Tiv–English dictionary

Tiv Dictionary: S

150 entries · part 1 of 2

Every Tiv word in the archive's dictionary that begins with “S” — 214 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.

Saa

Lost

Adjective

saa

die

Verb

Example
Tor u Japan saa (ku). — “The king of Japan is dead.”

saa

lose

Verb

Also means
lost
Example
1. Ka m saa akaa fere fere. 2. Agogo am saa. — “I always lose things. I lost my watch.”

saa

lose, lost

Verb

Example
Agogo a Jime saa icha i gba — “Jime lost his watch a long time ago”

saa ishe

spoil, useless

Verb

Example
I zôr temato fefa ga, nahan a saa ishe. — “The tomatoes were not picked in time, so they spoiled.”

saa1

die

Verb

Also means
a person losing their life
Example
Tor u Japan saa (ku) — “The king of Japan is dead”

saa2

lose; lost

Verb

Also means
something cannot be found or is misplaced. 1
Example
Ka m saa akaa fere fere — “I always lose things. 2. Agogo am saa. I lost my watch”

saan saan

happy

Adjective

Also means
cheerful

Sagh

warm

Adjective

saghela

suddenly

Adverb

Example
Kpatema nule saghela due. — “The cat suddenly moves away.”

sagher

thorny green

Noun

Example
Nande sagher kura mtsem. — “Burn the thorny green to get the ash.”

sainz

science

Noun

Example
Sainz ka a wase se u zuan a mcimbim ma been iangev. — “Science helps us find medicines to cure illnesses.”

sam

seeds

Noun

Usage
See ishange (seed), singular noun.

sambe

slap

Noun

Example
Sambe u a tem la ngu nyion mo heregh. — “I am still hurting from the slap he gave me.”

sambe

clear

Verb

Example
Abeen sambe. — “The clouds cleared.”

sambe1

slap

Noun

Also means
the act of smacking a person
Example
Sambe u a tem la ngu nyion mo heregh — “I am still hurting from the slap he gave me”

sambe2

slap

Verb

Also means
to hit someone with the palm of the hand
Example
A ta or sambe sha uwasegh — “He/she slapped the man on the cheek. [ta sambe (to slap)]”

sambe3

clear

Verb

Also means
no longer cloudy or crowded
Example
Abeen sambe — “The clouds cleared”

samber

unroll, spread out

Verb

samber

pass on (message)

Verb

Also means
pass along

sange

remove

Verb

Example
Sange inya sha aluer gbande u alev ngu a inya shimin yô. — “Remove sand if the bowl of beans has sand in it.”

sanger

gourd

Noun

Example
Mba kera eren sanger ainge ga. Archaic. — “They currently do not make a gourd for storage.”

sar

spread

Verb

Also means
desire

sar

unpeap, dismantle, spread

Verb

Example
Sar tihi inya. — “Unheap the mound of earth.”

sar

wish, desire, crave

Verb

Example
Sar em u tamen cungam. — “I crave chewing gum.”

sar

spread

Verb

sar

desire

Noun

sar1

unpeap, dismantle, spread

Verb

Also means
to flatten a heap of things
Example
Sar tihi inya — “Unheap the mound of earth”

sar2

wish, desire, crave

Verb

Also means
feel a need for something
Example
Sar em u tamen cungam — “I crave chewing gum”

sase

gluttonous grabbing

Verb

Example
U sase kwaghyan mbagen ve a zua a min ga. Gluttonous

sati

Saturday

Noun

Example
Sati ka a va man i lu Lahadi ye. Saturday comes just before Sunday.

Se

We, Us

Pronoun

Se

Us

Noun

Se

laugh

Verb

Also means
smile

Se

we

Pronoun

Also means
us

se

laugh

Verb

Example
Ve se shaciu kwaghhir hôm. — “They laughed because the tale was funny.”

se

we, us

Noun

Example
Se sugh (we thank); na se (give us); se mba (we are)

se

laugh

Verb

se

laugh

Verb

se1

laugh

Verb

Also means
to make sound to show one is amused or happy
Example
Ve se shaciu kwaghhir hôm — “They laughed because the tale was funny”

se2

we, us

Noun

Also means
plural pronoun
Example
Se sugh (we thank); na se (give us); se mba (we are)

Seer

Multiply

Noun

Seer

add

Verb

Example
We alumun yo seer Shuga sha — “Please add sugar to the tea.”

