₦airaland Forum

@ All
The word "bight" , as in bight of Biafra, is a cartographic indication
for the word "exit". Body of water that serve as a particular exit from
the international shipping lanes,to a bighting station. That is a long curve
in a coast-line. A bay formed by this curve. Passager voyages was the
only means of international travel for most of human history. Most of the earlier
travels overseas were done thru either one of these bights to international
trans Atlantic water lanes.

So, the word Biafra, like the words; port-Harcourt, Lagos, Badagry etc.
are of western European origin.

@Tpiah

The edo language course was only compulsory for
primary class one to three. It was not offerred in four thru
six, when i attended.

@ezeagu,

Bros., there is no particular book about this.
This is mathematical reasoning. General knowledge
coupled with mathematical precisions.

Itsekiri wa doo,

How are you all doing my brothers/sisters
I just want to add my two cent to the discussions.

@dere 1. your write up was quite informing. As Edo,
Itsekiri seems like edo word to me. It might have
evolved. ITSE / ISE mean amin / blessing in Bini.
KERE might have evolved to KIRI which mean place/land in Bini .
For example; wha kere ? Where did you come from?
so itsekiri in edo means BLESSED LAND.


@ beaf,
@All

Can anybody show some light on how the Edo-Uzon become Ijaw
According to ancient Edo historical stories they featured as the
uzigwe/ozigwe which is abbrevated as Uzon. Uzigwe means the
canoe paddlers or seafaring people.

Ivbe Edo-nu-uzomo,
Oba kha tur kpere! Isee.


nice music @Ileke-idi,
@ uyi Iredia, Otemwen wor yehee ?
I didn't know this thread exist iwill visit more often.

Iyare ma khia kha yoo! Isee.

@ Ezeagu & Tpiah

BIAFRA
BI = Bisection
AFRA = Africa
So. Biafra means equaliterally dividing Africa.
Which implied the middle of Africa Or the
heart of Africa.
This is an English word. Though i am not quite sure,
i am incline to believe this word was coined by the
western navigators or explorers because this word
equally means the EQUATOR. Which is the natural
equallateral bisector of Africa. So this word must have
been used by sailors to indicate the Equatorial latitude
or regions of Africa.

@Mohandas,
Urhobo waado,
Thank you very much for your study. I always suspected there
is a familial relationship between urhobos and Edos. I didn't know exactly how.
I wish these types of truths, facts, and hypothesis were taught in schools. I am
a Bini, it really surprise me that all your written urhobo words and names, i understand
their meanings perfectly well in Edo. I love you all urhobos, God bless you. May the holy
spirit of our ancestors be with you.

@ Jamace,
You are right. That certainly won't change those.
Don't you think an Indigenous name will awaken
more sense of belonging and personal stake in
the entity? I think such will foster more ownership
senses and demand for more accountability from leaders.
It certainly will increase pride. People will be proud to
name their children after their beloved country. I have
not seen any family naming their child Nigeria. Our
people are not stupid.
The name Nigeria is a direct legacy of this geographic
expression, and Britain trans-Atlantic slave experience.
It is time will throw away vestiges of slavery.

@Tewmuch
I don"t see what is ridiculous about this. The Timing of the
issue by OP may be inappropriate . I am neither of those
you alleged. Iam a Nigerian. A rose by any name is still
a rose. You have to know its not apiece of cake for human
to kill or enslave another as a piece of good without
trying to rationalize and justify their actions to appease
their conscience. Some ways some goes about this, by
demonized their enemies before killing. In our situation
the western slave traders to sort their conscience because
of their unholy engagement, dehumanised us with many of
their actions including derogatory names.
Do you know the popular work phrase we use.' Oh obey"
is actually " apes obey"(to get unison of effort)

The river Niger, Nigeria and Niger Rep. were named by western explorers
to the sponsors of their expeditions. In the case of our west-Africa area, it was
the Royal Niger Company. And their product of trade were slaves called niggers,
The off-springs of these nigger/niggars in the new world they called negros/nigros.
Their source of these slaves (nigers), they called Niger-area. combined form Nigeria.
The name is certainly insulting and dehumanizing.

