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Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? - Culture (2) - Nairaland

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Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by Obiagu1(m): 2:57pm On Jun 09, 2012
Odenigbo Aroli:

You will never hear an Onicha man use"Ive"; Isuofia,Ekwuluobia and environs use "Ive". If you hear flavour nabania you will notice he has a accent and will usually use " Ive"for "Ife",thats because he came from tha Orumba area. One word that Onicha,Obosi and Nkpor are known for is " Isa aru"(to take a bath). They use ""Isa" in the place of "Iwu" which is used by some but not all Idenmili towns. Another town that use the letter "V" instead of "F" is Awka! Like I said before there is very little difference between Idenmili and Onicha dialects and it will be impossible for an outsider to point out!

Are you familiar with Igbo dialects in Njikoka and Anaocha areas? It seems the same as that of Idenmili.

I don't know what I speak any more; I use "isa" and "iwu" interchangeably without noticing it. The only thing I'm sure I don't use is "v" in place of "f".

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Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by Obiagu1(m): 3:13pm On Jun 09, 2012
odumchi:

Lol grin. It's not our fault that some people were unable to comprehend Isuama due partly to the presence of Arochukwu. Isuama was just trying to blend dialects from every corner of Igboland and Arochukwu just happened to be in the extreme east.

Anyway... I found a few interesting (at least I think they are) documents. The first one is of Chinua Achebe's lecture in Owerri (1999) in which he denounced Standard Igbo. He wrote it in his own native Idenmilli dialect (NRI I know you will have no problem deciphering it) grin.

The second is the same exact document, however in Standard Igbo. Maybe they will help.

http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00fwp/igbo/achebe/index.html

And yeah, if anyone knows how to speak Isuama please give us some examples.

Thanks for the link. I just read the first page. They seem very much the same with the usual differences "ro for ghi", "f for h", "l for r" and occasional word variations.

Very surprising that Dr. Frances W. Pritchett could write in such a perfect standard Igbo.
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by OdenigboAroli(m): 3:28pm On Jun 09, 2012
Obiagu1:

Are you familiar with Igbo dialects in Njikoka and Anaocha areas? It seems the same as that of Idenmili.

I don't know what I speak any more; I use "isa" and "iwu" interchangeably without noticing it. The only thing I'm sure I don't use is "v" in place of "f".

Yes,Njikoka/Anaocha dialects and Idenmili dialects are very identical with few varieties here and there. And all these places you mentioned and Idenmili were Nri offsprings,hence there dialects,cultural and social structures are the same.
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by OdenigboAroli(m): 3:40pm On Jun 09, 2012
nedu210: nwa nnaa, agbenu people ar anambra people, enugu and imo call anambra people agbenu while people from onicha axis call the rest of anambra people agbenu, and no enugu lga is referred to as agbenu, all ar wawa people.

Nop,Onicha ppl doesnt have a term for the rest of Anambra,rather they call the rest of the Igbos " nwa onye Igbo". Infact ppl from Idenmili refer to some Anambra and Enugu groups as "ndi agbenu" and this is a common knowledge in Idenmili. I will ask my father what agbenu means and who are the real agbenu. My mother even had a friend she calls "nwanyi agbenu".
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by Afam4eva(m): 3:55pm On Jun 09, 2012
My mon refers to people from Anambra. So, I've never heard ndi Enugu refered to as Agbenu.
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by ChinenyeN(m): 4:36pm On Jun 09, 2012
odumchi:

Lol grin. It's not our fault that some people were unable to comprehend Isuama due partly to the presence of Arochukwu. Isuama was just trying to blend dialects from every corner of Igboland and Arochukwu just happened to be in the extreme east.

Anyway... I found a few interesting (at least I think they are) documents. The first one is of Chinua Achebe's lecture in Owerri (1999) in which he denounced Standard Igbo. He wrote it in his own native Idenmilli dialect (NRI I know you will have no problem deciphering it) grin.

The second is the same exact document, however in Standard Igbo. Maybe they will help.

http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00fwp/igbo/achebe/index.html

And yeah, if anyone knows how to speak Isuama please give us some examples.

I read the two documents. There are a number of things in those documents that I couldn't understand; lexicon that I'm not familiar with, and in my understanding, if the first document is actual native Idinmilli, then Izugbe lexicon very much mirrors Anambra.
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by odumchi: 5:19pm On Jun 09, 2012
Obiagu1:

Thanks for the link. I just read the first page. They seem very much the same with the usual differences "ro for ghi", "f for h", "l for r" and occasional word variations.

Very surprising that Dr. Frances W. Pritchett could write in such a perfect standard Igbo.

ChinenyeN:

I read the two documents. There are a number of things in those documents that I couldn't understand; lexicon that I'm not familiar with, and in my understanding, if the first document is actual native Idinmilli, then Izugbe lexicon very much mirrors Anambra.

