@Kliva6
No, Ikwerres are not Ijaw and not even close to Ijaws in anyway. Everything about them suggest that they're Igbo and many of them know this. It's just a few of them that deny their Igbo heritage.

I think what Chyz is trying to know is if Bonny and Opobo people have a soft spot for Igbos when it comes to politics. Like, do they feel marginalized when Igbos are marginalized?

oh, that I really don't know, but i know they do have a soft spot for them. I'm not sure if they feel THAT close though, lol (i'm not sure f its them in general or just my family, they're quite partial when it comes to ndi Igbo )

kilva6, what language are people in Opobo's surnames usually from?

Mostly English, cuz of colonialism I guess, that being said, most [if not all] Opobo people choose to give their children native names, so they still acknowledge their cultural heritage

I never knew Ndi Okereke Onyuike, the former NSE boss is from Bonny/Opobo.

afam4eva:

I never knew Ndi Okereke Onyuike, the former NSE boss is from Bonny/Opobo.

In a way you can say so. Her mother is a native of Bonny, but her father is from Imo state.

I was born and brought up in Rivers state. Having interracted deeply with the Opobos, the language they speak is pure and undiluted Ndoki (an Igbo dialect as in Akwette, Umuagbai, Azumini, etc). Example; money - ikpei,
bottle - olilo
woman - nwaenyere
man - nwaekere
me - ikem
you - ikii
he/she - ikea
goodmorning - isalachi
give me - nyebam
sit down - kuso odu
one - oli, The list is inexhaustible. As per names, they bear Ubani (Ibani) names such as Belema, Epelle, etc. Of which they themselves find it difficult to give their meaning. Majority of them (Opobos) bear English names. Few answers pure igbo name such as Ifeoma, Kelechi, etc. So as an Igbo, one don't need any other medium to communicate with someone from Opobo.

Kojiek:

I was born and brought up in Rivers state. Having interracted deeply with the Opobos, the language they speak is pure and undiluted Ndoki (an Igbo dialect as in Akwette, Umuagbai, Azumini, etc). Example; money - ikpei,
bottle - olilo
woman - nwaenyere
man - nwaekere
me - ikem
you - ikii
he/she - ikea
goodmorning - isalachi
give me - nyebam
sit down - kuso odu
one - oli, The list is inexhaustible. As per names, they bear Ubani (Ibani) names such as Belema, Epelle, etc. Of which they themselves find it difficult to give their meaning. Majority of them (Opobos) bear English names. Few answers pure igbo name such as Ifeoma, Kelechi, etc. So as an Igbo, one don't need any other medium to communicate with someone from Opobo.

This is interesting. As I was reading the Ndoki words, I found them very similar to those found in my own dialect. It doesn't strike me as a surprise since Bonny and Opobo were founded partly by Aro settlers. We call Igbos from Bonny and Opobo "umu Aro Ubani".

What is known as "Ndoki language/dialect" is the result of Ijo mixing with Ngwa/Asa, then the people interacting with Annang, then Aro traders who were invited into the community and lastly, Isu and other hinterland groups who came to what is now Obigbo and other surrounding Ndoki communities, for work.

Ubani and Ndoki both had some hinterland (Isu and other) influence. In the case of Ubani, it was due to the slave trade. In the case of Ndoki, it was due to 20th century influx of hinterland people, looking for work. The deep/historical interaction between the two communities makes their speech very similar, if not exactly the same.

Notwithstanding, there are Ndoki communities that still speak something much like Ngwa and Asa, but the more "Ndoki"-type speech is spoken particularly by Azumini, Abaki, Akirika, and a few other surrounding communities.

odumchi:

This is interesting. As I was reading the Ndoki words, I found them very similar to those found in my own dialect. It doesn't strike me as a surprise since Bonny and Opobo were founded partly by Aro settlers. We call Igbos from Bonny and Opobo "umu Aro Ubani".

