Igbo Language coach (Verbling). || Igbo language lexicographer & subject matter expert (Nkọwa okwu). || Igbo language technology analyst.
NIGERIA
Joined June 2009
- Tweets4.1K
- Following171
- Followers199
- Likes5.1K
Pinned Tweet
If my brother goes to an island 'A' and establishes a community and I go to another island 'B' and establish a community, the Igbo spoken in island A and the one spoken in island B will never be the same.
In fact, my brother, with whom I was born and raised in the same environment, does not use the same exact words and sentence structure as me.
That is how dialects form.
Dialect is not a reflection of genetic difference. It is a reflection of divergent association.
Whether "Bị̀àkéné", "Bị̀àkélé", "Bị̀àgódí", or "Bị̀ádị́",
Igbo bụ̀ òfú!
Óbīọ̀hà retweeted
Èbélè/Èbérè is the prefixed verb type with a root verb (bé) bearing a suffix (-re) and a prefix (e-).
In Igbo language, the suffix '-re' is used to show 'in favour of' or 'for'. It also comes as '-ra,-rụ... etc for all vowels).
This our language is old so some bends and twists might have happened over time but what I see there is the same 'bé' we use in 'cry (bé ákwá)', hence bé + '-re' gives the concept of 'cry for' hence 'sympathize with someone'. Remember, you don't have to understand these vers directly like English language, rather you have to understand the concepts they are trying to express.
Óbīọ̀hà retweeted
I agree with the answers you have been given and believe they have made it make sense to you. Ụ́kà kà á nà-ákà n'ụ́kà.
The two verbs 'kwú' and 'ka' are exactly the same and are used interchangeably even though some people are fond of one over the other.
Same way people say Ézí ókwū, some say Ézí ụ́kà. Even though 'Ézíókwū' is more dominant today as the word for 'truth'.
People will say it's dialect but I discourage the loose classification of words as dialects of each other when they are clearly not mentioning the same words. While they are trying to explain the same thing, they are using "ázị̀", "ákà", and "ńtàkị́rị́" which I believe are synonyms.
Here is how I believe they are synonyms:
"Ákà" is an Igbo word for a small person. Used for pigmies just like "Ǹshì". Likely a shorter version for Àkàkpó, hence "Àkàkpó ánāghị̀ èbúdó ījēlè."
"Ńtàkị́rị́" is an Igbo word that means 'little'. We all know this and hear it everywhere today.
"Ázị̀" is not very clear to me but I suspect it also either means 'small' or 'young'. I am more inclined to 'young'. I believe it is the word you have in 'Máàzị'. This is an expression mostly used by Ngwa people to greet an older person (man especially). That word sounds like "Mèé ázị̀" which is saying "Be/Stay young". Kind of how Eleele and Ikwere people say "Mèkáá". From Owere area down moving a little right, Southwards, tend to use "Mé" to describe how someone is. Owere would say "Ó mèrè ōgōlōgō!" which means "He/She is tall".
These Ákà, Ázị̀, and Ńtàkị́rị́ specify age because Ụ́mụ̀ and Nwá do not. They simply mean offspring(s).
The "Ázị̀", I am still researching on it.
So, these words and many other words that differ like this should be seen as synonyms and not dialects. Let words like "Ífé" vs "Íhé" be the dialects. They are pronouncing the same exact words.
I understand that expressions can be said to be dialectal too but doing that because of word choice is not a strong/helpful one.
Ọ́ bụ̀ kà ọ́ hà m n'ọ́nụ!
If you observe in Igbo language, every Igbo noun has only two syllables. If it is longer, it is then a combination of two or more words, a borrowed word, a gerund(Igbo language version) or an oxymoronic word.
Nouns are formed from root verbs and how they are formed is by attaching a prefix (Vowels/Pseudo vowels) to that root verb. Every root verb, at its base level, has only one syllable with two letters - a consonant and a vowel.
Ụ̀gànị appears to be two words that experienced ńdápụ ụ̀dàúmē. Just like Nwókē.
There's nothing like Uga Ali in Igbo Language, this is you manufacturing a word and forcing it to stick, then telling me about your grandma using, like how is your grandma saying ụganị in her own dialect (ụgalị) change the fact that ụgalị is one word, not two words Uga Ali, ọ sim etymology, and ọ ka cha malụ, all in the bid to make a manufactured etymology stick?
Okay, as you broke down ụganị to Uga Ali, tell us the meaning one by one na, ọ sim famine. Again, me arguing Igbo Language and culture with you is me letting myself down.
We need more Nkọwa okwu type resource; we need more Nkọwa okwu type quality online!!!
You don't have to understand Igbo language to build it. You only have to want Igbo language to survive!
I have been in this long enough to notice changes since Nkọwa okwu came on board.
Ọ́rụ́ ágwụbè!
Óbīọ̀hà retweeted
Have you seen our most recent epsiode of Mmuta Di Uto. Check it out now on YouTube and let us know what you think of this format for videos #igbo #igboCartoon #igboAmaka
youtube.com/watch?v=86KQcFYK…
Gbéḿ!!!
Godfrey said his mother said his parents did not teach him Igbo, because they got lazy. May we never get lazy in putting information out about Igbo language and culture. The fact is that it is much easier to get access to useful infomation in other languages than Igbo. So, it is very easy to become fluent in English and other languages. For that reason, WE the children of Igbo land must not be lazy in doing the HARD and DIFFICULT work of cultivating, learning and researching new Igbo information to make accessible to our brethren who want to learn and contribute to the Igbo community. #putIgboInTech
2
37
Óbīọ̀hà retweeted
You don't have to be married to an Igbo man to be an "Ụmụada". As long as you are an Igbo daughter, you are one.
You only have to be married to an Igbo man to be an Ndóòmì/Ụ́mụ̀nwáànyị̀.
When you "oversee" things at your husband's place (if that was what you meant by "from your husband's place"), you do not do that in the capacity of Nwáādā/Ụ́mụādā but of Ńdóòmì/Ụ́mụ̀nwáànyị̀.
These words/groups are not the same and the internet is largely misguiding a lot of people.
Not every women's group is Ụ́mụādā. Ụ́mụādā is seldom seen for the most part.
This does not fully reflect how Igbo language sentence structure works.
I mean, there is a parent structure for Igbo language sentences which is SVO. In fact, Igbo language is so rigid about it that it has a fourth person/passive voice pronoun which occurs only as a subject. VSO is an option of convenience even though it seems more common. It does not exist in more than one (two for more archaic approach) contexts and for the only context it exists, it also has an alternative SVO format. Also, the VSO has the verb prefixed by a psuedo subject which indicates the necessity of an S before a V.
This is a key topic I handle in my curriculum and I get learners to communicate all ideas using the information I give to them.
The research question seems to be and should not just be "How do you say this in Igbo?" rather it should be "What is the sentence structure for Igbo language?". The later would lead to more questions which would unravel what might not be clear based on the answer. This means professionals should have been consulted for this research.
These are the kinds of inferences that either make Igbo language not to be included in modern technologies or included in such a way that native speakers do not understand or flow with it: Igbo élú ēlū.
That being said, numbers 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 can go SVO in Igbo language.
Áhàńnà m bụ̀ Ḿmézí; Íhé é mèzìrì èmēzī, á nà-àkpọ́ yā nwáḿmā!