I am really touched.
watching the gallantry of his steps
The hutzpah of his dominion
The savvyness of his tongue. The man
seems to me as an embodiment of
political gravitas.

I don't known while you all got stucked in irrelevance.
That Igbos came from across the river westward and by
share numbers and vitality were able to dominate,shape
the cultural evolution of the indigence of these areas is
true.




@ Andre,
           I don't known were you got your information
           relating to your so called oba's proclamation.
           you all seems not to know the difference between
           Bini and Edo. Binis are the people of Benin city.
           Edo on the other hand, is the older of the two.
           It is the original name of the Binis and all others.
           You asked, why are the edo few? We might seem
            few to some. But we Binis don't think so. We known
            that we're rooted in the fundamental matrix of life.
            We see all others as emanating from this same matrix.
            Therefore, a continuation of the grandeur of life. That
             is Edo-nu-uzomo. propagation of life.

Of course, there is no doubt that these people today speaks igbo language.
That does not make them Igbo. Our children growing up today in England
speaks English and some are British citizens, that doesn't mean they are
English,welsh, Irish nor Scottish. So if Ika and others speaks igbo to facilitate
their commerce that do not make them Igbo. Though, there are true Igbos
citizens there, they came from the east of the Niger river.

@ andre Uweh,
                     Mr, i am neither stupid nor afraid of nobody or groups.
                     I have no doubt that there were always igbo in Edo.
                     Unlike most contemporary Igbos, I, and quite a few
                     other Edos knows that the word Igbo is an Edo word.
                     We do know that some of our land and people span
                      westward up to Togo, Benin republic, and Ghana. And
                      eastward also. The yoruba are well awhile of their
                      Yoruba/Edo heritage. Their traditional leaders do pay
                      periodic homages to our ancestral shrine in the palace.
                      But my Igbo brothers have been intellectualized to death.
                      Up to the extent of denying their heritage and claiming
                      Judea/Israel ancestry.What is that all about?

@Asha,
         Yes, in Benin, we do colloquially refer to them as ovbe-Igbo.
         That doesn't mean we don't know they are not Igbo.We
         call them Igbo because they speak igbo,although they do
         have their own dialects, that are often a hybrids of Edo
         intonations. The Royal palace till today plays vital part in
         the coronations of Obi and other traditional leadership positions in these communities.
         The great-grand son of oba Ovoramen is the current traditional leader of Owa.
          My friend you are the one dreaming. You seems not to know your limits (boundaries).

@asha,
Yes the osadebeys, like other original indigence of the area are of Edo origin
The ancient Bini-empire encompasses those geographic territories. So in the
event of the demise and fragmentation of present day Nigeria, we the Edos
will reconstitute our old Bini-kingdom. Asaba, Agbor, ogwashu-uku etc are
bonefieled part of Edo heritage.

@op
Don't mind them, there is something psychologically wrong with some of this Igbo fellows.
Could this be due to resdue of the after effects of the civil war? They seems to have a
peculiar need for revisionism. May be is due to their guilty consciences for causing the
calamities that befell them. Re-versing historic facts won't help, others have account
and records other than the Igbo. There are no Igbo homeland west of the Niger. Igbo
west of the Niger river are migrant worker/dwellers. Osadebey is not an Igbo name.

In the event of a break-up of Nigeria. Say to two, North and South. The southern Muslims in the south, like the kwara, Northern Edo-state and hausa/Fulani's migrant Muslims will have the option to stay in the new secular
nation of the south. Or relocate to the sharia paradise of the new non-secular Islamic nation. Even, progressive,
enlightened Hausa's who want or like to contribute to the growth and development of the new southern nation will
be duly admitted. So the same options should be available to southerners in the north. There would be a minimum
displacements.

