Ebe

From Wikipedia

Èbè

(1) (a) Request – Èbè

(b) O kèbèèmi – He refused my request.

(c) Èbè la m be òsìkà kó tún ìlúùrè se:- One must approach the influential with the utmost tact.

(d) Gbéèbè: Gbèbè. Èbè (cont’d)

(e) Èbè – An ointment used to propitiate Sonponnon, and make him lenient to a sick person.

(2) Bèbè :- Requested (be+ ebe) :

(a) Ó bèbè fún àláfíà :- He sued for peace.

(b) Ó bèbè kí m fún lówó = Ó bè mí léèbè kí m fún lówó:- He begged me for money.

(c) Bèbè kóo rí òkòsé, sagbe kóo rí ahun: The proof of the pudding lies in the eating.

(3)(a) Àbètélè

(b) Àbètélè – Ó bè míi láàbètélè :- 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-wóòrèélè= ó kórun òló datowóorèélè :- She tied her hair in wisps with black thread. N.B. Àbélè stands for àbètélè “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, Èbè (cont’d) forbidden sexual intercourse and will not sleep with him, unless he bribes her

N.B.   (Datowóorèélè stands for 

dà + ti owóorè sí ilè)

(4) Abèbè = eléèbè: 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.