take out: Wepụ̀talụ m̄ji Bring out yam for me

-wèpụ̀ uchè cease to expect; give up hope (lit. remove mind)

-wèrụka put aside; take out of the way; move aside (of light things)

-wèrụka n’ụ̀sọ put aside; take out of the way

-wèta bring: Wèta Bring (it): Wètalụ m̄òfu jī Bring me a yam: Wèta akwụkwọ naàbọ̀ Bring two books

mwèta bringing; rendering; producing

wèe +

see -wè

-wị̀ 1.,2

see -yị̀ 1., 2.

-wo1v

bore hole; poke: A nà m̀ èwo ewī I am poking the giant rat’s hole (with the intention of getting it out and capturing it)

-wokò make loose, or widen, a hole by poking or probing

-wo n’anya be plain, clear, obvious; stare one in the face; leap to the eye

-wo ọnụ̄ dig hole (already existing, e.g. rat-hole); excavate: A nà m̀ èwo ō(cid:31)nụ ōke I am probing, poking, or digging a rat-hole (with the intention of catching the rat)

-wo2v

peel off; shed (of skin, scales)

-wo iwòlò (àwọ̀lọ̀) come off in scales; shed skin

-wò1v

put on (clothes)

-wopụ̀ take off clothes

mwopụ̄ àfè taking off of clothes

-wò2

see -nwò

-wọ̀v

deny (a share; implies object has no legal claim to a share)

-wọ̀ nni deny (share of) food

wọọ̀

see nwọọ̀

-wu1v

boil, seethe (corn, palm kernels)

-wu +2v

establish; build

-wughe open; make, declare open

-wughepụ̀ give permission for any kind of gathering; declare open; open

-wu ìwu make law

-wulu be firm, established

-wulu ewulu be firm, established: Oche afụ̀ àmaka, o wùùlụ̀ èwulu That chair is magnificient, it is very firm

-wu ụnọ̀ build a house

-wùv

become known, popular; spread: Ife o mèlụ̀ nà-ewù What he has done is fast becoming known to everyone

òwùwù spreading; being popular

-wùbe begin to spread (of news)

-wù èwù spread; be noised abroad; be famed: Akụkọ afụ̀ nà-ewū èwù The news is spreading

-wu-tav

grieve; hurt; trouble; distress: Ọnwụ enyì m nwokē nà-èwuta m̄ri nnē The death of my friend is hurting me greatly

mwuta grief; sorrow; pain (of mind)

ife mwuta painful thing; distressing thing

-wụ1v

wash (body)

ọ̀wụwụ washing

-wụ àrụ wash the body

-wụcha àrụ wash the body clean; cleanse the body

-wụchapụ̀ àrụ wash the body thoroughly

-wụchapụ̀ta wash away; clear away

-wụ2v

pour; spread; put; place B. place, put down upon (cloth or many objects)

-wụbà pour into

-wụchi fill (e.g. hole with debris)

-wụfù pour away

-wụnye pour into

-wụpụ̀ pour out; throw out (esp. liquids)

-wụrà spread out and divide

-wụsa A. pour into a particular place (liquids, kernels)

-wụsị throw away, pour away, spill (liquids)

-wụ3v

buy (palm kernels, gunpowder) (originally derived from -wụ 2., since kernels and gunpowder must be poured into container in order to buy them)

-wụ ntụ buy gunpowder

-wụta to buy (kernels): Anà m̀ èje ịwụ̄ta akụ n’Àfọ̀-Nnoòbì I am going to buy some kernels at Àfọ̀-Nnoòbì market

-wụ4v

excise; pluck out

-wụ akpụ̀ cut, excise a tumour, growth

-wụ̀v

jump (cf. -kwụ 5.)

ọ̀wụ̀wụ̀ jumping

-wụ̀bà jump into

-wụ̀dà jump down

-wụ̀fè jump over

-wụ̀ ị̀kpọ̀tọ skip, gambol (as a young animal)

-wụ̀ni enū jump up

-wụ̀ ọsọ race