[video 1 - need to add new link]
daabi = no
kɔkɔɔkɔ = never
ɛɛ-ɛɛ =
hɛɛ-hɛɛ = don't (imperative)
ŋyɛ = I have
ŋbɛ = I don't have
ŋyɛ tokota = I have a slipper
ŋbɛ tokota = I don't have a slipper
ŋyɛ omɔ = I have rice
ŋbɛ omɔ = I don't rice
ŋyɛ niyenii = I have food
ŋbɛ niyenii = I don't have food
daabi, ŋbɛ niyenii = no, I don't have food
kɔkɔɔkɔ, ebɛ niyenii = never, she/she has no food (he/she never has food)
ɛɛ-ɛɛ, ŋbɛ niyenii = don't try, I don't have food
ɛɛ-ɛɛ, ŋbɛ foŋ = don't try, I don't have a phone
[video 2 - need to add new link]
ba = come
maba = I will come
ŋbaaa = I won't come (present pronoun + overlong vowel in verb)
obaaa = you won't come
ye = eat
ŋyeee = I won't eat
yaa = go
wɔyaaa = we won't go
nyɛyaaa = you won't go
amɛyaaa = they aren't going; they won't go
wɔyaaa shia = we won't go home
nɔkpɛlɛmɔ = to agree
nɔ + kpɛlɛ = agree (compound verb, works like German separable-prefix verbs)
mɔ = infinitive marker
ŋkpɛlɛɛɛ nɔ = I won't agree
ekpɛlɛɛɛ nɔ = he won't agree
wɔpɛlɛɛɛ nɔ = we won't agree
wɔpɛlɛɛɛ nɔ kɔkɔɔkɔ = we will never agree
niyelimɔ = to eat
ye = eat
ni + ye + li = eat (compound verb)
mɔ = infinitive marker
ŋyeee nii = I won't eat
wɔyeee nii = we won't eat
wɔyeee nii da = we won't eat at all
wɔyeee nii kɔkɔɔkɔ = we won't ever eat
le = to know
nilee = to know something (irregular verb; tone change)
ŋlé = I don't know
olé = you don't know
elé = he/she doesn't know
wɔlé = we don't know
nyɛlé = you (plural) don't know
amɛlé = they don't know
alé = one doesn't know
wɔlé lɛ = we don't know him/her
wɔlé dada = we don't know daddy
Umar lé emami = Umar doesn't know his mom/mum
Kofi lé Flɛŋtsi = Kofi doesn't know French
Nii lé nɔko nɔko = Nii knows nothing
(Elsewhere I have seen
lé spelled
leee, such as
mileee lɛ = "I don't know him", which is the singular of
wɔlé lɛ = "we don't know him" and seems to therefore have no reason to have a different spelling. In other words, presumably
wɔlé lɛ =
wɔleee lɛmilé lɛ =
mileee lɛare alternate spellings of the same two phrases, with the
lé spelling indicating the tonal change and the
leee spelling failing to do so. I'm unsure of whether this also means they represent different pronunciations.)
[video 3 - need to add new link]
Negative perfect mood: subject pronoun + verb + ko
ba = come
ŋbako = I haven't come yet
obako = you have not come yet
wɔleko = we haven't known yet
wɔleko sane ɛ = we haven't known about the issue/problem
kane ɛ gboko = the light is not off
kane = light
goga = bucket
osɛlɛ = comb
tsu = room
shia = house, home
ataade = shirt, dress
okpɔlɔ = table
yitswɛi = hair
ŋwɛi = sky, heaven
kɔpoo = cup
ŋyako shia = I haven't gone home yet; I am not yet home
Ju = Monday
Jufɔ = Tuesday
Shɔ = Wednesday
Soo = Thursday
Sohaa = Friday
Hɔɔ = Saturday
Hɔgbaa = Sunday
Hɔgbaa nɛ ɛ, ŋ-nako toiŋjɔlɛ = I haven't had peace of mind since this Sunday
Eyako kɛjɛ shɔ = he hasn't gone since Wednesday
e = he (prefix)
ya = go
ko = negative perfect suffix
kɛjɛ = since, from
shɔ - Wednesday
shitamɔ = to sit down (compound verb)
shi = down
ta = sit
mɔ = infinitive marker
ŋtako shi = I haven't sat yet
ŋ = I (prefix)
ta = sit
ko = negative perfect suffix
shi down
etako shi kɛjɛ ju = she hasn't sat since Monday
e = she/he (prefix)
ta = sit
ko = negative perfect suffix
kɛjɛ = from, since
ju = Monday
etako shi kɛjɛ nyɛ = she hasn't sat since yesterday
e = she/he (prefix)
ta = sit
ko = negative perfect suffix
kɛjɛ = from, since
ju = yesterday
gbɛfaa = to travel (compound verb)
wɔfãko gbɛ kɛjɛ hɔgbaa = we haven't travelled since Sunday
wɔ = we (prefix)
fã = move
ko negative perfect suffix
gbɛ = way
kɛjɛ = from, since
hɔgbaa = Sunday
[video 4 - need to add new link]
ŋmɛnɛ ɛ miigba waa = today I'm making mistakes a lot
suffixes:
ni =
nɔ = thing (as an object)
mɔ = person (as an object)
foo = cut
nifoo =
nɔfoo = to cut something
mɔfoo = to cross someone (lit. to cut someone)
ŋfoŋ = I will not cut (future negative: subject pronoun + verb + ŋ)
ŋfoŋ nii = I will not cut anything
akwadu = banana
akwadufoo = to cut (down) banana
ŋfoŋ akwadu = I won't cut banana
ŋfoŋ akwadu kɔkɔɔkɔ = I will never cut banana
wiemɔ = to talk (mɔ = infinitive marker)
ŋwieŋ = I won't talk (future negative: subject pronoun + verb + ŋ)
mɔtswaa = to call someone
mɔ nɔtswaa = to hit someone with something
ŋtswaŋ mɔ = I will not call anyone (future negative: subject pronoun + verb + ŋ)
ŋtswaŋ mɔko mɔko = I will not call anyone
etswaŋ mɔko mɔko = he/she will not call anyone
nihefɔmɔ = to wash clothes
ni = marks the object as a thing
he = reflexive marker
fɔ = wash with water, give bath (in a different tone, also means give birth)
mɔ = infinitive marker
ŋfɔŋ nii a he = I wouldn't wash clothes
ofɔŋ nii a he = you wouldn't wash clothes
wɔfɔŋ nii a he = we wouldn't wash clothes
amɛfɔŋ nii a he = they wouldn't wash clothes
niimlishamɔ = to wash utensils
ni = marks the object as a thing
mli = inside
sha = scrub, wash with a sponge
mɔ = infinitive marker[/b]
Kofi shaŋ nii a mli = Kofi wouldn't wash the bowls (utensils)
ŋshaŋ n-daŋŋ = I wouldn't brush my teeth; I wouldn't wash my mouth
kuu = to break
yitswɛikuu = to cut hair; to barber
yitswɛi = hair
kuu = to break; to cut
ŋkuŋ ŋyitswɛi = I wouldn't cut my hair