The Longman dictionary of contemporary English defined extinction as ‘’when a type of person, custom, language stops existing’’.

Examples of extinct languages in Nigeria includes (a) Ajawa; formerly spoken in Bauchi State, Nigeria. It became extinct between 1920 and 1940 as speakers switched to Hausa.

(b) Kpati; formerly spoken in Taraba state, speakers now speak Hausa.

(c) Basa Gunma; it’s an extinct Kainji language of Nigeria formerly spoken by people around Niger and Nasarawa states, speakers now speak Hausa.

This is to mention but a few. You can check this link for more on extinct Nigerian languages.
https://www.nairaland.com/1915760/10-extinct-nigerian-languages-what

It is no longer news that UNESCO in 2012 predicted that Igbo language might become extinct in the next 50 years. To some it is impossible, but it unsettles me, and I make bold to say that it is a possibility. I will tell you why.

There are about 500 languages spoken in Nigeria today, in them you will find Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba being spoken by a larger population in Nigeria. In other words, these three are the masquerades (Mgbadike) of the Nigeria languages. The fact Igbo language instead of gaining communication height in the hierarchy of languages is currently moving in the downward trend because of the rate at which the Igbos especially the youths are shying away from their language with reckless abandon.

Let us use our parents as a case study to x-ray UNESCO’s prediction. There is no doubt that our parents understands and speak Igbo, but how many of their children can effectively communicate in Igbo language? Even the ones that knows it prefers to communicate with their brethren in English. If in the next 50 years, our parents passes on to the great beyond leaving behind their children who cannot or refuse to communicate in Igbo, don’t you think that UNESCO’s prediction has come to pass then?

From my research and observations, it is only the older generation of Igbos (40 years and above) that speak the language both in the cities and in the rural places. The worst hit are the female folks especially the younger ones (30 years and below) they understand the language but refuse to speak it. Listen to a Hausa person speak to a fellow Hausa, you will never hear English in their communication, in the same way, when I speak Igbo to an Igbo person I make sure I don’t add English and yet over 90% of my female friends will reply me fully in English. This shows that they understand the language but refuse to speak it.

Among the male counterpart, it is only those that didn’t go to school that proudly speaks the language. It gladdens my heart anytime I go to the market to buy things (Lagos and Abuja), there you will see Igbo traders and business men proudly speaking the language, but it is not so when you visit our universities or meet our graduates on the road.

I once asked a female Corp member posted to serve in our office why she prefers to communicate in English instead of Igbo to her fellow Igbos, she told me that if she speak Igbo people will see her as an illiterate and a local girl. Gosh!!! Why do the Yoruba and Hausa people not have this type of stupid mentality that is prevalent among Igbo Youths?

I feel ashamed that my Hausa and Yoruba colleagues will see their people and say stuffs like Inakwana, Inaoni, Ekaro, Ekaso (i.e morning and day greetings in those languages) But the Igbos will see each other and start saying things like: Nna how far, good morning and good afternoon. Hardly will you see an Igbo person that will greet you with: Nna kedu, Ututu Oma, Ibolachi, Kaoo, Jokwaa etc. This is not only prevalent among the Igbos of the South East, the Igbos of Rivers and Delta states where my mom hails from are equally guilty.

English is a means of communication between people of different tribes since Nigeria is a multilingual country. People of the same tribe should not use English to talk to each other. It is a sick thing for an Igbo person to communicate in English to a fellow Igbo, you will never see a Hausa person communicating in English to his tribal person. If you are Igbo and you don’t know how to speak the language, it is actually a shame, it’s your number one identity, and so you should go and learn it. Nobody is asking you to go and serve your ancestor’s deity but to speak your language.

Asking a young Igbo person to say the numbers or naira value in Igbo language is like asking them to trek from Abuja to Aba. I could remember an episode with an Igbo woman that sells roasted yam opposite PHCN office in Maitama Abuja. Below is our conversation.

Woman: Nna, Kedu ihe I choro? (Sir what do you want?)

Me: Biko nye m ji otu akpa ego (Please give me yam of N200)

Woman: I si gini (What did you say)

Me: A si m gi nye m ji otu akpa ego (I said you should give me N200 yam)

Woman: Gini bu otu akpa ego? (What is N200?)

Me: Obu na ibughi onye igbo, I maghi ihe ana akpo ego na asusu igbo (Are you not Igbo, don’t you know the names of money in Igbo)

Woman: A mabu m ya mbu, mana e chefuola m ya (I know it before but I have forgotten it).

Me: (Gets angry) Biko nye m ji N200 naira ka m rie si ebe a puo. (Please give me yam of N200 let me eat and get out of this place.

This woman is not alone on this. These days, it is hard to find Igbos who knows the Igbo meaning for some certain things. Gather people from different tribes in Abuja or Lagos and ask them what some certain things are called in their native language and you will see them boldly telling you but ask an Igbo person the name for Chameleon in his native language and you will see them looking at the skies as if the answer is going to fall from there, the best answer you will get is I used to know it before.

Those that still manages to speak Igbo language mixes it with English. Listen to someone talk in Igbo, you will discover that 40% of their speech contains English. It’s only among the elderly ones in the rural places that you can still find someone that speaks Igbo language flawlessly without adding an English word.

Hardly will you see non Igbos visiting or residing in the Igbo states learn Igbo language anymore because the inhabitants of those lands no longer speak Igbo language. But reverse is the case when Igbos are visiting Yoruba or Hausa states, just give them 6 months there, they will come back and speak those languages more than the original owners.

My elder brother’s wife is from Edo state but schooled in Madonna University Anambra state. The first time I met her I greeted her in Igbo and spoke some simple Igbo to her but to my greatest surprise she told me that she didn’t understand anything in what I just said. I became embarrassed and told her that I spoke Igbo to her because I was told she schooled in Anambra state and should have used the opportunity to learn some basic Igbo language. She told me that during her school days, the Igbos who are majority in her school (over 80%) hardly speak Igbo to each other, they always communicate in English, so how was she supposed to learn the language since the owners of the language seldom speaks it.

