Oh okay. Now I know the song you're taking about; it's called "Asili 98".

When Morocco said "Ndi ilo m jelu olu jee Igbo", he meant "my enemies went near and far". In that context 'olu' means "a distant (or non-Igbo) town/country", whereas 'Igbo' means "a nearby town/country". Morocco is trying to say that his enemies went to great lengths to try to kill him. In Southern Igbo, the word exists as 'oru'.

odumchi: Oh okay. Now I know the song you're taking about; it's called "Asili 98".

When Morocco said "Ndi ilo m jelu olu jee Igbo", he meant "my enemies went near and far". In that context 'olu' means "a distant (or non-Igbo) town/country", whereas 'Igbo' means "a nearby town/country". Morocco is trying to say that his enemies went to great lengths to try to kill him. In Southern Igbo, the word exists as 'oru'.

Daalu nwanne m oma! I bu ezigbo diokpala Igbo! Nna I mulu I!

bigfrancis21:

Daalu nwanne m oma! I bu ezigbo diokpala Igbo! Nna I mulu I!

Nwanne m, ndeewo o. Nsogbu adighi.

ChinenyeN: I see (just reread through your post). I can understand where you're coming from now. I'm surprised I missed that completely. That's the kind of mistake I at least try not to make. Anyway, a curious thought occurred to me, after having read through your post again (and also having opened up one of the books I have on Igbo oral traditions).

That curious thought was this: What has thus far been established and verified is that the Ibibio were settled in the area prior to Aro, Ohafia, Abiriba, etc. having displaced them. Now, with nothing else to go on, except the claim of having come from the east, how possible could it be that the ancestors of what is now Umunze, Isuochi, etc. once constituted the now displaced Ibibio population? That would be interesting. It's either that or some "Igbo" elements were living contiguous with Ibibio at that time, but one would have to find a way to explain that.

Here is my hypothesis on this matter.

1, The people we today call abam,abriba,ohafia,edda,umuhu ezechi,igberre,aro,etc, once inhabited the area around itu in the present cross river state.

2. These people were igbo speaking,as could be seen from their names.

3. These people were pushed from this their itu abode by the ibibios/efiks/annang, into a more western direction.

4. These people didn't meet the land they occupy today empty,they met other igbo groups there,whom they overpowered and pushed towards the igbo central areas in northern abia and southern anambra(orumba area).

pazienza:

Here is my hypothesis on this matter.

1, The people we today call abam,abriba,ohafia,edda,umuhu ezechi,igberre,aro,etc, once inhabited the area around itu in the present cross river state.

2. These people were igbo speaking,as could be seen from their names.

3. These people were pushed from this their itu abode by the ibibios/efiks/annang, into a more eastern direction.

4. These people didn't meet the land they occupy today empty,they met other igbo groups there,whom they overpowered and pushed towards the igbo central areas in northern abia and southern anambra(orumba area).

Some of the groups you mentioned actually know where they migrated from (usually Imo) and don't need a hypothesis.

ezeagu:

Some of the groups you mentioned actually know where they migrated from (usually Imo) and don't need a hypothesis.

Which of them?

pazienza:

Which of them?

Ohafia, Aro, Abiriba, Edda, Abam and other Bende groups are related and are all linked to a group of people that migrated into what is now southern Ebonyi and northern Abia. This group wasn't originally Igbo-speaking; it spoke a Cross Riverian language. The remnants of this language are still present in this region since you can still find non-Igbo names like Toti and Akuma among these peoples.

odumchi:

Ohafia, Aro, Abiriba, Edda, Abam and other Bende groups are related and are all linked to a group of people that migrated into what is now southern Ebonyi and northern Abia. This group wasn't originally Igbo-speaking; it spoke a Cross Riverian language. The remnants of this language are still present in this region since you can still find non-Igbo names like Toti and Akuma among these peoples.

so you know that these people are not originally igbos but for selfish reasons u keep including them in igbo history.

Antivirus92: so you know that these people are not originally igbos but for selfish reasons u keep including them in igbo history.

There's no such thing as "original Igbo". We've discussed this several times.

odumchi:

There's no such thing as "original Igbo". We've discussed this several times.

you and who have discussed it?. There are original igbos and igbonised igbos. Take it or leave it.

odumchi:

Ohafia, Aro, Abiriba, Edda, Abam and other Bende groups are related and are all linked to a group of people that migrated into what is now southern Ebonyi and northern Abia. This group wasn't originally Igbo-speaking; it spoke a Cross Riverian language. The remnants of this language are still present in this region since you can still find non-Igbo names like Toti and Akuma among these peoples.

