You guyz are silly, "Gbam" is an exclamation that has no particular origin. It could have come from any language with a Gb sound in it, or being used simultaneously by various languages at the same time. It sounds Yoruba, it sounds Igbo as well... stop fighting over trivialities.
It is like arguing which language "owns"

Ah!, Eehya!, Oh!, Wooo!, Gbosa! etc ..... it could have been used by various peoples speaking various tongues.

Gbam
Hian
Ewo

Are igbo exclaims

Maybe tomorrow you will say chai isn't igbo



The bottom line is igbo words are taking mainstream pidgeon due to igbo in diaspora


May be tomorrow u say ukwu and tee are yoruba

tonychristopher:
Gbam
Hian
Ewo

Are igbo exclaims

Maybe tomorrow you will say chai isn't igbo

The bottom line is igbo words are taking mainstream pidgeon due to igbo in diaspora
May be tomorrow u say ukwu and tee are yoruba

You are not making any sense at all .....
I have heard Edo people use "Hian" very well in their villages, and it sure didnt come from the Igbos.
Gbam is not igbo either..... Almost every tribe in Southern Nigeria use it.... How can you claim an exclamation that mimics the sound of a slam?
Ewo is obviously igbo.... It became popular via the route of old nollywood movies.

And for the last part.... I hope you know that there are far more Yoruba words in Pidgin than Igbo?
The most common mainstream ones you use everyday like: Oya, Shey, Abi, Olodo, Orobo, Orishirishi, Olokpa, Shayo, Oga, Baba, Gbedu, Gbege, Jeje, Para, Ajebo, Fashi, Yakata, Ni, koko, Joor, Nko, Ajekpako, Shakara (Shako), Gan, lekpa, Okpelenge, Suegbe, Omo, Koko, Tokunbo, Agbaya, Lai Lai, ... many many more. I bet you can't complete a sentence or two of pidgin without using some of these words.

So since Igbo words according to you are "Taking" mainstream Pidgin, can you show me a list of the most prominent mainstream Pidgin words with Igbo origins, and show us how these Igbo words are taking pidgin over?

scholes0:


You are not making any sense at all .....
I have heard Edo people use "Hian" very well in their villages, and it sure didnt come from the Igbos.
Gbam is not igbo either..... Almost every tribe in Southern Nigeria use it.... How can you claim an exclamation that mimics the sound of a slam?
Ewo is obviously igbo.... It became popular via the route of old nollywood movies.

And for the last part.... I hope you know that there are far more Yoruba words in Pidgin than Igbo?
The most common mainstream ones you use everyday like: Oya, Shey, Abi, Olodo, Orobo, Orishirishi, Olokpa, Shayo, Oga, Baba, Gbedu, Gbege, Jeje, Para, Ajebo, Fashi, Yakata, Ni, koko, Joor, Nko, Ajekpako, Shakara (Shako), Gan, lekpa, Okpelenge, Suegbe, Omo, Koko, Tokunbo, Agbaya, Lai Lai, ... many many more. I bet you can't complete a sentence or two of pidgin without using some of these words.

So since Igbo words according to you are "Taking" mainstream Pidgin, can you show me a list of the most prominent mainstream Pidgin words with Igbo origins, and show us how these Igbo words are taking pidgin over?

Gbam is definitely Igbo,which means to get something right. It's mostly noticed in Igbo sentences like Gba nta(Hunt) or Gba boolu(play football), O 'gbaram' boolu(he kicked his ball on me), Gbachie door(close the door). It signifies affirmation. Other igbo words are Chai, Una from Unu, Ewo, Eh he, Chineke mee, Biko, Kotma(Court Messenger), Ngwa,Alobam, Baby 'Oku', Shekeleke, Atinga, Oyibo,Ebeano etc.
They are all Igbo words that became popular and are used by different ethnic groups in Nigeria. It's common sense.
Note: some of your yoruba slangs are not familiar to me at all.

Ihuomadinihu:

Gbam is definitely Igbo,which means to get something right. It's mostly noticed in Igbo sentences like Gba nta(Hunt) or Gba boolu(play football), O 'gbaram' boolu(he kicked his ball on me), Gbachie door(close the door). It signifies affirmation.

You still don't get the point.... I am not saying that he word "Gbam" has no Igbo parallels or connotations.
What I am telling you (and others on here) is that- the above fact doesen't mean it does not exist in other languages as well.... Both are not mutually exclusive. After-all, A lot of Nigerians add the suffix "O" .... at the end of speech.... Who can lay claim to that one?