I know some people will say that I am exaggerating, but I want you to know that this is a research that has taking me 5 years since I came back to Nigeria after my studies (2010-2015) Don’t just hide behind the screen of your computer and gadgets and criticize me. Take a trip down to Nigeria if you are not here already, then you will understand what I am taking about. Visit all the major cities in Nigeria, south eastern states inclusive, then you will know that this downward trend of our dear language is really scary. If you think I am joking just pick up your phone right now and call any of your Igbo friend or family member and hear them speak then you will understand my lamentation.

Does it not bother you that we started Nollywood and over 80% of Nollywood stars have Igbo roots yet we don’t have a dedicated channel on DSTV whereas there are some channels dedicated to Hausa and Yoruba people.

If you are non-Igbo, I will advise that you steer clear of this thread, this is not the time for tribal war, it’s the time to bring to the consciousness of my Igbo brethren what is happening to us,but if you must contribute, please let it be constructive since nothing warms your blood than a thread that bashes the Igbos. And to my fellow Igbos, it is a wake-up call to all of us, it is time to bring this to bare, there is nothing to hide anymore, there is no better time to discuss this topic, it doesn’t matter if other tribes laugh at us now, the greatest scorn and laughter will be when UNESCO’s prediction will come to pass and we will be speaking English, Hausa and Yoruba in our villages. (A na eji bekee awa oji?) If we fail to do something fast, we will have a rude awakening and will become a laughing stock to other tribes soonest. And if nothing is done to correct this anomaly now, we will wake up one day to find Igbo language extinct like the others that have gone into extinction.

If you will make it a point of duty not to speak English to your fellow Igbos from today and to also spread this to your friends and family outside nairaland, I think our problem is already half solved. Be quick to correct your Igbo friends that speak English to you by reminding them that they are Igbos and should only speak Igbo language to you.

Igbo muru Nze muo Ozo, biko kulie nu na ura. Bido ta subara nwanne gi asusu Igbo.

#Suba asusu Igbo.

Ka Chineke mezie okwu.

Written by Nnamdi Ositadinma a.k.a Mba-ana-abara-Agu

Gbalia degharia ihe i dere n'Igbo; oke i nwere ike.

Good one. But next time pls note that akpa ego is not generally N200 in all Igboland. It is actually N200 where I came from. Igbo Izugbe would rather u said " nari naira abuo".
But this is a thoughtful piece. I melaa.

ChinenyeN:
Gbalia degharia ihe i dere n'Igbo; oke i nwere ike.

Nwanne e ji m bekee de ya maka na o bughi ndi Igbo nile na a ghota ihe e dere na asusu igbo. Isu Igbo di iche na i gu edemede igbo. Udo diri gi.

This 50 years prediction is funny sha. UNESCO underestimates the use of Igbo language in backwater villages. The language is endangered, granted, but it is not dying out that soon.

fairprince:
Good one. But next time pls note that akpa ego is not generally N200 in all Igboland. It is actually N200 where I came from. Igbo Izugbe would rather u said " nari naira abuo".
But this is a thoughtful piece. I melaa.

This is part of the reason why the language is fast eroding. We have forgotten the original names for things. Nari naira abuo is Igbonising N200 (literal translation into Igbo) and this started after the coming of the whiteman. Before the British colonised us, we do have names for every money value. Otu akpa ego is the original Igbo translation for N200. Ighotago? Dalu ri nne.

[quote author=Wulfruna post=31212365]This 50 years prediction is funny sha. UNESCO underestimates the use of Igbo language in backwater villages. The language is endangered, granted, but it is not dying out that soon.

With the kind of levity that the Igbos shows to the language, I think 50 years is even too far if nothing is done urgently to salvage the language.

I love your courage and can feel your passion.Let me state that this is a general disease in Nigeria but its just the degree of detrimental effects that vary.However,let me briefly list the inimical factors regarding the igbo and may be I can touch the Yoruba a little too:
1. The igbo people are widely travelled people because of trade and so will be in their interests to learn another local or international language for that purpose
2. The overwhelming embrace of pidgin.I think this will not only drive down igbo but also many Niger Delta dialects and even for those that speak English , pidgin is a malaise.which has craftily crept into many expressions that make them speak unimpressive English, see example in the first lady's expression in the Chibok girls issue
3.The linguistically differing regionalized igbo variation and the apt of an ordinary igbo persons sense of superiority over others where financial resources is a means of identifying success. What this does is to create a society of cultural dichotomy.
4. The effect of Nollywood.Dominating the English arm was profitable to Igbo practitioners and exposed the culture globally but it take the toll on the language.This may end up doing more damages than it does now as more Yoruba and Hausa movies now sell more than the English movies.The music sector has been largely dominated by the intro of Yoruba which has had to be adopted by all though reckoning the impact of Lagos.

All in all, I feel is a loss necessitated by economic gains which cannot be substituted soonest. I feel strongly for your concern.

Let me state that although Yoruba speaks their language next to the Hausa, the quality of the language among urban speakers is waning and a new breed of the language has evolved in Lagos in about 80-20 to English.I think in the interior parts there are still over 30million speakers but one thing is clear,the Yoruba don't substitute any other language for theirs.

MbaanabaraAgu:
Nwanne e ji m bekee de ya maka na o bughi ndi Igbo nile na a ghota ihe e dere na asusu igbo. Isu Igbo di iche na i gu edemede igbo. Udo diri gi.

