Tiv Words Beginning with K | Tiv

Every Tiv word in the archive's dictionary that begins with “K” — 433 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 B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W Y Z

Ka

Pronoun

ka

it is

Noun

Example: Ka mo: it`s me. — “Ka we? Are you the one? ka ana? Who is it? ka u me? How many? ka ve (it is they/them): Ka ve ve lu lamen ye. It is they who are speaking.”

ka

it is

Verb

Ka ana

who

Pronoun

Ka hana

where

Adverb

Ka hanma shiegh

when

Adverb

ka kpee

certainly

Adverb

Ka nyi

what

Pronoun

ka sha

so that

Conjunction

Also means: in order that

Ka u me

how many

Phrase

Kaa

say

Verb

kaa

fry

Verb

Example: Kaa ayaba (kôôkômbo). — “Fry plantains.”

kaa

tell

Verb

Example: Kaa un a va. — “Tell him/her to come.”

kaa

say, said

Verb

Example: U kaa we nena? M kaa kwagh ga. — “What did you say? I said nothing.”

kaa

say; said

Verb

Kaa er

Said

Verb

kaa1

fry

Verb

Also means: to cook in very hot oil
Example: Kaa ayaba (kôôkômbo) — “Fry plantains”

kaa2

tell

Verb

Also means: to request something of someone
Example: Kaa un a va — “Tell him/her to come”

kaa3

say, said

Verb

Also means: to speak about something
Example: U kaa we nena? — “What did you say? M kaa kwagh ga. I said nothing”

kaa4 mo

hug me

Verb

Example: Wan wam va kaa mo. — “My child come (and) hug me.”

kaadi

card

Noun

kabed

cupboard

Noun

Also means: locker; cabinet
Example: Wa itiakeda ken kabed. — “Put the books in the cabinet.”

kabed

cupboard; locker; cabinet

Noun

Also means: a place to store things
Example: Wa itiakeda ken kabed — “Put the books in the cabinet”

kaca kaca

totally

Adverb

Example: Bom vihi ayough kacakaca. — “The bomb totally destroyed the house.”

kāhā

different / separate

Adjective/low tone/

káhā

cultivate / farm

Verb/high tone/

kàhà

turn / rotate

Verb/low tone/

kaha

make a heap

Verb

Example: Kaha avom lôô iyough. — “Make heaps to plant yams.”

Kahan

Till

Noun

kakaki

horn, African trumpet

Noun

Example: Also called waza in Chad and Sudan, and malakat in Ethiopia. — “Tungwa kakaki i sagher ior iyol. Play the “kakaki” trumpet to get people excited.”

kakaki

trumpet

Noun

kalenda

calendar

Noun

kam

mould

Verb

Also means: press

kam

mold, press

Verb

Example: 1. Kam alum zar u due. 2. Kam inya maa ityu. M soo kamu sha kwaghyan u pepe. — “Squeeze the orange (fruit) to get out the juice. Mold the clay to make a pipe. kamu, akamu (bean porridge), noun: Nigerian cereal made by mixing boiling water and bean flour, like cream of wheat. I like akamu for breakfast.”

kam

mould; press

Verb

kam

squeeze

Verb

Kanaan

Canaan

Noun

kande

lost weight

Verb

Example: Ayem kera ya kwaghyan tsembelee ga; nahan, a kande. Kande kande (very thin or slim), adjective. — “Ayem no longer eats food well; so, she lost weight.”

kange

tie

Verb

Example: Kange ormbaiv ave. — “Tie the thief`s arms.”