ChinenyeN:

What is known as "Ndoki language/dialect" is the result of Ijo mixing with Ngwa/Asa, then the people interacting with Annang, then Aro traders who were invited into the community and lastly, Isu and other hinterland groups who came to what is now Obigbo and other surrounding Ndoki communities, for work.

Ubani and Ndoki both had some hinterland (Isu and other) influence. In the case of Ubani, it was due to the slave trade. In the case of Ndoki, it was due to 20th century influx of hinterland people, looking for work. The deep/historical interaction between the two communities makes their speech very similar, if not exactly the same.

Notwithstanding, there are Ndoki communities that still speak something much like Ngwa and Asa, but the more "Ndoki"-type speech is spoken particularly by Azumini, Abaki, Akirika, and a few other surrounding communities.

Chinenye what do you mean by ngwa/asa, you shold know that withing ugwunabo and osisiomangwa their are many community/villeage that bears asa as their name.

odumchi:

This is interesting. As I was reading the Ndoki words, I found them very similar to those found in my own dialect. It doesn't strike me as a surprise since Bonny and Opobo were founded partly by Aro settlers. We call Igbos from Bonny and Opobo "umu Aro Ubani".

Odumchi you shold know that the name ubani is not only an indigenous in bonny and opobo but it is allso an indigenous name among ngwa and ndoki people thus that make them part of your "umu Aro Ubani" or you just want to turn history upside down.

Edoma ala:

Chinenye what do you mean by ngwa/asa, you shold know that withing ugwunabo and osisiomangwa their are many community/villeage that bears asa as their name.

I'm not sure I'm understanding the point that you're trying to make.

@ Chinenye and Edoma ala

Excuse me, I meant to use the word "settled" instead of "founded". Aro Ubani is an Aro settlement in Rivers state within the vicinity of Bonny and Opobo.

odumchi:

@ Chinenye and Edoma ala
Excuse me, I meant to use the word "settled" instead of "founded". Aro Ubani is an Aro settlement in Rivers state within the vicinity of Bonny and Opobo.

Oh, alright. I was beginning to wonder.

ChinenyeN:

I'm not sure I'm understanding the point that you're trying to make.

Chinenye it was the ngwa/asa you mention that got me confuse not knowing wither you where talking about the asa's in ngwa eg ugwunabo and osisioma ngwa or the asa in ndoki and that of "umu aro ubani" has to do with the way i understand what he was saying inwhich it looks as if he was talking about all the people of bonny and opobo i have to let him know that the name ubani is indigenous among ngwa people i'm one of those that have ubani as their surname other names that have ubani attach to it eg Ubani ukoma , ubani wokoma or wukoma and nwubani or wubani this last one is what i dont understand why ngwa poeple in those days whold give their children name as nwubani.

Edoma ala:

Chinenye it was the ngwa/asa you mention that got me confuse not knowing wither you where talking about the asa's in ngwa eg ugwunabo and osisioma ngwa or the asa in ndoki and that of "umu aro ubani" has to do with the way i understand what he was saying inwhich it looks as if  he was talking about all the people of bonny and opobo i have to let him know that the name ubani is indigenous among ngwa people i'm one of those that have ubani as their surname other names that have ubani attach to it eg Ubani ukoma , ubani wokoma or wukoma and nwubani or wubani this last one is what i dont understand why ngwa poeple in those days whold give their children name as nwubani.

O nu m la i hie Ngwa. Anyway, when I said Ngwa/Asa, I was talking about the early Ndoki communities, which were founded by Asa and Ngwa.

Edoma ala:

Chinenye what do you mean by ngwa/asa, you shold know that withing ugwunabo and osisiomangwa their are many community/villeage that bears asa as their name. Odumchi  you shold know that the name ubani is not only an indigenous in  bonny and opobo but it is allso an indigenous name among ngwa and ndoki people thus that make them part of your "umu Aro Ubani" or you just want to turn history upside down.

