₦airaland Forum

Ife eme! Uwa ekpuona isi ana!

Kedu ka esi ekwu HIV na asusu Igbo? Ndi m ma na-akpo ya "obiara laa na aja ocha". Unu nwa kwanu?

ifyalways: Come to even think of it,is there any need to preserve any dialect?there is no threat of any dialect going extinct,IMO . People in the villages ensure that our dialects would live on.

I don't agree. Today's elders are the modern custodians of language and culture because when they were young they dwelt with their own parents and grew up experiencing their traditions. In today's Igboland most youths leave their villages and travel to cities, leaving the elderly behind. When it's time for the new generation of elders to assume its position, who will blame them if they don't know their dialects or traditions as deeply as their parents or grandparents did? How do you expect them to know their languages richly and deeply when for most of the year (except for major holiday's and the occasional weekend) they live in foreign towns?

The disturbing thing is, by the time my generation becomes elders (in 50 years or so), who knows how deteriorated things would be? Many of us currently speak Igbo "recklessly" and fail to pay as much attention to our culture as we should. How are we to be expected to be the custodians of a culture we never paid much attention to (This doesn't apply to everyone.)? What I do know is that the peoples that are striving now to preserve what is theirs are the ones that do not have to worry about these things.

Also,what about those places that are no longer villages, but are now urbanized? Take Aba for example. Aba is in Ngwaland, but Ngwa is not the common language of Aba; Port Harcourt is in Ikwereland, but its main languages are Pidgin and Central Igbo; Agbor is in Ikaland, but an increasing and alarming number of Ika youths are "losing their fluency" in Ika because it has not been organized and published as an academic topic and because of the increasing popularity of Pidgin and central Igbo.

These are all reasons why dialects should be preserved.

ChinenyeN: Bonny never had a bible translated into its lect. What you're thinking of, bigfrancis, is Union Igbo. Also, the failure of Union Igbo was more so due to controversy over orthography than to it being too "Owerri-like". CMS (the proponents of Union Igbo) did not want to accept the new orthography that was becoming popular at that time.



True, Izugbe has its purpose.

According to page 9 of this document, Bonny was one of the leading evangelical centers of the late 19th century and it had its own bible translation even before Onitsha. This is why when missionaries traveled to northern Igboland along with Bonny translators, they were ridiculed because they referred to themselves as "my buttocks".

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=425fd52d-4e16-4195-81bc-784fd490a124%40sessionmgr112&vid=5&hid=108

kreami diva: You just spoke like my grand ma...... lol.

"Guma m suru ele nnenne ya"
Mu na nde ochieocho n'anokari. O ma-bu ihe mere m ji asu ele wo lol.

bigfrancis21: Thank you very much, Obinoscopy. I promise to work with the other co_mods to transform the culture section and take it to greater heights.

I appreciate.

Congrats, Bigfrancis. I tried to send you an email through the Nairaland PM system but for some reason it wouldn't go through. When you get the chance shoot me an email: odumchi.culture@gmail.com.

Some Ekpo from the Akwa Ibom axis. Note: The way Ekpo masquerades are used among the Ibibio/Annang is very different from the way they're used among the Igbo. Same masking genre though.

This is an Ekpe masquerade called "Nwekpe".

NRI PRIEST: Very interesting....but why do they let a woman stand next to a masqurade. Will never happen in Anambra. Infact,its an ABOMINATION!

Secondly,why are the masqurades bearers reaveling their skin...This things are against Igbo masquradic rites. This is what happens when you borrow a culture. I hate seeing that. In Anambra,we even have masqurades that a woman must not see; like Ayaka and Ogbo Ito masqurades.

Sigh.

There are different grades of Okonko and Ekpe masquerades and each masquerade serves a unique function. Some are docile while others are aggressive and capable of killing or inflicting serious injury. Those particular ones that you saw are used for events and social gatherings, and therefore can be seen by both men and woman. However, the one in the picture of the burial is highly sacred and cannot be touched by a woman or an uninitiated man. Okonko masquerades generally leave the bearer's hands and feet exposed.

Ekpo masquerades are more energetic and are also capable of killing and inflicting serious injury. Only the bearer's head and torso are completely covered.

You should really try and leave Anambra more often. Just know that in the area where these masquerades are popular, there's nothing like mmanwu.

bigfrancis21: Hello Odumchi,

Good evening. Please can you unhide my post hidden by anti-spam bot on this thread?

https://www.nairaland.com/458875/delta-igbo-bendel-igbo-what/99

Thanks man.

Fulaman has already taken care of it!

ChinenyeN: Your observations are accurate, Odumchi. In fact, it reminds me of something I've actually always wondered about. That is, what the deal was with most other Igbo that they seemingly do not care about [at least, from where I'm standing] their people's cultural identity.

It never made much sense to me, but I guess they feel perfectly comfortable just calling themselves "Igbo" and simply speaking Izugbe. I've always wanted to know why they could so easily do that. I couldn't do it, even if I tried.

