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Ihò wo lèkúté ńgbé tó ní iṣẹ́ ilé ńdíwọ́?
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What sort of hole does the rat live in that makes him say that household work preoccupied it?
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Ìjàkùmọ̀ kì í rin ọ̀sán, ẹni a bí ire kì í rin òru.
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The wild cat never roams in daylight; a well-bred person does not wander around in the night time.
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Ìjàlọ ò lè gbé òkúta.
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The brown ant cannot lift a boulder.
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Ìjokòó ẹni ní ḿmúni da ewé ẹ̀kọ nù.
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How one sits causes one to carry the leaves used to wrap corn-meal to the dump.
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Ìjọba ńpè ọ́ o ní ò ḿmu gààrí lọ́wọ́; ta ní ni ọ́, ta ní ni omi tí o fi ḿmu gààrí?
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The government summons you and you say you are busy eating cassava grains soaked in water; who owns you, and who owns the water with which you are eating the cassava?
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Ilè-ni-mo-wà kì í jẹ̀bi ẹjọ́.
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“I-was-in-my-home” is never the guilty party in a dispute.
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Ilé kì í jó kí baálé ilé tàkakà.
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A house does not burn while the landlord lounges with indifference.
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Ilé kì í jó kí oorun kun ojú.
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A house does not burn and fill the eyes with sleep.
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Ìlù kan ò tó Ègùn jó; bí a bá lù fún un a máa lu àyà.
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One drum is not enough for an Ègùn person to dance to; if one drums for him he too will play a rhythm on his chest.
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Iná ńjó ògiri ò sá, ó wá ńgbá gẹẹrẹ gẹẹrẹ sómi.
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Fire burns and the wall does not run from it; now it moves threateningly towards water.
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Inú burúkú làgbà ńní, àgbà kì í ní ojú burúkú.
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An unpleasant inside is what a venerable elder should have; a venerable elder should not have an unpleasant mien.
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Ipa ọgbẹ́ ní ńsàn; ipa ohùn kì í sàn.
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The wound left by a cutlass may heal, but the wound left by speech does not heal.
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Ìpàkọ́ onípàkọ́ là ńrí; eniẹlẹ́ni ní ńrí tẹni.
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One sees only other peoples' occiputs; only others can see one's own.
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Ìpéǹpéjú ò ní enini; àgbàlagbà irùngbọ̀n ò ṣe òlòó.
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The eyelashes do not make dew; a venerable old beard does not behave like an ingenue.
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Ìrẹ́jẹ ò sí nínúu fọ́tò; bí o bá ṣe jókòó ni o ó bàá ara-à rẹ.
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There is no cheating in photography; it is just as you sit that you will find your image.
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Irú aṣọ ò tán nínu àṣà.
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The likeness of a particular type of cloth is not lacking among those in fashion.
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Irú erin ò tán ní Àlọ́.
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The likeness of an elephant is not scarce in Alọ.
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Ìrùkẹ̀rẹ̀ kì í yan Ifá lódì; oge, dúró o kí mi.
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The horse-tail whisk does not shun Ifá; high-fashion maiden, pause awhile and give me a greeting.
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Ìsáǹsá ò yọ ẹ̀gún; ìsáǹsá kì í káwo ọbẹ̀.
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The fugitive does not stop to pull a thorn “from his/her feet”; the fugitive does not stop to clear dinner dishes.
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Ìṣẹ̀ ò ti ibìkan mú ẹni; ìyà ò tibìkan jẹ èèyàn; bí o bá rìnrìn òṣì, bí o bá ojú ìṣẹ́ wọ̀lú, igbá-kúgbá ni wọn ó fi bu omi fún ẹ mu.
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Destitution does not attach to one at a particular place; suffering does not attack a person at a particular place; if one walks like a wretch into a town, if one looks like a loser when one enters a town, it is with a miserable calabash that the people will offer one water to drink.
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Ìtàkùn tó tó ọ̀pẹ kò tó pé kérin má lọ; ìtàkùn tó pé kérin má lọ Àlọ́, tòun terin ní ńlọ.
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A vine as thick as a palm-tree trunk will not stop an elephant; whatever vine attempts to stop an elephant from going to Alọ will go with the elephant instead.
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Ìwà ní ńjọ oníwà lójú.
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Character is always remarkable (or good) in the opinion of its owner.
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Ìwọ̀fà ní ḿmú ìwọ̀fà jó.
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A pawned person always dances with a pawned person.
