ANNANG LANGUAGE

By: Regent Ufere

Annang language is the identical of agwo Annang (annang person) whose differentiate others individuals with Annang persons in Akwa ibom state and diaspora extractions
Annang language which belongs to Niger-Congo ethnolinguistic group. It is spoken by over 2.3 million Nigerians. It has various dialects such as Abak, Ikot Ekpene, Ika,ukanfun, Etim Ekpo, obot Akara etc.
Parts of the Annang language may be intelligible to speakers of Efik, Ibibio, Oron, Ekit (also known as Ekid) of the Old Calabar Kingdom. Though the Annang speech pattern was not written down, linguists have now produced an orthography of the language which makes it possible to produce written materials in the language (Idem-Agozino & Udondata, 2001; Ette (2009) According to Ephraim Stephen Essien in his book "Annang philosophy(2011)
Below is how agwo (human being) is categorized in Annang:
Agwodeen = male person (man);
Agwo nwaan= female person (woman);
Ideen= men;
Ibaan= women;
Ajen= child;
Nsek Ajen= baby or infant;
Ntok Ajen= children;
Ikpo Agwo= Elders;
Imo Agwo= Rich, wealthy person;
Ugwuene= Poor person;
Utu= wretched person;
Afoon agwo= ordinary person;
Eti agwo= good person;
Idiok agwo= bad person;
Agwo Ilien= Real person;
Agwodeen Itiaba=Complete/perfect man
Agwoodeen itiaba refers to the man who has attained the plenitude of his manhood.
Itiaba is the Annang name for seven. And the number seven is a symbol of completeness or perfection in Annang thought and tradition.