Abaacaa (Alphabet)
Many Tiv letters sound the same as in English, but some Tiv letters are pronounced or written differently.
To learn Tiv sound of these letters (Abaacaa) or a combination of them, say the word in the example many times and then write it down. In the examples below, the English equivalent is given in parenthesis. Use the audio feature to follow along as you study.
Tiv Letter English Sound Example (Write Word)
a uh bar (salt)
b b bam, banki (bank)
c ch chia; cia (fear)
ch ch chiv; civ (dip)
d d de (stop)
e e (e.g., let) se (laugh)
f f fa (know)
g g gar (city)
gh gh sugh (thank)
gb - gba (fall)
h h har (hang)
i ee ime (darkness)
j g (in gem) ijen (hunger)
k k kon (tree)
kp - kper (tomorrow)
kpera (draw)
kperegh (wing)
Tiv Letter English Sound Example (Write Word)
l l lam (speak)
m m ma (drink)
n n na (give)
o oh or (man, person)
oo o too (as in floor), (pour)
ô o môm (one)
p p per (cross)
r r ruam (fufu)
s s sar (spread)
sar (desire)
t t ter (father)
u oo bagu (monkey)
v v ivo (goat)
w w wase (help)
wa (insert; put)
y y ya (eat; home)
yem (go) – command
z z za (go) – a request
zer (wear)
Sounds, Symbols, and Spellings of Tiv Words
Tiv words in general have nasal sounds. However, there are flat sounds: consonant sounds, vowel sounds, and consonant-vowel sounds.
Vowel sounds are made by allowing the breath to come out freely as the lips are pursed. To make a consonant, the breath stream is partly blocked, and the sound lowered or raised. A word as it is spelled may have different meanings depending on the way it is pronounced.
Vowel Sounds and Symbols
Vowel sounds usually are short sounds. A long sound is made by using two vowels together. The basic vowel sound are a, o, i, u, e. Study the vowel sounds below with the aid of the audio feature.
/a/ sound is said as if it were /u/ in sun, not as /a/ in cat.
Short. Long
va = come vaa = cry, weep
za = go zaar = storage place
ma = drink. maa - build
ka = it is kaa = say, said
na = give
man = and
vange = lizard vaan - crying/weeping
/o/ as in orbit and story:
Short Long
or = person too = measure
tor = chief, king doo = good
mor - soak
nor tar - elephant
bol = ball
Note: doo is the long /o/ sound and not pronounced /oo/ (as in book, but as in door). E.g., Yadoo (Yadoor, without the r; Dooshima (Doorshima, without the r).
/o/ sound as in pot and dot.
Short Long
kor = rope. ishoon - attraction
tom = work poo - full
too = pour
bom = bomb ndoor - shed leaves
pon = reveal dooshima = love
/i/ sound as if it were ee in feet, beet, keep, or ea in beat, seat, and meat.
Short Long
yila = call atii = sparrow
yima = save ii = bury
tim = destroy ii = steal
shi = left fiir = bunch (v)
ifi = large river
time = dig
iti = name
/e/ as in bed and net. For a long sound, use the double e sound in Keer.
Short Long
de = stop bee = finish
ve = them neer = excess
se = we seer = add
sen = flow keer = kindle
ime = darkness mee = entice
we = you (singular)
ne = you (plural)
ve = they
pepe = morning
/u/ as is said as in the English /oo/ in book or look.
Short Long
Mu = name of a river tuur = push
kuma = pierce or prick kuma = enough, suit, satisfy
guma = laterite puu = criticize
usu = fire suur = support
kume = to pound uma = life
ku = death uma = dry
Exercse1
These practice exercises show how vowels and vowel sounds are used in phrases for conversation. Use the words in the vocabulary list to construct short sentences in Tiv. You may consult a Tiv language dictionary or other sources to translate the sentences in #2 below into English.
