Tiv–English dictionary

Tiv Dictionary: A

150 entries · part 1 of 3

Every Tiv word in the archive's dictionary that begins with “A” — 360 entries, in alphabetical order (part 1 of 3). Each entry gives the English meaning and part of speech, and, where the archive records them, the pronunciation, an example sentence in Tiv with its English translation, and notes on usage. Select a word to open its own page with related words and sources.

a

he/she/it

Pronoun

a bee

already

Adverb

Also means
done, finished
Example
Kasua a bee yar sha iyange u kwena. — “The market was already crowded by sunrise.”

a soo yô

may (permission)

Verb

Also means
soo (want/desire)

a va ga

he/she did not come

Phrase

Example
A va ga nyian — “He/she did not come today”

a zungwe

may he

Verb

Also means
she have mercy
Example
Ter a zungwe se mhooôônom. — “Let the Lord have mercy on us. azurufa, goldu (gold), noun: a precious metal used in making coins and jewelry. M ngu a azurfa ga. I have no gold.”

aa

scratch

Verb

Also means
persist

abainyam

trap-jaw ant

Noun

Example
Abainyam kpe; ihuma ngee. — “The trap-jaw ant died; there’s a lot of smell.”

abaver

news

Noun

Example
M ungwa abaver a doon. — “I heard the good news.”

abeda

Nigerian wrapper clothing

Noun

Example
Zer abeda.

abeen

clouds

Noun

Example
M nenge a abeen a wura. — “I see rain clouds.”

abia

little hoe

Noun

Example
Tôô abia hura tembe. — “Take the little hoe to clean the yard.”

abume

swing blade

Noun

Example
Ker abume a er imo i taver. — “Fling the swing blade to make a loud sound.”

abun

peanut

Noun

Also means
groundnut
Example
Tem abun. — “Crack open a groundnut.”

abur abur

accidentally

Adverb

Example
Mhembe gbande sha abura bur — “I accidentally broke the dish”

ada

bow

Noun

Example
Ada ngu a kwange. — “A bow has a string.”

adeda

house

Noun

Example
Andiir maa adeda. — “Andiir built a rectangular-shaped house.”

adenger

curly pea pods

Noun

Example
Jiir ishu sha adenger. — “The mature pods are also edible. Cook fish with curly pea pod.”
Usage
adenger afilifi, noun.

adiguve

African harp

Noun

Example
Kuha adiguve. — “Play the African harp.”

adôlik

hydraulic oil

Noun

Example
Wa adôlik sha gia mato. — “Apply hydraulic oil on the car gears.”

adua

church service

Noun

adudu

chest, trunk

Noun

Example
Wa akondo shin adudu. — “Place clothes in the “adudu” chest.”

afo

camp

Noun

Example
Afo a Fulani mba kuran ibua. — “A cattle-Fulani’s camp.”

aga

staff

Noun

Example
Aga ka a wase orapirashe u zenden. — “A staff aids a blind person to walk.”

agba

arm band

Noun

Example
Ngôkem wa agba. — “Mother-in-law wore the traditional arm band.”

agbadu

pumpkin

Noun

Example
Jiidi agbadu wa ishwa

agbe

hook with legs

Verb

Example
A wa agbe u zôhôn un. — “He hooked with legs to throw him down.”

agbo

wateryam

Noun

Example
Na wan agbo a ya. — “Give the child water yam to eat.”

agbo

bullets

Noun

Example
Gbuuka na tee agbo ikundu kwa mom. See igbo, singular noun. — “His gun takes twenty bullets at once.”

agbo1

wateryam

Noun

Also means
type of yam that is soft and fluffy when cooked
Example
Na wan agbo a ya — “Give the child water yam to eat”

agbo2

bullets

Noun

Also means
what one puts in a gun to shoot
Example
Gbuuka na tee agbo ikundu kwa mom — “His gun takes twenty bullets at once. See igbo, singular noun”

agbum

snail

Noun

Example
Agbum doo u yan ga. — “It is not good to eat spiral shelled snail.”

agbur

seats

Noun

Example
Mba kera tem sha agbur ken makeranta ga. — “They no longer”

agbur

logs used for seats

Noun

agena/agina

smallpox

Noun

Example
Agina bee ken tar Tiv. — “Smallpox has been eradicated in Tivland.”

ager

draw soup plant

Noun

Example
Make ager soup.

agher

excited

Adjective

Also means
itchy

agina

smallpox

Noun

Also means
disease that affects the skin; can be deadly
Example
Agina bee ken tar Tiv — “Smallpox has been eradicated in Tivland”

agir

mound

Noun

Example
Kaha agir kuma logo. — “Cultivate a long mound to plant cassava.”

ago

ready

Verb

Example
Wa ago iyol u yem kasua. — “Get ready to go to the store.”

ago

pidgin English

Noun

Example
M fa u lamen ago ga. — “I don’t know how to speak pidgin English.”

ago1

ready

Verb

Also means
to prepare to do or say something
Example
Wa ago iyol u yem kasua — “Get ready to go to the store”

ago2

pidgin English

Noun

Also means
broken English spoken in West Africa
Example
M fa u lamen ago ga — “I don’t know how to speak pidgin English”

agom

tall grass

Noun

Example
Na ibua agom i ya. — “Give cattle tall grass to consume.”