Not true. Those groups were originally igbo speaking, the name of their first leaders suggests so. Just like the western igbos that assimilated edo elements with time,so did these eastern igbo groups assimilate cross riverian elements with time.

pazienza:

Not true. Those groups were originally igbo speaking, the name of their first leaders suggests so. Just like the western igbos that assimilated edo elements with time,so did these eastern igbo groups assimilate cross riverian elements with time.

You can't really compare Western (Anioma) Igbo with Eastern (Cross River) Igbo because the circumstances behind their settlements in the areas in which they now inhabit are different. Ohafia, Aro, and Edda (Ada) are not mute peoples. They have clearly recorded their histories both online and offline. I suggest you take a look, if you doubt me.

Polyglotism has historically been common among the groups in the Cross River region; meaning that people sometimes bear cross-ethnic names. Therefore, in this region (and especially at that time period), names are not always an indicator of ethnicity.

Anyway, if I may ask, what were the names of the original founding fathers of these peoples?

[quote
author=Abagworo]

Those people that use "ifon", "ifen" or "iphe" are mostly Crossriver
Igbos that live North of Umuahia to Abakaliki and greet with "Ka" or
"Jokwa". No Abia dialect uses "wu" instead of "bu". I think "wu" starts
around Imo State and ends at the Egbeda axis of Ikwerre via Ohaji. Every
other Igbo dialect I've heard uses "bu". [/quote] i wish you will listen mor to the abians when they speak cos i am an abian from ohuhu and i speak wu nad ihe what u will say is that the intonations differ from community to community and from state to state

^ ^ I agree.
Parts of Umuahia that I've been to uses "wu"
Owu ihe owu = it is what it is.

i strongly belive that there are diffrence in the whole language speaking in anambra becos even in idemili ,Abatete dialet has some diff between our neborin villages not to talk of other local govt or state.

odumchi:


You can't really compare Western (Anioma) Igbo with Eastern (Cross River) Igbo because the circumstances behind their settlements in the areas in which they now inhabit are different. Ohafia, Aro, and Edda (Ada) are not mute peoples. They have clearly recorded their histories both online and offline. I suggest you take a look, if you doubt me.

Polyglotism has historically been common among the groups in the Cross River region; meaning that people sometimes bear cross-ethnic names. Therefore, in this region (and especially at that time period), names are not always an indicator of ethnicity.

Anyway, if I may ask, what were the names of the original founding fathers of these peoples?

Well,Aro,Ohafia and Abam were probably Cross -riverian according to you. But most Bende groups were not. Most of them have a history of descending from other Isu groups.

Ihuomadinihu:

Well,Aro,Ohafia and Abam were probably Cross -riverian according to you. But most Bende groups were not. Most of them have a history of descending from other Isu groups.

'Cross Riverian', in that context, refers to the cultural area that encompass northern Abia and southern Ebonyi. I was not referring to the actual administrative zone (Cross River State).

odumchi:


'Cross Riverian', in that context, refers to the cultural area that encompass northern Abia and southern Ebonyi. I was not referring to the actual administrative zone (Cross River State).

I know what you mean,i guess you misunderstood me. I just want to know if Bende groups like Uzuakoli,Nkpa, Alayi and Igbere etc are classified as CR cultural zones. I thought the CR cultural stuff started from Ohafia,Arochukwu and down to Southern Ebonyi.

simpolelala:
i strongly belive that there are diffrence in the whole language speaking in anambra becos even in idemili ,Abatete dialet has some diff between our neborin villages not to talk of other local govt or state.

What is the difference between what is spoken in Abatete and Umuoji?

Ihuomadinihu:

I know what you mean,i guess you misunderstood me. I just want to know if Bende groups like Uzuakoli,Nkpa, Alayi and Igbere etc are classified as CR cultural zones. I thought the CR cultural stuff started from Ohafia,Arochukwu and down to Southern Ebonyi.

I see what you mean. You're right. The Umuahia-Uzuakoli-Bende-Item elements of northern Abia are considered southern Igbo and not Cross Riverian.

odumchi:


I see what you mean. You're right. The Umuahia-Uzuakoli-Bende-Item elements of northern Abia are considered southern Igbo and not Cross Riverian.

Yeah. And i believe they fall within the CR igbo dialect cluster.

pazienza:


Here is my hypothesis on this matter.

1, The people we today call abam,abriba,ohafia,edda,umuhu ezechi,igberre,aro,etc, once inhabited the area around itu in the present cross river state.

2. These people were igbo speaking,as could be seen from their names.

3. These people were pushed from this their itu abode by the ibibios/efiks/annang, into a more western direction.

4. These people didn't meet the land they occupy today empty,they met other igbo groups there,whom they overpowered and pushed towards the igbo central areas in northern abia and southern anambra(orumba area).

