Tiv–English dictionary

Tiv Dictionary: G

150 entries · part 1 of 2

Every Tiv word in the archive's dictionary that begins with “G” — 195 entries, in alphabetical order (part 1 of 2). 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.

Ga

Not / negation marker

Adverb

ga

not

Adverb

Example
Doo ga. Not good.

ga

not

Adverb

ga yô

nothing else

Conjunction

Also means
no one else
Example
Aluer kwagh gen a er ga yô, me va. Phrase. — “If nothing else happens, I shall come.”

gagh

suddenly

Adverb

Example
Andyar nule gagh ta sha mo. — “Andyar suddenly launched at me.”

gambe

bed

Noun

Example
M ngu yaven sha gambe. — “I`m sleeping on the bed.”

gamber gamber

entangled

Adjective

Example
Amende a iyough wuha gamber gamber sha ikon. — “The creeping plants are entangled in the trees.”

gande

extraordinarily

Adverb

Example
Taver gande. — “Extraordinarily hard.”

gande

overgrown

Verb

Example
Atuur gande. — “The okra is overgrown.”

gande

excessively

Adverb

Also means
too
Example
Akwati yuha gande. — “The suitcase is too heavy.”

gande

long

Adverb

Also means
too long
Example
Inumbe lihe gande — “The game took too long”

gande gande

not thick

Verb

Example
A wa mngerem shin iber; i hingir gande gande. — “She/he put water in the porridge paste; it is no longer thick.”

gande1

extraordinarily

Adverb

Also means
something that is beyond the normal
Example
Taver gande — “Extraordinarily hard”

gande2

overgrown

Verb

Also means
vegetable with tough skin
Example
Atuur gande — “The okra is overgrown”

gande3

excessively

Adverb

Also means
too — something that exceeds the normal
Example
Akwati yuha gande — “The suitcase is too heavy”

gande4

watery

Adjective

Also means
with too much water
Example
Gbodi gande — “The ground okra soup is watery”

Gar

City

Noun

gar

city

Noun

Also means
town

gar

city

Noun

gar; geri

town

Noun

Example
Gboko ka gar u vesen. — “Gboko is a large town.”

gareji

garage

Noun

Example
Za nyor mato shin gareji yem Abuja. — “Go enter the motor vehicle to travel to Abuja.”

gari

fried cassava flour

Noun

Example
Eba ka ruam gari. — “Eba is fufu which is made from fried cassava flour.”

gaz

gas

Noun

Example
Gaz mba atô kposo kposo. — “There are different kinds of gas.”

Gba

Create, created

Verb

Gba

fall

Verb

gba

fall

Verb

Example
Bol gba shin inya. Idiomatic use: bem gba (peace has reigned; gba jime (fall behind). — “The ball fell to the ground.”

gba

carve

Verb

Example
Gba tso. — “Carve out a boat.”

gba

fall

Verb

gba1

fall

Verb

Also means
to drop to the ground
Example
Bol gba shin inya — “The ball fell to the ground. Idiomatic use: bem gba (peace has reigned; gba jime (fall behind)”

gba2

carve

Verb

Also means
to shape into something from wood such as a boat
Example
Gba tso — “Carve out a boat”

gbaa

branch

Noun

Example
Kon mongol ngu a agbaa kpishi. — “The mango tree has”

gbagir

Tiv traditional men’s clothing

Noun

Example
Tor kpande cir gbagir iyol. — “The chief tax collector wore the Tiv traditional men’s clothing.”

Gbajimba

name of village

Noun

Example
M za yam ishu ken Gbajimba. — “I went and bought the fish from Gbajimba.”

gbaka

viper

Noun

Example
Ikume ia ya alôm; gbaka una ya ihev. — “The python will eat a rabbit; the viper will eat a mouse.”

gbami

start action

Verb

Example
Gbami u yan kwaghyan. — “Start eating (food).”