Nmema okwu Igbo nweriri otu o g'iji bido. Mbido ahu abughi la Bekee. Gbalia degharia ya. Zi nde madu la o di oke nkpa. O bughi mgbe liile "Igbo is endangered". Nde Ngwa kwuru si la e jighi Bekee ere akika. "Come buy white ant"; onye g'izu? Ihe "Igbo is endangered" nkea... Laani ihe o kpatara bu Bekee ma Bekee. O nweghi ihe ozo. O buru la i choro mgbanwe, bido degharia okwu ghi l'Igbo. Okwu Bekee agwula ike.

i think its a very bad state of affairs when rather than using their language in productive ways, people use it solely to insult and abuse others instead.

that's not good.

mandarin:
I love your courage and can feel your passion.Let me state that this is a general disease in Nigeria but its just the degree of detrimental effects that vary.However,let me briefly list the inimical factors regarding the igbo and may be I can touch the Yoruba a little too:
1. The igbo people are widely travelled people because of trade and so will be in their interests to learn another local or international language for that purpose
2. The overwhelming embrace of pidgin.I think this will not only drive down igbo but also many Niger Delta dialects and even for those that speak English , pidgin is a malaise.which has craftily crept into many expressions that make them speak unimpressive English, see example in the first lady's expression in the Chibok girls issue
3.The linguistically differing regionalized igbo variation and the apt of an ordinary igbo persons sense of superiority over others where financial resources is a means of identifying success. What this does is to create a society of cultural dichotomy.
4. The effect of Nollywood.Dominating the English arm was profitable to Igbo practitioners and exposed the culture globally but it take the toll on the language.This may end up doing more damages than it does now as more Yoruba and Hausa movies now sell more than the English movies.The music sector has been largely dominated by the intro of Yoruba which has had to be adopted by all though reckoning the impact of Lagos.

All in all, I feel is a loss necessitated by economic gains which cannot be substituted soonest. I feel strongly for your concern.

Let me state that although Yoruba speaks their language next to the Hausa, the quality of the language among urban speakers is waning and a new breed of the language has evolved in Lagos in about 80-20 to English.I think in the interior parts there are still over 30million speakers but one thing is clear,the Yoruba don't substitute any other language for theirs.

I agree with your points especially the number one point. I have travelled to so many parts of Nigeria and outside of it and have learnt other languages because of my source of income. I speak Hausa to Hausa people especially the ba turenci types, i am perfecting on my Yoruba but all these wil never stop me from speaking my language to any Igbo person i come across. We are not saying you should not learn or speak other languages but dont do it at the detriment of your own language.

You made a true observation. I have researched and devoted time to this issue in the past and believe me, Igbo language is no way dying. When you go to the east, Igbo language is still very strong and it still baffles me where UNESCO got their 50 year extinction period forecast from. In the next 50 years, the millions of Igbo-speaking children in SE, SS and outside Igboland would be in their 50s and still speaking the language, where then does the 50-year forecast come from? A language is said to be extinct if there are no native speakers of the language even if it has 2nd-language speakers i.e. Latin Language has no native speakers but is spoken liturgically in masses in Catholic churches.

Now, majority of non speakers happen to be those born and raised outside Igboland but I have noticed that most of these people pick up the language as they become adults, and this explains why it is rare to find an Igbo adult who doesn't know how to speak Igbo. I know and have seen many non-speakers as children/teenagers who are fluent speakers today as adults. One notable experience is my UNN experience. Every year, UNN admits a fair share of Lagos-brought up JAMB candidates of Igbo origin who understand but speak a little Igbo. These are people their parents send to the east for university experience to be able to pick up the language. I had many as friends and classmates in my first year and by their 3rd/final years, most of them were speaking Igbo. I would express shock when they spoke fluent Igbo and they would laugh it off. I, myself, am equally an example too. I spoke English as a child but picked up Igbo in my university days and today speak fluent Onitsha, one would even think I grew up in the village. In Igboland, you might be excused for being unable to speak Igbo as a child but Igbo culture and assimilation in Nigeria doesn't permit that for an adult, except you're based overseas.

This is one aspect about the Igbo people that I would like to see us correct - the language part. There are parents who make efforts to ensure that their children speak the language, notably, parents living abroad. Visit youtube and you'll see videos by Igbo parents on their kids living abroad speaking Igbo. The language is still very much alive, especially if you take a tour in Igbo speaking areas of SE and SS. There will always be Igbo language speakers, with the non-speaking children making up the majority of 5% non-speaking population, a figure that reduces as those children grow up to be Igbo-speaking adults.

As for the Edo lady comment, I did my secondary school in the east (Owerri) and I remember at least 10 non-Igbo classmates (4 Edo, 5 Akwa Ibom and 1 Yoruba) from my secondary school who speak Igbo very well, more than me at that time. And they all did Igbo in WAEC in SS3. Some foreigners come to Igboland and learn the language (especially Hausa, Edo and Akwa Ibom with Yoruba showing the least interest) and some don't. In the reverse, Igbos born and raised in the east who go to the north or west to study barely learn the dominant language there.

As for the 'akpa ego' comment you mentioned, one thing you should know is a living language is one that adopts new words and drops obsolete ones. 'Akpa ego' is becoming an obsolete word (only used in villages) for N200 and 'Nari Abuo' being the modern Igbo word for N200. A language which does not adjust its vocabulary with time is a dead language. The same happens in English, French, Spanish e.t.c. There are several old English words such as 'thou', 'art', 'thy', 'wench' etc. which are no longer in use today which when you speak to a modern English speaker they would look at you lost in confusion. Take for example, walk up to any English speaker today and say, 'o ye eorþbuend, where art thou wench?' and they would look at you like you are speaking a foreign language, yet the same sentence was perfectly understood 200 years ago. The only recognizable English word by today's standards in that sentence is 'where'. In the same vein, Igbo language is dropping some old forms and adopting new forms. A few of such old forms no longer in common usage today are 'mgba' (woman as in mgba eke, mgba afor), 'Uru' (as in Uruagu, Urukpaleke), 'ifite'/'ihite' etc.

No pun intended, but I would want to draw out a trend among the Jews today. Jews are known travellers and well-scattered all over the world today, with a population of 14 million however, only about 5 million speak the language as native language with majority of the speakers in Israel and with about an extra 2 million second-language speakers living in Israel. Majority of American Jews, British Jews, e.t.c hardly speak Hebrew but English yet Hebrew language isn't considered to be going extinct.

