I was going through a post the other day and some of my people that commented raised issues of Igbo language being incomplete. Their reason being that you have to blend it with English now and again to make it complete. Now i know that my people out there in the Igbo Heartland goes about their normal duties communicating with undiluted Igbo language. Take a visit to any of our Ogwumabiris (Evening markets) and you will see for yourselves that not even the mention of money was done in English. I was glad when someone made the point that it's only the conventional words that may be found wanting. But i still insist that even in such circumstances, Igbo language made a provision of using Akpaala okwu to solve that.

This thread is therefore a conscious effort towards addressing some of those issues. If you have any English word/phrase which you have difficulty in translating to Igbo, please put it forward so that the Igbo community here will give you a satisfying answer. If you equally find it difficult to express a particular sentence in Igbo, then you are welcome to Igbo Language Laboratory.

Internet = Ngiga Uwa (Odenigbo Lecture series)

System - Orunotu :: My personal contribution in the Nairaland Official Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba Dictionary thread. In fact, since that time I've seen it all over the Igbo Wikipedia site. I take it that the translation was a fitting and sensible one then.

Eklectronic - "Okwuinoku"

odumchi:

Eklectronic - "Okwuinoku"

You just summarized the usual ihe eji enyere ndu aka

Nuclear weapons = Ngwa Agha Ogwurumba

kedu, o di mma

Nayah:

kedu, o di mma

Spam

Nayah:

kedu, o di mma

Spam

^^
You should encourage her. Shes not even a Nigerian and shes trying to speak Igbo

Heres another one. Television "Olenuwa" meaning seeing the things in the world. What do you think?

odumchi:

^^
You should encourage her. Shes not even a Nigerian and shes trying to speak Igbo 

Heres another one. Television "Olenuwa" meaning seeing the things in the world. What do you think?

I think that is brilliant. Juxtaposing it with your earlier Okwuinoku will give us Television - Okwinoku Olenuwa. How does that sound?
I know we have been using Okwu Mbite "Igwe Televishon" for this.

@ Nayah, The Igbo French Friend, You are welcome. We will be pleased to help you speak fluent Igbo.

Back to Topic.

Welding Machine - Igwe Oku;
Video Recorder - Igwe Onyonyoo.

Okoro2015:

I think that is brilliant. Juxtaposing it with your earlier Okwuinoku will give us Television - Okwinoku Olenuwa. How does that sound?
I know we have been using Okwu Mbite "Igwe Televishon" for this.

It sounds fine, but you know Igbo, long things will always be shortened. As for video recorder which you said was "Igwe Onyonyoo", what is onyonyoo? If i were asked to provide one, Id say "igwe nseta"

Nice thread, How do I say cupboard?

Nayah:

kedu, o di mma

Ihe a di mma. You are learning ooo!  

hakunajay:

Nice thread, How do I say cupboard?

Cupboard is "Okpo ekunmiri" literally, cup box.

Ezeuche, Okoro a,dOdumchi imela, kedu ka o di

odumchi:

Cupboard is "Okpo ekunmiri" literally, cup box.

What about Igbe Nchekwa

odumchi:

It sounds fine, but you know Igbo, long things will always be shortened. As for video recorder which you said was "Igwe Onyonyoo", what is onyonyoo? If i were asked to provide one, Id say "igwe nseta"

I think this is better. It covers both still and video cameras. I think Igwe Onyonyoo situates Video Player better.
Thanks for your useful contributions.

Igwe Onyonyoo . . .Television

Okoro2015:

What about Igbe Nchekwa



I think this is better. It covers both still and video cameras. I think Igwe Onyonyoo situates Video Player better.
Thanks for your useful contributions.

Ok, no problem.

@Nayah
Odikwa nma na eba. Giwa Kwan?

Ok, Lets go Monetary.

Bank - Ulo aku, Ulo Oba ego
Loan - Ego Mgbazinye
Cheque - Akwukwo Ndowanye ego

Loan . . .ego mbite/mbibi.
Coins . . .ego igwe

yes ego is money oh I forgot that one!

Some words are already there, but have become unpopular or have come to mean something else, you have to be careful about that, like ókpóró which means 'main road'. There's no such thing as a complete language. What about using some loan words from neighbouring communities that specialise in a particular field, like fishing terms from Ogoni or Kalabari?

Money - Ego, Ekpege, Okpogo

Debt - Ugwo

Here's a mind blowing one:

Lab, Laboratory:

Lab: Ulo umamihe meaning house of knowedge.

Lab/Laboratory connotes advancement of knowledge. Translate that connotation and you get 'Lab/Laboratory' (my opinion though).

Laboratory comes from 'to work'.

Laboratory=Ulo nyocha

ifyalways:

Laboratory=Ulo nyocha

Close IMO.

Bread= Achicha
Biscuit= Achicha okpoo.
Telephone= ekwe nti
Radio= igwe ozi
Police= Ndi uwe ogii
Nayah= Omasiri m
Typewritter= Igwe edemede
Fart= ahuu/ahiri
etc