Dhugal:

Then knowing all Southeasterners don't speak same,you should also have known that majority Anambra communities understand,and some speak,nkei and nke e.
You are the one being ignorant here.
@Redbonesmith,some communities in Orumba and Aguata say ekwukwo for akwukwo.

I know the 'e' for 'a' thing exists in the SE too, because I have heard it from people in Nsukka, and Nkanu-Awgu area in Enugu State and even Abakiliki. In the context of the discussion (comparing Enuani and Ika) I didn't think it relevant to bring it in; that's why I failed to mention it.

Concerning 'nke i'... Well, I am still amused about gerg's stand, tbh. I really don't think he is speaking from an informed place. Perhaps he used nkei in a sentence and Igbo people around did not understand the whole sentence, and he made the assumption that nkei is unintelligible to Igbos. My last three years of secondary school as well as my University was in Enugu, and no one ever looked at me with confusion when I deleted 'g' and said 'i', instead of 'gi'. My Jamb tutor in Enugu, who was from Nimo spoke like that. Morocco Maduka the highlife musician speaks like that in his songs. The Catholic Igbo hymn Book they use in Enugu writes it like that, and that is how the church-goers sing it. Just recently my aunt's daughter was speaking with her classmate on the phone (it was on speakerphone), and the classmate kept saying 'papa i' and mama i' instead of papa gi and mama gi. After the call I asked my aunt's daughter where the classmate was from, and she said Mbaukwu, a town near Awka.

Concerning 'e' instead of 'ya', Nkanu people in Enugu State speak like that, and I don't get the impression that their neighbours don't understand it. Although they would typically say nke eye and not nke ee, they do delete the 'y' sometimes and say 'ee'. Anyone who remembers Chimaroke's jingles from back in the day will remember lines like : Uzo Agbani ya rur' ee (Uzo Agbani ya ruru ya - Agbani Road, he built it), Shi ahar' ee (Shi ahara ya -Let's leave it for him.)

gerg:
Who's debating that? Do you know that there are some Anioma affiliated groups in Anambra? But the're just a minute number so using that as an example doesn't count in this instance. I can as well say they are Enuani people even if their Enuani is adulterated. And the funny thing is they all claim Benin origin. Is it a coincidence that all Anioma groups and Anioma related groups claim Bini origin irrespective of what State they are from?

Ekwokwo and Akwokwo are exactly the same thing. same as Ali/Ani and Ara and era. That example is very inconsequential here. Stressing vowels to replace consonants is an entirely different thing. it alters the sound completely that others not conversant with it get lost to what the speaker is saying.

Your ignorance knows no bounds.
Nnewi says Nke u/gu and Nke e/ye,with the consonants mostly suppressed.Going by your daft analogy,we must be Anioma too.Tho we've existed long before most,if not all of Anioma towns.

Oduduwaa:
The Similarities in thier dressing , language and Culture looks so Edo!

Ika is Igbo. Stop distorting history.

igbodefender:
Ika is Igbo. Stop distorting history.

Ika is Ika. Stop pushing Igbo.

gerg:
What is this one saying? Idemili and environs are affiliated with Anioma so they speak like Anioma in some occasions. but what do you mean Ika and Ukwani don't sound that way?

Idemili speak that way not because we are affiliated to Anioma, cos we are not.

We speak that way because we are close to Enu-ani. The closer Igbo groups are, the similar their dialects sound. This is common sense.

agadez007:
Too much ignorance in this thread,somebody who dosent knw dat all parts of Igboland have their own dialects acting like an authority on igbo language,I am from ANAMBRA based in OWERRI,there is a mountain of difference btw what i speak nd what they speak in IMO
Let me gve some examples
To laugh is ichi ochi in Owerri but in my side its 'Imu Amuu',an Imolite who av never interacted with my side of Ndi anambra can never understand that

We will say gini,some nnewi will say gunu,while owerri is NINI

We say kitaa for now,an owerri will say ugbulaka
We say iteghete for nine,they will say itolu

We say EBEA For here,they say NGA

These are few of the diff btw idemili and owerri,we also have diff in FOOD
If u dont knw asj and stop making mockery of urself

True.
Ezza say "Gunu", Orumba in Anambra say "Nnu", Like you already pointed out, Owerri( Oratta) say "Nini", Ikwere say "Kini", these things vary from place to place in the Igbo dialect continuum.