So next time, before you think of opening another thread like this or letting the issue consume much of your thinking, always remember that the non-speaking trend by foreign-born Igbo children barely continues till adulthood. In that sense, the language is still very much safe.

bigfrancis21:
You made a true observation. I have researched and devoted time to this issue in the past and believe me, Igbo language is no way dying. When you go to the east, Igbo language is still very strong and it still baffles me where UNESCO got their 50 year extinction period forecast from. In the next 50 years, the millions of Igbo-speaking children in SE, SS and outside Igboland would be in their 50s and still speaking the language, where then does the 50-year forecast come from? A language is said to be extinct if there are no native speakers of the language even if it has 2nd-language speakers i.e. Latin Language has no native speakers but is spoken liturgically in masses in Catholic churches.

Now, majority of non speakers happen to be those born and raised outside Igboland but I have noticed that most of these people pick up the language as they become adults, and this explains why it is rare to find an Igbo adult who doesn't know how to speak Igbo. I know and have seen many non-speakers as children/teenagers who are fluent speakers today as adults. One notable experience is my UNN experience. Every year, UNN admits a fair share of Lagos-brought up JAMB candidates of Igbo origin who understand but speak a little Igbo. These are people their parents send to the east for university experience to be able to pick up the language. I had many as friends and classmates in my first year and by their 3rd/final years, most of them were speaking Igbo. I would express shock when they spoke fluent Igbo and they would laugh it off. I, myself, am equally an example too. I spoke English as a child but picked up Igbo in my university days and today speak fluent Onitsha, one would even think I grew up in the village. In Igboland, you might be excused for being unable to speak Igbo as a child but Igbo culture and assimilation in Nigeria doesn't permit that for an adult, except you're based overseas.

This is one aspect about the Igbo people that I would like to see us correct - the language part. There are parents who make efforts to ensure that their children speak the language, notably, parents living abroad. Visit youtube and you'll see videos by Igbo parents on their kids living abroad speaking Igbo. The language is still very much alive, especially if you take a tour in Igbo speaking areas of SE and SS. There will always be Igbo language speakers, with the non-speaking children making up the majority of 5% non-speaking population, a figure that reduces as those children grow up to be Igbo-speaking adults.

As for the Edo lady comment, I did my secondary school in the east (Owerri) and I remember at least 10 non-Igbo classmates (4 Edo, 5 Akwa Ibom and 1 Yoruba) from my secondary school who speak Igbo very well, more than me at that time. And they all did Igbo in WAEC in SS3. Some foreigners come to Igboland and learn the language (especially Hausa, Edo and Akwa Ibom with Yoruba showing the least interest) and some don't. In the reverse, Igbos born and raised in the east who go to the north or west to study barely learn the dominant language there.

As for the 'akpa ego' comment you mentioned, one thing you should know is a living language is one that adopts new words and drops obsolete ones. 'Akpa ego' is becoming an obsolete word (only used in villages) for N200 and 'Nari Abuo' being the modern Igbo word for N200. A language which does not adjust its vocabulary with time is a dead language. The same happens in English, French, Spanish e.t.c. There are several old English words such as 'thou', 'art', 'thy', 'wench' etc. which are no longer in use today which when you speak to a modern English speaker they would look at you lost in confusion. Take for example, walk up to any English speaker today and say, 'o ye eorþbuend, where art thou wench?' and they would look at you like you are speaking a foreign language, yet the same sentence was perfectly understood 200 years ago. The only recognizable English word by today's standards in that sentence is 'where'. In the same vein, Igbo language is dropping some old forms and adopting new forms. A few of such old forms no longer in common usage today are 'mgba' (woman as in mgba eke, mgba afor), 'Uru' (as in Uruagu, Urukpaleke), 'ifite'/'ihite' etc.

No pun intended, but I would want to draw out a trend among the Jews today. Jews are known travellers and well-scattered all over the world today, with a population of 14 million however, only about 5 million speak the language as native language with majority of the speakers in Israel and with about an extra 2 million second-language speakers living in Israel. Majority of American Jews, British Jews, e.t.c hardly speak Hebrew but English yet Hebrew language isn't considered to be going extinct.

So next time, before you think of opening another thread like this or letting the issue consume much of your thinking, always remember that the non-speaking trend by foreign-born Igbo children barely continues till adulthood. In that sense, the language is still very much safe.

Hian. My guy you too like epistle...

I am fascinated by your boundless energy in writing long long story

Umuibe!, igbo amaka mma o! nya bu ihe dikwa behuge oo!-(e get as that thing be) Etu asusu igbo si jiri nnoo nwayoo na agbada n'ike n'ike dizi nnoo egwu. Nke kacha njo kitaa buzi na umu azi amuru kitaa enweghizidi ihere(shame) ikwuputa si na ha anaghi anu ma o bu ghota asusu igbo. Egwu dikwa nu o! ndi be anyi. Agwo no na akirika Dianyi. Mana azu-asa(Tilapia fish) siri na kama azu ozo ga atokari ya, ma ya gbalie n'ime ite ofe.
(Tilapia fish said that rather than another fish being more delicious than her, she will scatter into pieces in the pot of soup) Ezi na ulo m na Ndi nke m ga asunata igbo.


Igbo anyi ga adi ooo!
Ekele kwaa mu unu umuibe...

bigfrancis21:
You made a true observation. I have researched and devoted time to this issue in the past and believe me, Igbo language is no way dying. When you go to the east, Igbo language is still very strong and it still baffles me where UNESCO got their 50 year extinction period forecast from. In the next 50 years, the millions of Igbo-speaking children in SE, SS and outside Igboland would be in their 50s and still speaking the language, where then does the 50-year forecast come from? A language is said to be extinct if there are no native speakers of the language even if it has 2nd-language speakers i.e. Latin Language has no native speakers but is spoken liturgically in masses in Catholic churches.

