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Same spelling, different tones

These entries fold to the same letters once tone is removed, so a tone-blind search returns all of them.

• mbụone (in counting only); (the) first; original
• ahụhụa small arthropod animal that has six legs and generally one or two pairs of wings; insect; insect; suffering; difficulty; challenge
• n'anyain sight; before one's eyes; in the eyes of
• Deìname of one of the founding fathers of one of the nine quarters of Onitsha; hence Umùdeì, a village in Onitsha founded by him
• ntàlittle one; younger one; little; small; mosquito
• òraphysical health; tree whose leaves are used for soup, sometimes sacred in some places; one of the trees planted to represent one's Chi
• otùtùblacksmith's hammer (the biggest of all the blacksmith's hammers). This tool is ceremonially the most important item for an apprentice who has just completed his period of apprenticeship and is going to set up as a master blacksmith, in that it is symbolic of his master's status. On the day of the celebration of his freedom, which features much feasting, the otùtù is set on a stool in the middle of the gathering of master smiths who were invited to the occasion. Shortly before the celebration is over the young master is called to the middle. The master holds out the otùtù towards the young master as one who is handing to another a staff of office. The master recites some blessings and incantations, at the end of which he hands the otùtù to the young master. An apprentice who has completed his course but who has not completed his obligations (usually monetary) is not given the otùtù and his freedom is not celebrated. The apprentice can leave his master for some period in search of money. He sometimes has to secure a temporary job, like farm labour, to get the required money, both for his training fees and for the celebration expenses. He then comes back to do the freedom celebration. To every master smith the otùtù is the most important item in his tools, for though it is rarely used because of its weight, the blacksmith, particularly the non-Christian one, kills cocks on top of his otùtù from time to time and on special occasions, letting the blood pour over the otùtù. Afterwards some down is scattered on top of the wet blood, which sticks it firmly to the otùtù; conical basket for fishing
• òdogwuchampion; one of great prowess; hero; title for such a one; male name; great man, warrior, one who has the ability and capability to face and handle challenges
• sò òfuonly one; one only
• tụsịsịfall in drops; drip; pick off one by one
• sà n'ọnūconfess voluntarily to crime, abomination or other bad deeds; confess voluntarily to crime, abomination, or other bad deeds. This is common among habitual criminals and witches who perpetrate their evil deeds in ways that make them difficult or impossible of detection. Examples include those of witches who suck people's blood till the victims are dead, or who fly out at night in the form of spir spirits to visit and kill victims and who sometimes claim to be responsible for grave disasters like fatal accidents, deaths of great men, insanity of student sons/daughters of rivals. Some criminals poison their rivals or their children undetected or practise sorcery on them. These criminal acts can go on till one day a perpetrator suddenly runs amok or begins to behave in a not altogether normal way; this is followed by his/her appeal to people in the surroundings to gather and hear some revelations. This disorderly "news conference" is usually attended by people of all ages with keen interest. The venue is not specially arranged, but the confessor usually sits in front of a house, in a public place like a round-about, market place, or side of a street. The confession usually goes thus "Do you know why it took the son of Mr. X twelve years to accomplish his university course which should normally take only three years? I am the one who kept sucking his brain and seeing to it that he failed his examination each time. I was the one who killed my first daughter last year when she died during labour. I warned Mr. Z not to buy a new car but to try to make his bicycle do. He ignored my warning and bought the car. He did not know he was doomed by doing this. It was on the occasion of the wedding of his sister he got into the car and began to ride to the Church, but on the way I slapped him and pushed his car to make it crash into that bridge near the Church, tumbling into the river. He, his mother-in-law and the new car met their end that fateful morning. My listeners, I hope the event is still fresh in your memories". A confessor is sometimes given a white fowl which she/he holds during the confession. A confessor usually dies soon after the confession, though some survive.