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Ìwọ̀n eku nìwọ̀n ìtẹ́; olongo kì í gbé tìmùtìmù.
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The measure of the rat is the measure of the nest; a robin does not live on a cushion.
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Ìwọ̀sí ní
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X
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Ìyàwó tó na ọmọ ọbàkan, ọ̀rọ̀ ló fẹ́ gbọ́.
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The wife who whips a relative of her husband is asking for stern rebuke.
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“Ta ní ḿbẹ níbẹ̀?” làgbẹ́ fi ńsán ìbàǹtẹ́ wọ̀lú.
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“Who is there whose opinion matters?” is the attitude that makes the farmer come into town dressed only in a loin cloth.
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Ta ní mọ Òkolo lÓyọ̀ọ́?
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Who knows O'kolo in Ọ̀yọ́?
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Ta ní ńjájá ní mọ́ṣáláṣí?
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What would a dog be doing in a mosque?
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Ta ní ńjẹun tájá ńjùrù?
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At whose dinner table is the dog wagging its tail?
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Tẹ̀tẹ̀ kì í tẹ́.
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Spinach is never disgraced.
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Tòlótòló mọ ẹni tó ńyìnbọn ìdí sí.
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The turkey knows towards whom it farts.
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Ká ríni lóde ò dàbí-i ká báni délé.
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To see a person in the streets is not the same as going home with the person.
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Ká ríni sọ̀rọ̀ fúnni ò dàbí-i ká sọ̀rọ̀ fúnni ká gbà.
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Having people to advise one is nothing like knowing how to take advice.
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Ká wí fún ẹni ká gbọ́; ká sọ̀rọ̀ fúnni ká gbà; kà bèrè ọnà lọ́wọ́ èrò tó kù lẹ́hìn kàyè baà lè yẹni.
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If one is spoken to one should listen; if one is advised one should heed the advice; one should seek direction from straggling wayfarers in order than one's life might be pleasant.
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Ká wí fúnni ká gbọ́; ká sọ̀rọ̀ fúnni ká gbà; à-wí-ìgbọ́, à-gbọ́-ìgbà ní ńfi igbá àdánù bu omi mu.
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If one is spoken to one should listen; if one is advised one should accept the advice; refusal to listen to speech and refusal to accept advice leads to using the calabash of deprivation as a drinking cup.
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Ká wí ká gbà ló yẹ ọmọ èèyàn.
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To heed advice is what best becomes a human being.
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Ká wí ogún, ká wí ọgbọ̀n, “Ng ò fẹ́, ng ò gbà” laṣiwèré fi ńpẹ̀kun ọ̀ràn.
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Whether one speaks twenty times or speaks thirty times, “I do not like it, and I will not accept it” is how the imbecile ends the discussion.
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Kàkà ká dọ̀bálẹ̀ fún Gàm̀bàrí, ká rọ́jú ká kú.
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Rather than prostrate oneself in homage or obeisance to a Hausa person, one should rather die.
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Kàkà kí àgbò ké, àgbò a kú.
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Rather than cry out, the ram will die.
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Kàkà kí bàbá ran ọmọ ní àdá bọ oko, oníkálukú a gbé tiẹ̀.
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Rather than the father carrying the son's cutlass home from the farm, each will carry his own.
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Kàkà kí iga akàn ó padà sẹhìn, a kán.
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Rather than bend backwards, the crab's claws will break.
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Kàkà kí kìnìún ṣe akápò ẹkùn, ọlọ́dẹ a mú ọdẹ ẹ̀ ṣe.
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Rather than the lion serving as carrier for the leopard, each will hunt separately.
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Kékeré lọ̀pọ̀lọ́ fi ga ju ilẹ̀ lọ.
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The toad is only slightly taller than the earth.
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Kí ẹrú mọ ara ẹ̀ lẹ́rú; kí ìwọ̀fà mọ ara ẹ̀ níwọ̀fà; kí ọmọlúwàbí mọ ara ẹ̀ lẹ́rú Ọlọ́run ọba.
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Let the slave know him/herself as a slave; let the pawn know him/herself as a pawn; let the well born person know him/herself as the child of God.
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Kì í dọwọ́-ọ baba kó ló di ọwọ́ ọmọ.
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Responsibility does not devolve on the father only for him to say it is his son's duty.
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Kí ni àǹfàníi kẹ̀tẹ̀kẹ̀tẹ̀ lára kẹ́tẹ́kẹ́tẹ́ à-gùn-fẹsẹ̀-wọ́lẹ̀?