Kano

town in Northen Nigeria

Noun

Example: Dooshima went to Kano.

kanwa; kaun

potash

Noun

Example: Wa kanwa sha inyam i leghem. — “Add potash”

kapeti

carpet

Noun

Example: Musan kapeti ne. — “Change this carpet.”

kapu

large calabash tray

Noun

Example: Put water in the large calabash.

kar

pass over

Verb

Example: A kar heen u zan kasua. Sesugh kar Sajid. — “He passed here to go to the store. kar2 [taller (than)], adj: comparative adjective of tall—greater height than normal. Sesugh is taller than Sajid.”

kar

past

Adverb

Example: 1. Shie ka ihwa mom kar miniti utaan. 2. M yevese m kar un. — “The time is five minutes past one o`clock. I run past him/her.”

kar

after (past)

Adverb

kar

compare

Verb

kar a kar

keep moving

Verb

Also means: continue
Example: Poloshi na oda er se kar a kar. — “The Police gave an order that we should keep moving.”

kar a kar

keep moving; continue

Verb

Also means: a desire, tendency, or order to stay or stop
Example: Poloshi na oda er se kar a kar — “The Police gave an order that we should keep moving”

kar kwar

Verb

Example: Kar kwar na hanma or vough. — “Shre equally among people.”

kar kwar

to share

Verb

kar sha

above, over

Preposition

Example: Igirgi purugh ngi purugh kar sha itiough ki wough — “The airplane is flying over the mountain”

kar1

pass over

Verb

Also means: to come through on one’s way
Example: A kar heen u zan kasua — “He passed here to go to the store”

kar3

past

Adverb

Also means: a farther position; comparative adverb of far. 1
Example: Shie ka ihwa mom kar miniti utaan — “The time is five minutes past one o`clock. 2. M yevese m kar un. I run past him/her”

Karen

Passing

Verb

kase

enclose

Verb

Example: Kase kwa. — “Enclose a space.”

kase

sieve

Noun

Example: Kase iber amine. — “Sieve the coarse millet porridge.”

kase1

enclose

Verb

Also means: to form a circle around a thing or space
Example: Kase kwa — “Enclose a space”

kase2

sieve

Noun

Also means: to remove smaller paricles or separate from chaff
Example: Kase iber amine — “Sieve the coarse millet porridge”

Kasev

women

Noun

Also means: plural of kwase

Kasua

market

Noun

kasua

market, week

Noun

Example: Aya za kasua u za yamen mkulem. Wer mom ka kasua unyiin. — “A place to buy and sell. Aya has gone to the market to buy oil. Days from one market day to the next 7 days) or a week. There are four weeks in one month.”
Usage: Ukasua (markets, weeks), plural noun.

kasua

market, store

Noun

kasua

shop

Noun

Also means: store, market
Example: A za kasua u yam akwagh. — “He went to the shop to buy things.”

katôn

carton

Noun

Kav

To understand / to know

Verb

kav

imitate

Verb

Example: Ter kav iliam i Don. — “Ter imitates how Don”

kav

understand

Verb

Example: M mase kaven. — “(I understand at last.). Terna kaven kwagh u “Sev man Tugh.” Terna understood at last the reasonableness of “Day and Night.””

kav1

imitate

Verb

Also means: To copy the actions of behaviour of someone
Example: Ter kav iliam i Don — “Ter imitates how Don”

kav2

understand

Verb

Also means: to get the meaning of something
Example: M mase kaven. — “(I understand at last.) Terna kaven kwagh u “Sev man Tugh.” Terna understood at last the reasonableness of “Day and Night.””

kazen

cousin

Noun

Ke hemen

front

Noun

Ke jime

back

Noun

Ke mi

inside

Adverb

Ke won

outside

Adverb

keer

kindle

Verb

keer

kindle

Verb

Example: Keer usu jiidi kwagh. — “Kindle a fire to cook something.”

keer

limping

Verb

Example: M ngu keer yemen iyoughci. — “I am limping to the hospital.”

keer

kindle

Verb

keer1

kindle

Verb

Also means: to start a fire
Example: Keer usu jiidi kwagh — “Kindle a fire to cook something”

keer2

limping

Verb

Also means: hop walking when one foo is not well enough
Example: M ngu keer yemen iyoughci — “I am limping to the hospital”

Keera

there

Adverb

keera

there (when farther away)

Adverb

kegh

wait

Verb

Example: Kegh ve ve va. — “Wait for them to come.”