agum

young things

Adjective

Example
Ka agum a ior tsegh vea nyôr shoja ye.

agundô

earthworm

Noun

Example
Agundô ye inya.; Makir ya Tor Tiv, nahan agwa za nyor India. — “The earthworm eats soil.; Makir was crowned Tor Tiv, so the news spread to (reach) India.”

ahan

laughter

Noun

Example
A se ahan taver. — “He laughed loudly.”

ahi

kidneys

Noun

ahi

peanuts

Noun

Also means
groundnuts
Example
Bagu ye ahi — “The monkey eats peanuts”

ahir

magic

Noun

Example
U nanden toho hingir mtuhem ka ahir ga; ka sainz. — “To burn grass not ash is not magic; it’s science.”

ahumbe

air

Noun

Also means
wind

ahumbe

wind

Noun

Example
Wura va a ahumbe ngee. — “The rain came with a lot of wind.”

ahwa

stirring spoon

Noun

Example
Kunde iue sha ahwa. — “Stir the soup with a stirring spoon.”

aiee

false

Adjective

aikie

evening

Adjective

Example
Mama er kwaghyan u aikighe.

ainge

current, present time

Adjective

Example
Itiav mbi Gaza man Mbaiserael ken 2023 ka kwagh u ainge. — “The war between Gaza and Israel in 2023 is a recent event.”

ainge ainge

recently

Adverb

Example
Se nenge a Jay ainge ainge. — “We saw Jay recently.”

aiodin

iodine tincture

Noun

Example
Aiodin una wase ivav i m tende sha ihôwe ne. — “Iodine tincture will help with the cut on my finger.”

aiviief

invitro fertilization or IVF

Noun

Example
Aiviief bee kwagh u ikôm ken tara? Does IVF end infertility issues in the world?

ajav

rags

Noun

Example
Ajav ne ka a esen jingi. — “These rags are for cleaning the glass.”

aji

eggs, pl

Noun

Example
Ikegh ta aji. — “The hen laid eggs. Compare: Ajikegh (chicken eggs); Aji a ishu (fish eggs); Aji a hungwaja (cricket eggs).”
Usage
See iji, singular noun.

Aji

Eggs

Noun

ajiir ajiir

wherever, all over

Adverb

Also means
amianamian

ajingi

glasses, spectacles

Noun

ajingi ashee

eyeglasses

Noun

Example
Oo ta kpishi; wa ajingi ashee. — “It is very sunny; wear eyeglasses.”

ajo

stringed drum

Noun

Example
Kuha ajo. — “Play the Tiv stringed drum.”

aka

charcoal

Noun

Example
Aka tsee her. — “The charcoal is still hot.”

akaa

things

Noun

Example
There are many things I don’t know.

akaangise

history

Noun

Example
Akiga iyange nger takerada u akaangise a Tiv. — “Akiga wrote the history of Tiv.”

akaca

hand-held shaker instrument

Noun

Example
Mbaatsamev mba iyough adua ka ve kuha akacha. — “The hand-held shaker instrument is used in the church choir.”

akam

bricks

Noun

Also means
blocks
Example
Ta akam. — “Lay (some) blocks/bricks.”

akaren

tests, examinations

Noun

Usage
Plural for ikaren (test; examination), singular noun.

akausu

charcoal

Noun

Example
Dugh akausu za keer usu a min. Remove

akem

scooping gourd

Noun

Example
Kese iber sha akem. — “Scoop the porridge with a scooping gourd.”

akiki

African hummingbird, grey owl

Noun

Example
Akiki tema sha atur. — “The African hummingbird sits on the fig tree.”

akinde

Tiv rubber tree

Noun

Example
Cut the Tiv rubber tree to produce rubbery liquid.

akô

arrow shaft

Noun

Example
Ivaan yam ngi a akô u lihen. (My arrow has a long shaft.)

akombo

idol

Noun

Example
Ior mba genev mba civir akombo. — “Some people worship idols.”
Usage
See ikondo, sing.

akor

horns

Noun

Example
Nommbua ngu a akor. — “A bull has horns.”

akôv

shoes

Noun

Example
Wa akov. Put on shoes.

akpa

whip

Noun

Example
A gbidye nyinya sha akpa. — “He hit the horse with a whip.”

akpagher

good luck charms, plural noun

Noun

akpe

bottles, plural noun

Noun

akpekpa

Tiv native bread

Noun

Example
Jiidi akpekpa ior ve ya. — “Cook native bread for people to eat.”

akpem

large Tiv cloth

Noun

Example
Ter na cir akpem iyol. Kume tuwe shin akpera. — “His father wore a Tiv cloth with white and grey stripes. akpera, lu (small mortar): small mortal used for pounding little chunks of things. Pound the dried okra in the small mortar.”

akpev

scabies disease

Noun

Example
Akpev er wan mom man gema tsar ônov mba genev. Ikpev, singular noun. — “One child got scabies which got transmitted to the other children.”

akpu

Nigerian fermented cassava

Noun

Example
Ruam u akpu huma doo ga. — “Fermented cassava fufu smells bad.”

aku

parrot

Noun

Example
Aku ye guavee. — “A parrot eats guava.”

akuese

fried bean ball, kuasa

Noun

Akum

Host

Adjective

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