Now, majority of non speakers happen to be those born and raised outside Igboland but I have noticed that most of these people pick up the language as they become adults, and this explains why it is rare to find an Igbo adult who doesn't know how to speak Igbo. I know and have seen many non-speakers as children/teenagers who are fluent speakers today as adults. One notable experience is my UNN experience. Every year, UNN admits a fair share of Lagos-brought up JAMB candidates of Igbo origin who understand but speak a little Igbo. These are people their parents send to the east for university experience to be able to pick up the language. I had many as friends and classmates in my first year and by their 3rd/final years, most of them were speaking Igbo. I would express shock when they spoke fluent Igbo and they would laugh it off. I, myself, am equally an example too. I spoke English as a child but picked up Igbo in my university days and today speak fluent Onitsha, one would even think I grew up in the village. In Igboland, you might be excused for being unable to speak Igbo as a child but Igbo culture and assimilation in Nigeria doesn't permit that for an adult, except you're based overseas.

This is one aspect about the Igbo people that I would like to see us correct - the language part. There are parents who make efforts to ensure that their children speak the language, notably, parents living abroad. Visit youtube and you'll see videos by Igbo parents on their kids living abroad speaking Igbo. The language is still very much alive, especially if you take a tour in Igbo speaking areas of SE and SS. There will always be Igbo language speakers, with the non-speaking children making up the majority of 5% non-speaking population, a figure that reduces as those children grow up to be Igbo-speaking adults.

As for the Edo lady comment, I did my secondary school in the east (Owerri) and I remember at least 10 non-Igbo classmates (4 Edo, 5 Akwa Ibom and 1 Yoruba) from my secondary school who speak Igbo very well, more than me at that time. And they all did Igbo in WAEC in SS3. Some foreigners come to Igboland and learn the language (especially Hausa, Edo and Akwa Ibom with Yoruba showing the least interest) and some don't. In the reverse, Igbos born and raised in the east who go to the north or west to study barely learn the dominant language there.

As for the 'akpa ego' comment you mentioned, one thing you should know is a living language is one that adopts new words and drops obsolete ones. 'Akpa ego' is becoming an obsolete word (only used in villages) for N200 and 'Nari Abuo' being the modern Igbo word for N200. A language which does not adjust its vocabulary with time is a dead language. The same happens in English, French, Spanish e.t.c. There are several old English words such as 'thou', 'art', 'thy', 'wench' etc. which are no longer in use today which when you speak to a modern English speaker they would look at you lost in confusion. Take for example, walk up to any English speaker today and say, 'o ye eorþbuend, where art thou wench?' and they would look at you like you are speaking a foreign language, yet the same sentence was perfectly understood 200 years ago. The only recognizable English word by today's standards in that sentence is 'where'. In the same vein, Igbo language is dropping some old forms and adopting new forms. A few of such old forms no longer in common usage today are 'mgba' (woman as in mgba eke, mgba afor), 'Uru' (as in Uruagu, Urukpaleke), 'ifite'/'ihite' etc.

No pun intended, but I would want to draw out a trend among the Jews today. Jews are known travellers and well-scattered all over the world today, with a population of 14 million however, only about 5 million speak the language as native language with majority of the speakers in Israel and with about an extra 2 million second-language speakers living in Israel. Majority of American Jews, British Jews, e.t.c hardly speak Hebrew but English yet Hebrew language isn't considered to be going extinct.

So next time, before you think of opening another thread like this or letting the issue consume much of your thinking, always remember that the non-speaking trend by foreign-born Igbo children barely continues till adulthood. In that sense, the language is still very much safe.

I wish I could agree with you but all you wrote used to be obtainable in the past and does not represent current realities on ground. Remember i said i have been researching on this for the past 5 years, I didnt just wake up and start writing. My primary research has taking me to all the nooks and crannies of the land, so believe me when I said the language is noise diving. You think UNESCO is talking nonsense as well? You think a body like UNESCO will not verify on the facts before making such declarations? Like i said, just do some little research yourself using your close Igbo friends as a case study, maybe you will understand. Why didnt you comment on the DSTV issue, or does it not matter to you?

Unless every Igbo-speaking person alive today will be dead in 50 years (and they won't), UNESCO's fifty years is just wrong.

I know villages in my native Anambra where there are no fancy schools (where ill-qualified teachers teach English using Igbo!), where children struggle to string together sentences in English, but speak effortless Igbo. That generation will still be here in fifty years.

Not that I do not agree that our language is losing ground to English, and will probably continue to do so.

Radoillo:
Unless every Igbo-speaking person alive today will be dead in 50 years (and they won't), UNESCO's fifty years is just wrong.

I know villages in my native Anambra where there are no fancy schools (where ill-qualified teachers teach English using Igbo!), where children struggle to string together sentences in English, but speak effortless Igbo. That generation will still be here in fifty years.

Not that I do not agree that our language is losing ground to English, and will probably continue to do so.

Haha! I schooled in coal city, in my government secondary school those days, Igbo was the language of communication among the students and even the teachers mixed Igbo with English to teach.

And I don't think that has changed. Only private schools enforce that silly "English only" rule. State secondary schools don't and the language of communication amongst the students, remain Igbo.

Igbo language is by no means endangered, Igbo remains the street language of all cities and towns in the East. Pidgin English is only used within the borders of higher institutions of learning in the east and it still contends with Igbo language there.

bigfrancis21:
You made a true observation. I have researched and devoted time to this issue in the past and believe me, Igbo language is no way dying. When you go to the east, Igbo language is still very strong and it still baffles me where UNESCO got their 50 year extinction period forecast from. In the next 50 years, the millions of Igbo-speaking children in SE, SS and outside Igboland would be in their 50s and still speaking the language, where then does the 50-year forecast come from? A language is said to be extinct if there are no native speakers of the language even if it has 2nd-language speakers i.e. Latin Language has no native speakers but is spoken liturgically in masses in Catholic churches.