You are right,the last time i went to Ihie in ugwunagbo,i passed through a community called ASA-NNAETU,i asked my friend how come they have asa people in ngwaland,he told me that asa nnaetu people are ngwa.

Kojiek:

I was born and brought up in Rivers state. Having interracted deeply with the Opobos, the language they speak is pure and undiluted Ndoki (an Igbo dialect as in Akwette, Umuagbai, Azumini, etc). Example; money - ikpei,
bottle - olilo
woman - nwaenyere
man - nwaekere
me - ikem
you - ikii
he/she - ikea
goodmorning - isalachi
give me - nyebam
sit down - kuso odu
one - oli, The list is inexhaustible. As per names, they bear Ubani (Ibani) names such as Belema, Epelle, etc. Of which they themselves find it difficult to give their meaning. Majority of them (Opobos) bear English names. Few answers pure igbo name such as Ifeoma, Kelechi, etc. So as an Igbo, one don't need any other medium to communicate with someone from Opobo.

Wow! In the novel,things fall apart,Chinua Achebe talked about an igbo interpreter who would say 'my bottocks'(ikem) in place of 'me'(mua),i have always wondered what igbo tribe this interpreter might have come from,now it's obvious the guy must have come from bonny/opobo area,chai! The loss of the civil war has cost ndiigbo a lot.

It is interesting to note that the interpreters who worked for the missionaries in some places in Igboland where Ndigbo from areas now in Rivers state e.g Ndoni, Omuma etc.

Andre Uweh:

It is interesting to note that the interpreters who worked for the missionaries in some places in Igboland where Ndigbo from areas now in Rivers state e.g Ndoni, Omuma etc.

Yeah,that's what i just learnt,and am sure they must have told the white men that they are igbo,oh! Dear,crude oil finally have put a knife on the things that held us together,and we have fallen apart

pazienza:

Yeah,that's what i just learnt,and am sure they must have told the white men that they are igbo,oh! Dear,crude oil finally have put a knife on the things that held us together,and we have fallen apart

And you came to this conclusion how?

ChinenyeN:

And you came to this conclusion how?

Common sense,there is no way,the white man would have taken an ijaw interpreter to Umuofia(Ogidi),it only makes sense that he would pick a person who speaks the same language as Ogidi people,and guess the name of that language? Yeah,u got it,it's igbo,for even the people of umuofia knew that the interpreter was igbo,but they were sure that he speaks in a different igbo dialect,which they found funny.

That's not common sense. It's guesswork. The white man used interpreters from Omuma, Ubani, etc. to communicate with people from Ogidi, and so that now means Omuma, Ubani, etc. "must have told the white man that they are Igbo"? I can't take this line of thought seriously.

'Ikem na ikei bu oli', is a sentence in Opobo, meaning me and you are one. The Opobos are Ijaw but their language has been greatly influenced by that of the Ndokis. Nwautam masqurade is seen in Opobo as well in most Ndoki communities in Obigbo LGA and Ukwa East LGA. In all, Opobos are nt Igbo but they speak Igbo due to age-long interraction between them and the Ndokis most of whom have settled there, I believe. Though Opobo was founded by king Jaja an Igbo slave from Nkwerre/Amaigbo area of Imo state. But the language spoken in Opobo today is Ndoki. Opobo language played a great role in the translation of Igbo bible. Example, in Matthew 5:34a, which reads; "But I tell you, do not swear at all;" was translated thus in Igbo; "ma Mu onwem si unu, Añula iyi ma-oli;". The word 'ma-oli' is an Opobo igbo meaning 'at all'. Refer.