- Vocabulary: ya (eat), bee (finish(ed)), ya (home), ma, za, ka, nan, vange, vaa, wan, kaa, daa, baba, Adamu, Adagi, Jigawa, Jighjigh, jime, zor, tor (mortar), kuma (enough), kumam (I’m satisfied), guma (laterite), de, yem, makeranta, ga, kwagh, ôr, or, inya, ishange (grain).
- Sentences:
- M ya m bee.
- Ya bee.
- Aya yem ken ya.
- Aya yem.
- Va ma mngerem.
- Ma mngerem bee.
- Za makeranta.
- Ortwer na un icigh.
- Ma icigh.
- Vange yevese.
- Mough sha.
- Wan vaa ga.
- De vaan ga.
- M kaa kwagh ga.
- Kwagh er ga.
- Terngu ôr takeda bee.
- Adudu fa takeda.
- Baba yem za (da) yav.
- Na jighjigh hen Aôndo.
- M na jighjigh sha kwaghôron wou.
- Adamu yem adua
- Adingi yan lu orshoja.
- Wantor tôô tor kume ruam.
- Tegh tegh hemba ayem (an idiom).
- Ishankwagh ker inya ga. (an idiom)
The Article
In Tiv language, it is difficult to pinpoint where "a" and "the" should be used. One needs to understand how these articles are used. They are mastered through practice and by becoming familiar with the language.
All the words in the following examples have the article "a" or "an" before them:
alôm = a rabbit (as in alom ngu a zege mba atoov = a rabbit has long ears)
bua = a cow (as in bua ye toho = a cow eats grass)
ijembe = an axe (as in gber kon sha ijembe = cut the tree with an axe)
nduhar = a hoe (as in nduhar ka kwagh u kahan sule a min = a hoe is for farming)
ihô = a knife (as in mba tende atuur sha ihô = a knife is for cutting okra)
nor tar = an elephant
To indicate the article "the", the word ne or la may be used. They may be omitted entirely. This is usually accompanied by pointing. For example,
Na m ihô la. Give me the (that) knife.
ihô ne ese. This knife is sharp.
Kwaghyan ne tsee. The (this) food is warm (or hot).
Bagu ngu yan ishoho. The monkey is eating tiger nuts.
A tema shin ikôn. He/she sat in the chair (seat).
Inyon ngi purugh ken The bird is flying in the air.
ahumbe.
Ka a tôndo alabesa sha ihô. He cuts onions with a knife
Consonant Symbols and Spellings
The following thirteen consonants are used with vowels that have different dictions to form Tiv words.
Consonant Examples and Phrases
/b/
bem = peace Bem gba: There is peace.
bam = bank Bam bugh: The bank is open.
ber = lake Ber uma: The lake is dry.
baa = cave anema ken baa: bats in a cave
bua = cow bua man toho: cow and grass
butu =mat butu ande: mat is torn
/c/
cia; chia = fear cia iyô : fear (be afraid of) snakes
cir; chir = close cir tsuwa: close the pot.
/d/
de = stop De u lamen: stop speaking
de m = leave me
demdem = cooled well Mngerem sule demdem: water cooled well
dafa = cooked whole grain Ya dafa u wua: eat whole grain corn.
dagi = small spear Wua igo toho sha dagi: Kill a hog with a small spear.
dan = dismiss; counter A dan mhen wou: He dismissed your opinion.
damiyo = a kind of yam Damiyo doo yn: Daniyo is good to eat.
dura = to thunder Abeen dura: The clouds thundered.
dog= iwa Iwa gbehe: dog barked.
deri = hundred Na haira deri uhar. Give two hundred naira.
dubu = thousand Kimbi naira dubu uhar: Pay two thousand naira.
dubudubu = million Ishe na ka naira dubudubu (milen) pue: It's price s ten million naira.
/f/
fa = know M fa ga: I don't know.
fa m = know me U kera fa m ga: You don't know me anymore.
fam = rainy season fam gba higen: It's rainy season (Summer) now.
fese = quick Come quick: Va fese.
fefa = soon A va fefa: She came soon.
fere = fast, quickly Za fere da ôr un: Go quick
ferefefere = quickly Ve er ferefefere: They acted quickly.
