“U ôô iyol vea or ga u fa we nan tsulugh tswar ga.”
You will not know someone has lean buttocks until you bathe with them.
- Meaning
- Familiarity can lead to loss of respect.
Tiv proverbs from the archive with their English translations — part 6 of 6, 232 proverbs in all, in alphabetical order of the Tiv text. Where the archive records them, each proverb is followed by its deeper meaning and the situations in which it is used.
“U unde u daa ijande u van hungwa sha nyi?”
You have climbed up and pushed the ladder away. How, then, will you come down?
- Meaning
- Heen kpaa Tiv mba tesen er or zua kwagh man venda er mbagenev ve de zuan a mi ga. Shin gbenda u karen zuan a kwagh la, u za zou a mi yô man u yange. Voughul er i tôô or tica man nan venda er i de kera tôôn orgen ga nahan. U vihi ityough a ior mba ve ne u lu kwagh yo mzehemen wou kera ngu ga.
“U ya gege u ya i hôôn.”
When you eat repeatedly, you shall eat a decayed one.
- Meaning
- What goes around comes around.
“U za kasua ga tsô u fe we a yara?”
Equivalent meaning: How would you understand if you have not learned?
Idiom
“U zendan orihundu ideregh.”
Following another’s bad/improper ways.
Idiom
- Meaning
- running after a mad person without clothes on you.
“U zua ikyul ulu keren ikyuma ye.”
Because you have a vagina, you are now looking for pubic hair.
- Meaning
- Do not be ungrateful for what you have received.
“Ukôr ikyambe man u nyagh ijande?”
You have caught the crab, and now you despise the stream?
- Meaning
- Tiv mba er injakwagh ne u tesen misera u zuan a mi hen ior man paven ave. Ka u tesen bo u eren hen ior mba ve kende a we sha yô. Er mba pativ ka ve va zua a ishangen hen ityô man ve kera va naan ityo kwagh ga nahan.
“Ukuma girinya je u tindi ishôm ye.”
Whoever chooses to dance Girinya must be prepared to carry a cutlass.
- Meaning
- Girinya ka amar a ken Tiv, man saa iyange u lu ortavershima ve u vine girinya ye. Shi iyange i vinen amar ne sha ishôm. Tiv mba er injakwagh ne u kaan er u ngu a iyolwan sha hanma mtaver cii ve u hii kwagh ye. Saa u lu a agowan iyol sha mtaver u hanma kwagh ve u hii ye.
“Úmenden anyi a kôkônan ka kwagh u bo ga, ka u lun a akuzwa ú cilin ga la, i lu iyongo ú lu hiin ior ye.”
Having long teeth is not the problem; the problem is not having enough lips to cover them.
- Meaning
- Tiv mba er kwagh ne sha u pasen er we a lu a agee a maren mbayev kpishi yô, shi u lu a agee a koson ve. Shi we a fa wer u wa kwagh ave u un a va gande u yô, guda we u de hiin ga.
“Undyartorityu, haren gbegba ga.”
When you walk with a king, you do not dress like him.
- Meaning
- U-ndyartorityu, ka or u zenden vea tor. Un kera woho iyol er tor ga. Gbegba gema ka ikyav i or u been akombo a Tiv cii ka nan har yô, iyange Tiv ve na tor-akombo u tesen er or môm nan kuma sha nan ga. Tor ne iyange a bee hanma kombo sôron cii nahan a hingir tor, shi a haren gbegba. Injakwagh ne ka u tesen er, u lu zenden ve a tor kpa u gema u ngu tor ga. U hool ve a or tese u tôôn hemen u nan ga.
“Uwaa sen tswen hure”
A stream flowing alone has many bends.
- Meaning
- Lack of support makes life more difficult.
“Uya gege uya ihoon ve”
You have eaten until you ate a rotten one
- Meaning
- Excess leads to negative consequences.
“Vese ga ye iyol na ga.”
A little is better than none (or nothing).
Idiom
“Vihi iyol.”
General state of unwellness or inability to accomplish.
Idiom
“Wa zwa takema.”
Be careful how you speak or talk.
Idiom
“Wagh sen tswen hule.”
A better decision is made in consultation with another (others). (Two heads are better than one)
Idiom
- Meaning
- A river meanders because it flows alone.
“Wan hungwaja u fan kwagh pin ngô na ihyuugh ki un a ya ve un a lu uma ga.”