As for your question, I think it boils down to the fact that the peoples in those areas lacked the "ethnic consciousness" which peoples in Abia, Ebonyi, Rivers, and to some extent, Delta, had. Apart from lineage and other natural bonds formed through contact and interaction, they didn't see themselves as much different from their neighbors.

Does anyone know of any free websites/web applications that can be used to generate an online database or dictionary? For some years now, I've been compiling a list of words/phrases that I'd like to have written down.

kreami diva: Odumchi,odi laa? M jekwahu jee hie ura. Umurima abia jee school r'ututu.

Bia tee ri, o di ngen ka nwonyinye di ele gi ka na-eme na odumodu a? I vuu ihe na-aku? Gaa kwa nhu gaa ranhu ura ka I gbeni iwa uwaasi lol. Ka chi voo.

An Ekpo masquerade from the Akwa Ibom axis.

An Okonko masquerade.

The funeral service of an Ekpe member.

Ekpo masquerade from Ututu in Abia State.

Nice. The akwa ocha is also considered regalia in parts of Anambra and Rivers. The Ogbaru people (from which Osadebe hails) also celebrate it. They're spread throughout Ogbaru, Oshimili, and Ndoni LGAs.

deejay717: How do you say good afternoon in igbo ?

Ndeewo.

shymexx: And does the same not apply to Nigeria and other African/black countries/groups? If we do a comparative analysis based on ratio, they are way better off than Nigeria and other African/black countries/groups. You definitely can't compare a downtrodden and piss-poor Nigerian to his/her AA equivalent - can you?

Anyway, that's why I keep telling you to stop arguing based on emotions and think critically before debating people. You did the same on the other thread in the culture section before @ChinenyeN corrected you.

Your argument is no longer a comparison of African Americans and Africans but a comparison of Africa and America. People are people, irrespective of location. What sets them apart are the opportunities and advantages their local governments, economies, and cultures provide them with. America (USA) obviously offers more opportunities to its citizens than does a country like Nigeria. A "downtrodden and piss-poor" Nigerian is in a poorer situation than his African American counterpart because they exist in two separate countries. How about placing individuals from both groups in the same country? Why is it that in America Nigerian immigrants are generally more accomplished (education-wise and economic-wise) than the African Americans who have been living there for centuries? Shouldn't the African American community, being blessed to live in a country like America, be doing better than it currently is? Rhetorical questions you should ponder.

2. No one is getting emotional. You need to learn how to clearly express your points without making any unnecessary statements. I was never corrected by anybody on any thread for being emotional. However, I clearly remember refuting your absurd statements on a thread in which you tried to reason that the Igbo peoples and their cultures were "inferior" because a centralized Igbo polity never existed, but I digress. If you're going to say I did something, say the truth.

azpekuliar: Mod please put this on the FP. I'm also not sure if this is the right board to post it. If it isn't please move to appropriate board as well. Thank you.

https://www.nairaland.com/1412859/what-recently-realized-been-doing#17689042

It's been moved.

biafranqueen: have you heard of Dr. Ben Carson can you name a Nigerian at that capacity? 42 million African Americans compared to over a 100 million Nigerians not counting abroad, living in a country controlled by people of the same race, let us stop making excuses, for our people African Americans had to deal with racism which Nigerians in Nigeria don't have too. Do you know how it feels to grow up in a neighborhood, go to church, go to school and work and be the only person with brown skin. You can not compare. To be honest with you I went to a historical black university and all of my class mates our professional and the families they come from may not be rich like poli thieves in Nigeria but they are living very well.

As if Africans did not suffer in the same capacity. Weren't African civilizations, polities, and cultures torn down and defiled by European imperialists and colonizers? Didn't Africans have to deal with foreigners telling them that everything about them was inferior and evil? Weren't Africans indiscriminately lumped into countries and expected to sort out their differences? Don't Africans still experience indigenous racism (tribalism)?

Didn't Guinea-Bissau, a former Portuguese colony, suffer the worst type of European colonization? Weren't its people banned from speaking their native languages in public institutions and forced to work on European-owned farms and mines up until 1975?

Let's not get into this argument of "who has suffered more". I won't take you seriously if you act as if Africans have had everything siriri werire.

kreami diva: You are right. Ndi na agbali na isu oku ala ha bu ndi Ngwa,Ohafia,Abiriba. I don't know about Aro people.

There's hardly any abiriba,ohafia or nwa person i know that doesn't speak their dialect.

Aro people (those from Arochukwu) try. Here in the US, we celebrate Aro Day and have national Aro conventions in addition to many other things.

Some similarities I've observed among these groups are: the formation of national assemblies/conventions where all sons/daughters of their communities congregate, the observation of special days set aside for the celebration of anything and everything native (I've seen Ngwa Day, Aro Day, Ohafia Day, and Abiriba Day), and the practice of unique cultural practices (Ngwa people continue to celebrate Mgbede even in the diaspora, Aro people celebrate Ikeji, and Abiriba people still celebrate Igwa Mang).

biafranqueen: but we can say the same about Nigerians please nam Nigerian inventions

biafranqueen: have you heard of Dr. Ben Carson can you name a Nigerian at that capacity?

