Avwebo:     Ah, Titi, no better for me for Lagos oh. Nothing remain for me for Lagos. Welcome. How Church?

Titi:    Oh, Church dey. Sorry, I rush comot last Sunday. You be wan' tell me whatin your Urhobo name mean. So whatin this your Urhobo name mean?

Avwebo:     Avwebo na good name o. No be every woman the family dey call Avwebo. Na only special woman.

Titi:     Ehee. Na because (s)he beautiful woman or na whatin?

Avwebo:     (S)he go neat well well. But no because (s)he beautiful. Na because he(r) husband like am well. And the family like am well well.

Titi:    Why they go like am well well?

Avwebo:     She go take care of he(r)  husband proper. (S)he go dey give am good food. (S)he go dey wash he clothes. Any time he sick , (s)he go take care of am well well. (S)he go kind to the man relatives.

Titi:     Who no go like woman who dey do plenty thing like that? (S)he be good woman.

Avwebo:     (S)he go dey use cuny-cuny. For evening, (s)he go rub fine powder for (her) neck. She go dey break ground nut for he(r) husband.

Titi:     Sho! The man no get hand?

Avwebo:     Eh, na cuny-cuny. Na competition.

Titi:    So, that be the meaning of, whatin you call am again? Make I no come offend you.

Avwebo:     AVW-E-BO.

Titi:    The other woman. Whatin (s)he go dey do?

Avwebo:     That na another (s)tory.

Titi:    The husband no go like am?

Avwebo:     They go dey fight. (S)he go dey abuse the husband  well well. Some for family no go like am.

Titi:     Why she not comot for marriage?

Avwebo:     (S)he go dey care for he(r) children, now. (S)he go work hard to feed them.

Titi:    So, (s)he get name where Urhobo people dey call this woman?

Avwebo:     Urhobo people dey call am AVWIOROVWE.

Titi:    Urhobo language too hard. I no fit call that one.

Avwebo:     How come una so lazy for una mouth?

Titi:    So you be Avebo.

Avwebo:     I beg, no make me laugh. Whatin be Avebo?

Titi:    So you be good woman.  Why you comot? How you (be)come talk-talk woman?

Avwebo:     Ha, you no want hear that one. Na bad (s)tory.

Titi:    I wan' hear am. Next Sunday?

Avwebo:     Okay, Titi. You wan' hear all my secret. Next Sunday. I go see you.

Ôsê:            Father

Oni:            Mother

Ôshare:      Husband (same term for a man).

Aye:           Wife (same term for a woman).

Orôvwe:   Marriage

Ovwrovwro:    Co-wife

Ôsê r' orôvwe:   Wife's father-in-law (also used for male relatives of husband).

Oni r' orôvwe:  Wife's mother-in-law (also used for female relatives of husband).

Oni r' aye:    Husband's mother-in-law (also used for female relatives of wife).

Ôgô:            Husband's father-in-law (also used for male relatives of wife).
 

Peter P. Ekeh
Buffalo, New York
USA
19 December 1999