DitariDisciple2:


I didn't insult you please.

Mr. Man....and Deceit are the two words I heard that seemed to lash at me.

FreeStuffsNG:

That's not the issue. The issue is your remark that you are writing one central Ijaw language you want them to learn and speak when all his life he is more of Yoruba Apoi than Ijaw Apoi
I have a few Apoi and Ilaje Friends, I never knew any difference perhaps until the Ilaje Ijaw war. That issue never changed the fact that the LGA still remains Ese Odo LGA and Apoi needs to use his broader Yoruba platform than the minority Apoi.

If you hear Dele from Ondo state, you immediately confer the privilege of the majority Yoruba on him but if his name is Preye from Ondo state, they immediately see you as a minority and Apoi so since your mother is likely Yoruba and you have a Yoruba name, you speak and write Yoruba, you will rather use it by default than Preye. It's not challenging the fact that you are Apoi but you're more of Apoi Yoruba than Apoi Ijaw.


The Yoruba is not interested in adding Apoi to its subgroups but the Apois are happy that they have this Yoruba opportunity other Ijaws don't have but wish they have. OAU and UNILAG for example has Ondo under its catchment area, an Apoi from Ondo then has more chances for admission than Ijaw from Rivers State.
That is my point. Btw, they are not complaining, neither are the Yoruba complaining. In fact, I see them more as Yoruba than Ijaw and nobody discriminates against Apoi if you are among the Yoruba.

They will just raise a few stereotypes they have in common with the Ilaje but that's all nothing big.

Apoi West clan in Ondo state, are people from Apoi East clan in Bayelsa state.
Inikorogha is in Apoi East too.
Igbekebo means let there be wood.
Kiribo means let there be land, all these I just translated in my Ijaw dialect.
Etc.

DitariDisciple2:


Apoi are Ijaw people.

I doubt they still see themselves as ijaws.

I'm sure if it comes to them choosing, they will rather choose to go with Yorubas.

They have nothing in common with any Ijaw clan.

FreeStuffsNG:

That's not the issue. The issue is your remark that you are writing one central Ijaw language you want them to learn and speak when all his life he is more of Yoruba Apoi than Ijaw Apoi
I have a few Apoi and Ilaje Friends, I never knew any difference perhaps until the Ilaje Ijaw war. That issue never changed the fact that the LGA still remains Ese Odo LGA and Apoi needs to use his broader Yoruba platform than the minority Apoi.

If you hear Dele from Ondo state, you immediately confer the privilege of the majority Yoruba on him but if his name is Preye from Ondo state, they immediately see you as a minority and Apoi so since your mother is likely Yoruba and you have a Yoruba name, you speak and write Yoruba, you will rather use it by default than Preye. It's not challenging the fact that you are Apoi but you're more of Apoi Yoruba than Apoi Ijaw.


The Yoruba is not interested in adding Apoi to its subgroups but the Apois are happy that they have this Yoruba opportunity other Ijaws don't have but wish they have. OAU and UNILAG for example has Ondo under its catchment area, an Apoi from Ondo then has more chances for admission than Ijaw from Rivers State.
That is my point. Btw, they are not complaining, neither are the Yoruba complaining. In fact, I see them more as Yoruba than Ijaw and nobody discriminates against Apoi if you are among the Yoruba.

They will just raise a few stereotypes they have in common with the Ilaje but that's all nothing big.

You have said it all.

If Nigeria is to divide, I doubt they will wanna be in any Ijaw Republic sef.

Unless they tell you Apoi is an Ijaw clan, you will never know.

DitariDisciple2:


Apoi West clan in Ondo state, are people from Apoi East clan in Bayelsa state.
Inikorogha is in Apoi East too.
Igbekebo means bring stick come.
Kiribo means let there be land, all these I just translated in my Ijaw dialect.
Etc.

You have never been to Apoi before.

DitariDisciple2:


Apoi West clan in Ondo state, are people from Apoi East clan in Bayelsa state.
Inikorogha is in Apoi East too.
Igbekebo means bring stick come.
Kiribo means let there be land, all these I just translated in my Ijaw dialect.
Etc.

You are not helping with this at all. This was why the Ilaje said that the Apoi don't have a single land in Ese Odo LGA.
You have not taken my feedback on the impracticable nature of writing a central Ijaw language and asking the Apoi to start speaking it where he is a minority and settler. Of what economic or political value will such give him?