/g/
ga = not Doo ga: It's not good.
gege = back of leg Gege mula: The back of leg is swollen.
gom = cyst Gom due sha vande: the cyst appeared on the shoulder.
gar = town, city Gar u Gboko: the town of Gboko
gema = turn Gema jime you: Turn your back.
ger = cheer We cheered the game: Se ger inumbe.
gule = kneel Gule er msen: Kneel to pray.
guda = better Guda ayem a u zenden: Better running than to walk
gundu = trunk Too gundu ivo: Take the trunk of goat.
guma = red soil Time inya ar shin guma: Dig the earth to reach the red soil.
/h/
har = hung Har ikpa sha iwev: Hung the bag on a hook.
haa = pour or spill Mkule haa inya: The oil spilled on the floor.
hôn = to trapHon iyôgh: Set a trap.
hondo = whistle (with lips) Tungwa hondo: Whistle . (verb)
hôm = funny Kwaghhir hôm: The story is funny.
hôm = produce shoots Kon hôm: The tree has shoots.
hôô = rotten Inyam hôô: The meat is rotten.
hundu = become muddy Ijôr hundu: The well is muddy.
hunde = mad Iwa hunde The dog is mad.
hungwa = descend Hungwa shin inya: Descend to the ground.
hura = make noise Mato ngu huran: The carr is making a sound.
hur = friendship M kor hur vea Dima: I have friendship with Dima.
huror = friend Wasem ka huror u Ray: Wasem is Ray's friend.
hunda = door, entrance Hunda ngu ivegher: The door is open.
hingir = turn during roasting Hingir abun, a de hie ga: Turn the peanuts, so they don't burn.
hide = return, come back Tom hide: Tom is back/returned.
hide jime = gp back Hide jime kwase a kar: Go back for the woman to pass.
hule = meander Uwagh hule: The stream meanders.
hule = fold Hule ikondo i sha gambe: Fold the bedspread.
huma = smell Pouda ne huma doo: This powder smells good.
hungur = to forget De hungur u when hunda ga: Don't forget to close the door.
hange = stuck (as in a crack), desire Inyam henge m ken anyi: The meat is stuck in my teeth.
hongor = kernel Hongor mzembe: The kernel of an African pear.
hoghol = narrow Tsar hoghol u zege mato karen sha min: The bridge is too narrow for a truck to pass over it.
/i/
Ijande = swamp or pond Ijande iv a mbaifam: The pond is full of frogs.
ijem = steep slope
Ijen = hunger
aji = eggs
iji = egg,
iji = fly
ijôr = well
ikange = a partridge
ikôn = green algae
ikundu = twenty
ikungugh = dove
ifi =sea
ityeku = ocean
Ifa = Eve (first Bible woman)
Imande = leprosy
Ivungu = owl
Ivurugh = piece, verse
/j/ jime = back
Jighjigh = belief
Jighirii = straight
Jato = Hausa for red
Jaki = donkey
Ajikegh = eggs
Jukum = ethnic group
Jamber = torn piece
January = 1st month of year
Jun = sixth month of year
/k/
kam = mould, press
kor = rope, sew
kôr = hold, catch
kua = also, and
kon = tree
kuma = enough, pinch, kuma = pierce or inject
kwaghfan = knowledge
kile – wash
kimbi = pay
/l/
lam = talk, speak (verbs)
lanegh = foolishness
lankwagh = is foolish
lu = mortar
liam = speech, talk (noun)
lian = lean, lay
/m/ ma = drink
Mfe = understanding
Mimi = truth, truly
Mindi = burst
mo = me
môm = one (the number)
mon = neck
mem = rest
mena = swallow