There are many community/villega in igbo land that goes by the name Itu eg Ituku,Itukpa and others in Abia& Imo so there might be some relation between the cross river Itu and Igbo Itu.

simpolelala:
i strongly belive that there are diffrence in the whole language speaking in anambra becos even in idemili ,Abatete dialet has some diff between our neborin villages not to talk of other local govt or state.

I know only about the Igala language speakers in Anambra. Except you wanted to say the different dialects in the state. Many people, rightly or wrongly, are of the opinion that the Omambala region's dialect is by default the flagship tongue of Ndi Anambra.

This dialect is traditionally spoken mainly in the Oyi, Ayamelum, Onitsha North, Anambra East/west and Dunukofia councils. The youths thinks it's sexy.
Other neigbouring communities whose dialects come close to the above are Ogidi and Obosi. Nkpor and Umuoji to an extent.

The Ogbarus, from Idemmili-Odekpe down to Obeagwe have their own dialect, though very light like the Omambalas.

I will group Abatete, Eziowelle and Abacha together. Then Abagana and Nimo on one side, though the Abagana's tilted more to the Dunukofia side. Amichi, Nnobi, Nnokwa, Agulu-UzoIgbo, Igboukwu, Adazi and Oraeri in one group.

Parts of Umunri; Nawfia and Enugwu Ukwu speaks like the natives of Awka and environs. Nnewi North, parts of Idemmili like Oba and Ojoto, including the Ekwusigo council speak in a similar way. On the other hand, Nnewi South and parts of Orlu/Mgbidi shares dialectical affinity.

Aguata: Umuchu, Akokwa, Osina etc. are very unique. Umunze, Isulo, Nawfija, Ekwulobia, Uga, Ogbunka and so on are another group amongst the rest.

So, yes, Anambra nwelu different dialects. I’ve lived amongst them. And can rightly guess their respective communities/areas whenever I’m their midst.

Although an old discussion, but I was successfully tempted to join in. I am from the southern part of Anambra State, the town of Utuh Mbadike in Nnewi South LGA. I agree with the thesis of Anambra having divergent dialects. But I should hasten to add that one would be wrong to assume the differences in dialect always mean differences in origin between the towns and regions of Anambra State. Many of the towns in Ihiala LGA have verifiable Nri origin, yet they don’t speak the Njikoka dialect. My father is from Utuh, and the town was settled by folks from different parts of the old Igbo country. My paternal grandma is from an Utuh clan called Umuehim, descendants of Agulu settlers, hence their being referred to as ‘Ehim-Agulu’. My mother hails from Amichi, and Amichi is an Okotu town—closely related to Osumenyi, Adazi Enu, Adazi Ani, and Adazi Nnukwu. Okotu himself hailed from Umuona town in Aguata, a town I suspect is Nri-linked via neighbouring Oraeri. My sister is married to a man from Ikenga town in Aguata, and Ikenga folks say they are ‘isi mba’ wherefrom every Ikenga community originally departed, including Ikenga Ogidi. The mother of this Ikenga Aguata brother-in-law of mine was herself originally from Oraeri. My direct elder brother is married to a lady from Umuchu (Aguata still). All this was said to allow me point out: No two of these mentioned towns speak the same dialect of the Igbo language, except perhaps the three Adazis. But I have just illustrated how my family is linked by blood to all these places.

(For what it’s worth: The Ikenga + Umuona dialects are close but not the same; the Igboukwu + Oraeri dialects are close but not the same; Osumenyi and Ukpor folks sound alike; Utuh has a unique dialect; Amichi and Nnewi town share a dialect which I believe extends into Oraifite and Ichi in Ekwusigo. Osita Osadebe’s mother was, I suspect, from Oraifite, and many of his musical words are unique to the Oraifite-Nnewi-Ichi-Amichi dialect ... I hear these terms from my mom and her Amichi folks but never from the other towns that surround Amichi, like Osumenyi and Utuh. NB: To clarify further; the Okotu clan includes Adazi-Enu, Adazi-Ani, Adazi-Nnukwu, Obeledu, Amichi, Ichida, Osumenyi, and Ogbodi. Potentially more towns. Yet between these listed communities are up to three dialects and two local government areas. Go figure!)

When we marry, our preference goes in this manner: fellow Nnewi South towns, Nnewi North, Aguata, Ekwusigo, Idemmili South, Idemmili North (minus Obosi), Orumba South, Orumba North, and then Ihiala. Njikoka and Dunukofia come next, followed by Awka, etc. We don’t marry from Onitsha or the towns adjacent to it. We equally don’t venture toward Delta State. My folks are of the belief that Igbo towns bordering non-Igbo cultures should not be prioritised in matters of marriage.

