Tiv–English dictionary

Tiv Dictionary: Z

125 entries

Every Tiv word in the archive's dictionary that begins with “Z” — 125 entries, in alphabetical order. 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.

za

go

Verb/voiced alveolar fricative /z//

za

go

Verb

Also means
deep

za

go, proceed

Noun

Example
Za iyougci (Go to the hospital); a za kasua (he/she went to the market); za za nenge (go and see). — “Za a mo her (take me there); Za hemen (continue); Za un iyol (bother her), verb; ze iyol (bothers/bother), present tense.”

za

deep

Adjective

Example
Ihungwa za kums mita utaan. — “The pit is five meters deep.”

za

go

Verb

Example
A za kasua — “He has gone to the market”

za

deep

Adjective

za

went

Verb

Also means
gone to
Example
A za kasua u za yamen kwaghyan. — “She went to the market to buy food.”

za

go

Verb

za

deep; go; proceed

Verb

za nenge

visited

Verb

Also means
went to see
Example
Se za nenge ya u inyam sha kasua. — “We visited the meat section at the market.”

za1

go, proceed

Noun

Also means
the act of going or moving
Example
Za iyougci (Go to the hospital); a za kasua (he/she went to the market); za za nenge (go and see) — “Za a mo her (take me there); Za hemen (continue); Za un iyol (bother her), verb; ze iyol (bothers/bother), present tense”

za2

deep

Adjective

Also means
something several meters from the surface
Example
Ihungwa za kums mita utaan — “The pit is five meters deep”

zaar

storage shelf

Noun

zaar

storage place

Noun

Example
Aya penda ijôndough sha zaar. Archaic. — “Aya placed the calabash on the storage place over the fireplace.”

zaar

to seek alms

Verb

Example
The boy has gone to seek alms for food.

zaar

storage shelf on posts

Noun

zaar1

storage place

Noun

Also means
A storage place over the fireplace
Example
Aya penda ijôndough sha zaar — “Aya placed the calabash on the storage place over the fireplace. Archaic”

zaar2

to seek alms

Verb

Example
wanye za zaar u yaren u kwaghyan — “The boy has gone to seek alms for food”

zaiyol

bothering

Verb

Example
Zaiyol na ngee gande. — “Her bothering is too much.”

zaki

chief, elder

Noun

Example
Zaki lôhô ior zua. — “The chief called people together.”

zamber

beg, verb

Noun

Example
Oryaishio zamber er i na un inyaregh. — “The homeless man begged for money.”

zamber

apologize, verb

Noun

Example
M zamber we sha er m ngor a we yô. — “I apologize (am sorry) for yelling at you.”
Usage
Also: zamber (apology), noun.

zamber1

beg, verb

Noun

Also means
to ask for something
Example
Oryaishio zamber er i na un inyaregh — “The homeless man begged for money”

zamber2

apologize, verb

Noun

Also means
to say you are sorry
Example
M zamber we sha er m ngor a we yô — “I apologize (am sorry) for yelling at you. Also: zamber (apology), noun”

zan

going

Verb

Example
Ngu zan zende. — “He/she is going on a journey (is travelling).”

zan zan

until

Noun

Example
Haa zan zan bokoti a iv. — “Pour until the bucket is filled.”

zan zan

patiently

Adverb

Example
M kegh kwaghyan zan zan m gba mnyam — “I waited for food patiently until I fell asleep”

zanaria

silver

Noun

Example
Tswekeli u zanaria engem. — “The silver spoon has a luster.”

zange

swiftly / quickly

Adverb/voiced alveolar fricative /z//

zar

liquid

Noun

Example
Mkulem ka zar kwagh. — “Oil is liquid material.”

zar iyough

honey

Noun

Example
Zar iyough nyoho. — “Honey is sweet.”

zber pinen gbem

persistently requesting

Verb

Example
M zer pinen gbem so m zua a min. — “I asked persistently so, got it.”

zege

big / large

Adjective/voiced alveolar fricative /z//

zege

big

Adjective

Example
Zege iyough. — “A large house. zegekwagh (big deal), idiomatic.”

zegenan

large, big

Adjective

Example
Nombua u zegenan. — “A large bull.”

zegenan

super

Adjective

Usage
Also in Tiv: hemban kehen

Zenda

Drive

Noun

Example
A zenda un sha. — “He drive him/her away.”

zenda

pursue

Verb

Example
Zenda ikegh kôr i. — “Pursue the chicken to catch it.”

zenda

chase, travel

Verb

zēndē

journey / travel

Noun/mid tone/

zende

journey, trip

Noun

Example
Baba za zende. — “Grandpa is on a trip.”

zende

walk

Verb

Example
Zanenge ka a zende

zēndē

journey

Noun

Also means
trip / travel

zende1

journey, trip

Noun

Also means
To take a trip to a distant place
Example
Baba za zende — “Grandpa is on a trip”

zende2

walk

Verb

Also means
to go from one place to another by walking, not riding or driving
Example
Zanenge ka a zende sev — “Zanenge walks every day. Ngu zenden ( she is walking), present participle”

zer

wear

Verb

zer

wrap

Verb

Example
Zer akondo a engem. — “Wear clean clothes. Wear “anger” clothing. Zer ikondo i anger.”