Now, majority of non speakers happen to be those born and raised outside Igboland but I have noticed that most of these people pick up the language as they become adults, and this explains why it is rare to find an Igbo adult who doesn't know how to speak Igbo. I know and have seen many non-speakers as children/teenagers who are fluent speakers today as adults. One notable experience is my UNN experience. Every year, UNN admits a fair share of Lagos-brought up JAMB candidates of Igbo origin who understand but speak a little Igbo. These are people their parents send to the east for university experience to be able to pick up the language. I had many as friends and classmates in my first year and by their 3rd/final years, most of them were speaking Igbo. I would express shock when they spoke fluent Igbo and they would laugh it off. I, myself, am equally an example too. I spoke English as a child but picked up Igbo in my university days and today speak fluent Onitsha, one would even think I grew up in the village. In Igboland, you might be excused for being unable to speak Igbo as a child but Igbo culture and assimilation in Nigeria doesn't permit that for an adult, except you're based overseas.

This is one aspect about the Igbo people that I would like to see us correct - the language part. There are parents who make efforts to ensure that their children speak the language, notably, parents living abroad. Visit youtube and you'll see videos by Igbo parents on their kids living abroad speaking Igbo. The language is still very much alive, especially if you take a tour in Igbo speaking areas of SE and SS. There will always be Igbo language speakers, with the non-speaking children making up the majority of 5% non-speaking population, a figure that reduces as those children grow up to be Igbo-speaking adults.

As for the Edo lady comment, I did my secondary school in the east (Owerri) and I remember at least 10 non-Igbo classmates (4 Edo, 5 Akwa Ibom and 1 Yoruba) from my secondary school who speak Igbo very well, more than me at that time. And they all did Igbo in WAEC in SS3. Some foreigners come to Igboland and learn the language (especially Hausa, Edo and Akwa Ibom with Yoruba showing the least interest) and some don't. In the reverse, Igbos born and raised in the east who go to the north or west to study barely learn the dominant language there.

As for the 'akpa ego' comment you mentioned, one thing you should know is a living language is one that adopts new words and drops obsolete ones. 'Akpa ego' is becoming an obsolete word (only used in villages) for N200 and 'Nari Abuo' being the modern Igbo word for N200. A language which does not adjust its vocabulary with time is a dead language. The same happens in English, French, Spanish e.t.c. There are several old English words such as 'thou', 'art', 'thy', 'wench' etc. which are no longer in use today which when you speak to a modern English speaker they would look at you lost in confusion. Take for example, walk up to any English speaker today and say, 'o ye eorþbuend, where art thou wench?' and they would look at you like you are speaking a foreign language, yet the same sentence was perfectly understood 200 years ago. The only recognizable English word by today's standards in that sentence is 'where'. In the same vein, Igbo language is dropping some old forms and adopting new forms. A few of such old forms no longer in common usage today are 'mgba' (woman as in mgba eke, mgba afor), 'Uru' (as in Uruagu, Urukpaleke), 'ifite'/'ihite' etc.

No pun intended, but I would want to draw out a trend among the Jews today. Jews are known travellers and well-scattered all over the world today, with a population of 14 million however, only about 5 million speak the language as native language with majority of the speakers in Israel and with about an extra 2 million second-language speakers living in Israel. Majority of American Jews, British Jews, e.t.c hardly speak Hebrew but English yet Hebrew language isn't considered to be going extinct.

So next time, before you think of opening another thread like this or letting the issue consume much of your thinking, always remember that the non-speaking trend by foreign-born Igbo children barely continues till adulthood. In that sense, the language is still very much safe.

Op must read this again to refresh his/her brain

the explanation of his view is more comprehensive..

So op yu must read the statements above me again.

Fire on bro..

bro,yu ve being doing this research for the past 5years..
However,yu ve come to conclusion by aligning with UNESCO's conclusion that our beloved igbo language will be in extinct in 5oyears to come?
And frm your own intellectual mind nd thought.
how could yu belief in such prediction,eventhough the igbos travelled round the world and nigeria,
but the most igbos that re spread in nigeria re imo and anambra,not that other state re not found but they re the major state scattered all over the world..
the ones that exist in the east of niger will continue to retained the language.
i happened to have travelled all round the southeast then i knew that there are igbos and typical igbo man..
these typical igbos man are conservative group of set that live in typical eastern host that will never die off in another 100yrs to come..
there re igbos born with gift of hearing different languages no matter the environment or societies they found themselves and if abt 100 set of pple possess such gift of hearing different languages including igbos then how wil igbos language go into extinct when we have abt 35million igbos in southeast speaking igbo language like rap song.
Nutin on earth wil make me belief that igbo language wil go out of extant despite we re not yet on dstv,
it s because we started late to know the effect our english films wil cause us,
if not,we would have prefared to stick to igbos films,
we were shooting films in igbo language like,rattlesnake,taboo,nneka,love without language and latest igbo film like ada mbano.
not that we cannot act films in igbo language,i guess an igboman will want to sells films to nigerians rather than his tribes alone..
with time, we shall fixed them right but not you and the unesco landing to unlanding speculation which is undesideratum..

Ishilove:

Hian. My guy you too like epistle...

I am fascinated by your boundless energy in writing long long story

Writing is a skill. I express myself better at writing than speaking.

MbaanabaraAgu:


I wish I could agree with you but all you wrote used to be obtainable in the past and does not represent current realities on ground. Remember i said i have been researching on this for the past 5 years, I didnt just wake up and start writing. My primary research has taking me to all the nooks and crannies of the land, so believe me when I said the language is noise diving. You think UNESCO is talking nonsense as well? You think a body like UNESCO will not verify on the facts before making such declarations? Like i said, just do some little research yourself using your close Igbo friends as a case study, maybe you will understand. Why didnt you comment on the DSTV issue, or does it not matter to you?