Ezaa people will say "Bia ikaa"
Orumba will say "Bia kan"
Nkanu will say "Bia Weehu/Nowa"

"Ikaa", "Weehu/Nowa" and "Kan", meaning HERE, yet "Ebea" was chosen as central Igbo, which all of them use when communicating with Igbos not from their own parts of Igboland.

nengibo:

Ika language sounds more edoid to me with borrowed igbo words

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfxHP_AHlAk

This song is purely Igbo and nothing Edo. 99% of Igbos will understand it to an extent but I doubt if up to 5% of Bini can comprehend it. Even the titke "Ali Onye" is already 100% Igbo and I wonder what is Edo about it. Like I've always maintained it is better to quit using language as a basis for Igbo denial and simply admit the fact that Ika language is a version of Igbo language. Many Ikas can claim Benin origin but the language is purely Igbo.

Igbo n'asu n'olu n'olu is the key to appreciating our diverse ways of speech and every Igbo speaker must strive to learn and communicate with more popular Igbo dialects like Onitsha or Umuahia and of course the hybrid Igbo which everyone understands. If we go about communicating in our specific dialects then Igbo language becomes difficult.

Abagworo:


This song is purely Igbo and nothing Edo. 99% of Igbos will understand it to an extent but I doubt if up to 5% of Bini can comprehend it. Even the titke "Ali Onye" is already 100% Igbo and I wonder what is Edo about it. Like I've always maintained it is better to quit using language as a basis for Igbo denial and simply admit the fact that Ika language is a version of Igbo language. Many Ikas can claim Benin origin but the language is purely Igbo.

With these fictional statistics you have brought foward, it is clear you are coming with an prejudice opinion. And what do you mean by purely igbo, is it the central dialect?

nengibo:

With these fictional statistics you have brought foward, it is clear you are coming with an prejudice opinion. And what do you mean by purely igbo, is it the central dialect?

Central dialect is just a mix of all types of Igbo that makes understanding easier for everyone that speaks one version of Igbo or the other. By purely Igbo I mean it's intelligible to someone in opposing extreme end of Igbo speakers like Afikpo, Nsukka and Ikwerre. Infact "Ali Onye" in Ika is "Ali Onye" in Ehugbo(Afikpo dialect).

Abagworo:


Central dialect is just a mix of all types of Igbo that makes understanding easier for everyone that speaks one version of Igbo or the other. By purely Igbo I mean it's intelligible to someone in opposing extreme end of Igbo speakers like Afikpo, Nsukka and Ikwerre. Infact "Ali Onye" in Ika is "Ali Onye" in Ehugbo(Afikpo dialect).

It's also "Ali Onye" in Ezza and Izzi dialects of Ebonyi.

Abagworo:


Central dialect is just a mix of all types of Igbo that makes understanding easier for everyone that speaks one version of Igbo or the other. By purely Igbo I mean it's intelligible to someone in opposing extreme end of Igbo speakers like Afikpo, Nsukka and Ikwerre. Infact "Ali Onye" in Ika is "Ali Onye" in Ehugbo(Afikpo dialect).

Smh biafra people, what do u even think igwenga (now ikot abasi even means

Abagworo:


Central dialect is just a mix of all types of Igbo that makes understanding easier for everyone that speaks one version of Igbo or the other. By purely Igbo I mean it's intelligible to someone in opposing extreme end of Igbo speakers like Afikpo, Nsukka and Ikwerre. Infact "Ali Onye" in Ika is "Ali Onye" in Ehugbo(Afikpo dialect).

What is the point of showing me this map
Smh biafra people, what do u even think igwenga (now ikot abasi) even means

agadez007:
Too much ignorance in this thread,somebody who dosent knw dat all parts of Igboland have their own dialects acting like an authority on igbo language,I am from ANAMBRA based in OWERRI,there is a mountain of difference btw what i speak nd what they speak in IMO
Let me gve some examples
To laugh is ichi ochi in Owerri but in my side its 'Imu Amuu',an Imolite who av never interacted with my side of Ndi anambra can never understand that

We will say gini,some nnewi will say gunu,while owerri is NINI

We say kitaa for now,an owerri will say ugbulaka
We say iteghete for nine,they will say itolu

We say EBEA For here,they say NGA

These are few of the diff btw idemili and owerri,we also have diff in FOOD
If u dont knw asj and stop making mockery of urself

I am following them and can't withstand the laughter. Ngwa man in Abia state cannot understand up to 10% of Abiriba man's dialect in the same Abia state. 'now' in Ngwa is gbo waa while other Igbos use ugbu a. 'here' in Some Ngwa is ngala while in Ibeku umuahia it's 'Ofe e' and 'ebe a' for central Igbo, 'ibe e' in Orlu. 'like' in Ngwa is dika but 'elege' in Abiriba. what is nini in Owerri as you've said gini in Abia and nge e in Orlu.

