atsu

Ewe

Etymology

From Proto-Gbe *atsú.[1] Cognates include Fon asú, Gun asú, Saxwe Gbe asú and Adja ashú, asú.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /à.t͡sú/

Noun

àtsú (definite singular àtsú lá or àtsúá, plural àtsúwó, definite plural àtsúáwó)

  1. man, male (as opposed to being a woman)
    Coordinate term: asi
  2. spouse, (chiefly) husband
    Synonyms: srɔ̃, srɔ̃ŋutsu
    Coordinate term: asi
  3. name given to the eldest twin brother, i.e. atsu kple atsuƒoe (two boys) or atsu kple tsɛ (boy and girl)
    Coordinate terms: atsuƒoe, atsutsɛ, tsɛ

Derived terms

  • atsuɖeɖe ((levirate) marriage)
  • atsuɖeɖekɔɖiɖi (traditional children's game simulating marriage)
  • atsuƒe (house owned by husband)
  • Atsuƒoe (name given to younger twin sister with older brother)
  • atsugbegbe (divorce)
  • Atsukagbe (name given to eldest of twin boys) (dialectal)
  • atsunɔviwɔwɔ (traditional mourning ceremony)
  • atsuɔdzonɔɔdzo (buffalo, roan antelope) (colloquial)
  • atsusi (rival, co-wife)
  • atsusikple (concubine, co-wife)
  • atsusikpɔƒe (to give a sidelong look, literally the co-wife's glance) (colloquial)
  • atsusivi (nephew)
  • Atsutsɛ (name given to youngest of twin boys)

Adjective

àtsú

  1. masculine, strong, powerful

Derived terms

  • atsuatsu (efficiently)

See also

  • ame (man, as opposed to being an animal)

References

  1. ^ Capo, Hounkpati B.C. (1991), A Comparative Phonology of Gbe (Publications in African Languages and Linguistics; 14), Berlin/New York; Garome, Benin: Foris Publications & Labo Gbe (Int), pages 217, 219
  • Westermann, Dietrich Verfasser (1905), “atsu”, in Wörterbuch der Ewe-Sprache [Dictionary of the Ewe language]‎[1] (in German), Berlin: Dietrich Reimer, section I, pages 511-3
  • Westermann, Dietrich Verfasser (1906), “atsu”, in Wörterbuch der Ewe-Sprache [Dictionary of the Ewe language]‎[2] (in German), Berlin: Dietrich Reimer, section II, pages 43, 74, 121
  • Jim-Fugar, Dr. M.K.N.; Jim-Fugar, Nicholine (2017), “atsu”, in Nuseline's Ewe-English Dictionary, 1st edition, Togo: Independently published, →ISBN, page 30

Japanese

Romanization

atsu

  1. Rōmaji transcription of あつ