Contionary:wan

Bemé

Pronunciation

(Bemetak) IPA: [wan] [wa]

• (Columbé) [wɛn]

Etymology 1

From English go on.

Verb

wan

1. to go

   Mi eh wan nyow.

   "I'm going now."

2. (auxiliary) expresses future tense; cf. English will

   Im wan bi big eh yong minis ni wal.

   "He's going to be the youngest president in the world."

3. (auxiliary, fossil) to habitually do; exclusively used in the expression mwoi wan bi mwoi "boys will be boys", making it essentially a fossil word

   Mwoi wan bi mwoi.

   "Boys will be boys."

Alternate forms

• wa
• (Columbé) wen

Etymology 2

From English want.

Verb

wan (transitive wanin)

1. (stative) to be wanted

   Mi wan bi wan.

   "I want to be wanted."