Ihuomadinihu:
Other igbo words are Chai, Una from Unu, Ewo, Eh he, Chineke mee, Biko, Kotma(Court Messenger), Ngwa,Alobam, Baby 'Oku', Shekeleke, Atinga, Oyibo,Ebeano etc.
They are all Igbo words that became popular and are used by different ethnic groups in Nigeria. It's common sense.
Note: some of your yoruba slangs are not familiar to me at all.

Of all those words, only Chai, and Una are Popular Pidgin.... The rest are most likely regional forms of Pidgin confined to the South East.... What is Atinga or Kotma or Ebeano? How are they used?
The point is that all major Nigerian languages have contributed to the vocabulary of pidgin (Yoruba moreso than others) however, your comrade above claims that "igbo words are now dominating or taking mainstream pidgin or have dominated pidgin" ;whatever that means.... because of the diaspora or whatever reason he attributes it to..... I am yet to see how, when it is painfully hard to make a list of 20 "all-rounder" words in mainstream pidgin familiar to all Nigerians.

btw: Which of the pidgin terms I listed are you not familiar with?

scholes0:


You still don't get the point.... I am not saying that he word "Gbam" has no Igbo parallels or connotations.
What I am telling you (and others on here) is that- the above fact doesen't mean it does not exist in other languages as well.... Both are not mutually exclusive. After-all, A lot of Nigerians add the suffix "O" .... at the end of speech.... Who can lay claim to that one?



Of all those words, only Chai, and Una are Popular Pidgin.... The rest are most likely regional forms of Pidgin confined to the South East.... What is Atings or Kotma or Ebeano? How are they used?
The point is that all major Nigerian languages have contributed to the vocabulary of pidgin (Yoruba moreso than others) however, is that your comrade above claims that "igbo words are now dominating pidgin or have dominated pidgin".... because of the diaspora or whatever reason he attributes it to..... I am yet to see how, when it is painfully hard to make a list of 20 "all-rounder" words in mainstream pidgin familiar to all Nigerians.

btw: Which of the pidgin terms I listed are you not familiar with?

As you are not familiar with some Igbo slangs,that's the same way some of the yoruba slangs you listed sound strange to me.
Igbo,Edo and Yoruba come from same language family and most probably have the 'Gb' phoneme. The issue here is that it is used differently. 'GB in Igbo usually come in when one is going for an affirmative action. E.g Gba egbe (shout a gun). 'I gbatara anu? 'Eh, a gbatarm anu'. (did you hunt an animal? Yes,i caught/shot an animal). Gba Egwu - to dance. I gbara ya? A 'gbaram' ya (did you dance? Yes,i danced). Gba nye mmiri(put water). Gbam follows an Igbo pattern of affirmation and concord.
This argument is as silly as arguing that NKo is not Yoruba but Igbo cos i also use Nko in my language. Nko in Igbo means Sharp,while it means something else in Yoruba. The Nko that has been adopted is relative to Yoruba structure and meaning.
It's almost like saying Okro is not an Igbo word cos you also eat Okro soup in Yorubaland.
I didn't make the submission that Igbo is dominating Pidgin,cos we all have our regional Pidgin dialects. Yes,all Nigerian Languages has contributed to Pidgin Vocabulary but the word in question is more associated with the Igbo language structure.

Ihuomadinihu:

As you are not familiar with some Igbo slangs,that's the same way some of the yoruba slangs you listed sound strange to me.
Igbo,Edo and Yoruba come from same language family and most probably have the 'Gb' phoneme. The issue here is that it is used differently. 'GB in Igbo usually come in when one is going for an affirmative action. E.g Gba egbe (shout a gun). 'I gbatara anu? 'Eh, a gbatarm anu'. (did you hunt an animal? Yes,i caught/shot an animal). Gba Egwu - to dance. I gbara ya? A 'gbaram' ya (did you dance? Yes,i danced). Gba nye mmiri(put water). Gbam follows an Igbo pattern of affirmation and concord.

LOL..... Have a look at this then, If you think only only Igbo utilizes GB as an action inducing/induced phoneme.

Mo GBA ball - I kicked ball
Ma GBA eti e - I will Slap you
Gbamu Gbamu Jigi Jigi - Exclamation connoting happiness

Do you see the point?
As for the Unfamiliarity with some of your Igbo terms.... It might be the case.... but can you categorically say that 'Igbo words are dominating or becoming the mainstream pidgin' ? I don't think so.

scholes0:


LOL..... Have a look at this then, If you think only only Igbo utilizes GB as an action inducing/induced phoneme.

