Tiv–English dictionary

Tiv Dictionary: M

150 entries · part 1 of 2

Every Tiv word in the archive's dictionary that begins with “M” — 238 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.

m

I

Pronoun/syllabic nasal/

m

I (first person singular subject)

Pronoun

Also means
me

m er u ken iyol

feeling

Noun

Also means
A jolt of emotion
Example
M er u ken iyol u dedoo — “A good feeling. Msaan iyol (joy), noun”

ma

drink

Verb

Example
Ma mngerem. — “Drink (some) water.”

maa

build

Verb

maa

build

Verb

Example
Maa iyough. — “Build a house.”

maa

chemical dye

Noun

Example
Kwase gber maa sha ishigh. — “The woman decorated her face with dye.”

maa

build

Verb

maa

build

Verb

maa1

build

Verb

Also means
to construct something
Example
Maa iyough — “Build a house”

maa2

chemical dye

Noun

Also means
dye used for body beautification
Example
Kwase gber maa sha ishigh — “The woman decorated her face with dye”

man

and

Conjunction

Man shi

also

Conjunction

Example
M soo alum; man shi m soo Ayaba — “I like Orange; I also like bananas.”

man zar

drink

Verb

Also means
drinking

mande

nail

Verb

Example
Mande foto sha kon. — “Nail the picture on the tree.”

mape

anywhere or somewhere

Adverb

Example
A za mape ga. — “She/he did not go anywhere;”

Mar

Give Birth

Noun

Mar

build

Verb

mase

last

Adjective

Example
Terna mase ityô. Terna came last. Adverb; maseityô (last): Terna ka or maseityô. — “Terna is the last person.”

masejime

afterwards

Adverb

Example
Terdoo va ken masejime. Terdoo came afterwards.

mato; moto

automobile, truck, lory, bus

Noun

Example
Mato too ior. Noun; plural, umato. — “The car carried people.”

mba

are

Verb

Example
Alum mba pue. — “There are ten oranges. mba ikundu There are twenty of them. Mba u me? How many are they? Se mba van. We are coming. (Ve) Mba yaven. They are sleeping. Use “mba” to form plural nouns:”

mba

are (linking verb)

Verb

mba

they (subject)

Pronoun

Also means
those

Mbaalom

hares

Noun

Also means
plural of alôm

mbamhen

ideas

Noun

Also means
thoughts

Mban

these

Pronoun

mbauangev

sometimes

Adverb

Example
Shiegen Dr. Wasem ngu a nenge mbauangev — “Dr. Wasem sometimes examines patients”

mbayamen

customers

Noun

Also means
buyers, shoppers
Example
Mbayamen mba va kasua sha iyange. — “Customers came to the market in the morning.”

mbayamen

buyers

Noun

Also means
those who buy
Example
Mbayamen mba zuan sha kasua. — “Buyers are gathering at the market.”

mbayamen kasua

traders

Noun

Also means
market sellers
Example
Mbayamen kasua mba nder faa. — “The traders woke up early.”

Mbayuda

Jewih people

Noun

Example
Ior Mbayuda mba ken Israel. — “The Jewish people in Israel.”

mboromboro

metal mouth instrument

Noun

Example
Agidi fa u kuhan mboronmboro. — “Agidi can (knows how to) play the metal mouth musical instrument.”

mdugh u ken mkange

freedom

Noun

Example
M zua a mdugh ken mkange. — “I got freedom.”

mee

entice

Verb

mee

entice, sneak on

Verb

Example
Begha ngu meen iho. — “The lion is sneaking on the antelope.”

mee

entice

Verb

mel

mail

Noun

mel

mile

Noun

Mem

Rested

Noun

mem

rest

Verb

Example
Mem shie u u bee tom yô. — “Rest after you finish the work.”

mem

rest

Verb

mem

rest

Verb

mem

will / shall (by intonation)

Verb

Also means
rest, stay

mem mem

calm

Adjective

Also means
ving

memiyol

holiday

Noun

Also means
rest time
Example
Se zua a memiyol u Kirimishi. — “We got Christmas holiday.”

memiyol

holiday; rest time

Noun

Also means
when one is not working
Example
Se zua a memiyol u Kirimishi — “We got Christmas holiday”

Men

rest

Verb

mena

swallow

Verb

Example
Tam beredi man u mena ye. — “Chew the bread before swallowing.”

mende

germinate

Verb

Example
Mkem mende. — “The peppers germinated.”

mende

germinate, sprout

Verb

Mfe

Knowledge

Noun

mfe

understanding

Noun

mfe

awareness, knowledge

Noun

Example
Ngu a mfe (has awareness; has understanding).

