nɔviŋutsu
/nɔ̀.ví.ŋú.t͡sù/
The Ewe word for brother is nɔviŋutsu. If unsure, use nɔviŋutsu. Wiktionary also lists fo and tsɛ.
Meaning: male sibling (noun)
Ways to say it
| Ewe | IPA |
|---|---|
| nɔviŋutsu | /nɔ̀.ví.ŋú.t͡sù/ |
| fo | /fò/ |
| tsɛ | /t͡sɛ́/ |
The term refers to a male sibling.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables and is pronounced /nɔ̀.ví.ŋú.tsù/.
Did you know?
- In traditional kinship, a paternal cousin is often linguistically indistinguishable from a biological nɔviŋutsu.
- Ewe uses a complex system of relative age. You would rarely call an older brother by his first name, as the role of 'elder brother' carries specific linguistic markers of respect.
- In Ewe culture, a person might refer to a close male friend as nɔviŋutsu even if there is no biological connection between them.
Examples in context
- Nɔviŋutsu sia ƒo gbɔ.This brother is tall.
Example conversation
Selorm and Kafui are talking about their family.
- SelormKafui, nɔviŋutsu nye vanya.Kafui, my brother is coming.
- KafuiEya le va vava?Is he on his way?
- SelormƐ̃, nɔviŋutsu nye eya le va.Yes, my brother is coming.
- KafuiKae le va?Who is coming?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brother” translations and entries nɔviŋutsu, fo, tsɛ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