Finally, to discount Southern Anambra as not being ‘Anambra enough’, whatever that suggestion might mean, is to rob Anambra of its widely envied glorious excellence. It is generally seen as ‘the money State’ of doers, and for every billionaire businessman from Northern Anambra, there are four from Southern Anambra. Nnewi is untouchable in this regard. And there’s a good reason the medical investments of ObiJackson (Okija) and Godwin Mmaduka (Umuchukwu) are both located in Southern Anambra. I am in fact of the opinion that three Igbo regions stand out above the rest with regard to wealth ownership ... in the following order: 1. Southern Anambra, 2. Northern Imo, and 3. The Bende axis of Abia State. / Therein lie the business and industrialist cultures that make the Igbo special and without which the Igbo would cease to be Igbo.

anambra south's dialects is very different from anambra center and north,them orumba and co have the harshest dialect in anambra,sounds mostly like what is obtainable in imo state,while anambra center is lighter,and the north the lightest

but when u come to anambra center,almost all towns are a dialect of their own,close towns dont even speak same dialect,e.g ideani which descended from Alor and share a common boundary dont speak alike

agadez007:
anambra south's dialects is very different from anambra center and north,them orumba and co have the harshest dialect in anambra,sounds mostly like what is obtainable in imo state,while anambra center is lighter,and the north the lightest

but when u come to anambra center,almost all towns are a dialect of their own,close towns dont even speak same dialect,e.g ideani which descended from Alor and share a common boundary dont speak alike

Isn't orumba dialect similar to the dialect of Oji River/Udi in Enugu state?

achi4u:
Aghamelum LGA in Anambra state is another town with a strange language so differently from other towns.
What could be the cause of this variation frm this wonderful people?

The core omambala communities, Oyi, Ayamelum, Anambra east and West, speak the same dialect with little variance. Their dialects is the most complicated of all Anambra dialects.

Deltagiant:


I know only about the Igala language speakers in Anambra. Except you wanted to say the different dialects in the state. Many people, rightly or wrongly, are of the opinion that the Omambala region's dialect is by default the flagship tongue of Ndi Anambra.

This dialect is traditionally spoken mainly in the Oyi, Ayamelum, Onitsha North, Anambra East/west and Dunukofia councils. The youths thinks it's sexy.
Other neigbouring communities whose dialects come close to the above are Ogidi and Obosi. Nkpor and Umuoji to an extent.

The Ogbarus, from Idemmili-Odekpe down to Obeagwe have their own dialect, though very light like the Omambalas.

I will group Abatete, Eziowelle and Abacha together. Then Abagana and Nimo on one side, though the Abagana's tilted more to the Dunukofia side. Amichi, Nnobi, Nnokwa, Agulu-UzoIgbo, Igboukwu, Adazi and Oraeri in one group.

Parts of Umunri; Nawfia and Enugwu Ukwu speaks like the natives of Awka and environs. Nnewi North, parts of Idemmili like Oba and Ojoto, including the Ekwusigo council speak in a similar way. On the other hand, Nnewi South and parts of Orlu/Mgbidi shares dialectical affinity.

Aguata: Umuchu, Akokwa, Osina etc. are very unique. Umunze, Isulo, Nawfija, Ekwulobia, Uga, Ogbunka and so on are another group amongst the rest.

So, yes, Anambra nwelu different dialects. I’ve lived amongst them. And can rightly guess their respective communities/areas whenever I’m their midst.

Wow! Good to know that someone understands that there re core Omambala communities. But it comprises of Oyi, Ayamelum, Anambra East and West.

bigfrancis21:

I was shocked some weeks ago when I encountered two Ohafia people speaking their dialect and they were using 'ife'. . I was like OMG! These people also speak 'ife'. Before then I thought only Anambra, Delta Igbo, Enugu and some select areas of Ebonyi used 'ife'/'ive'.
I've been to Aba twice and I noticed the variations in the dialects I heard there - ranging from anambra-like to abia-like dialects. But then I remembered that Afikpo (the last A in Abia - Aba, Bende, Isiukwuato and Afikpo) was originally part of Anambra first, then Enugu before Abia now.

Afikpo in Anambra? Hiaa

achi4u:
Too had to understand and even a Rev fr. from the same state can't preach without interpreter,this one happend in my presence not a hearsay.Maybe they are related to Kogi people SMH.

Ayamelum like other Omambala communities, i e Oyi, Anambra East and West speak the same dialect with little variance. You can't choose one without the other, that includes the minority Igala in Olumba n'asa.