I also noticed the same things. Igbo Izugbe mirrors the patterns of Northern Igbo while using a mix of northern and southern vocabulary.
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by OdenigboAroli(m): 5:50pm On Jun 09, 2012
ChinenyeN:

I read the two documents. There are a number of things in those documents that I couldn't understand; lexicon that I'm not familiar with, and in my understanding, if the first document is actual native Idinmilli, then Izugbe lexicon very much mirrors Anambra.

I noticed that too and that is definitely not Idenmili Igbo; Both of the materials are written in Izugbe. I think Achebe is getting too old grin grin grin
That "Achebes Igbo"(the one used in the material) is definitely not Ogidi Igbo who we share boarders with.
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by OdenigboAroli(m): 5:54pm On Jun 09, 2012
odumchi:

Lol grin. It's not our fault that some people were unable to comprehend Isuama due partly to the presence of Arochukwu. Isuama was just trying to blend dialects from every corner of Igboland and Arochukwu just happened to be in the extreme east.

Anyway... I found a few interesting (at least I think they are) documents. The first one is of Chinua Achebe's lecture in Owerri (1999) in which he denounced Standard Igbo. He wrote it in his own native Idenmilli dialect (NRI I know you will have no problem deciphering it) grin.

The second is the same exact document, however in Standard Igbo. Maybe they will help.

http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00fwp/igbo/achebe/index.html

And yeah, if anyone knows how to speak Isuama please give us some examples.


Achebe is a legend!! The Odenigbo lecture was indeed a lecture to my mind and soul!! I learned alot from it.
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by Obiagu1(m): 5:58pm On Jun 09, 2012
Odenigbo Aroli:

I noticed that too and that is definitely not Idenmili Igbo; Both of the materials are written in Izugbe. I think Achebe is getting too old grin grin grin
That "Achebes Igbo"(the one used in the material) is definitely not Ogidi Igbo who we share boarders with.

So how deviated could Idenmili be from what Achebe wrote using the first page as an example?

I know for sure what Achebe wrote is almost exactly what I speak everyday only that some words from Izugbe often come in here and there.
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by odumchi: 6:11pm On Jun 09, 2012
Odenigbo Aroli:

I noticed that too and that is definitely not Idenmili Igbo; Both of the materials are written in Izugbe. I think Achebe is getting too old grin grin grin
That "Achebes Igbo"(the one used in the material) is definitely not Ogidi Igbo who we share boarders with.

What dialect was that? It doesn't seem to be central.

For example he used: "Kedu ife melu fa ji rapu aka" instead of "Kedu ihe mere ha ji hapu aka" (which I recognize as Izugbe).
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by OdenigboAroli(m): 6:25pm On Jun 09, 2012
odumchi:

What dialect was that? It doesn't seem to be central.

For example he used: "Kedu ife melu fa ji rapu aka" instead of "Kedu ihe mere ha ji hapu aka" (which I recognize as Izugbe).

I was wrong; My eyes was playing tricks on me. Thats Idenmili Igbo....I was lazy. I was actually reading the Izugbe one. Sorry guys.
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by odumchi: 6:30pm On Jun 09, 2012
Odenigbo Aroli:

I was wrong; My eyes was playing tricks on me. Thats Idenmili Igbo....I was lazy. I was actually reading the Izugbe one. Sorry guys.

lmao
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by Abagworo(m): 10:33pm On Jun 09, 2012
So it is widely accepted then that Idenmili speaks the most mutually intelligible indigenous dialect. Isuama is not an easy Igbo for any non-Isu. I will get some instances. It sounds similar to Ika in Delta State.
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by OdenigboAroli(m): 11:33pm On Jun 09, 2012
odumchi:

lmao

You are mocking an Nri priest abi; Ekwekwana kam jeelu gi ije alusi!!
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by OdenigboAroli(m): 11:45pm On Jun 09, 2012
Abagworo: So it is widely accepted then that Idenmili speaks the most mutually intelligible indigenous dialect. Isuama is not an easy Igbo for any non-Isu. I will get some instances. It sounds similar to Ika in Delta State.


What are the towns that make up Isuama clan ? I know of Isuofia and Isunjaba; What are their core traditions,what defines them and are Orlus Isuama? ? I really want to learn more about Isuama ?

Arochukwu did some damages but Isuama also traded! !
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by odumchi: 2:17am On Jun 10, 2012
Odenigbo Aroli:

You are mocking an Nri priest abi; Ekwekwana kam jeelu gi ije alusi!!