when an Abiriba man or Iberre man speaks I don't think that any man from Anambra state can understand up to 5%. He made mention of ki do forgetting that Enuani still use ki bu ifo o which every igbo can understand, so I don't know the point he was trying to make. There must be dialectical difference in every language. Igbo not exceptional

nengibo:

Smh biafra people, what do u even think igwenga (now ikot abasi even means

Igwenga is not Ikot abasi it's Opobo. it's an Igbo word for exile and Igbo name for Opobo. In ancient time Opobo was considered an exile land

B2mario:

Igwenga is not Ikot abasi it's Opobo. it's an Igbo word for exile and Igbo name for Opobo. In ancient time Opobo was considered an exile land

Lol, an exile land for whom? igwenga doesn't mean exile,. In our Ibani Kingdoms Igwenga or Egwenga means wealth or affluence. therefore in our early historic times, all assets including manillas, houses and even human belonging to any chief or war canoe House were refered to as Igwenga. This gave rise to present Ikot-Abasi in our former Opobo to be called Egwenga by us, as King Jaja ,his chiefs,and European trade partners colonized,conquered and dominated that axis for their numerous trading activities across the Opobo main city state. thus Egwenga of the Akwas became Opobo territory uptill after the Nigeria civil war. "IGWENGA BERE KIKI, FI KIKIAGHA means IF YOU CAN STRUGGLE OR BLOCK WEALTH ISSUES, YOU CAN NOT DO SAME TO DEATH" T.M.O

B2mario:

Igwenga is not Ikot abasi it's Opobo. it's an Igbo word for exile and Igbo name for Opobo. In ancient time Opobo was considered an exile land

Actually Igwe nga is Ikot Abasi also 2nd Opobo sometimes outside the Rivers Opobo. Ikot Abasi means People of God in reference to Arochukwu while Igwe nga means slave/prison abode. It's likely that Aro slave traders were using Ikot Abasi waterside for export of slaves via Bonny and had a cell there.

nengibo:


Lol, an exile land for whom? igwenga doesn't mean exile,. In our Ibani Kingdoms Igwenga or Egwenga means wealth or affluence. therefore in our early historic times, all assets including manillas, houses and even human belonging to any chief or war canoe House were refered to as Igwenga. This gave rise to present Ikot-Abasi in our former Opobo to be called Egwenga by us, as King Jaja ,his chiefs,and European trade partners colonized,conquered and dominated that axis for their numerous trading activities across the Opobo main city state. thus Egwenga of the Akwas became Opobo territory uptill after the Nigeria civil war. "IGWENGA BERE KIKI, FI KIKIAGHA means IF YOU CAN STRUGGLE OR BLOCK WEALTH ISSUES, YOU CAN NOT DO SAME TO DEATH" T.M.O

That's the Ibani translation but Jaja is an Igbo man and Opobo was founded as an Igbo speaking town very recently in 1870.

Abagworo:


That's the Ibani translation but Jaja is an Igbo man and Opobo was founded as an Igbo speaking town very recently in 1870.

Thats the ibani translation? Are you okay, does the name Opobo have two translations, or you don't know Opobo is an Ibani kingdom. Gudnyt and translate more Opobo towns into your own language.
Here are some
Epelema/OpusunjuAma

Iloma
Iwoama
Job-Ama
Kalaibiama
Kalasunju
Minima
Obo- Town
Okorobo -Ile
Olam – Nkoro
Opu kalaama
Opum
Queens Town

nengibo:

Thats the ibani translation? Are you okay, does the name Opobo have two translations, or you don't know Opobo is an Ibani kingdom. Gudnyt and translate more Opobo kingdoms into your own language.
Here are some
Epelema/OpusunjuAma

Iloma
Iwoama
Job-Ama
Kalaibiama
Kalasunju
Minima
Obo- Town
Okorobo -Ile
Olam – Nkoro
Olum
Opum
Queens Town

Maybe the kingdom is Ibani but the language is Igbo. The "Ama" alone means town or settlement in Igbo language either as a suffix or prefix depending on dialect. Moreover the issue is language not name of town or kingdom.

Abagworo:


Actually Igwe nga is Ikot Abasi also 2nd Opobo sometimes outside the Rivers Opobo. Ikot Abasi means People of God in reference to Arochukwu while Igwe nga means slave/prison abode. It's likely that Aro slave traders were using Ikot Abasi waterside for export of slaves via Bonny and had a cell there.

So Aro chukwu igbos gave the Ibibio name ikot abasi, quite interesting, and in igbo language slave abode is igwe nga, interesting, and Arochukwu people in Abia state dominated the now Ikot abasi area in Akwaibom enuf to name it a slave abode.