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What is the point of bragging on account of an ass which when one rides on it one's feet drag on the ground?
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Kí ni apárí ńwá ní ìsọ̀ onígbàjámọ̀?
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What does a bald man want in the stall of the barber?
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Kí ni Dáàró ní kó tó sọ pé olè-é kó òun?
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What did Dáàró own before he claimed he was robbed?
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Kí ni eléwé-e-gbégbé ńtà tí ó ńsọ pé ọjà ò tà?
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What is it that the seller of gbégbé leaves has to sell that she complains that the market is slow?
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Kí ni ìbá mú igún dé ọ̀dọ̀-ọ onídìrí?
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What would take the vulture to the stall of the hair dresser?
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Kí ni ó yá àpọ́n lórí tó fiṣu síná tó ńsúfèé pé “bí a ti ńṣe ni inú ḿbí wọn”?
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What has the bachelor to feel superior about, such that while he is roasting yams he is whistling the song, “What one does fills them with jealousy”?
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Kí ni onígbá ńṣe tí aláwo ò lè ṣe?
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What is the calabash owner doing that the china plate owner cannot do?
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Kí ni orí ńṣe tí èjìká ò lè ṣe? Èjìká ru ẹrù ó gba ọ̀ọ́dúnrún; orí ta tiẹ̀ ní ogúnlúgba.
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What can the head do that the shoulder cannot do? The shoulder carried a load and earned three hundred cowries; the head sold its own for two hundred and twenty cowries.
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Kí ni wọ́n ti ńṣe Àmọ́dù nÍlọrin? Ewúrẹ́ ńjẹ́ bẹ́ẹ̀.
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What use do the people of Ilorin have for Ahmadu? Even goats are so named.
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Kíjìpá laṣọ ọ̀lẹ; òfì laṣọ àgbà; àgbà tí ò ní tòfì a rọ́jú ra kíjìpá.
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Durable hand-woven cloth is the material for shiftless people; loom-woven cloth is the material for the elders; whichever elder cannot afford loom-woven cloth should strive for durable hand-woven cloth.
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Kò rà, kò lówó lọ́wọ́, ó ńwú tutu níwájú onítumpulu.
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He does not buy, he has no money, yet he sits sulkily before the seller of bean fritters.
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Kò sí ẹni tó dùn mọ́ àfi orí ẹni.
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There is no one pleased “by one's success” except one's head.
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Kò sí mi lájọ àjọ ò kún: ara ẹ̀ ló tàn jẹ.
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Without-me-in-an-assembly-the-assembly-is-not-complete deceives only himself/herself.
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Kò sí ohun tí Ṣàngó lè ṣe kó jà lẹ́ẹ̀rùn.
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There is nothing Ṣango can do to enable itself to rage in a drought.
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Kò-sí-nílé kì í jagun ẹnu tì.
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He-was-not-at-home never fails to prove his valor with his mouth.
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Kó-tán-kó-tán lajá ńlá omi.
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Swiftly-consumed-swiftly-consumed is the way a dog laps up water.
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Jẹ́jẹ́ leégún àgbà ńjó.
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Sedately is the way an elderly masquerader dances.
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Jòkùmọ̀-ọ́ ṣe bí ẹ̀lú, aró la bẹ̀ lọ́wẹ̀.
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The jòkùmọ̀ plant looks like the indigo plant; it is the indigo dye, though, we have use for.
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Wèrè èèyàn ní ńwípé irú òun ò sí; irú ẹ̀ẹ́ pọ̀ ó ju ẹgbàágbèje lọ.
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Only an imbecile asserts that there is none like him or her; his or her likes are numerous, numbering more than millions.
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Wọ́n ńpe gbẹ́nàgbẹ́nà ẹyẹ àkókó ńyọjú.
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The call goes out for a carpenter and the woodpecker presents itself.
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“Yan àkàrà fún mi wá ká jìjọ jẹ ẹ́”: àìtó èèyàn-án rán níṣẹ́ ní ńjẹ́ bẹ́ẹ̀.
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“Go buy bean fritters for me so we can eat them together”: that spells uncertainly about one's right to send the person concerned on an errand.
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Yíyẹ́ là ńyẹ́ Òkóró sí tí à ńpè é nígi obì; obì tí ì bá so lórí ẹ̀ ní ńya abidún.
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It is only a mark of respect when one calls Òkóró a kolanut tree; any kolanut that might grow on his head would turn out to be slimy.
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