Lol. Take am easy o. I wasn't mocking you; your response/attitude was just hilarious grin.
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by DuduNegro: 4:44am On Jun 10, 2012
You guys speak of central and south and northern Igbo as if to say the entire Igbo country covers a widespread territory. You are better off defining the differentiation in your dialects along clan lines. If you must talk history, speak to the truth of who you are. . . .a dispersed and non-allied collection of clans!
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by Abagworo(m): 5:05am On Jun 10, 2012
Odenigbo Aroli:


What are the towns that make up Isuama clan ? I know of Isuofia and Isunjaba; What are their core traditions,what defines them and are Orlus Isuama? ? I really want to learn more about Isuama ?

Arochukwu did some damages but Isuama also traded! !

I don't know if those people know themselves as Isuama or Isu but different variations of "Isu", "Isoma", "Isuama", "Isoama" appears to have been recorded. However going by what outsiders call them them, then the Isu live mainly in Imo State and parts of Anambra. For example within Owerri metropolis, the Orji people are Oroatta while their direct neighbors "Mbieri" are Isu. Hence an Orji man refers to Mbieri or Akabo as "Nwisoma". But if you move a bit down too after Oroatta which is "Ikwerre" in Rivers State, they call other Igbos "Nwisoma" hence questioning if most of these people actually existed as Isuama or it is a coinage like "Nwonyigbo" of Oguta or Onitsha or "Nwohuhu" of Ngwa as a form of indicating non-indigenous people of same race in their midst. So Isuama to the best of my knowledge starts from Mbaitoli in Imo State and stretches to near Okigwe and moves past Akokwa in Ideato into Ekwulobia, Uga and the Aguata area, then again Westwards to Ihiala, Uli, Mgbidi, Okija but there seem to have existed a difference in the Western side which took on the name of Orsu and developed a kind of mixed Isu, Benin and Nri culture and feeling distinct but alongside Ehime(parts of Mbano, Mbaise, Obowu), they form the greater Isuama.

I've tried to study the distinctness in the language because I'm good in languages and discovered that they seem more diverse than other Igbo groups in almost everything but I noticed the use of "ru" or "du" for the central Igbo "di" in many of their dialects. "O ruhu nma" or "O duhu nma" means "it is not good". There exists the use of "sh" for "s" in Isuama. Head is "ishi" instead of "isi" while thief is "Onye oshi" instead of "Onye osi".

I will look for a full long sentence in a deep Isuama dialect, I can bet most non-Isu Igbos will find it difficult.

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Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by odumchi: 5:38am On Jun 10, 2012
Abagworo:
I've tried to study the distinctness in the language because I'm good in languages and discovered that they seem more diverse than other Igbo groups in almost everything but I noticed the use of "ru" or "du" for the central Igbo "di" in many of their dialects. "O ruhu nma" or "O duhu nma" means "it is not good". There exists the use of "sh" for "s" in Isuama. Head is "ishi" instead of "isi" while thief is "Onye oshi" instead of "Onye osi".

Your whole paragraph was interesting, but this part struck me the most.

Isuama itself was a man-made dialect formulated by piecing together various pieces of Igbo lexicon obtained from various freed slaves. It's also important to realize that most of the Igbo enslaved came from the areas which are now part of present day Imo, Abia, and Rivers. For example, the Ngwa, Abiriba, Abam, and Ohafia peoples (although not Isuama) speak "shi-shi". My hypothesis is that the vocabulary supplied by slaves native to these areas is partly responsible for the stark differences between Isuama and the traditional northern/western dialects (Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra, Delta). This might be the reason why Isuama was said to be the 'purest Igbo dialect'.
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by Abagworo(m): 8:20am On Jun 10, 2012
odumchi:

Your whole paragraph was interesting, but this part struck me the most.

Isuama itself was a man-made dialect formulated by piecing together various pieces of Igbo lexicon obtained from various freed slaves. It's also important to realize that most of the Igbo enslaved came from the areas which are now part of present day Imo, Abia, and Rivers. For example, the Ngwa, Abiriba, Abam, and Ohafia peoples (although not Isuama) speak "shi-shi". My hypothesis is that the vocabulary supplied by slaves native to these areas is partly responsible for the stark differences between Isuama and the traditional northern/western dialects (Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra, Delta). This might be the reason why Isuama was said to be the 'purest Igbo dialect'.