@nengibo what makes Opobo unique is the fact that the geographical nomenclature is Ibani while the spoken language is Igbo. It us a very new settlement founded on land previously occupied by Obolo speakers but pushed away by Jaja entourage. Right from 1870 Igbo was adopted as the trading and spoken language in the new settlement and it has remained so till date. Bonny where they came from was bilingual with some parts speaking Ibani and others Igbo.

Abagworo:


Maybe the kingdom is Ibani but the language is Igbo. The "Ama" alone means town or settlement in Igbo language either as a suffix or prefix depending on dialect. Moreover the issue is language not name of town or kingdom.

Ama is an Ijaw word used as far as Edo state Olodiama,

nengibo:

So Aro chukwu igbos gave the Ibibio name ikot abasi, quite interesting, and in igbo language slave abode is igwe nga, interesting, and Arochukwu people in Abia state dominated the now Ikot abasi area in Akwaibom enuf to name it a slave abode.

Get a brain. I wrote Ikot Abasi means "people of God" which is obviously in reference to Arochukwu. There is equally an Ikot Chukwu in case you didn't know. Chukwu and Abasi both mean God . Arochukwu are everywhere in Eastern Niger Delta and is a hybrid of Igbo and Ibibio peoples.

Abagworo:
@nengibo what makes Opobo unique is the fact that the geographical nomenclature is Ibani while the spoken language is Igbo. It us a very new settlement founded on land previously occupied by Obolo speakers but pushed away by Jaja entourage. Right from 1870 Igbo was adopted as the trading and spoken language in the new settlement and it has remained so till date. Bonny where they came from was bilingual with some parts speaking Ibani and others Igbo.

I don't like discussing with people with a biased view because its pointless, if i didn't correct your assertions you would change the meaning of towns name in a language you don't even understand, because of a preconceived agenda.#sad

Abagworo:


Get a brain. I wrote Ikot Abasi means "people of God" which is obviously in reference to Arochukwu. There is equally an Ikot Chukwu in case you didn't know. Chukwu and Abasi both mean God . Arochukwu are everywhere in Eastern Niger Delta and is a hybrid of Igbo and Ibibio peoples.

Where exactly are you from, becos u seem like a google historian

nengibo:

Ama is an Ijaw word used as far as Edo state Olodiama,

Not really. The oldest recorded Ama is Isoama in Imo State where Jaja hailed from. Words are shared by different lingual groups and a very large group like Igbo shares words with a lot of other neighbouring groups. In Ezilihite there ihu Chileke Oboama n'Umunama whivh is believed to be where mankind was created by God.

Abagworo:


Not really. The oldest recorded Ama is Isoama in Imo State where Jaja hailed from. Words are shared by different lingual groups and a very large group like Igbo shares words with a lot of other neighbouring groups. In Ezilihite there ihu Chileke Oboama n'Umunama whivh is believed to be where mankind was created by God.

Please who recorded it as the oldest, isoama isnt that a corrupt igbo language

nengibo:

I don't like discussing with people with a biased view because its pointless, if i didn't correct your assertions you would change the meaning of towns name in a language you don't even understand, because of a preconceived agenda.#sad

You are the biased one. I'm from Imo State with Rivers mother. I'm not interested in arguing over what is known by you and I just for the sake of it. In Opobo Igbo language is the "lingua franca" and you got to accept that truth and move on.

Abagworo:


You are the biased one. I'm from Imo State with Rivers mother. I'm not interested in arguing over what is known by you and I just for the sake of it. In Opobo Igbo language is the "lingua franca" and you got to accept that truth and move on.

I think you should go back to d beginning wer we started dis discuss, wer u were arguing a name you didn't even know d meaning,
One said it meant exile in igbo , you on d oda hand said it meant slave abode in the same igbo language and was dominated by Arochukwu(igbo or ibibio ppl)
let me not derail this ika thread, wer in rivers is ur mum from if u don't mind.

nengibo:

I think you should go back to d beginning wer we started dis discuss, wer u were arguing aname you didn't even know d meaning, let me not derail this ika thread, wer in rivers is ur mum from if u don't mind.

It wasn't me but B2mario. My argument with you is about the language spoken in Opobo and the Ama suffix.

Abagworo:


It wasn't me but B2mario. My argument with you is about the language spoken in Opobo and the Ama suffix.

Hmmm piriamapu
[i]Actually Igwe nga is Ikot Abasi also 2nd Opobo sometimes outside the Rivers Opobo. Ikot Abasi means People of God in reference to Arochukwu while Igwe nga means slave/prison abode. It's likely that Aro slave traders were using Ikot Abasi waterside for export of slaves via Bonny and had a cell there.

that's the Ibani translation but