You need not swallow in hook, line and sinker some 'projections' by so-called specialists who have no indepth knowledge about your customs and peoples. It is known that these people observed mainly Igbo children born outside of Igboland and based their 'projection' based on these children, while ignoring the people living in the SE and SS within whom the language is still very much alive. In your 'research', you failed to notice there is no direct link or website anywhere bearing UNESCO's actual so-called projection? I personally have searched the internet for the so-called projection by UNESCO and have yet to find any, save for Igbocentric articles paraded on the internet repeating the so-called projection just as you're doing. It seems UNESCO, if true, may have retracted on their projection years back after coming to know the truth yet the 'projection' still continues to be paraded around amongst concerned Igbo citizens.

Don't just swallow in theories or findings handed over to you by onye ocha. You need to start critiquing such projections because most times they barely know more than the superficial details they know about Africa and her people.

I didn't skip the DSTV part. I was literally rush-typing my post in a hurry to go to work this morning. Nollywood (the English speaking part owned and run mostly by Igbo people) is among the top 3 movie industries in the entire world today, catering to consumers all over africa, the caribbean, europe, america etc. There is no gainsaying the fact that Nollywood rose to its heights today mainly due to its use of English language. While not downplaying the Igbo language, my own dear native language which I love so dearly, we need to realize the critical role the switch to English language in the 90s played in the boom of Nollywood in just 20 years, surpassing even grander movie industries already in existence - an unimaginable feat one would never have expected. With Igbo language, movie sales would have been limited to the Igbo-speaking population just as Yorubawood is limited to the South-West of Nigeria and a few parts of Benin Republic (Yoruba-speaking sections) and Kannywood to the North and Hausa-speaking parts of Niger and Chad. Igbo language movies are still produced (I watch a lot on youtube), though in fewer numbers compared to the English-speaking ones and this is where our producers need to improve on - by increasing the volume of Igbo-language movies acted per annum (with incentives for acting such as high salaries that would make the industry attractive to talented young and old Igbo speakers) to cater specifically to the Igbo speaking peoples of SE and SS. There has been improvement in the volume of Igbo movies acted in the last few years - at least compared to the 2000s, but our producers need to improve more in this area. Once the volume of Igbo movies is brought to a considerable par with English language movies, the Igbo would then have succeeded in killing 2 birds with one stone - maintaining a thriving Igbo-language movie industry section while still owning and running one of the top 3 largest movie industries in the world (the English speaking section).

I gave you some personal experiences already of my Igbo friends and I told you non-Igbo speaking teenagers and children grow up to be Igbo-speaking adults. Observe your friends as adults and see if the trend continues. You personally admitted that most, if not all, Igbo adults speak the language fluently but have you forgotten that a some of these adults were neither born nor raised in Igboland way back in the 40s, 50s and 60s. My dad was born in Kano in the 50s, so were some of his siblings and they all speak Igbo fluently. Ojukwu, known to many as a great Igbo leader who took Igbo issues at heart, was born and raised outside Igboland and hardly spoke Igbo until as an adult when a tutor was hired to personally teach him how to speak Igbo. Azikiwe, another great Igbo leader, was born in far-away Zungeru in the North in as far back as 1907 and may not have spoken fluent Igbo as a child but his Igbo-speaking prowess as an adult was second to none.

It would become a serious issue when many an Igbo adult isn't able to speak Igbo, for how would the language be transmitted onto the younger generation? From whom would the children learn the language from?

Observe more objectively, Igbo language is, on the contrary, very much alive. Maybe you need to observe languages like Bini, Esan, Etsako, Urhobo, Ogoni etc. and then you understand the actual situation of an endangered language.

bigfrancis21:


Writing is a skill. I express myself better at writing than speaking.

That makes the two of us. We need you at the Literature section

So annoying when I'm trying to engage an Igbo man or woman in a conversion speaking Igbo and he or she replies in English.
Most mothers don't even want you to speak Igbo to their kids and prefer the child offers Hausa as a subject than Igbo...Disgusting!!!!!!

I am not perfect in writing but I do well in speaking and trying to learn the different dialects.

Peppyluv:
So annoying when I'm trying to engage an Igbo man or woman in a conversion speaking Igbo and he or she replies in English.
Most mothers don't even want you to speak Igbo to their kids and prefer the child offers Hausa as a subject than Igbo...Disgusting!!!!!!

I am not perfect in writing but I do well in speaking and trying to learn the different dialects.

And some people will come here to say the language is not endangered in anyway, I don't think i owe them any further explanation. When people prefers to communicate in English or other languages other than their tribal language, it will relegate their own language to d background, and sooner or later it will backfire. The annoying thing is that you hardly see Igbo teachers in schools (Lagos and Abuja) my nephew said he had to offer Hausa because there was no Igbo teacher in their school. I think the government should do something about it. And for the parents that bars their children from speaking Igbo, i pity them, they will live to regret it, what cultural heritage are they passing on to their children, posterity wil judge them. South Eastern governments should abolish the punishment that teachers give to students that speaks Igbo (vanacular), its realy a shameful thing, it only happens in the East, you dare not punish a Hausa kid for speaking Hausa in school.

No offense but that trend is most common with our Imo brothers and a foolish efulefu girl had the guts to tell me it is so because imolites are more educated,pretending not to know how to pronounce 'Mba itoolu' and said she is from 'bi tolu' in a very dirty fake accent. All I did was laugh at her stupidity only to see her the next day speaking Yoruba with some Yoruba corp members. This happened in camp. That is why I'm proud of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, last two years,during her reception at her home town in Abba,she gave a speech and through out she didn't add a single English word!not even 'I'. Her real name is Amanda Ngozi Adichie but she changed it to 'Chimamanda' to promote the Igbo heritage she is proud of.


