Tiv Dictionary: Y

Ya

Eat

Verb

Example

Va ya kwaghyan — “Come and eat”

Yá

Compound

Noun

Also means

A compound / homestead (broader than house)

Ya

home

Noun

Also means

house

Ya

eat

Verb

ya

home

Noun

Example

Ya wam ngu sha igungu. (My home is on a hill); Ya doo (Home is good or the good home)

ya

eat

Verb

Example

Ya kwaghyan. — “Eat food.”

ya

eat

Verb

ya

eating

Verb

Also means

eating food

Example

Ior mba yan kwaghyan sha kasua. — “People are eating food at the market.”

ya

eat

Verb

ya ishio

homeless

Adjective

ya kasua

stall

Noun

Also means

market stand

Example

A ya ya kasua iyol sha kasua. — “He has his stall at the market.”

ya1

home

Noun

Also means

a place where people live

Example

Ya wam ngu sha igungu. — “(My home is on a hill); Ya doo (Home is good or the good home)”

ya2

eat

Verb

Also means

to consume food; when things are chewed and swallowed for food

Example

Ya kwaghyan — “Eat food”

yaan

right

Adjective

Yam

My / mine

Pronoun

yam

buy

Verb

Example

Yam akôv . Buy shoes. — “Yam anyi (I’m sorry; lit.: eat my teeth), idiomatic.”

yam

my

Noun

Example

Iti yam er … My name is …

yam

buy

Verb

yam

bought

Verb

Also means

purchased

Example

M yam tematu man mkem sha kasua. — “I bought tomatoes and peppers at the market.”

yam

buy

Verb

yam1

buy

Verb

Also means

to purchase something with money

Example

Yam akôv — “Buy shoes. Yam anyi (I’m sorry; lit.: eat my teeth), idiomatic”

yam2

my

Adjective

Also means

belonging to the person speaking

Example

Iti yam er … My name is …

yange

prevent

Verb

Example

Iwambe yange agina. Yange ior u nyôron. — “Vaccination prevents smallpox. Prevent people from entering.”

yar

gone to work

Verb

Example

Baba yar tom. — “Grandpa has gone to work.”

yar

full of, infested with

Adjective

Example

Kasua yar. — “The market is full (of people). Iji yar sha inyam i hôôn. The rotten meat is infested with flies.”

yar

crowded

Adjective

Also means

full, packed

Example

Kasua yar kpishi sha iyange. — “The market was very crowded in the morning.”

yar, ngee

crowded

Adjective

yar1

gone to work

Verb

Also means

said of someone who has gone to work

Example

Baba yar tom — “Grandpa has gone to work”

yar2

full of, infested with

Adjective

Also means

full of something

Example

Kasua yar — “The market is full (of people). Iji yar sha inyam i hôôn. The rotten meat is infested with flies”

Yav

sleep

Verb

yav

sleep

Verb

Example

Yem za yav shin gambe. — “Go and sleep in the bed.”

yav

lie down, sleep

Verb

yav

sleep, lie down

Verb

Yél

Hide

Verb

Yel

Conceal

Verb

Yem

Go

Verb

Example

Yem hen kera — “Go a way”

Yém

Go

Verb

yem

go

Verb

Example

Yem sha/kera (go away). Yem vea ve. Go with them.

yem

well

Noun

Example

Ese tebul i yem. — “Wipe the table perfectly clean.”

yem

go

Verb

Example

Yem za da yav — “Go and sleep”

yem

moving

Verb

Also means

walking along

Example

A ngu yem hen kasua a kasua. — “He is moving from stall to stall.”

yem

go

Verb

yem a na

take him

Noun

Also means

her with you

yem1

go

Verb

Also means

an order to leave a location or area

Example

Yem sha/kera (go away) — “Yem vea ve. Go with them”

yem2

well

Noun

Also means

of cleaning or wiping when don perfectly

Example

Ese tebul i yem — “Wipe the table perfectly clean”

Yemen

Going

Noun

yer

hide

Adverb

Example

Yer ihô dedo. — “Hide the knife well.”

Yese

run

Verb

yese

scorpion

Noun

yese

nurse

Noun

Example

Ayar ka yese m. — “Ayar is my nurse.”

yese

to nurse

Verb

Example

M yese Mbanan. — “I nursed Mbanan.”

yese

scorpion

Noun

Example

Iyese sôô wan na. — “The scorpion stung her son.”

yese

scorpion

Noun

yese1

nurse

Noun

Also means

a person assigned to take care of a young child

Example

Ayar ka yese m — “Ayar is my nurse”

yese2

to nurse

Verb

Also means

to take care of a young child in the home

Example

M yese Mbanan — “I nursed Mbanan”

yese3

scorpion

Noun

Also means

an animal with eight legs and a poisonous stinger at the end of its long tail

Example

Iyese sôô wan na — “The scorpion stung her son”

yesem

sneeze

Verb

Example

M yesem. — “I sneezed.”

Yesu

Jesus

Noun

Example

Yesu ka Oryiman. — “Jesus is the Saviour.”

yevese

run

Verb

Example

Bagu yevese ior yem ken ikô. — “The monkey ran away from people into the forest.”

Yila

call

Verb

yila

call

Verb

Example

Mama yila wan na er a va. — “Mama called her child to come.”

yila

call

Verb

yila

call (phone/summon)

Verb

yima

save

Verb

Example

Aondo yima se. — “God saved us. See oryiman (saviour), noun; oryimantar (saviour of the world), noun.”

yina

not enough

Adjective

yina

less

Noun

Example

Or yina sha Aôndo. — “Man is not as great as God.”

yina

insufficient

Adjective

Example

Bar yina u wan shin iue. — “There is not enough salt to put in the soup.”

yina

not enough; incomparable

Adverb

yina1

less

Adjective

Also means

to indicate a small amount or state

Example

Or yina sha Aôndo — “Man is not as great as God. M yina sha Aôndo. I am less than (not as great as) God”

yina2

insufficient

Adjective

Also means

when is not enough or inadequate amount of something

Example

Bar yina u wan shin iue — “There is not enough salt to put in the soup”

ying

silent, quiet

Adjective

Yoo

cook

Verb

yôô

announce

Verb

Example

Yôô kasua u he u bughun. — “Announce the opening of the new store.”

you

your

Adjective

Also means

referring to the person one is speaking to (second person singular)

Example

Iti you er ana? — “What is your name?”

Yòúgh

House

Noun

Also means

A single house building

Yua

bitter

Adjective

Also means

sour

yuda

first

Adjective

yugh yugh

bushy

Adjective

Example

Inyamtsar ngi a tsa yugh yugh. Iue yuwa mkem. — “The tail of a squirrel is bushy and fluffy. yuwa, yua (spicy), adjective: to have a taste like spices. The soup is spicy with pepper.”

yuha ga

light (not heavy)

Adjective

yuwa

spicy

Adjective

yuwa

bitter

Adjective