Mo GBA ball - I kicked ball
Ma GBA eti e - I will Slap you
Gbamu Gbamu Jigi Jigi - Exclamation connoting happiness

Do you see the point?
As for the Unfamiliarity with some of your Igbo terms.... It might be the case.... but can you categorically say that 'Igbo words are dominating or becoming the mainstream pidgin' ? I don't think so.

Mo Gba ball and A Gbara m ball, which of them has a stronger relationship to Gbam?

scholes0:


LOL..... Have a look at this then, If you think only only Igbo utilizes GB as an action inducing/induced phoneme.

Mo GBA ball - I kicked ball
Ma GBA eti e - I will Slap you
Gbamu Gbamu Jigi Jigi - Exclamation connoting happiness

Do you see the point?
As for the Unfamiliarity with some of your Igbo terms.... It might be the case.... but can you categorically say that 'Igbo words are dominating or becoming the mainstream pidgin' ? I don't think so.

I would like you to translate Dance, Hunt, spread in a yoruba sentence.

Ihuomadinihu:

This argument is as silly as arguing that NKo is not Yoruba but Igbo cos i also use Nko in my language. Nko in Igbo means Sharp,while it means something else in Yoruba. The Nko that has been adopted is relative to Yoruba structure and meaning.
It's almost like saying Okro is not an Igbo word cos you also eat Okro soup in Yorubaland.

The argument is not silly unless you think so.
I am trying to explain to you the Multiple origin of a word that some Nigerians use. .... Whereas, you are alluding to a single origin theory.
Since you agree that GB exist in Yoruba , Igbo and Edo....... And all Humans use exclamations, how then can you support the claim that GBAM has a singular origin in Igbo?

"Mo GBA lekun, o dun GBAM".... "I hit the door shut, It sounded Gbam"
That is purely Yoruba, and the context in which Gbam is used in that sentence, is the sam way yorubas continue to use it in their everyday speech.. You see.

The origins of the word Okra is disputed, but it might have been Igbo in Origin. Definitely not Yoruba, cause Yorubas have their native word for okra with is Ila. I want to eat Okra is; "Mo fe je Ila" not "Mo fe je Okra"

In most cases,an Igbo child under six years who is still learning how to speak Igbo will say : A gbam ball. I played ball,

Ihuomadinihu:

I would like you to translate Dance, Hunt, spread in a yoruba sentence.

And how are Dance , Hunt and Spread exclamative terms?
"Gbam" in the Context in which Nigerians utilize it today, is as an Exclamation.... nothing more.

scholes0:


The argument is not silly unless you think so.
I a trying to explain to you the Multiple origin of a word that some Nigerians use. .... Whereas, you are alluding to a single origin theory.
Since you agree that GB exist in Yoruba , Igbo and Edo....... And all Humans use exclamations, how then can you support the claim that GBAM has a singular origin in Igbo?

"Mo GBA lekun, o dun GBAM".... "I hit the door shut, It sounded Gbam"
That is purely Yoruba, and the context in which Gbam is used in that sentence, is the sam way yorubas continue to use it in their everyday speech.. You see.

The origins of the word is dispted, but it might have been Igbo in Origin. Definitely not Yoruba, cause Yorubas have their native word for okra with is Ila. I want to eat Okra is; "Mo fe je Ila" not "Mo fe je Okra"

When did door start corresponding with Gbam? That is just pure Onamatopia. Am looking for a similar language structure not the sound of the door. I already used NKO as an explanation. Whether you use Okra or not, it's an Igbo word. Am not asking if you use Okra,am giving an example.

Ihuomadinihu:

When did door start corresponding with Gbam? That is just pure Onamatopia. Am looking for a similar language structure not the sound of the door. I already used NKO as an explanation. Whether you use Okra or not, it's an Igbo word. Am not asking if you use Okra,am giving an example.

See Above .... Gbam in Yoruba is not a word, but a Sound, or if you like, An exclamation. Gbam in Pidgin or everyday Nigerian speech is not used as a word either. it is in the same class as "Gbosa" and "Gbagaun"
Okra might be an Igbo word or not, but that is irrelivant to this discuss.

scholes0:


And how are Dance , Hunt and Spread exclamative terms?
"Gbam" in the Context in which Nigerians utilize it today, is as an Exclamation.... nothing more.

