₦airaland Forum

Nwanyiogwashi:
This is ijaw national council constitution

Sammy07:
That you guys don't have a central language means y'all no advance and have no intellectual capacity to form one.

ThickSharon123:
I don't understand? Please be clear on this. Thank you.

ThickSharon123:
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.

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

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.

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.

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

How can people claim to be one but speak different languages

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

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

DitariDisciple2:
Apoi West clan, people will collect their Ijaw words from Apoi East clan in Bayelsa state.
Apoi West clan is the futhermost Ijaw clan in Western zone, and it shares boundaries in 3 places with Yoruba subgroups.
That was when it got Yoruba speaking,
Apoi East in Bayelsa, speaks Ijaw.
Arogbo near it still speak Ijaw.
All these are because of state balkanizations.

ThickSharon123:
Eh....eh....you've started with insult. Watch your tone? Please, or you don't want to see the other part of me. You were talking good for a minute...are Ijaws this animalistic? Why do you people want to argue at every point. I thought we were going to make a good conversation and now you want to turn it into fight? I believe people who try to argue their way out have no basis with what they are talking about.

ThickSharon123:
Where did Ijaw come from? How did the history begin? Please tell me, I believe most of us would like to know too.

ThickSharon123:
Communication happens over time and with much fluidity. It isn't some sort of creation. It's just like when we women are growing our boobs, we don't make it happen. It comes out on its own.

Just the same way with languages, you can't create a language like you do in a lab room. It would be almost comical to do so. There needs to be a relation somewhere that would be easy enough to do so. And with much I've read every supposed Ijaw clan have disitncit history of theirs unlike the Yoruba's and Igbo's who's history are enmeshed in some way, so places like Ikwere, and the likes do trace their Lingua franca there.

So saying you people would construct language in how many years, is almost impossible to do so. It needs to be fluid and not forced, don't you think? A person has to learn if he wants to learn.

ThickSharon123:
Socio-cultural organization isn't the point we are making here. That's not a solid point. Please, go back to the related question. Thank you, dear.

ThickSharon123:
Socio-cultural organization isn't the point we are making here. That's not a solid point. Please, go back to the related question. Thank you, dear.

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.

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.

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.