Gbande

Plate

Noun

Also means
Drum (also means drum depending on context)

gbande

dish

Noun

Also means
triangular drum

gbande

Tiv triangular drum, konga

Noun

Example
Kuha gbande. — “Play the Tiv the triangular drum or konga.”

Gbande

dish

Noun

Also means
plate
Example
Gbande u chinkafa. — “A plate of rice.”

gbande

dish, plate, bowl

Noun

gbande

dish; triangular drum

Noun

gbande1

Tiv triangular drum, konga

Noun

Also means
a drum covered at one end, the wider, with animal leather skin
Example
Kuha gbande — “Play the Tiv the triangular drum or konga”

Gbande2

dish; plate

Noun

Also means
something in which to serve food
Example
Gbande u chinkafa — “A plate of rice”

gbang gbang

healthy, well

Adjective

Example
M ngu gbang gbang. — “I am well/healthy.”

gbang gbang

tightly

Adverb

Example
Cir tsuwa gbang gbang. — “Cover the pot tightly.”

gbang gbang1

healthy, well

Adjective

Also means
indication of wellness
Example
M ngu gbang gbang — “I am well/healthy”

gbang gbang2

tightly

Adverb

Also means
closely and firmly together
Example
Cir tsuwa gbang gbang — “Cover the pot tightly”

gbange

wooden cymbals

Noun

Example
Kuha gbange. — “Play the wooden cymbal.”

gbanger

wide

Adjective

Example
Ijande ne ka i gbanger. — “This is a wide lake.”

gbanger

wide, open wide

Adjective

gbangi

gigantic metal bowl

Noun

Example
Haa mngerem shin gbangi. — “Pour water in the gigantic metal bowl.”

gbeenegh

insect leg

Noun

Example
Tondo gbeenegh ku ikambegh. Agbeen, plural noun. ` — “Cut the crab`s leg.”

gbem

always

Adverb

Also means
forever

gbem

chin

Noun

Also means
large brown ant

gbem

often

Adverb

Example
Iyôn ngi nger heen gbem. — “The ants often enter here.”

gbem

chin

Noun

Example
Or ngu a ice sha gbem. — “The man has hair on the chin.”

gbem

ant

Noun

Example
Gbem nyuma wanye nomso. — “The giant black ant bit the boy.”

gbem

always

Adverb

Example
Ve heen gbem — “He comes here always”

gbem

chin; large brown ant; always

Noun

gbem

large brown ant

Noun

gbem gbem

always

Adverb

Example
Me henen kwagh wou gbem gbem. C.f., gbem maiyange kera bee ga (for ever and ever); gbem sha yon (forever). — “I will always think about you.”

gbem1

often

Adverb

Also means
what happens often
Example
Iyôn ngi nger heen gbem — “The ants often enter here”

gbem2

chin

Noun

Also means
part of the body beneath the mouth
Example
Or ngu a ice sha gbem — “The man has hair on the chin”

gbem3

ant

Noun

Also means
a giant black ant
Example
Gbem nyuma wanye nomso — “The giant black ant bit the boy”

Gbenda

road

Noun

Also means
path

gbenda

road

Noun

Also means
path, noun
Example
Zende sha gbenda. — “Walk along the road.”

gbendegh

strand of twig

Noun

Example
Hule agbende wa shin itiegh. — “Fold the twig strands to put in the pot.”

gber

cut a tree

Verb

Also means
sing

gber

cut

Verb

Example
Gbe kon ker atoon atar. — “Cut the wood into three pieces.”

gber

sing

Verb

Example
Golozo gber imo. — “Golozo sang a song.”

gber

cut; sing

Verb

Also means
To cut; to sing. 1
Example
Gber kon—cut a tree; 2 — “Gber imo—sing a song”

gber

cut (a tree); sing

Verb

gber

cut (a tree)