I am not talking about Bayelsa o even though I know that it would still not work in Bayelsa because of the serious cultural and linguistic differences within Bayelsa alone. I get very embarrassed anytime I see folks from Bayelsa who don't understand their languages and when I ask them,they say he is from Opuma and he is from Ogbia , that one is from Agrissaba and dat one from Kaiama! Same tiny Bayelsa State o They don't understand one another and don't speak same language!

Even Nembe Ogbolomabiri and Nembe Bassanbiri ,who are brothers o, still have some slight difference and different Amayanabo
I start wondering how they are related.

Whereas as if I am a Yoruba from Ila Orangun in Osun state, I can even understand an Itsekiri In far away Delta state speak!

FreeStuffsNG:

I get very embarrassed anytime I see folks from Bayelsa who don't understand their languages and when I ask them,they say he is from Opuma, that one is from Agrissaba and dat one from Kaiama!

I do have a doubt about the Ijaw tribe sef.

How can people claim to be one but speak different languages

walemoney007:
I doubt they still see themselves as ijaws.

I'm sure if it comes to them choosing, they will rather choose to go with Yorubas.

They have nothing in common with any Ijaw clan.

They are already in all Ijaw sociocultural organisations

walemoney007:
I do have a doubt about the Ijaw tribe sef.

How can people claim to be one but speak different languages

don't mind that mumu man, Real Ijaw people are not up to 400,000. they are just drawing stupid maps that their Fulani divide and rule pay masters asked them to draw. Some clans he calls Ijaw are Igbos, some are Yoruba and some Kalabari. Don't mind the mumu, he is just a nuisance on nairaland. Make him de mumu himself de go

cc

Thicksharon123

So ijaw has yoruba part Interesting....lastly we are all one nigeria whether we like it or not

FreeStuffsNG:


You are not helping with this at all. This was why the Ilaje said that the Apoi don't have a single land in Ese Odo LGA.
You have not taken my feedback on the impracticable nature of writing a central Ijaw language and asking the Apoi to start speaking it where he is a minority and settler. Of what economic or political value will such give him?

I am not talking about Bayelsa o even though I know that it would still not work in Bayelsa because of the serious cultural and linguistic differences within Bayelsa alone. I get very embarrassed anytime I see folks from Bayelsa who don't understand their languages and when I ask them,they say he is from Opuma and he is from Ogbia , that one is from Agrissaba and dat one from Kaiama! Same tiny Bayelsa State o They don't understand one another and don't speak same language!

Even Nembe Ogbolomabiri and Nembe Bassanbiri ,who are brothers o, still have some slight difference and different Amayanabo
I start wondering how they are related.

Whereas as if I am a Yoruba from Ila Orangun in Osun state, I can even understand an Itsekiri In far away Delta state speak!

Your foolishness ends here.
Who told u Ijaw don't understand each other?
You follow the lie Ibo speak on.
The ola orangun and whatever u mentioned all use Central dialect.
We communicate without Central dialect.
You are all jealous about Ijaw and u know nothing about it.

FreeStuffsNG:

Is this feasible? From my understanding of the evolution of languages, sociological and geographical factors play more role than folks sitting down to create a language.

Take for example, it's recorded in authority books that Asaba is culturally related to the west than the East but as minorities that are geographically close to a dominant tribe, the Igbo language dorminated their language over time and soon reduced the influence of their original cultural relationships with their kith and kin in the Western region.

The same thing is happening in Ondo with the Apoi who are even in Ese Odo LGA and speak Yoruba more and for political reasons will rather use their broader Yoruba affinity and relationship available to them but not available to Ijaws in Rivers and Bayelsa to increase their chances of opportunities.


You will never know that some Yoruba from Ese Odo LGA, Ondo have Apoi roots perhaps until you are married to them or close to them. The Apois and Ilaje have very little difference yet the Ilaje are Yoruba but the Apois won't let go of their Yoruba affinity for obvious reasons.

So asking the Apoi to take on one central Ijaw language that gives him no special economic or political advantage over his Ilaje neighbour who is already using his Yoruba as an edge,in my opinion, is just an academic exercise.
All around him,in schools, market, church, mosque, radio, TV, campaign ground, civil service secretariats, Banks, etc, they speak Yoruba which he can speak and has been speaking all his life and he even bears Yoruba names, his mother is probably Yoruba and you tell him to learn one language you are writing somewhere.