Mfe

understanding

Noun

mgemshima

repentance

Noun

Example
Er msen a vau a mgemshima. — “Pray for repentance.”

mhange

desire, need

Noun

Example
Ngu a mhange sha u eren kwagh u dedoo. — “He/she has a desire to do good.”

Mhen

Imagination

Noun

mhen

thought

Noun

Example
Na mhen wou. — “Offer your thought.”

mhen

thought, thinking

Noun

mhen

thoughtfulness

Noun

mhii

beginning, start

Noun

mhôônom

mercy

Noun

Example
Zungwem mhôônom. — “Have mercy on me.”

mhôônum

pity / compassion

Noun/pre-nasal velar /m-//

mile

sink

Verb

Example
Iwen mile shin mnger. — “The rock sank into the water.”

Mimi

true

Adjective

mimi

true

Adjective

Example
Ka mimi ikegh ka inyon. — “It’s true a chicken is a bird.”

Mimi

truth; truly

Noun

Mimi

truth

Noun

Also means
truly

mimi mimi

truly

Adverb

Example
Mimi mimi je hungul mo er nyian i lu Sati naha. — “I truly forgot today was Saturday.”

mimi mimi

surely, certainly

Adverb

Example
Mimi mimi je Wasem too or hihi ken ayem — “Surely, Wasem came first”

mindi

burst

Verb

Example
Mindi ityundugh. — “Cut open the boil.”

mir

soak, soaked

Verb

Example
Mir akondo man u kile ye. — “Soak the clothes before washing.”

mir

soaked in water

Adjective

mishe

root

Noun

Example
Kon u mongol ngu a mishe hemba mom. — “The mango tree”

mishi

spray

Verb

Example
Mishi mngerem sha ikuleke I vese. — “Spray water on the maize (corn) to grow.”

mita

metre

Noun

Example
M zende mita deri mom. — “I walked one hundred meters.”

mkanan

grudgingly

Adverb

Also means
with dislike
Example
M soo ga, kpa m ya sha mkenan — “I didn’t like it, but grudgingly ate it”

Mkav

understand

Verb

mkem

pepper

Noun

Example
Wa mkem sha/shin iuwe. — “Put pepper in the soup.”

mkem

peppers

Noun

Also means
hot peppers
Example
Wa mkem sha iyuwe. — “Put peppers in the soup.”

mkenan

grudgingly

Adverb

Also means
with dislike
Example
M soo ga, kpa m ya sha mkenan — “I didn’t like it, but grudgingly ate it”

mkenan/mkanan

grudgingly

Adverb

Example
M soo ga, kpa m ya sha mkenan. — “I didn’t like it, but grudgingly ate it.”

Mkom

Satisfaction

Noun

mkôso u or

tattletale

Noun

Example
Koti kaa er a kimbi injô. — “The court said he/she should repay the debt.”

mkulem

oil

Noun

Example
Mkulem ma yôron a min. — “The oil to cook with (with which to cook).”

mkulem ma tseen

heated oil

Noun

Example
Also, tsee iyol (it is hot or the body is hot).

mkur

end

Noun

Example
Mkur u kwaghhir. — “The end of the tale. mkurkwagh (solution, conclusion)”

mliam

tear (from eye)

Noun

mlu man mgem u tar

climate change

Noun

Also means
the way temperature and the weather shift over a long time
Example
Ka ior ve lu nan mlu man mgem u tar ye — “People are the cause of climate change. Noun clause”

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