Bigfrancis and others who have posted before me have said it all. Learning Igbo requires dedication and sincere effort and isn't something that should be approached as an academic course. It should be incorporated into your lifestyle.

I also left Nigeria at a young age, so I somewhat understand your struggle. I was already fluent in my dialect of Igbo when I left, however I did not learn as much Igbo in the diaspora as I would've learned living at home. Because of this, from the period in between age 5 and age 13, the quality of my Igbo dropped and I began finding if hard to remember certain words and make sentences without adding English here and there. When I was 15 (that was when I joined Nairaland), I began actively learning Igbo through music, movies, asking questions, and taking notes. I started listening attentively to adults as they conversed (especially those that did not speak my dialect) and made a list of words that I found unfamiliar and later asked them questions about it. By the grace of God, three years later, here I am.

It shouldn't be difficult for you since you already know something. Take the advice you've received and before you know it you'll be exceptionally fluent. Nwanne, gbagide aka!

jefips: What's the. Meaning of ukpabi please

'Ukpabi' is an archaic Aro name that refers to the Ibini Ukpabi oracle at Arochukwu. People answered 'Ukpabi' just like how people answer[ed] 'Kalu'/'Kanu' in reverence of arunsi Kamalu (the equivalent of Amadioha in most of what is now Abia State) and 'Ojukwu' in reverence of Ojukwu of Diobu. Nowadays, it's mostly seen as a surname.

Is this not a Nigerian on the Italy squad?

Someone just explained it to me.

It's "Omere ibe ya mere, iyi erila ya" and it literally means "Let water not drown he who does like others". It's a prayer that basically says things should go well for everyone.

Stranglehold: https://www.nairaland.com/1314521/haitian-history-thread/2

My KidStranglehold account got banned in that thread. Also you don't need to unhide the post. Just irreverent revisionism of Haitian history that I should have not posted.

Done.

Were these studies conducted in urban or rural areas?

I'd like to cite a personal example: I was born in the country-side and lived there until I was five (that was when I left Nigeria). Living in my village, I was fluent in my mother tongue (Igbo), and was also exposed to Ibibio and English (which we only spoke at school). That being said, I don't think that this idea that the "Igbo language is disappearing" applies to rural areas. But at the same time, I don't think that speaking Igbo should be a problem for children in Owerri or Enugu as much as it is for children in Abuja or Jos.

It's extremely disturbing to hear that youths in places like Lagos [and even] Portharcourt are unable to communicate fluently in their native languages due mainly to their parents' carelessness and ignorance.

Radoillo: I don't know if these names have already been discussed, but I have always wondered about the meaning of Aro names such as

Oti/Otti

Ezuma

Torti

Iphie

Ijoma (Not 'Ije oma' which means 'good journey')

'Ezuma' means 'good character'; 'responsible'; 'well-behaved" (ezi uma).

The rest of those names date back several centuries and probably had some meaning in archaic Aro language. I'm not sure of their meanings, myself.

What does "Omere ihe ibe ya mere, ihie erila ya" mean?

A google search of those terms gave me this:

ChinenyeN: Lol what if they are waiting on an answer, just as you are?

Ya buru kwa nnaa.

Cyberknight:

Nwanne, I'm afraid the answer to that question in a few decades time shall be "no". Or rather "olo". But, by the way, a nugbe m okwu ndi ahu mbu. O nwere onye nwe ike kowaputa anyi nwuo n'asusu Bekee?

Flavour uses "igba oringo" in his songs. I just figured out it means "flirting" and "living a careless lifestyle".

Amaghi m maka ndi ozo, kama umu mu na agboro mu nile, ga-na asu Igbo ofuma.

Andy why does it seem as if people na-aso this thread aso? Do we no longer possess proficient Igbo speakers?

What do 'Igba oringo' and 'Igba okosa' mean? In what areas of Igboland are these phrases respectively used?

99cent:

-nothing wrong with healthy competition.
-that woman isn't dumb. maternal mortality is still a huge problem in Africa today which is why I loved the video. I would pour hot water on a stupid masquerade too if it meant that I will have good health care. in reality though all the women were intimidated except that lady. she's quite brave. Most of the men in control in dat village are often not representing the best interest of the people. using superstition n fear to control d people. at least not anymore/better than the colonial masters. they r there for their own pockets too. ie that village chief who wanted the land for himself. n sent masquerades to intimidate the women at d maternity clinic.
when u think about it, d reason we were able to be completely colonized in d first place is because of the leaders' greed. the colonizers 90% of d time worked in concert with d chiefs who were on the British payroll lol

-she didn't pour hot water on d masquerade because she hated traditional superstitions. she poured hot water on him because she didn't believe in d superstition. if she believed in d superstition, she wouldn't have had the nerve to pour d hot water whether she hated it or not. fear is different from hatred. I think many people most likely hate the superstitions yet fear is d reason why they don't challenge it.


it's just a movie anyway. in reality, she would have been attacked probably. those masquerades outnumber her n d midwife.
they're just men hiding behind masks to commit violence. and because of d masks (alter ego) they do not retain conscience of violence. because the belief is that once the mask is on, they have become spirits and any action committed by them is from god. lol
sort of like soldiers who kill as act of duty/profession and when they take off their uniform, they become civilians.