Haba. Kolewek o

There are no Yoruba in Ese odo.
The vice chairman of National union of Izon ibe students is from Apoi West clan.

The president of Ijaw matters is another Apoi West clan guy.

ThickSharon123:
If you people have all these Ibani-Ijaw, Kalabari-Ijaw. Yoruba or Apoi Ijaw, and all these varying languages. What would you people offer? Do you people have a business plan. How would you be able to communicate lingusitically? And won't the so-called Igbo slaves that your great great great grandmother and grandfather did buy, won't they still be discriminated by the original Ijaw people as they are doing now.

That's one, please.

Secondly, do you have a business plan (business plan for the economy is major for me) and constitution for democracy? Or you people would still live in the monarchial system being that all of you love monarchy. So in essence, the King of Kalabari would be subservient to the king in the Bayelsa because he's originally Ijaw.

So, these are my questions, and please don't insult me, if you do I'll give you back to back when I'm ready. So talk like a sane person. And give me answers, perhaps others who would be reading this post would understand. Thank you.

Concerning your question.
Ijaw have 86 clans spread in the three Ijaw sociocultural zones.
East West Central.
This 86 clans have 86 clan heads, who are all first class Kings.
And all the clans have over 2,700 Town heads who are second class or third class Kings.
No first class is more first class than the other.

We will put very strong country borders in all Ijaw Republic territories.
And all of you will not come in without international passport.

Dollarseeker:
don't mind that fool. Real Ijaw people are not up to 400,000. they are just drawing stupid maps that their Fulani divide and rule pay masters asked them to draw. Some clans he calls Ijaw are Igbos, some are Yoruba and some Kalabari. Don't mind the fool, he is just a nuisance on nairaland. I no longer reply the fool on nairaland... make him de mumu himself de go

cc

Thicksharon123

It's better u say there are no Ijaws in Nigeria it will cool your miserable life.

walemoney007:
I do have a doubt about the Ijaw tribe sef.

How can people claim to be one but speak different languages

Mr man, Ibo have different dialects same with Yoruba you all use central dialect,
Why do u all use central dialect instead of the different dialects, if its easy for you.



We Ijaws don't use central dialect, and we still communicate from Eastern Ijaw to Central Ijaw and then to Western Ijaw
Stop believing all lies u see on Nairaland go find out physical.

FreeStuffsNG:

Is this feasible? From my understanding of the evolution of languages, sociological and geographical factors play more role than folks sitting down to create a language.

Take for example, it's recorded in authority books that Asaba is culturally related to the west than the East but as minorities that are geographically close to a dominant tribe, the Igbo language dorminated their language over time and soon reduced the influence of their original cultural relationships with their kith and kin in the Western region.

The same thing is happening in Ondo with the Apoi who are even in Ese Odo LGA and speak Yoruba more and for political reasons will rather use their broader Yoruba affinity and relationship available to them but not available to Ijaws in Rivers and Bayelsa to increase their chances of opportunities.


You will never know that some Yoruba from Ese Odo LGA, Ondo have Apoi roots perhaps until you are married to them or close to them. The Apois and Ilaje have very little difference yet the Ilaje are Yoruba but the Apois won't let go of their Yoruba affinity for obvious reasons.

So asking the Apoi to take on one central Ijaw language that gives him no special economic or political advantage over his Ilaje neighbour who is already using his Yoruba as an edge,in my opinion, is just an academic exercise.
All around him,in schools, market, church, mosque, radio, TV, campaign ground, civil service secretariats, Banks, etc, they speak Yoruba which he can speak and has been speaking all his life and he even bears Yoruba names, his mother is probably Yoruba and you tell him to learn one language you are writing somewhere.

Haba. Kolewek o

There is a lot ignorance on this thread,and perhaps Ditari didn't do some justice to the question.I'll to to educate yourself and the Op on this.

The Ijaw language is the same everywhere, whether those in Rivers,Delta,Ondo,Edo or Bayelsa.Yea,there are dialectical differences just as there is in Yoruba or the Igbo language.

