nyaalal lnyaalangaappearance, feature(s)Nipok-bini nyaalanga a niesi ka nidoa.The girl's features resemble (those of) a man.nya v.
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nyaamlnyaamunyaanta1visibleKokta daa ngan-nyaanta.Ghosts are not visible.2to be looked (stared) atMi daa ja-nyaam-oa.I am not something to be stared at.nya v.
nyaanti1to be clear, to be clean (often fig.)Wa nina nyaanti.His eyes are clear. He is rational (intelligent).N poi nyaanti.(Lit.: My stomach is clear) I have an appetite. I am hungry.2to recover, to regain one's strengthWa nyingka a nyaanti.His body is recovering (e.g. from a disease).Wa daamu nyaanti.(Lit.: His alcohol is recovering) He is getting sober again (after having been drunk).vari nyaantiday is breaking (after sunrise)Vani le nyaanti la, nipoowa jam.The woman came at daybreak.vari bora nyaantiit is dawning, day is breaking (before sunrise)
nyaantiril l lnyaantini [l l m]clearness, brightnessN yiri vari-nyaantiri.I left at dawn (lit. clearness of day).vari-nyaantiri [l l l l l]dawn, daybreakvari-nyaantiri chingmarikmorning-starnyaanti v.
nyaaringm mnyaaringkanyaaringsabag (net-form) woven from fibre strings, used for storing food (e.g. shea nuts, fruit etc.)Ama bora yog nyaaring.Ama is weaving a nyaaring-bag.
nyaaroam mnyaaroawanyaaroaba1(lit. seer, sb. who sees) witch, wizard (sb. who can see souls, i.e. chiisa; nyaaroa is used euphemistically to avoid the stronger word sakpak, witch, wizard)Maa poli ain n ngaang-choawa ka nyaaroa.I think my co-wife is a witch.2watchman, guardian, supervisorSandem skuulwa nyaaroa ale Ayaata.The watchman of Sandema school is Ayaata.wusum nyaaroa [l l m m]stable boy
nyaasiml lnyaasimunyaasa(outward) appearance, look (n.), eyesight, seeingWa nyaasa an nala.His outward appearance is not nice.Ate wa nyaasim tagri ba nina po.And his appearance changed before their eyes.(Prov.) Nina kan kisi nyaasim.Eyes do not hate seeing.
nyaasungl lnyaasungkunyaasintaglass, lens, window-pane, mirror, looking glassAtampoi mobi wa mawa nyaasungku.Atampoi broke his mother's mirror.nina-nyaasungspectacles (syn. nina-glaase)loori nyaasungwindscreen (of a car), cf. also syn. galisi (lw.)
nyacheto regretBiika a nyache ale chinni mobi.The child regretted having broken the calabash.
nyagih hnyagninyaga, def. pl. nyangatribal mark (also of other tribes; but cf. wie n.pl., ornamental marks)Ba mobi n yoawa nyagi.They cut my younger brother a tribal mark.
nyaglam mbadly, in a bad way, in a bad state or conditionBa nye ka nyagla-nyagla.They are behaving badly.nyagli v.
nyaglito go bad, to go off (restr., only used for some types of solid food that may become slimy: e.g. rice, millet-gruel etc., not used, for example, for rotten meat), to be incomplete, to be done incompletely; transl. not well, badly, incompletelySaab a nyagli.The millet gruel has gone bad (got slimy).Wa nina nyagli.His eyes are bleary.Kpaaroama a nyagli koomu kama.The farmers did not weed well (weeded incompletely).
nyagrinyagito take sth. (e.g. a pot) off the fire (and put it on the ground)Nyagri bimbini daaningka zuk.Take the pot off the stove.
nyagsukl lnyagsukugloss, reflectionFi dan nari liika ale chiuk ka nyagsuku a nyini kama.If you wash a (clay-) pot with soap, its gloss will disappear.nyagsi v.
nyakunyangathing, work, story, lessonTi a nye nyakude kama.We will do this thing (work).Nyakude a sag kama ayen...This story teaches you that...(idiom.) nyakude nyingbecause of this (of what we see)nyakude ale nyakudethis and that
nyalingto melt, to liquefyNipoowa a nyaling kpaamu.The woman is melting shea-butter (nyalingi not possible).siiuk nyalingka(cf. siita n.pl., sing. siiuk) melting of wax (process in brass-casting)nyalingi, v. intrans.
nyalingito melt, to liquefy, to became liquidKpaamu a nyalingi.The shea-butter is melting (nyaling not possible).nyaling, v. trans.