Verb

Also means
sing

gber1

cut

Verb

Also means
make a long object into shorter pieces
Example
Gbe kon ker atoon atar — “Cut the wood into three pieces”

gber2

sing

Verb

Also means
produce voice into a melodious sound
Example
Golozo gber imo — “Golozo sang a song”

gbera

core, vein

Noun

Example
1. Gbera u logo. 2. — “The core of the cassava. Gbera u awambe a ken iyol. The blood vein in the body.”

gberkpôôkpôô

woodpecker

Noun

Example
Gberkpôôkpôô ngu gberen sha kon. — “The woodpecker is drilling the tree.”

gbide

hit

Verb

Also means
whip

gbide

hit; beat; whip

Verb

gbidye

hit, kick, whip

Verb

Example
Gbidye bol. — “Kick/hit the ball.”

gbiin

vain, empty

Adjective

Example
Itiegh ki gbilin. — “The pot is empty.”

gbiin1

vain, empty

Adjective

Also means
contains nothing
Example
Itiegh ki gbilin — “The pot is empty”

gbilin

free

Adjective

Example
Seta nam cigh gbilin. — “Seta gave me medication free (without charge).”

gbilin ishe

discount

Noun

Also means
price reduction
Example
Orteen na mo gbilin ishe sha akwagh. — “The seller gave me a discount on the items.”

gbilin2

free

Adjective

Also means
without payment
Example
Seta nam cigh gbilin — “Seta gave me medication free (without charge)”

gbinde

African adder

Noun

Example
Gbinde i ye asôhô. — “An adder eats toads.”

gbing

full, a lot

Adjective

Example
M sugh gbing. — “Thank you, a lot. (slang).”

gbing

very (intensive)

Adverb

gbing

very

Adverb

Also means
much

gbing gbing

very full

Adjective

Also means
stuffed
Example
Gbor wam iv gbing gbing. — “My stomach is stuffed (very full).”

gbing gbing

very full; stuffed

Adjective

Also means
showing great fullness
Example
Gbor wam iv gbing gbing — “My stomach is stuffed (very full)”

gbir

lay

Verb

Example
Gbir wan shin gambe. — “Lay the child in the crib (bed).”

gbir

lay (as in a crib)

Verb

gbodi

ground dried okra

Noun

Example
Kunde gbodi. — “Make dried ground okra soup.”

gbondough ashe

roll eyes

Verb

Example
De u gbondough mo ashe. — “Stop rolling your eyes at me.”

gbongul

prideful, disrespect

Noun

Example
A gbongol ôron kwagh sha tica. — “He showed disrespect in the way he spoke to the teacher.”

gbôônough

lower limb

Noun

Example
Gbôônough ku ivo doo u yan ga. — “The lower limb of a goat is not good to eat.”

gbor

stomach

Noun

Example
Compare, iyav: where the is located. — “Gbor wam iv a kwaghyan. My stomach is full of food.”

gbough

stick

Noun

Also means
cane
Example
Baba tôô gbough. — “Baba (grandpa) has taken the cane.”

gbum

African necklace

Noun

Example
Melissa zer gbum sha iker. — “Melissa wore “gbum” necklace.”

gege

back of leg

Noun

Example
Gege wam mula. — “The back of my leg is swollen.”

gema

turn

Verb

Also means
turned
Example
A gema ken iyan. — “He/she turned right.”

gema

change, turn

Verb

gema ishima

repent

Verb

Example
A gema ishima a de asorabo na. — “He repented his sins.”

gende

seizure attack motion

Verb

Example
A gba; hen inya shi ngu genden. — “He fell; and is moving like with seizure.”

gende gende

rocky

Adverb

Example
Mato ngu yemen gende gende. — “The truck is moving in a rocky manner.”

geng geng

high-pitched

Adjective

Also means
shrill
Example
Kwase gber imo a ikenge geng geng. 2. Nancy gber icam geng geng. — “The woman sang with a high-pitched note. Nancy sang a hymn with a shrill voice.”

genger

Tiv draw-soup

Noun

Example
Ruam doo sha genger. — “Fufu is good with Tiv draw-soup.”

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