I am not sure if you are Yoruba,but I'll explain using the different Yoruba dialects so you'll understand better.An Ijebu would understand to an extent an Ijesha when he speaks his dialect,so it is with the Awori or any other sub-group.However,with the Yorubas or Igbos,there is an accepted central,common dialect which is absent amongst the Ijaws.

So I from Sagbama in Bayelsa understands to a reasonable extent when a Kalabari or Ibani or Okrika speak their dialect.So it is with other clans.However,some dialects are more similar than others.Nembe and to some extent Kolokuma (which is the central accepted written Ijaw language) has more dialectal similarities to the the Ijaw spoken in Rivers state.I understand when an Ijaw in Delta,Edo or Ondo speak.

So,to answer the OP Ijaws are one,but need a central spoken and written language to further integrate themselves, instead of everyone speaking their own dialect whenever we come together at a meeting.

As for the Apois and Arogbo in Ondo, it's almost the same with Bonny.The native Ijaw language has taken the backstage,and they speak more Yoruba and bear Yoruba name.Good thing is,the Yorubas aren't claiming them as result,unlike the Igbos.It still doesn't stop them from being Ijaws.

For Ijaw nationhood,every clan must make a conscious effort to speak and write Ijaw.No more speaking Igbo or Yoruba because you find yourself around or traded with them.

JANK23H:

There is a lot ignorance on this thread,and perhaps Ditari didn't do some justice to the question.I'll to to educate yourself and the Op on this.

The Ijaw language is the same everywhere, whether those in Rivers,Delta,Ondo,Edo or Bayelsa.Yea,there are dialectical differences just as there is in Yoruba or the Igbo language.

I am not sure if you are Yoruba,but I'll explain using the different Yoruba dialects so you'll understand better.An Ijebu would understand to an extent an Ijesha when he speaks his dialect,so it is with the Awori or any other sub-group.However,with the Yorubas or Igbos,there is an accepted central,common dialect which is absent amongst the Ijaws.

So I from Sagbama in Bayelsa understands to a reasonable extent when a Kalabari or Ibani or Okrika speak their dialect.So it is with other clans.However,some dialects are more similar than others.Nembe and to some extent Kolokuma (which is the central accepted written Ijaw language) has more dialectal similarities to the the Ijaw spoken in Rivers state.I understand when an Ijaw in Delta,Edo or Ondo speak.

So,to answer the OP Ijaws are one,but need a central spoken and written language to further integrate themselves, instead of everyone speaking their own dialect whenever we come together at a meeting.

My Kolokuma understands even the Ijaws as far as Akwaibom to an extent.

As for Rivers Delta, Bayelsa Ondo, and Edo Ijaws.
It is very easy for We Kolokuma clan to understand.

JANK23H:

There is a lot ignorance on this thread,and perhaps Ditari didn't do some justice to the question.I'll to to educate yourself and the Op on this.

The Ijaw language is the same everywhere, whether those in Rivers,Delta,Ondo,Edo or Bayelsa.Yea,there are dialectical differences just as there is in Yoruba or the Igbo language.

I am not sure if you are Yoruba,but I'll explain using the different Yoruba dialects so you'll understand better.An Ijebu would understand to an extent an Ijesha when he speaks his dialect,so it is with the Awori or any other sub-group.However,with the Yorubas or Igbos,there is an accepted central,common dialect which is absent amongst the Ijaws.

So I from Sagbama in Bayelsa understands to a reasonable extent when a Kalabari or Ibani or Okrika speak their dialect.So it is with other clans.However,some dialects are more similar than others.Nembe and to some extent Kolokuma (which is the central accepted written Ijaw language) has more dialectal similarities to the the Ijaw spoken in Rivers state.I understand when an Ijaw in Delta,Edo or Ondo speak.

So,to answer the OP Ijaws are one,but need a central spoken and written language to further integrate themselves, instead of everyone speaking their own dialect whenever we come together at a meeting.

Ijebu say Boribobei
Meaning come here.


Yoruba say Wambi meaning the same thing.

You see the difference.


They use central dialect or no way for them.

Ijaw doesn't even use the central dialect and we still communicate well with each other.



Nsukka don't understand Onitsha man.



Abakaliki don't understand Aba man.

They use central dialect or else no way for them.


We Ijaws don't even use it nd we still communicate well.

They like to believe lies told to themselves, here on Nairaland.