It's only when you provide the sentence structure that corresponds with action/affirmation/concord ,maybe you will discover that Gbam is heavily associated with Igbo. Dance,hunt,spread are all nouns-verbs.

scholes0:


See Above .... Gbam in Yoruba is not a word, but a Sound, or if you like, An exclamation. Gban in Pidgin or everyday Nigerian speech is not used as a word either.
Okra might be an Igbo word or not, but that is irrelivant to this discuss.

Didn't you just tell Bigfrancis that Gbam as a sound is irrelevant in this topic. Gbam is not a Sound in Wider Nigerian Pidgin, It is used for AFFIRMATION OR THE ACT OF BEING RIGHT OR AN ACTION. Period.

Ihuomadinihu:

It's only when you provide the sentence structure that corresponds with action/affirmation/concord ,maybe you will discover that Gbam is heavily associated with Igbo. Dance,hunt,spread are all nouns-verbs.

repeating the same lines I see.
Gbam is associated with Igbo.... Okay Good.
But Other people have been using Gbam in their own ways as well. Yorubas included.
No one speaks Pidgin and uses Gbam in the way you claim Igbos use it in their speech.

Maybe Gbam is sound in Yoruba. But it is an act in Igbo, which is what we associate it with in Nigeria.

scholes0:


repeating the same lines I see.
Gbam is associated with Igbo.... Okay Good.
But Other people have been using Gbam in their own ways as well. Yorubas included.
No one speaks Pidgin and uses Gbam in the way you claim Igbos use it in their speech.

Nigerian Milleu - Action/right- from Igbo.
Yoruba - Sound- Yoruba.

Ihuomadinihu:

Didn't you just tell Bigfrancis that Gbam as a sound is irrelevant in this topic. Gbam is not a Sound in Wider Nigerian Pidgin, It is used for AFFIRMATION OR THE ACT OF BEING RIGHT OR AN ACTION. Period.

You are not serious oo...
I dey for your back Gbam gbam..... means I am strongly behind you. You can also use Gidigba which is another word of yoruba origin. These are not words on their own, but enhancers.

It's an Epie word....

scholes0:


You are not serious oo...
I dey for your back Gbam gbam..... means I am strongly behind you. You can also use Gidigba which is another word of yoruba origin. These are not words on their own, but enhancers.

Strongly behind me is an affirmation act not a sound.
I was expecting Gidigbam not Gidigba.

Freemanan:
It's an Epie word....

Which one is Epie?

Ihuomadinihu:

Which one is Epie?

A tribe in Ijaw, Yenagoa

Ihuomadinihu:

Strongly behind me is an affirmation act not a sound.
I was expecting Gidigbam not Gidigba.

But it isn't an action either!
You say Gbam is an action in igbo.... so, please draw the correlates.
I said you can alternatively use Gidigba, I didnt say it was the same.

Ihuomadinihu:

Which one is Epie?

Epie-Atissa languages.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epie-Atissa_people

scholes0:


But it isn't an action either!
You say Gbam is an action in igbo.... so, please draw the correlates.
I said you can alternatively use Gidigba, I didnt say it was the same.

Lol,i no get business with Gidigba.
I am interested in Gbam which is an affirmation or act in Igbo not sound. If you tell a Nigerian, i am with you Gbam Gbam,he interprets it as an act not the door gbam meaning. I nu na ya?

Freemanan:

A tribe in Ijaw, Yenagoa

Ok.

Ihuomadinihu:

Ok.

He who applies himself to all things, knows all things...

Do you know it now?

Freemanan:
He who applies himself to all things, knows all things...
Do you know it now?

I don't get you.

Ihuomadinihu:

Lol,i no get business with Gidigba.
I am interested in Gbam which is an affirmation or act in Igbo not sound.

Well, neither am I interested in Gbam's use in Igbo... And you can't be pulling me in to argue with you on that.
I am interested in the way it is used in Yoruba and everyday Nigerian lingo, as a Sound, Exclamation or onomatopoeia.

Gbam imitates the sound of an explosion or a smash , something clashing against another- In other words, an event(s) that involves the release or exchange or energy Etc... Which is How you can effectively use it as an Onomatopoeia enhancing normal speech.
Like i mentioned earlier, It falls in the same class as Gbosa and Gbagaun.

Ihuomadinihu:

I don't get you.

Nevermind