I stumbled upon a book by Catherine Acholonu which describes her area as Isu district and also in the facebook page of some people like Isiekenesi(Ideato), Okohia, Umuakha they acknowledged being a part of the Isuama country. I've been busy browsing since morning for any information on the Isuama and Isu. The Orsu is not Isu as I erroneously thought.

http://harriet.tubman1.yorku.ca/equianosworld/sites/harriet.tubman1.yorku.ca.equianosworld/files/Acholonu_Home.pdf
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by MrMandilas: 8:37am On Jun 10, 2012
some-girl:
Anambra and delta dialects aren't central igbo written or spoken.
I think the fact that anambra dialects are used in the majority of igbo movies has confused some.
I can hardly follow asaba or onitsha igbo biko unu
U are very correct! Thought i can other igbo clans much well. They are not the same. Written Igbo is from Imo but i do not really know what people refer as spoken Igbo because i do understand anything Igbo.
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by MrMandilas: 8:38am On Jun 10, 2012
some-girl:
Anambra and delta dialects aren't central igbo written or spoken.
I think the fact that anambra dialects are used in the majority of igbo movies has confused some.
I can hardly follow asaba or onitsha igbo biko unu
U are very correct! Thought i can understand other igbo clans much well. They are not the same. Written Igbo is from Imo but i do not really know what people refer as spoken Igbo because i do understand anything Igbo.
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by MrMandilas: 8:42am On Jun 10, 2012
Abagworo:


I stumbled upon a book by Catherine Acholonu which describes her area as Isu district and also in the facebook page of some people like Isiekenesi(Ideato), Okohia, Umuakha they acknowledged being a part of the Isuama country. I've been busy browsing since morning for any information on the Isuama and Isu. The Orsu is not Isu as I erroneously thought.

http://harriet.tubman1.yorku.ca/equianosworld/sites/harriet.tubman1.yorku.ca.equianosworld/files/Acholonu_Home.pdf
I want u to also know that Isu is different from Isuama.
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by Abagworo(m): 12:31pm On Jun 10, 2012
This book settles a lot of unknown history from the 19th century angle concerning our practices then.


http://www.archive.org/stream/narrativeofexplo00baik/narrativeofexplo00baik_djvu.txt
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by NRIPRIEST(m): 1:07pm On Jun 10, 2012
So, Isuofia and Isunjaba doesnt have any connection with Isuama ? Its also possible there is no a defined Isu dialect and their exact area of domain is still in question and they seem not to know themselves. Its quite sad!
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by Obiagu1(m): 7:27pm On Jun 10, 2012
Mr Mandilas: I want u to also know that Isu is different from Isuama.

... and what is the difference?

This Isu/Isuama is getting more complicated everyday.
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by ChinenyeN(m): 9:23pm On Jun 10, 2012
Obiagu1: ... and what is the difference?
This Isu/Isuama is getting more complicated everyday.
I presume he may be talking about the fact that Isuama refers to those Isu who settled beyond the original Isu homeland (Igboukwu-Orlu-Amaigbo axis, accoring to various Igbo historians).

odumchi: Your whole paragraph was interesting, but this part struck me the most.

Isuama itself was a man-made dialect formulated by piecing together various pieces of Igbo lexicon obtained from various freed slaves. It's also important to realize that most of the Igbo enslaved came from the areas which are now part of present day Imo, Abia, and Rivers. For example, the Ngwa, Abiriba, Abam, and Ohafia peoples (although not Isuama) speak "shi-shi". My hypothesis is that the vocabulary supplied by slaves native to these areas is partly responsible for the stark differences between Isuama and the traditional northern/western dialects (Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra, Delta). This might be the reason why Isuama was said to be the 'purest Igbo dialect'.

I think you may have some things mixed up. Isuama was not man-made. According to Colombia Univeristy and it's Igbo Studies department, Isuama became the standard dialect of emancipated Igbo slaves in Sierra Leone. The Isu/Isuama represented the largest portion of the emancipated Igbo slave population in Sierra Leone. So it is not surprising that most of the early linguistic Igbo studies centered around them and their speech form. The claim (or better yet, assumption) of 'purest dialect', made by Crowther (I believe), was likely due to the fact that most Sierra Leone Igbo were Isuama and Isuama had gained standardization there. He believed it to be the purest and I think he also claimed it would be the most intelligble. His visit to Nigeria showed him otherwise though. Isuama was soon abandoned after Crowther's death. The difference between Isu/Isuama and traditional northern/western speech forms has nothing to do with vocabulary supplied by non-Isu.

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Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by OdenigboAroli(m): 12:32am On Jun 11, 2012
Igboukwu arent Isu! !
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by ChinenyeN(m): 12:48am On Jun 11, 2012
Odenigbo Aroli: Igboukwu arent Isu! !
Go and tell Isu people that.
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by OdenigboAroli(m): 12:57am On Jun 11, 2012
ChinenyeN:
Go and tell Isu people that.

Go and tell Igboukwu ppl that; Everything about Igboukwu suggest they are of Nri....Hell,Isus barely know themselves!!
Re: Town Or Clan Whose Original Dialect Is Closer To Central Igbo? by ChinenyeN(m): 1:06am On Jun 11, 2012
Odenigbo Aroli: Go and tell Igboukwu ppl that; Everything about Igboukwu suggest they are of Nri....Hell,Isus barely know themselves!!
This is a shameful statement. You don't know Isu, yet you want to come here shouting that they don't know themselves. Typical.

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