DitariDisciple2:


My Kolokuma understands even the Ijaws as far as Akwaibom to an extent.

As for Rivers Delta, Bayelsa Ondo, and Edo Ijaws.
It is very easy for We Kolokuma clan to understand.

That's very true, that's why Kolokuma was used as the central language at some point.I wonder why there is some disagreement now.I remember growing up in the 80s, going to an Ijaw Anglican church service at CMS in Lagos(Bishop Tugwell), Kolokuma was the language used at the time.

I hope the central language is sorted out as quickly as possible.

DitariDisciple2:


Your foolishness ends here.
Who told u Ijaw don't understand each other?
You follow the lie Ibo speak on.
The ola orangun and whatever u mentioned all use Central dialect.
We communicate without Central dialect.
You are all jealous about Ijaw and u know nothing about it.

Cc Seun Mynd44 Lalasticlala

JANK23H:

There is a lot ignorance on this thread,and perhaps Ditari didn't do some justice to the question.I'll to to educate yourself and the Op on this.

The Ijaw language is the same everywhere, whether those in Rivers,Delta,Ondo,Edo or Bayelsa.Yea,there are dialectical differences just as there is in Yoruba or the Igbo language.

I am not sure if you are Yoruba,but I'll explain using the different Yoruba dialects so you'll understand better.An Ijebu would understand to an extent an Ijesha when he speaks his dialect,so it is with the Awori or any other sub-group.However,with the Yorubas or Igbos,there is an accepted central,common dialect which is absent amongst the Ijaws.

So I from Sagbama in Bayelsa understands to a reasonable extent when a Kalabari or Ibani or Okrika speak their dialect.So it is with other clans.However,some dialects are more similar than others.Nembe and to some extent Kolokuma (which is the central accepted written Ijaw language) has more dialectal similarities to the the Ijaw spoken in Rivers state.I understand when an Ijaw in Delta,Edo or Ondo speak.

So,to answer the OP Ijaws are one,but need a central spoken and written language to further integrate themselves, instead of everyone speaking their own dialect whenever we come together at a meeting.

As for the Apois and Arogbo in Ondo, it's almost the same with Bonny.The native Ijaw language has taken the backstage,and they speak more Yoruba and bear Yoruba name.Good thing is,the Yorubas aren't claiming them as result,unlike the Igbos.It still doesn't stop them from being Ijaws.

For Ijaw nationhood,every clan must make a conscious effort to speak and write Ijaw.No more speaking Igbo or Yoruba because you find yourself around or traded with them.

Exactly!
I was just scrolling down to see if anyone will explain this perfectly.
I as a Nembe person can perfectly excellently hear when an okrika, kalabari, Bonny, Akassa, bille, kula etc man speak.
It's so funny how people who are outside think OUT OF IGNORANCE that we don't know ourselves.
Even linguists such as Sigismund Koelle, Kay Williamson, Gerrit Dimmendaal, Roger Blench, etc were the people who arranged the ijoid Languages, uninformed people who hasn't even gotten to portharcourt not to talk about entering the Delta begin to say things they don't know.

DitariDisciple2:



Ijebu say Boribobei
Meaning come here.


Yoruba say Wambi meaning the same thing.

You see the difference.


They use central dialect or no way for them.

Ijaw doesn't even use the central dialect and we still communicate well with each other.



Nsukka don't understand Onitsha man.



Abakaliki don't understand Aba man.

They use central dialect or else no way for them.


We Ijaws don't even use it nd we still communicate well.

They like to believe lies told to themselves, here on Nairaland.

They don't even know the ijos are more binded by culture, dialect, history more than any other Ethnic group in Nigeria.
We do not have a central DIALECT, yet we understand each other.

I have a close friend who is ABRIBA, and another who is from nkanu, Enugu. Back in the university.
They do mock themselves, the Enugu dude laugh at the ABRIBA guy's dialect, because they don't understand themselves.

Whenever he calls his older brothers or family for money, all we here is "okpo'ngla okpo'ngla"
And the Enugu dude and I laugh till we roll on the floor.

My babe is mbaise, but that dialect is very different from the other Igbo Languages I understand(my mother's own) and I do tell her not to speak that Language whenever I'm around, because she fit sell me with am.