You seem not to understand what I'm saying. Because Dr Ben Carson is an African American does not necessarily mean that the African American community is full of successful doctors. What you're trying to do is use a few individuals to define an entire community.

Check this:

http://www.bet.com/news/national/2012/03/20/survey-nigerians-most-educated-in-the-u-s.html

biafranqueen: Recognition in business and entertainment, education etc; just name them from Nigeria if it is not Them then who? Name the group please.

Entertainment:
Last time I checked, less than 1% of the African American community can be termed "successful entertainers". Is it because a handful of people like Jay Z and Rick Ross happen to be millionaires that you're extending their success to the entire African American community? Besides, is the fact that a significant percentage of African American entertainers are involved in organized crime and drugs even something to be proud of - not to talk of using as a basis for success?

If we are to discuss Black entertainment, do you know how many "successful" African musicians and music groups there have been in the past century alone?

Education:
In the United States, African Americans are generally regarded as the least educated ethnic group (after Hispanics) and also boast the largest number of high school and college dropouts. I remember reading a study that identified Nigerians as one of the most educated groups in the US.

Business Economics:
Again, compare the handful of wealthy African Americans with the percentage of African Americans who are said to live below the poverty line. How have their individual successes affected the overall economic situation of their ethnic group?

These are all things to consider before carelessly throwing such a label.

biafranqueen: in science and technology as well as medicine?

I won't lie: over the years the African American community has been responsible for a significant amount of technological developments. However, that doesn't justify why Shymexx (or anyone else for that matter) can term them "the most successful group of black people". If you analyze the history of African Americans and the evolution of their society over the years, you'll get a better idea of what I'm talking about.

Anyway, even if we are to discuss medicine, what percentage of America's upper medical staff (doctors, nurses, and surgeons) is African American? Compare the number of African American doctors with that of Africans.

Biko nu, o dighi nma otu unu si n'ekele "ututu oma" na "ehihe oma". Igbo adighi mbu ekele umu ihe ahu. Umu ihe ahu bucha ihe anyi munara ndi Bekee. Na ezigbo asusu Igbo, I hu nmadu na ututu, I kele ya "nnaa/nne, I boola?" ma o bu "Enyi, I tetala/gbapele?". Ka onye obula n'agba mbo isuta asusu anyi otu ekwesiri ka o hara imebi.

biafranqueen: So which group of black people are the most successful?

Successful in which parameters?

shymexx: Which other black group is more successful than African Americans? List the 50 most successful black people in the world and see if they won't dominate the list.

That a handful of African Americans are wealthy while the overwhelming majority struggle with crime, poverty, education, identity issues, and familial stability now makes them the "most successful group of black people"?

shymexx: However, no sane person can deny the fact that African Americans are the most successful and most educated group of black people on the planet

I hate to derail, but how did you come upon this?

I think it's most appropriate to bring to you guys' attention the dialect situation in our [beloved] Igboland. Urbanization and the mass movement of populations from rural areas to urban/semi-urban centers has resulted in the cross-pollination of dialects, which has tampered with the "purity" of many of our tongues. In addition to that, carelessness, laziness and indifference have also resulted in the gross exchange of words between dialects; such that people now answer names and speak in manners previously foreign to their culture zones. Personally, I don't have have a problem with people naming their children whatever they please; however, what I do take conflict with is when it threatens the integrity of their own people's naming-habits and patterns.

Based on my observations, I've realized that the groups that try their hardest to protect the "purity" of their dialects and cultures are those in Abia (particularly the Ngwa, Ohafia, Abiriba, and Aro). I've come across so many people from these areas (both online and offline) who were instilled and drilled with respect for their peoples' languages and customs that it's simply striking. With a hint of envy, I must admit that the Ngwa are really trying. They've done so much both to protect the integrity of their customs/dialects that it's hard not to notice. It didn't come to me as a surprise when I learned that a particular Ngwa author had published an Ngwa-English dictionary titled "Okwu Ngwa". The Abiriba/Ohafia/Aro are often criticized for their chauvinism. However, it is because of that same chauvinism that they're languages and cultures are still alive today. In the diaspora, you'll see Abiriba people celebrating Igwa Mang and speaking okwu Ebriba impeccably; Ohafia youths learning Ikperikpe Ogu; and Aro people celebrating Aro Day and etc.

I think the groups that are most vulnerable to "cultural and linguistic dilution" are those found in the heartland. Since it's densely-populated and inhabited by a significant number of people from other areas of Igboland, its people are highly susceptible to the introduction of foreign elements. [In my opinion] if we are to save ourselves, we must begin documenting our dialects, creating dictionaries, and keeping records of our tradition.

Uche inyi kwan (What do you think)?

One_Naira: Odumchi. Why was my last post in delta,bendel Igbo thread hidden and I was banned. I didn't do anything wrong if I recall.

The spambot hid it because you tried to go around the censoring.