mula = swollen
musan = change, exchange
mor = soaked up
mir = soaked in water
mnyam = sleep
mnyam ma cien = dream
mnyim = smoke
/n/
na = give
Ne =you (pl),
nura = needle, injection
nungwa = mix
num = scatter, destroy
num = a fight
/o/
Omon = to suck on dry
matter
Ongol = drill
Or = person
Ortwer = doctor
Orvesen = elder
Osough = get free
Orsar = a man needed
/p/
Pa = path
Pam =pound sterling
Pampam = can
Pande = subtract
Penda = put, pay
pav= divide, cut open
paa = cut (grass), clear
pel = plate, armor
per = cross
pev = valley, has hole in it
pon = expose
pir = quench, put out light
pira = boasting
piraikaa = boastful fact
pepa = paper
pepe = morning
pepepepe = early morning
pitapita = soggy
pupur = white
puu = disparage, criticize
putôputô =
purututu = all, completely
turughtutu = steam
/r/ rumun = agree
ruam = fufu
rule = ruler
robôti = robot
/s/ se = we, us
Seta =ginger
Sende = hung
Senda = harvest
Sha = up
Shin = down
Shin inya = down earth
Shingir = sweater
Shuga; shoga = sugar
Shigari = cigarette
soo = like, love
sev = day; sev av = it is daybreak; it is morning
suruwa = skeptical; cautious
sur = dampen, to cool
/t/
ta = shoot, shot
Takeda (takerada) = book; education
Tam = chew
Tamen = older (in age)
Tamenor = old man; elderly man. See ortamen = elder
Tamen kwase = old woman
Tar; inya = land, earth; See taregh inyaagh = earth surface; ground
Tav = tall
Taver = strong
Taverishima = to persevere
tom = work
ter = father
tim = destroy, erect post
tem = crack open
time =dig
tema = sit
tule = pull, snap
tenger = shake
tuta = flag
tumba = to thread
/u/
ungwa = hear
Undu = left behind
Uma = dry
Uma = life
Ume = bear fruits
Ulugh = pull
/v/
va = come
vaa = cry
ve = they, them
vambe = cotton tree
venda = refuse
vendeve = gecko
via = cooked
/w/
wua = kill
wa = pack
wan = son or daughter
waarawa = sand
wuhe = cold, chill
wuhe = concubine
wuhe = to shut or imprison
wuhe = to uproot
/y/
ya = home
ya = eat
yem = go
yuwa = bitter/spicy
yam = buy
yevese = run
yese = scorpion
yoo = announce
/z/
za = deep
Za = go, proceed
zege = big; fat
Zegenan = big; large
zeze = persistent
zer = wear
zôhô = quarrel; wrestle down. See ta inya.
zu = dizziness
zuzu = dizziness; vertigo (feeling of earth turning around and around)
zungwe = to feel for
zurum = nearing
za nenge = go (and) see
zanalia = silver
Consonant-Consonant Symbols and Spellings
Beginners of Tiv language study may find consonant-consonant symbols and blends the most difficult aspects of learning the language. With practice, this problem is easily overcome.
/bw/
bwagi = a pick (for digging)
/gb/
gba = fall
gbaa = branch
gbande = dish
gbande = triangular drum
gbanger = wide
gbem = chin
gbem = large brown ant
gbemgbem =always
gber = cut (a tree)
gber = sing
gbide = hit, beat, whip
gbir = lay (as in a crib)
gbor = stomach
/kp/
kpaa = also
akpa = a whip
kpar = partition
kpe = die
kpekpe = wall
kper = tomorrow, net
kpera = draw, drag
/ch/
chia = fear
chicha = all
chii = all
Note: The "h" after "c" may be omitted.