The igbos Language are not even the same, they have their own central Igbo dialect, and they are here causing confusion over we that do not even have a central DIALECT but can understand each other..
This double standard is smelling badly.
Walemoney007 dollarseeker freestuffsNG thicksharon123 please explain the double standard.

Anonymous15:

They don't even know the ijos are more binded by culture, dialect, history more than any other Ethnic group in Nigeria.
We do not have a central DIALECT, yet we understand each other.

I have a close friend who is ABRIBA, and another who is from nkanu, Enugu. Back in the university.
They do mock themselves, the Enugu dude laugh at the ABRIBA guy's dialect, because they don't understand themselves.

Whenever he calls his older brothers or family for money, all we here is "okpo'ngla okpo'ngla"
And the Enugu dude and I laugh till we roll on the floor.

My babe is mbaise, but that dialect is very different from the other Igbo Languages I understand(my mother's own) and I do tell her not to speak that Language whenever I'm around, because she fit sell me with am.

The igbos Language are not even the same, they have their own central Igbo dialect, and they are here causing confusion over we that do not even have a central DIALECT but can understand each other..
This double standard is smelling badly.
Walemoney007 dollarseeker please explain the double standard.

I do not understand what you're talking about

The Apois in Ondo state speak Yoruba, their lifestyle and way of life is the Yoruba way.

Most of them even see themselves as Yoruba, most Apois I know, are living in Ibadan and Lagos, they school in schools in the South West

Believe me, they are not ready to drop their language or way of live for any Ijaw central dialect.

walemoney007:
I do not understand what you're talking about

The Apois in Ondo state speak Yoruba, their lifestyle and way of life is the Yoruba way.

Most of them even see themselves as Yoruba, most Apois I know, are living in Ibadan and Lagos, they school in schools in the South West

Believe me, they are not ready to drop their language or way of live for any Ijaw central dialect.

No, they are in every ijaw org like LINO, IYC, etc.
They even have representatives that are very active.
Infact it can shock you that the spiritual headquarters of the ijaw people isn't even in Bayelsa, but further west in Gbaran.
They are even more rask and follow egbesu who is the ijaw god of war and justice than we in the central and eastern ijaw space, na we even soft pass. Bro, you have no idea.

walemoney007:
I do not understand what you're talking about

The Apois in Ondo state speak Yoruba, their lifestyle and way of life is the Yoruba way.

Most of them even see themselves as Yoruba, most Apois I know, are living in Ibadan and Lagos, they school in schools in the South West

Believe me, they are not ready to drop their language or way of live for any Ijaw central dialect.

That's because they are in a state dominated by Yorubas,and in order to survive economically or politically they must identify somewhat with the dominant ethnic group.This will not be so if they were in say,an Ijaw republic or an Ijaw dominant state.

I know some Apoi and Arogbo myself,and they proudly identify themselves as Ijaws,even though they speak only Yoruba.

Grinch41:

That's because they are in a state dominated by Yorubas,and in order to survive economically or politically they must identify somewhat with the dominant ethnic group.This will not be so if they were in say,an Ijaw republic or an Ijaw dominant state.

I know some Apoi and Arogbo myself,and they proudly identify themselves as Ijaws,even though they speak only Yoruba.

I'm not saying they are not "ijaws".

walemoney007:
I'm not saying they are not "ijaws".

Apoi West people are holding positions, in the Ijaw Republic Liberation Movement.

Anonymous15:

They don't even know the ijos are more binded by culture, dialect, history more than any other Ethnic group in Nigeria.
We do not have a central DIALECT, yet we understand each other.

I have a close friend who is ABRIBA, and another who is from nkanu, Enugu. Back in the university.
They do mock themselves, the Enugu dude laugh at the ABRIBA guy's dialect, because they don't understand themselves.

Whenever he calls his older brothers or family for money, all we here is "okpo'ngla okpo'ngla"
And the Enugu dude and I laugh till we roll on the floor.

My babe is mbaise, but that dialect is very different from the other Igbo Languages I understand(my mother's own) and I do tell her not to speak that Language whenever I'm around, because she fit sell me with am.

The igbos Language are not even the same, they have their own central Igbo dialect, and they are here causing confusion over we that do not even have a central DIALECT but can understand each other..
This double standard is smelling badly.
Walemoney007 dollarseeker freestuffsNG thicksharon123 please explain the double standard.

