Ebe
From Wikipedia
Èbè
(1) (a) Request – Èbè
(b) O kèbèèmi – He refused my request.
(c) Èbè la m be òsìkà kó tún ìlúùrè se:- One must approach the influential with the utmost tact.
(d) Gbéèbè: Gbèbè. Èbè (cont’d)
(e) Èbè – An ointment used to propitiate Sonponnon, and make him lenient to a sick person.
(2) Bèbè :- Requested (be+ ebe) :
(a) Ó bèbè fún àláfíà :- He sued for peace.
(b) Ó bèbè kí m fún lówó = Ó bè mí léèbè kí m fún lówó:- He begged me for money.
(c) Bèbè kóo rí òkòsé, sagbe kóo rí ahun: The proof of the pudding lies in the eating.
(3)(a) Àbètélè
(b) Àbètélè – Ó bè míi láàbètélè :- He asked me for a favour previousily.
(c) À bé lè – Ìrun olówu, o korun olóòwu = o kórunrè ló lóòwu= ó kórun monifi reti= ó kórun àbé lè = ó kórun date-wóòrèélè= ó kórun òló datowóorèélè :- She tied her hair in wisps with black thread. N.B. Àbélè stands for àbètélè “Bribe” i.e. she did her hair in this in this way to excite sensual desire in her lover, when through suckling a child, she is by custom, Èbè (cont’d) forbidden sexual intercourse and will not sleep with him, unless he bribes her
N.B. (Datowóorèélè stands for
dà + ti owóorè sí ilè)
(4) Abèbè = eléèbè: Person who pleads for the granting of a favour: Petitioner.
References:
Abraham, R.C. (1958), DICTIONARY OF MODERN YORUBA. London: Hodder and Stoughton.
CMS (1913), A DICTIONARY OF YORUBA LANGUAGE: PART 1, ENGLISH-YORUBA; PART 2, YORUBA-ENGLISH. Lagos, Nigeria: CMS Bookshop
Delano, I.O. (1958), ATUMO EDE YORUBA. London: Oxford University Press.