A wise cricket does not ask its mother which leaf to eat to stay alive.
- Meaning
- Tiv mba er injakwagh ne u tesen mfe u maramin. Or u i mar nan a kwaghfan yô nan pin a pine er nan a er a or dedoo ga. Hanma ieren i or eren yo ka er i mar nan je, shie genegh u nôngo nan kpa u fatyó u geman ga.
“Wan ka nan a nder pepe, a nor ijua a tile hen iyue, ngô u fankwagh ka a tôô iyue sha.”
When a little boy wakes up with an erection and stands close to a pot of soup, a wise mother quietly moves the soup away.
- Meaning
- Tiv mba er injakwagh ne sha u tesen numkõron. Shi ka u tesen tsôngo shima u organden hen ya. Ka u tesen u tsengan nengen u organden ken hemen. Injakwagh ne tese er kwagh u organden nan nenge a mi wanye nan a lu sha kon kpa nan a nenge a mi ga.
“Wan ua ker ter na a ver sha tyo er un a ta nya yô, ake a ter na ka a pir un ashe a nenge a inya ga.”
A child who lifts his father to throw him to the ground will have his father's testicles cover his eyes not to see the ground.
- Meaning
- Mba er injakwagh ne u wan mbayev kwagh sha u civir uter vev. Ka u tesen tahav mbu orvesen shin teru a lu a mi sha mbayev yô. Ka u pasen tahav man kwaghfan u organden a hembe u mbayev yô. Shi ka u pasen er alu wan shin wanye ngu a icihi sha ter yô, ikyôr ia lagh nan ga shin nan a nenge a mzehemen ga.
“Wanivongo u amende akor a yem sha Aonde war war yongu a mon u toon.”
A sheep with long horns must surely have a neck strong enough to carry them.
- Meaning
- Tiv mba hembe aron gba hiin kwagh ga saa u vande wan iyol Shi doo er u vande fan myohom ma hanma kwagh cii u hii tom sha mi yô.
“Wanye kpa kaa er ikpera iyar tior”
Even a child can suggest how to drag a buffalo.
- Meaning
- Wisdom can come from anyone.
“Wanye u a hende igyacor a dugh a mi sha tembe, shagba u nyinya sar un.”
A child who rides a raffia branch home dreams of owning a horse.
- Meaning
- Tiv mba er injakwagh ne u tesen ikyav er a lu u zua a kwagh cuku man u er a mi tsembelee yô zege na kpa a nau kpa u fatyô. Ka u kaan er ieren you yev ka i tesen inja i or i u va lu yô. Tese er sha aeren ou ka ifa injaor i u va lu ken hemen yô.
“Wanye u asember ken ityev lanen pe i yer ijembe ga.”
A child who leaves the farm late knows where the axe is kept.
- Meaning
- Tiv mba er injakwagh ne u tesen er or u nan wundu kwagh ica i gbe ga nan a hemba lun a mfe u ijiir la. Ka de voogh er or u a sember memen shoja un a lan gbuuka u keren ga nahan. Or u a we ndor shin or u a tem ya hen kpe uagher lanen ue ga.
“Wanye u ate ahungwa kor yô, bua sar un.”
A child who ties a grasshopper with a rope is dreaming of owning a cow.
- Meaning
- Tiv mba er injakwagh ne u tesen ikyav i kwagh sar u. A lu or ngu kohol ior hen ya u nan yôron, tsô man u fa wer tor sar nan. Shin wanye hii u kahan sule man u fa je wer nan soo u eren kwase.
“Wanye u tsough tso tsough ye tsa iviha.”
One is mightily rewarded by acting fast.
Idiom
“Wegh ku yanegh ka ku kile ku imese; ku imsegh di ku kile ku yan.”
Show mutual respect or look for and act on common grounds.
Idiom
- Meaning
- the right hand washes the left; the left washes the right.
“Wua u wanye kpa nor ye.”
Listening to a child can help adults. Children have useful opinions, too.
Idiom
- Meaning
- An elephant even eats a child’s guinea corn.
“Ya anyi.”
Be patient.
Idiom
“Ya gege ya ihi i hôôn.”
No one is absorbed from having issues or problems.
Idiom
“Yan sha ikughul.”
Very close relationship.
Idiom
“Yevese mnyim za gba sha usu.”
You are going from one problem into another.
Idiom
“Zer gbem hemba ikpagher.”
Persistence pays (i.e., is better than a good luck charm).
Idiom