Tiv–English dictionary

Tiv Dictionary: D

100 entries

Every Tiv word in the archive's dictionary that begins with “D” — 100 entries, in alphabetical order. 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.

Daar

storage place

Noun

Example
Wa aile wua sha daar. — “Place bundles of guinea corn on the hoisted storage place.”

dafa

boiled grain food

Noun

Example
Jiir dafa wua. — “Cook Guinea corn grain (meal).”

dagbaikôn

three-legged Tiv chair

Noun

Example
Ayua tema shin dagbaikôn. — “Ayua sat in the three-legged chair.”

dagi

small spear

Noun

Example
Ker kwantera dagi. — “Throw a small spear at a deer.”

damiyo

a kind of yam

Noun

Example
Va a damiyo shan ivese. — “Bring the sweet yam to the wedding.”

dan

ramble

Verb

Example
A dan kwagh; a na mrumun dedoo ga. — “He/she did not answer in a straightforward manner.”

Dang

Without form

Noun

dar

Tiv counting game

Noun

Example
Gire fa dar yan. — “Gire knows how to play the Tiv counting game.”

de

stop or don't

Verb

Example
De benden ave ga. Do not touch it. — “Sample phrases: de aie (stop lying); De m (leave me); De nen (you stop), plural; De ve (leave them).”

dedo

fine

Adjective

Also means
good

dedo

well

Adverb

Also means
very well

dedo ga

ill

Adjective

Also means
u ange

dedoo

well, fine, okay

Adverb

Example
M ngu dedoo. I’m well.

dedoo ga

not well, sick

Adverb

Example
M ngu dedoo ga. — “I’m not well (I’m sick).”

dem

leave me

Interjection

dem

leave me

Verb

dem dem

very cool

Adjective

Example
Mngerem ndohol dem dem. Orfa ka deraba u Alek. — “The water is very cool. deraba, derava (driver), noun: a person who drives a vehicle. Orfa is Alek’s driver.”

deraba

driver

Noun

Usage
Also in Tiv: or nahan mato

deri

hundred

Noun

Example
Naira mom ka kobo deri mom. — “One naira is one hundred kobo.”

digh

choose

Verb

Also means
select

digirii

degree

Noun

Example
M zua a digirii ken ayenge. — “I have a degree in mathematics.”

dodo

fried plantain

Noun

Example
Kaas ayaba. — “Fry (some) plantain or bananas.”

dogo

rail track

Noun

Example
Gbenda u dogo. Ortwer nger un cigh. — “The track/road of rails. dôkta, ortwer (doctor), noun: a person well trained to examine and treat sick people. The doctor prescribed medication for her/him.”

dôkta; ortwer

doctor

Noun

Also means
A person well trained to examine and treat sick people
Example
Ortwer nger un cigh — “The doctor prescribed medication for her/him”

dola

dollar

Noun

Example
Na Jay dola pue. Give Jay ten dollars.

dombo dombo

flappy

Adjective

Example
Yav nav mbu dombo dombo. — “His stomach is flappy.”

dondo

follow

Verb

Example
Wendy dondo ngô na u zan adua. — “Wendy followed her mother to church.”

dondoghoo

beside, next to

Preposition

Example
Tile dondoghoo a mo — “Stand beside me”

donko

rubber

Noun

Example
Donko tôndo. — “The rubber (band) broke.”

Doo

Good/Beautiful

Adjective/doh/

Example
A doo kpishi. — “It is very good.”

doo

good

Adjective

Example
Kwaghyan doo kpishi — “The food is very good (delicious)”

doo a ior

kind

Adjective

Also means
doo a akaa

Doo ga

It's bad!

Interjection

Also means
Too good (ironic)
Example
Doo ga! Ka kwagh ga doo — “It's bad! That is not good”

doo sen

amused

Adjective

Also means
funny

doom

I like

Interjection

dooshima

love

Noun

Example
Ngô ngu a dooshima hen wan na. — “A mother has love for her child.”

dubu

thousand

Noun

dubu

thousand

Noun

Example
Naira dubu uhar. Two thousand naira.

dubu

akundu ikundu gber

Noun

dubu

one thousand

Adjective

Also means
1000

dubu

thousand

Noun

dubu

one thousand (1000)

dubu deri

one hundred thousand

Adjective

Also means
100000

dubu dubu

one million

Adjective

Also means
1000000

dubudubu

million

Noun

Example
Ya u Gemade kuma inyaregh naira milien akundu ahar. — “Gemade’s house is worth forty million naira.”

due

come

Verb

Also means
go out, appear
Example
Ikume due sha kwavaôndo. Dugel kôr ormbaiv. — “Or due ken won. Someone came outside. A rainbow appeared in the sky. dugel, polishi (police officer), noun: a law enforcement officer. The police caught a thief.”

due

come/go out,appear

Verb

Also means
To come/go out; appear
Example
Or due ken won; Ikume due sha kwavaôndo — “Someone came outside; A rainbow appeared in the sky”

due

get out

Verb

Also means
go out

due

appear (suddenly)

Verb

Also means
gagh (suddenly)

due doo

successful

Adjective

Also means
za doo

due la

day after tomorrow

Adverb

dugel; polishi

police officer

Noun

Also means
A law enforcement officer
Example
Dugel kôr ormbaiv — “The police caught a thief”

dugh

remove, pick out of

Verb

Example
Dugh sam sha. — “Remove the seeds.”

dugh

remove,pick out of

Verb

Also means
Take something from a container or body
Example
Dugh sam sha — “Remove the seeds”

dugh

take out

Verb

dugh

choose

Verb

Also means
tsuwa

dundôô

straitened

Adverb

Example
Beat the metal to become straightened.

dura

make thunder sound

Verb

dura

make thunderous sound

Verb

Example
Wura dura. — “It (the rain) thundered.”

dura

make thunder sound

Verb

Dzwa

Language / tongue

Noun

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