@Becomerich  I agree with you. The Ika people like many other ethnic groups where originally
of Edo ancestry. Over time they have evolved to their current cultural situations. To support
your assertions, we have an ancient incantational spiritual song. That is only sang at special
occasions of burial. It goes thus;  OWA DO, DO DO  OWA,
                                                     OWA DO, DO DO OWA
                                                     OWA DO, DO DO OWA
                                                      OWA DO VBO ODU MUNODE, OWA
Becomerich, you are too much. Thanks for your eyes opening exposition.
And thanks for daring to think outside the box. And exposing facts.

We won't kill you Mr Babaginda. We all know you are
not trustworthy.We're tired of men that are not worth their
words. Look for a different line of work sir.

It is true, the Hausa/Fulanis Muslim only still consider themselves Nigerians because
of Oil revenues benefits to them. Otherwise, by all practical purposes they have shown
disdain for others. And unwillingness to intergrate.They have no respect for the constitution.
They value their sharia constitution more.I have never been to the north, i learnt that
southerners in the north are segregated and limited to one section of town call sambo.
If that is true, we certainly are not one nation. With this type of orientations 100 to1000yrs
from now,future generations we still have this same problems.
So, one can say the North already have its separations, but unwilling to give up it occupied
land and people of the south. They are not interested in proselytizing the south. They persecuted
and killed southern Muslims as they do the Christians.Their ideal situation is to ethnically cleanse
all other groups to create eurika moments for Allah.Just like their brothers in Sudan is doing in
Danfur. North please officially call it over. We know that it has never been. And we will never
be able to perfect our union because of your intolerance of others.

Ezeuche,
I have answered quite a few of your questions.
can you answer mine? What is the meaning of "Edo- isi-Agbon"
and " Edo-o-Odion". If you don't know? Find out. Have a nice day.

Ezeuche,

Man, your are funny. I can hardly stop laughing. What did you say?
Igbo should have, could have, mean anything? Well, i know, if you
could have, should have, make it mean what you like. Unfortunately these
things are independent of our prejudices and desires.

@ onlytruth,
the word Igbo mean same thing in Edo and yoruba, it means the forest dweller
or settlers, or people.

@ Ezeuche,
                i read one of your old thread you requested help for the meaning
                of Ikwerre. I don't know if i got the spelling right. In Edo as it is.
                it means the ones that swam over. kwe means to get wet or bathe.
                and re means to arrive or came.

@onlytruth,
The correct spelling is Amadi, like in Amadioha.
In Edo Oha mean forest/bush. Amadioha means
the brave one of the forest.Note the word oha is
the same with egbo another Edo word for forest,
a word from which Igbo was derived by conjugation.

@ Ezeagu,
Ther e was no name like Nigeria before the British. But the
land and the people were always here. We traded with the
portugese not as nigerians but as separate Kingdoms.

@ ezeagu,
               why are yoruba in Benin Republic and Ekiot at where? That is no brainer, that show the
               dynamism of our societies before British incursion. I noticed you mentioned some names, i am not going to delve into unrenumerated divinations.If you have an interesting name
with prayerful meaning, present and promote it for a possible substitute for Nigeria.

We can suggest more names, them put them to vote, to narrow it to one.
         We deserve a name that exude the divine creation that we are.

@Tpiah,
you are right they are coded in Edo, i don't know all the root names and deities.
But the ones i know of most ethnic groups are coded in Edo.Few i already
mentioned above. i will research kwararafa.

Hi Tpiah,
Tell me more, i have not heard about them, kwararafor?

So, it will be great if we can put sure thing to vote
                     Names  like;  Arewa,  Amandioha, Edo,  oduduwa,
                      Igboland etc .Let the citizens choose. With the meanings
                      of them well explained and delineated. Certainly, any of our
                      indigenous identity is invariable better than what we have now.