zer

dress

Verb

zer

wrapped

Verb

Also means
covered up
Example
Orteen zer akwagh gbang gbang. — “The seller wrapped the items tightly.”

zer

wear

Verb

zeze

persistent

Adjective

Example
A zer ôron zeze, tsô se ungwa. — “She was persistent in saying it, so we listened (heard).”

zôhô

squabble

Verb

Example
M zôhô a wan mer a kile agbande yem ga. — “I squabbled with the child about not washing the dishes well.”

zôhô

wrestle down

Verb

Example
M wa un agbe; tso, m zôhô un. — “I hooked my leg against his; so, I wrestled him down.”

zôhô1

squabble

Verb

Also means
to engage in a noisy quarrel about petty or trivial things
Example
M zôhô a wan mer a kile agbande yem ga — “I squabbled with the child about not washing the dishes well”

zôhô2

wrestle down

Verb

Also means
to throw someone down during wrestling
Example
M wa un agbe; tso, m zôhô un — “I hooked my leg against his; so, I wrestled him down”

zômon

twist

Verb

Example
Zômon ikondo mngerem ma due. — “Twist the cloth for water to come out.”

zongough

rim

Noun

Example
A kôr itiegh ki inyaagh sha zongo tsegh, ki asegh. — “She held the earthenware pot only by its rim, so it broke.”

zu

dizziness

Noun

zua

meet

Verb

Example
Ior zua u nan un Tor. — “The people gathered to make him/her”

zua

meet, join

Verb

Example
Ihange zua hingir gôgônan The lines met to become long.

zua

find

Verb

Example
M ker akôv am, tso m zua a min. — “I looked for and found my shoes.”

zua

find, discover

Verb

zua

achieve

Verb

Also means
earn

zua zwa

kiss

Verb

Example
Kwase zua zwa vea nom na. — “The woman kissed her husband. Zwa zuan (a kiss), noun.”

zua1

meet

Verb

Also means
to come together for a purpose
Example
Ior zua u nan un Tor — “The people gathered to make him/her Chief. Mzough (meeting, conference), noun”

zua2

meet, join

Verb

Also means
when things come together at a point
Example
Ihange zua hingir gôgônan The lines met to become long

zua3

find

Verb

Also means
to recover something after it was lost
Example
M ker akôv am, tso m zua a min — “I looked for and found my shoes”

zulee

sluggish

Adjective

Example
U er zulee yô, u gba jime. Zum yô ma m mough faa. — “If you are sluggish, you will fall behind. zum yô … (would be better if…), phrase: proposing an alternative. It would be better if I leave early.”

Zum

When

Noun

zumzum

large piece

Adjective

Example
Inyam yam i ken bam ngi zumzum. — “My share of the bam was a large piece of meat.”

zungwe

show mercy

Verb

Example
Jooji zungwe Semba mhôônom; nahan, wa un purusu ga. — “The judge showed mercy; so, did not sentence Semba to prison.”

zungwe

have pity on

Verb

Example
Ashi zungwe Ako, nahan, a de un a injô. — “Ashi had pity on Ako; so, she cancelled his debt.”

zungwe1

show mercy

Verb

Also means
to show compassion and not punish
Example
Jooji zungwe Semba mhôônom; nahan, wa un purusu ga — “The judge showed mercy; so, did not sentence Semba to prison”

zungwe2

have pity on

Verb

Also means
to be sad about someone’s condition
Example
Ashi zungwe Ako, nahan, a de un a injô — “Ashi had pity on Ako; so, she cancelled his debt”

zunônunô

hastatingly

Adverb

Example
Seta ngu eren zunonuno er a soo u nan ngo na iyua ga nahan. — “Seta is behaving hastatingly about a gift for his mother.”

zurum

nearing

Adjective

Example
Se zurum a geri u Abetse. — “We are nearing the town of Abetse.”

zuzu

dizziness

Noun

Example
COVID-19 ka a va a zuzu. COVID-19 brings dizziness.

zuzuzu

wobbly

Adjective

Example
Or ngu zenden zuzuzu sha igbudu (godobi). — “The man is walking wobbly on the street. Months of the Year Januari January; first month of year Febuari February; second month of year Marci March; third month of year Mei May; fifth month of year Jun June, sixth month of year. Julai July, seventh month of year Agusutu August, eighth month of year Setemba September, ninth month of year Okutoba October, tenth month of year Novemba November, eleventh month of year Disemba December, twelfth month of year Counting Numbers môm— one (1) har—two”

Zwa

Mouth

Noun

Zwa

Language

Noun

Zwa

Mouth

Noun

Also means
Hole / Language (depending on context)

zwa

mouth

Noun/voiced alveolar fricative /z//

zwa

mouth

Noun

zwa

mouth

Noun

Example
Wa kwaghyan ken zwa wou. — “Place food in your mouth.”

zwa

mouth

Noun

Zwa Tiv

Tiv language

Noun

Example
M lamen Zwa Tiv dedoo. — “I speak Tiv language well.”

zwar

gigantic pot

Noun

Also means
large pot

zwar

gigantic pot

Noun

Example
Aya haa mngerem shin zwar. — “Aya poured water into the gigantic pot.”

zwar

gigantic pot; large pot

Noun

zwar

large pot

Noun

Also means
gigantic pot

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