Kegh ato

listen

Verb

Kehe

Big

Adjective

kehe je gande

exceedingly large

Adverb

keipi

cape

Noun

kejime

behind

Adverb

kelase

class

Noun

Example: Kelase u Mkar nyen zua. — “Mkar class met yesterday.”

kema

knock

Verb

Example: Kema wegh sha hunda. — “Knock at the door.”

kemesi

chemist

Noun

kemis

chemist

Noun

Example: Kemis nam cigh ki ortwer a nger yô. — “The chemist has given me the medicine the doctor prescribed.”

ken

Noun

Example: Inyon ngi purugh ken ahumbe. De se tema ken won. Let us sit outside. — “The bird is flying in the air. Also, ken tar (in the world); ken won (outside or surrounded by the world).”

ken

Preposition

Also means: to / from (direction)

ken hemen

later

Adverb

ken imbusu

beside

Adverb

ken won

outside

Adverb

kende

lift

Verb

Example: Kende ave sha. Lift up (your) hands. kenden iyol sha (being bombastic), idiomatic.

kende

drop

Verb

Example: Zôr mongol; kende un shin inya. — “Pick the mango; drop it down.”

kende iyol sha

blushing

Adjective

kende1

lift

Verb

Also means: to pick up, or to raise
Example: Kende ave sha — “Lift up (your) hands. kenden iyol sha (being bombastic), idiomatic”

kende2

drop

Verb

Also means: to let go down a lower level
Example: Zôr mongol; kende un shin inya — “Pick the mango; drop it down”

keng

necessary

Adjective

Example: Ka keng u we lu a mato man u eren tom u Uber ye. — “It is”

keng

albeit

Adverb

Also means: must

keng keng

must

Verb

Also means: kpee

Kenger

look

Verb

kenger

look

Verb

Also means: stare
Example: Kenger sha wer. — “Look at the moon.”

kenger

look; stare

Verb

Also means: use eyes to see something
Example: Kenger sha wer — “Look at the moon”

ker

seek, explore

Verb

Example: Ker abinkuni u a saa yô. — “Seek for the lost earring.”

ker

throw

Verb

Example: Ker futubol a za ica. — “Throw the football far.”

ker

throw, pass

Verb

ker1

seek, explore

Verb

Also means: look for something
Example: Ker abinkuni u a saa yô — “Seek for the lost earring”

ker2

throw

Verb

Also means: when you propel something through the air using your arm(s)
Example: Ker futubol a za ica — “Throw the football far”

kera

no longer

Adverb

Example: We are no longer going.

kera

away

Adverb

Example: Yem kera — “Go away”

keran

oppose

Verb

kese

fetch, poach

Verb

Example: Kese mngerem. Kese ajiikegh. — “Fetch water. Poach eggs.”

keshi

scissors

Noun

Example: Tondo ice sha keshi. — “Cut hai with a scissors.”

ketul

kettle

Noun

Example: Jiir mngerem shin ketul. — “Boil water in the kettle.”

ki/ka nena

how much?

Adverb

Kianpee

Hornbill

Noun

kicin

kitchen

Noun

Example: M ver firiji ken kicin. — “I placed the fridge in the kitchen.”

kighir

force

Verb

Also means: press; end
Example: 1. Ve kighir mo er m tam ituna. 2. Civ ihôwetamen shin inki, kighir sha pipa. 3. Gbenda kighir heen. — “They forced me to chew bitter leaf. Dip the thumb in ink and press on the paper. The road ends here.”

kighir

force; press; end

Verb

Also means: to push or move something or someone to act. 1
Example: Ve kighir mo er m tam ituna — “They forced me to chew bitter leaf. 2. Civ ihôwetamen shin inki, kighir sha pipa. Dip the thumb in ink and press on the paper. 3. Gbenda kighir heen. The road ends here”