This is funny, tell any Igbo person, someone from Abakaliki can understand someone from Ikwere. Some Igbos say Mmanu NRI, others say Mmanu Mmli, it's still the same thing. But when an Igbo from Anioma or the West talk still understand. There's only a slight alteration of sentences which isn't that excessive like we have in Ijaw areas or the supposed Ibani areas.

The question now lies, can an Ijaw person understand perfectly the Ibani language? And the answer is no.

But someone from Abakaliki can understand someone from Igbnake. There may be slight differences in which the Igbo person would still tell the person from Igbanke to tell him the sentence that was left out, and he would describe it for him.

However, the central dialect of all Igbos has made it easy for all Igbo states and it's variable clans to understand each other that's why they do.

A great part of Isoko believes they originated from Igbo land, but you don't see Igbos saying the share language or practice with them. Because they are unintelligible to them. But Ijaws are different, and use assimailition and force a language on peeple which isn't right. You can't force a person a language, that is the heigh of silliness, rather you give the person the avenue and time to learn ONLY if such person wants to learn.

So, the simple answer is: Yes all Igbos understand the central Igbo dialect 99.9 percent.

JANK23H:

There is a lot ignorance on this thread,and perhaps Ditari didn't do some justice to the question.I'll to to educate yourself and the Op on this.

The Ijaw language is the same everywhere, whether those in Rivers,Delta,Ondo,Edo or Bayelsa.Yea,there are dialectical differences just as there is in Yoruba or the Igbo language.

I am not sure if you are Yoruba,but I'll explain using the different Yoruba dialects so you'll understand better.An Ijebu would understand to an extent an Ijesha when he speaks his dialect,so it is with the Awori or any other sub-group.However,with the Yorubas or Igbos,there is an accepted central,common dialect which is absent amongst the Ijaws.

So I from Sagbama in Bayelsa understands to a reasonable extent when a Kalabari or Ibani or Okrika speak their dialect.So it is with other clans.However,some dialects are more similar than others.Nembe and to some extent Kolokuma (which is the central accepted written Ijaw language) has more dialectal similarities to the the Ijaw spoken in Rivers state.I understand when an Ijaw in Delta,Edo or Ondo speak.

So,to answer the OP Ijaws are one,but need a central spoken and written language to further integrate themselves, instead of everyone speaking their own dialect whenever we come together at a meeting.

As for the Apois and Arogbo in Ondo, it's almost the same with Bonny.The native Ijaw language has taken the backstage,and they speak more Yoruba and bear Yoruba name.Good thing is,the Yorubas aren't claiming them as result,unlike the Igbos.It still doesn't stop them from being Ijaws.

For Ijaw nationhood,every clan must make a conscious effort to speak and write Ijaw.No more speaking Igbo or Yoruba because you find yourself around or traded with them.

Check out the Yoruba's and Igbo's central dialects. There were no preparations made unto it. It simple sprang up. The question is, why do Ijaws have to use dialogue and force to make a central language. Why can't it be done now?

In my perspective, central language isn't created, it is spontaneous, and happens through a given period.

ThickSharon123:


This is funny, tell any Igbo person, someone from Abakaliki can understand someone from Ikwere. Some Igbos say Mmanu NRI, others say Mmanu Mmli, it's still the same thing. But when an Igbo from Anioma or the West talk still understand. There's only a slight alteration of sentences which isn't that excessive like we have in Ijaw areas or the supposed Ibani areas.

The question now lies, can an Ijaw person understand perfectly the Ibani language? And the answer is no.

But someone from Abakaliki can understand someone from Igbnake. There may be slight differences in which the Igbo person would still tell the person from Igbanke to tell him the sentence that was left out, and he would describe it for him.

However, the central dialect of all Igbos has made it easy for all Igbo states and it's variable clans to understand each other that's why they do.

A great part of Isoko believer they originated from Igbo land, but you don't see Igbos saying the share language or practice with them. Because they are unintelligible to them. But Ijaws are different, and use assimailition and force a language on peeple which isn't right. You can't force a person a language, that is the heigh of silliness, rather you give the person the avenue and time to learn ONLY if such person wants to learn.

So, the simple answer is: Yes all Igbos understand the central Igbo dialect 99.9 percent.

Ibani and my Kolokuma will speak from now till forever without changing to English.

Ibani is even easier to me than Okrika, but I understand Okrika too.