nye1to do, to commit, to perform, to act, to deal with, to make (restr., cf. basi v.)Nye ase fi ze la.Act as if you do not know (i.e. pretend you are innocent).Ba miena nye dila.They all did so.nye wa-biokto commit a crime, (Chr.) to commit a sinnye kuubto perform the funeral ceremoniesnyeka v.n.doing, deed, action, behaviour, conduct, character, manners, nature of a person (restr.)Ba nyeka ale toa ase baasa la.Their behaviour is as bad as that of dogs.2to happenKa boan ale nye Abil logni?What has happened to Abil's car?3to eat (restr.), to take (restr., only used for solid food,)Nye lam te mu.Take meat and give it to me.4to punishNya, Naawen ale nye mu.Look, God has punished me.nye...basi(lit. to punish and leave) to curse, to abandonNaawen ale nye mu basi.God has cursed me.nye-bokaliving conditionsGhana tengka po nye-boka a tagri yeg-yega.In Ghana living conditions have changed very much.nye...kalikto perform the greeting ceremoniesTi nye wa kalik-a.We greeted him (in the traditional way).nye (kukeri)to make an effort, to try (hard), to do well, to take troubleFaa nye ain fi nye dila.You take pains to do this.nye kaasito do wrongWa nye kaasi.He has done wrong.nye kpierito fail completely, to despair, (euph.) to die...bala miena n bag a nag Sandema, ate ba nye a kpieri.They were all unable to beat Sandema, they (tried and) failed.nye-kpieka [m m m] v.n.total failure, (euph.) deathNye-kpieka pa wa.Death took him. He died.nye magsito behaveBan nye magsi ya.They did not behave wellnye nnato do or be like this (can be used for all adverbs/ideophones; often nye nna remains untranslated)Wa nye nna mirr taam nyin.He left very quicklynye noai yengto come to an agreement, to co-operate (cf. noai yeng) nye ngwuli (a wuli)to be quick, to make haste, to hurry upnye-nyaka [l l l] v.n.temptation (trad. and Chr.)Ni puusi Naawen ain ni kan jo nye-nyaka po.Pray to God that you do not fall into temptation.nye...sagto displayWa nye wa yam sag.He displayed his wisdom.nye..tia (=te..tia)to welcomeMi nye wa tia.I welcomed him.nye se cf. nyeese.
nyeeli[ɲe:li; m m]nyeeninyeela, nyealabehaviour, conduct, manners, character, deedsFi nyeela an nala.Your behaviour is not good.jindem nyeelamodern (Western) way of life, modern fashion (e.g. women wearing trousers)nyeka v.n. and nyiook, cf. also magsa n. pl.
nyeeroam mnyeeroawanyeeroabamaker (often used in compounds for specialist occupations; e.g.: tom-nyeeroa bow-maker)Atinang kowa ka tom-nyeeroa.Atinangs's father is a bow-maker.tom-nyeeroa n.
nyeeseɲe:senyeesi [ɲe:si] to do or be like, to pretend, to act as if, to behave in the same way (as), to behave like, to resemble (appearance or action; cf. niesi to resemble in appearance; cf. also boligi v.), to look likeBa nyeese ka chaab la.They resemble each other (esp. in action). They behave in the same way.Kofi a nye ase Ayoma-la.Kofi does (works) like Ayoma.Wa niesi wa kowa, alaa nyeese wa mawa la.He resembles his father (in looks) and behaves like his mother.niesi v.
-nyi(root) one (cf. wanyi, dinyi, bunyi etc.)
nyi-nyimih h hnyi-nyimininyi-nyimahippopotamus, hippoNyi-nyima ngmang ka Buluk-a.There are no more hippos in the Bulsa-area.Hippopotamus amphibius L.
nyiamɲiam; hnyiamunyaatanyiem [ɲie:m; ɲjem; ɲɥe:m...]water (in most compounds only the root nya- is used, nyiam is the general name, but most often used for drinking water or water for the household), water mixed with flour (e.g. zu-nyiam [h h] millet water, maasa-nyiam [h h h] liquid mix for making millet-cakes)Fi dan cheng ba yeni, ba te fu nyiam ate fi nyu.If you go to their house, they give you (millet-) water to drink.Fi soa nyiam ngarika.You will be responsible for fetching water.nya-biok [h m] n. (cf. biok bad), pl. nya-baatabad water (not fit for drinking; also used for rivers in which many people have drowned, cf. ti-biok n.)nya-chalim [h l l] n. (cf. chalim running), pl. nya-chalintarunning (rushing) waternya dangtik [h h h] n. (cf. dangtik dirty), pl. nya-dangtisadirty waternya-kpiong [h h] n., pl. nya-kpienta(lit. big or large water) sea, oceannya-nyuim [ɲaɲɥim; h l] n. (cf. nyu to drink), pl. nya-nyuintadrinking waternyiam-liik [h l] n. (rare, since liik is usu. used for water), pl. nyiam-liisawater-pot, liik-pot used for water (cf. nya-liik insect)nyiam pielik [h l l], pl. nyiam-pielitawhite, milky water (usu. standing water; is used as drinking water; also called nya-masik, sweet water, because it is preferably used for brewing pito)pi nyiamto form blisters (e.g. after walking)
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