greeting

apáayîâ greeting. 1 • Respectful term of address used by a man when greeting an unfamiliar man, whose age is uncertain but likely of one's own age-set and younger than the speaker's father. If the speaker imagines the addressee is the same age as his father, then he would say mpápá, mpapa áí, pápà. If the addressee is older than the speaker's father, he would say inkúyìàà.

2 • [North] Respectful term of address for greeting an older man.

ápùyìà Variant: apú. n.voc. Term of address for uncle. Ápùyìà, kájì íló? Uncle, where are you going?

Eéro Acc pl: (l)óyîê. voc. Term of address used by a man or another boy to an uncircumcised boy; or used between men of the same age-set. Eérò, sʉ́pà! Boy, hello! Lóyîê, ɛ́ntasʉ́pà! Boys, hello! Óyìè, ɛ́ntɨ̀gɨ̀l ɛlɛ̂ óìtò peê ɨdɔlɨdɔ́lɔ̀ entólit natíi. Boys, break this bone so that you can see the marrow that is in it. (Pk).

éro Term of address used in a teasing, but friendly, way. Usage: very informal. See: eeíto ‘Boy’.

íkó greeting. Greeting response from a woman. See: takúɛ́nyà ‘Greeting to a woman’; ɛ́pà ‘Greeting response from a man’.

ɨ́pà [West]: ápà. greeting. Appropriate answer to sʉ́pà(i). See: íkó ‘Greeting response from a woman’.

olesérè greeting. Goodbye, bye. Olesérè amʉ̂ ɛ́táa kárɛʉ. Goodbye, because I am going to drive them (the animals) away. See: áyia ‘Allright’.

sʉ́pà Variant: sʉ́pàì. Acc pl: ɛ́ntasʉ́pà. Variant: ɛ́ntasʉ́pàì. greeting. Greeting addressed to a man. Apáayîâ lɛnyɛ́, sʉ́pà(ì). Sir, "hello." (lit: Gentleman of his, "hello."). It is somewhat odd or rude to not include lɛnyɛ́, which is like a title used for someone unknown, in place of a name or title. In some areas (K), an older woman will use sʉ́pà when greeting a younger woman; while in other areas (PK, see also TM 1955:36), an older woman will use takúɛ́nyà to greet a younger woman. The response to sʉ́pà is ɨ́pà. Ɛ́ntasʉ́pà lɔ́ mʉ́rrân! I greet you warriors! See: takúɛ́nyà ‘Greeting addressed to a woman’.

takúɛ́nyà Acc pl: ɛntákúɛ́nyà. greeting. Greeting addressed to a woman (by a man of any age to a woman, by a young woman to another young woman, or by a younger woman to an older woman). Yéíyìò, takúɛ́nyà. Mother, Hello. "Hi.". The response made to takúɛ́nyà is íkó. See: sʉ́pà ‘Greeting’.