Kojiek:

'Ikem na ikei bu oli', is a sentence in Opobo, meaning me and you are one. The Opobos are Ijaw but their language has been greatly influenced by that of the Ndokis. Nwautam masqurade is seen in Opobo as well in most Ndoki communities in Obigbo LGA and Ukwa East LGA. In all, Opobos are nt Igbo but they speak Igbo due to age-long interraction between them and the Ndokis most of whom have settled there, I believe. Though Opobo was founded by king Jaja an Igbo slave from Nkwerre/Amaigbo area of Imo state. But the language spoken in Opobo today is Ndoki. Opobo language played a great role in the translation of Igbo bible. Example, in Matthew 5:34a, which reads; "But I tell you, do not swear at all;" was translated thus in Igbo; "ma Mu onwem si unu, Añula iyi ma-oli;". The word 'ma-oli' is an Opobo igbo meaning 'at all'.  Refer.

I think "at all" in central Igbo is "ma oli". There is a very popular Igbo adage that says "Egbe beru Ugo beru, nke si ibe ya ga ada, Ebela ma oli" I think "oli" means "once". 

I will not however be surprised if the actual origin is somewhere in Ebonyi,Delta or Enugu State. You know central Igbo is an amalgamation of the several dialects.

Abagworo:

I think "at all" in central Igbo is "ma oli". There is a very popular Igbo adage that says "Egbe beru Ugo beru, nke si ibe ya ga ada, Ebela ma oli" I think "oli" means "once". 

I will not however be surprised if the actual origin is somewhere in Ebonyi,Delta or Enugu State. You know central Igbo is an amalgamation of the several dialects.

'ma-oli' is a component word in central igbo. Though it is hardly use in spoken central-igbo. But it originated from Ndoki, ie; oli = one
Ma-oli = 'not at all' or 'not even one'. The word 'oli' is not found in any other igbo dialect except ndoki cum opobo dialect. The only resemblance is found in ohafia/arochukwu area; olu = one. Other igbo dialets will say; otu, ofu, nani, nge, etc all meaning 'one'.

ma oli = ma ncha = at all.

Who said "ma-oli" is only spoken in Ndoki/Opobo?

Obiagu1:

ma oli = ma ncha = at all.

Who said "ma-oli" is only spoken in Ndoki/Opobo?

I, Kojiek, said that 'oli' means one in Opobo and Ndoki, and that no other Igbo dialect uses it except in written central-Igbo which is even rare. U can see the usage in Matt 5:34(baibulu nso). Refer.

Obiagu1:

ma oli = ma ncha = at all.
Who said "ma-oli" is only spoken in Ndoki/Opobo?

Oli and Ncha are not the same thing. Oli actually is the numeral "one", and Ndoki/Ubani actually uses it that way. That is what Kojiek is saying. Ncha is "all".

ChinenyeN:

Oli and Ncha are not the same thing. Oli actually is the numeral "one", and Ndoki/Ubani actually uses it that way. That is what Kojiek is saying. Ncha is "all".

In the context of "Oli" as "one" , I think we Igbos know little about the original dialects. I have encountered an Igbo who called one "Uli" and another that called one "nte". I think "Otu" has been used in place of many original dialects.

For example Ngwas sometimes use "Ogwem" in place of "mu" or "ma" as their original dialect. Eg "Ogwem di bia" in place of "anam a bia" or "m na bia". That "Ogwem" is "ikem" in Ndoki.

Abagworo:

In the context of "Oli" as "one" , I think we Igbos know little about the original dialects. I have encountered an Igbo who called one "Uli" and another that called one "nte". I think "Otu" has been used in place of many original dialects.

Which one said Uli and which said Nte? Also, are the vowels in Uli sub-dotted vowels?

Abagworo:

For example Ngwas sometimes use "Ogwem" in place of "mu" or "ma" as their original dialect. Eg "Ogwem di bia" in place of "anam a bia" or "m na bia". That "Ogwem" is "ikem" in Ndoki.

Yea, I'm familiar with all of this.

ChinenyeN:

Oli and Ncha are not the same thing. Oli actually is the numeral "one", and Ndoki/Ubani actually uses it that way. That is what Kojiek is saying. Ncha is "all".

Does "all" in "at all" have the same meaning as the word "all"?


ma oli = ma ncha = at all.

Oli as a word might mean a different thing.