seer

add, extend

Verb

Example
Seer bar. Add salt. — “Seer (addition, in mathematics), noun. Also, isheer (additional), adjective; as in isheer ruam (additional fufu).”

seer

add

Verb

Also means
double

sekendi

second

Noun

Example
Me hide ken sekendi pue. — “I’ll be back in ten seconds.”

sekul derava

screwdriver

Noun

Example
Sekul derava u itiough ki ishan. — “A star-head screwdriver.”

sel

cell

Noun

sema

kernel

Noun

Example
Mzembe ngu a sema. — “The African pear has a kernel.”

sementu

cement

Noun

Example
Ta akam a sementu maa iyough. — “Produce cement blocks to build a house.”

sen

flow

Verb

Example
Haa mngerem sha itiough ki wough ma sen shin inya. — “Pour water on top of the mountain to flow down.”

senda

lock

Verb

Example
Senda hunda. — “Lock the door.”

sende

hang

Verb

Example
Aluer u wua or yô, New Hampshire ken 2024 una sende u. — “If you kill a person, New Hampshire in 2024 will execute you by hanging.”

senge

pretend

Verb

Example
He/she pretended that he/she slept, but is still yawning.

sentimita

centimetre

Noun

Example
Mita mom ngu a sentimita ker deri mom. — “There are one hundred centimeters in one meter.”

sesenge

hiccup

Noun

Example
Sesenge wou ngu zan mo iyol. — “I am bothered by your hiccup.”

seta

ginger

Noun

Example
Ka m wa seta shin iber. — “I put ginger in my porridge.”

setoo

store

Noun

Also means
kasua

seturoku

stroke

Noun

Example
Nôngu u yangen seturoku. — “Try to prevent stroke.”

sev

day

Noun

Example
Sev av. Day has broken. Also, Sev av! (Goodday!), not common.

Sha

In

Preposition

Sha

Heavens

Preposition

Sha

Upon

Preposition

Sha

Up

Adverb

sha

up

Preposition

Also means
with

sha

up, away, at, by

Adverb

Example
Mough sha. Stand up. See Yem sha (Go away). Also, — “Note: This is not redundancy, since “stand down” is an acceptable idiomatic expression.”

Sha

up; away

Preposition

sha

on

Preposition

Also means
up / upon

shaciu

because

Conjunction

Example
M se shaciu hôm. Ka keng; shaciu nahan yô, me yam un. — “I laughed because it is funny. shaciu nahan yo …(therefore), adv: it is required; therefore, I must buy it.”

shagba

distinguished

Adjective

Also means
prominent
Example
Shagba or. — “Prominent/distinguished person.”

shagba

claim of authority

Noun

Example
De u eren shagba sha a vese. — “Stop claiming to have authority over us.”

Shagba kwase

prominent

Noun

Also means
distinguished woman

shagba1

distinguished; prominent

Adjective

Also means
well-known and highly placed
Example
Shagba or — “Prominent/distinguished person”

shagba2

claim of authority

Noun

Also means
claiming to have power to make and enforce decisions
Example
De u eren shagba sha a vese — “Stop claiming to have authority over us”

shase

cashew

Noun

Example
Wa shoga shin tii. — “Put sugar in the tea.”

shi

left

Adjective

shi

left

Verb

Example
Se henda ikeke miel uhar; shi miel mom u nyôron. — “We rode the bike two miles; with one mile left to get there.”

shi

left (direction)

Adverb

shie

time

Noun

Example
Shie kuma u yemen. — “It is time to go. shiga, shigari (cigarette), noun: chopped tobacco leave wrapped in paper for smoking. M soo shigari i man ga. I don’t like to smoke cigarette.”

shien u

during

Preposition

Example
Wanye ngu yav shie u zende — “The child slept during the trip”

shighe gen

some other time

Adverb

Also means
another time

shilishôn

solution

Noun

Example
Shie shilishon sha tiubu cir ihula. — “Rub the solution on the tube to seal a hole.”

Shin

Or

Conjunction

shin

down

Preposition

Also means
in

shin

down, in

Noun

Example
Hungwa shin ijôr. — “Go down the well. Hungwa shin inya: Come down to the ground.”

Shin

down

Preposition

shin

in

Preposition

Also means
inside / at

Shin inya

down earth

Adverb

Also means
underground

shingir

sweater

Noun

Example
Wuhe kôr; huwa shingir. — “It is cold; wear a sweater.”

shiôr

person in courtship

Noun

Example
Ashi ka ishior i Ortiv. — “Ashi is in courtship with Ortiv.”

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