As a lecturer in a northern school where the Hausas speak the language even in class and expect you to understand, I reply with Igbo and these fools reported me for tribalism. Lol

MbaanabaraAgu:


And some people will come here to say the language is not endangered in anyway, I don't think i owe them any further explanation. When people prefers to communicate in English or other languages other than their tribal language, it will relegate their own language to d background, and sooner or later it will backfire. The annoying thing is that you hardly see Igbo teachers in schools (Lagos and Abuja) my nephew said he had to offer Hausa because there was no Igbo teacher in their school. I think the government should do something about it. And for the parents that bars their children from speaking Igbo, i pity them, they will live to regret it, what cultural heritage are they passing on to their children, posterity wil judge them. South Eastern governments should abolish the punishment that teachers give to students that speaks Igbo (vanacular), its realy a shameful thing, it only happens in the East, you dare not punish a Hausa kid for speaking Hausa in school.

Its funny when some ibo pple CLAIM nollywood as ibo movies as if they speak ibo there or other tribes aint involved,nollywood has gone pass those chewing gum movies they show on africa magic.the highest grossing nigerian movie was not even made by an ibo person,so tone down on d claiming as yours when u are just CO-OWNERS like others

https://www.nairaland.com/1904566/research-use-emoticons-emoji...please-step


This is so comforting. Igbo language will not die in 50years.. but it will and most likely be anaemic....in 50 years if we do nothing about it. I'm a linguist...have been part of a series of Language attitude tests...have also translated to igbo..so im fairly aware of the pseudo-health Igbo language seems to have.

Language thrives on culture...not entirely though...but to a large extent...our cultural systems havent been in the best shape recently. I stand to be corrected...but the only well respected King in 'Ala-igbo' is the obi of onitsha...and the underpinning of that 'respect' is that d cultural system that He 'presides' over is fairly 'alive'.

The other thing is our philosophy...every language cum culture thrives on a philosophy... English, French, Italian, Yoruba, W.d.g. , Philosophy anyi seems to be almost non-existent. Onye bu onye Igbo? O so onye na-asu Igbo? Onwe omume obula eji akachaputa ndi igbo? If you consider these you'll see that we need to start re- building our cultural foundations, and re-awakening Umumme anyi to the philosophy that we should be known for.

I read things fall apart atleast once a year. Its very rich in these things.( it was.written in what is called.'Igbo English' and the use of.proverbs and philosophical innuendoes are very stimulating....Maka Chukwu)

Pls about what i said about the obi of onitsha being the last of the Mohicans... biko umunnem mee ebere...i was only making a point.


on the other hand please click on the link above and comment. Biko umunnem na umunna m .

ka Chineke mezie.okwu. 'Amem'

We have heard,now shift or are you coming back with your numerous monikers? Unlike your tribe,we don't hide our fault In order to portray ourselves as saints. It is the low life ones who think speaking their language means they are illiterates..meet an Igbo professor or elite and hear him address you in Igbo.

ChristyG:
Its funny when some ibo pple CLAIM nollywood as ibo movies as if they speak ibo there or other tribes aint involved,nollywood has gone pass those chewing gum movies they show on africa magic.the highest grossing nigerian movie was not even made by an ibo person,so tone down on d claiming as yours when u are just CO-OWNERS like others

Peppyluv:
We have heard,now shift or are you coming back with your numerous monikers? Unlike your tribe,we don't hide our fault In order to portray ourselves as saints. It is the low life ones who think speaking their language means they are illiterates..meet an Igbo professor or elite and hear him address you in Igbo.

u are not making any sense,what's my business if ibos dont speak their language,i was just correcting d fellow who thinks ibos own nollywood,ur language can go into extinction,dat ur problem,ko kan aye mehn

MbaanabaraAgu:


And some people will come here to say the language is not endangered in anyway, I don't think i owe them any further explanation. When people prefers to communicate in English or other languages other than their tribal language, it will relegate their own language to d background, and sooner or later it will backfire. The annoying thing is that you hardly see Igbo teachers in schools (Lagos and Abuja) my nephew said he had to offer Hausa because there was no Igbo teacher in their school. I think the government should do something about it. And for the parents that bars their children from speaking Igbo, i pity them, they will live to regret it, what cultural heritage are they passing on to their children, posterity wil judge them. South Eastern governments should abolish the punishment that teachers give to students that speaks Igbo (vanacular), its realy a shameful thing, it only happens in the East, you dare not punish a Hausa kid for speaking Hausa in school.

Lol, the emboldened is a bg ilie. I schooled in Lagos and we had numerous Igbo teachers. I can remember English language, Literature, CRS teachers etc being Igbo, and I often hear them speaking the Igbo among themselves.

In my junior secondary school, everyone did Yoruba Language; and Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba student had to choose between one of Igbo or Yoruba. Some of my igbo friends chose Hausa because they were already fluent in speaking and understanding Igbo. Mind you, private primary schools in Lagos don't offer any indigenous language.
Some yoruba also did Igbo. When we got to S.S1, everyone had to drop Hausa and Igbo and embraced yoruba. We all did it in WASSCE.

All my cousins speak and understand Igbo fluently both the one that did their University education in South West and East except one that has an Edo mother.
I, myself, is pretty cool in understanding Igbo perfectly, slightly good in understanding Yoruba and poor in speaking both.

I usually travel to the East with my relatives and I can attest that 90% of kids in my village can't communicate fluently in English language but they do understand it. There was a time we dropped at Asaba market to get something while on our way to the east, most of the marketers were speaking Igbo including Hausa aböki's.
I have had the opportunity to be in FUTO owerri and most students that communicate in English are one's born and bred in the East.
My female cousin who studied in Anambra State University Uli/Igbariam told me that some of her coursemate can't speak English very well.

Among all my Igbo classmates in secondary school that I had the opportunity to discuss about our fluency in Igbo language, almost ALL can understand it, with few knowing how to speak it. Even some are from Ogwashiuku in Delta state....

Ishilove:

That makes the two of us. We need you at the Literature section

dnt take him away frm us ishilove,
culture is ok 4 him,cos he s a writer but not a focus poets biko..

O