/sh/
sha = up, away
ishe = eye
ishima = heart
ishase = cashew
/ny/
nyam = meat
nyen = yesterday
nyian = ripe
nyian = today
inyon = bird
nyuma = bite
/gh/ comes at the end of a word and is pronounced English words like dough, borough, and Burrough.
bugh = open
dugh = take out
kegh = wait
kough = erase
sugh = thank
tugh = night
tugh tugh = early morning
tegh tegh = slowly
/gw/
gwa = fame
gwar = strand
/kw/
kwase = woman
kwe = a crack
kwende = elbow
/sw/
Swem = Tiv traditional god
Swange = a Tiv dance
Swase = meats
ishwa = beniseeds or sesame seeds
ishange ishwa = a single beniseed or sesame seed
/tw/
twev = settlement
twer = medical treatment
twar = leftovers of produce
twande = boil on body (under the armpit or between thigh and pubic area)
/ts/
tsar = bridge
tsar = light (a fire), switch on (an electric device)
tsav = witchcraft
tsa = tail
tsa = sleep over
tsa = stayed/lived a while (as in tsa sha won: lived a long time)
tser = cut up (into pieces)
tser = to skip the line
tser = encounter (of an uncomfortable thing/matter)
tsenda = spray water, spits
tswen = alone
tswer = abstain
/zw/
zwa = mouth
zwar = large pot
Saa shie gen - Goodbye
Greetings
Greetings and salutations in Tiv are often in a questioning manner. The literal (verbatim) version of the greeting is given in parentheses.
Tiv Greeting (Pleasantries)
English Translation of Tiv Greeting (Pleasantries)
U nder ve? (Are you awake?)
Good morning (Are you awake?)
En, we kpa u nder ve?
Yes, good morning to you, too (Yes, you too are awake?)
U nder nena? (How did you wake up?). How are you?
M nder dedo
I am fine. (I woke up well)
Wan wou ngu nena?
How is your child?
Wan wam ngu dedo.
My child is fine.
Mbayev ou mba nena?
How are your children?
Mbayev av mba dedo.
My children are well (fine).
Ngôu ngu nena?
How is your mother?
Ngôm ngu dedo.
My mother is well.
U pande ve? (Lit.: Did you subtract?)
Good evening.
U pande nena? (How did you subtract?)
How are you (in the evening)?
M pande dedo, we kpaa ga?
I am well, how about you? (and you too?)
Wasem man Jayshawn mba nena?
How are Wasem and Jayshawn?
Ve cii mba dedo ; kwagh er ve ga.
En, M ngu dedo; kwagh er ga.
They are all well; nothing happened to them.
Yes, I’m well; nothing is the matter.
We kpa u ngu dedo ga?
You too, are you well?
M sugh u kpishi (M sugh u gbing)
Thank you very much.
M sugh u tom.
Well, done (Greetings when someone is working)
Kuma memen
It is time to rest.
M soo u memen ga; saa me bee.
I don't want to rest; I must complete.
Va ya kwaghyan
Come (and) eat food.
M sugh, Madam
Hi, Madam
M sugh, Mr. Gavar
Hi, Mr. Gavar
M sugh, Mrs. Amita
Hi, Mrs. Amita
En James, mo kpa m sugh u.
Hi, James
e to add text.
Vocabulary I
nder = wake up
sugh = thank
ishughun = thanks, greeting
iwuese = thanks, gratitude
m wuese = I am thankful
na = give
nam = give me
nam mngerem = give me water
ngohol = take
ngohol ase = here it is
ngohol mngerem = take (some) water
mena = swallow
kpatema = cat
kpereketange = spider
ajingi (ashee) = eyeglasses
gbough = walking stick
ishoho = tiger nut(s)
Ya ishoho = Eat tiger nuts.
ishu = fish
Jiir ishu = Cook (some) fish.
ga = not
gande = more than
jingi = glass, mirror
yem = go
de = stop or don't
rumun = agree
m rumun = I agree
mrumun = agreement, a wish
mrumun u ter = the Lord’s wish
kwagh = something, thing
kpishi, gbing = much, very much; a lot
iv (as in give) = full
iv (as in riv(er) = theft
or ne tav kpishi = this man is very tall
ormbaiv = a thief
ma = drink
mngerem = water
ya = eat, home
ya kwaghyan = eat food
fa = know
tso = boat
shin = in
kimi(n) = inside, into
a va ga = he/she did not come