There's truth in what you're saying.

O nwere onye ga-akowaturu m ihe ilulu Owere a putara: "Ore-ere wu eze, ozu-azu wu kwa onye eze."

ifyalways: I digo legal?
A choro m inye gi the best birthday gift. M ga-ebiri Felimbobo from Tosh na Agaba butere gi. Nani otu ubochi.

Happy sunday and new week @ nmadu dum.

Adila m legal o! Si ya mee ngwangwa ana m eche.

Aghotala m. Ndeewo odo. Olee kwa nu otu unu si ekwu l'okwu ke unu?

Stranglehold: https://www.nairaland.com/1314521/haitian-history-thread/1

^^^My KidStranglehold account has been banned on that thread and my post hidden. Can a mod unhide post and unban me?

Thanks in advance.

Done.

nenergy:
Which version of Igbo is this? i.e which state? Can someone verify this translation please?

That is Standard Igbo. The Igbo used in educational institutions and the media. "Eweliwe" is more like like "Abeg, no vex". It's not really "I am sorry".

Igbo:

Biko, gbaghara m - please, forgive me; I am sorry.

ChinenyeN: Ogweke m nchedi la okwu kaa mbu "oriri" nhie owaraobe ke unu (mbu Old Bende) sita la o bu unu mbu nde l'ej'ekwu "iri" ma "risa" ma "rizo". "Iche echiche" mbu whne l'ekwu ekwu nnwe; Ngwa mbiara nwerne okwu odo we l'ej'akpo e.

Kaa nka. O mburu aghotajiri m whne I kaara m, unu l'akpo ya wo l'abu?

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAL.

ifyalways:

Happpy birthday brother Odumchi

Ka Obasi bi n'igwe cheba,gozie ma kpuchie gi. Ole ebe i ga-eme party? A choro m ibia

Toshman

toshmann:

Odumchi Biko suokwanu Igbo


Okay, owu happy birthday ka odumchi na ekwu ihea

Odukpoms happy birthday o

Kc3000: Ndi oma, u guys ka ji this thread na this side? Toshmann nwa mama, ahurum na ahu di gi òku as usual, and a dim sure na i squeeze gbuo la umunwanyi nile a hupuru gi na ebe a. . .eziokwu odighi easy! Hapu kwa na Ifyalways bu agu nwanyi, infact the babe di ka Stella Oduah. . . e ga azu nye ya bulletproff BMW abuo or no show. Ify ana m ekele gi oo!
Nna mehn, I miss all you people like my mother's ofe egusi. Politics section di ka ebe agbara oso, just a few ndi iberibe no there na ezuzu. Umunnem n'ile there have all vanished. So, obi dim ùto ihu unyu ebe a.


Odumchi na eme birthday, o ruo la afo e ji anu mmanya? Either way, aga m añu one Heineken for the occasion, in fact nyem 2 bottles.

Ndeewo nu o! Unu emeela. Ify, ndi enyi m ga-emere m nmenme na #6 Imeala street na Owere na Saturday a na-abia. Bia soro any na irima na ińuruma.

ChinenyeN: O bu "thinking" la "ponderings".

Ejiokwu? La okwu Aro o mbu kwa whne anyi l'akpo kwa ya. M chere Ngwa l'akpo ya "iche echiche". O mbu whne mere o ji mburu m whne itulanya mgbe wo kwuru ya.

Fulaman198: Seem to be many ways to say Good morning in Igbo, it can be very confusing. So if i say good morning to an Igbo person which one would I pick

I bola chi?
Inyi apụsala?
Inyi aboola nni?
Nnaawo?
ututu oma?
unu aputana?

Are these all just different dialects of Igbo language?

They're all different dialects. The standardized version is "I bola chi" (for one person) and "unu abola chi" (for two or more people).

M gbaala avo; ta bu izu amuru m! Inyi ekelele m nni woo?

Mee gharaghara. Anyi nowa nni.

Amaghi m ma I l'ekwu maka nnunnu ke l'efe efe l'efe efe lol.

Ta anyi hafu ke ahu. Ma ajuo gh otu whne: olee whne 'oriri' putara l'okwu Ngwa? M nuru ebe wo kwuru ya l'abu a:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLyRUq1luI&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DMlLyRUq1luI


Gaa la nkeji (minute) ohu l'abu la iri l'ato.

Igbo:

Inyi apụsala?
Inyi aboola nni?
Nnaawo

Afam4eva:
The thread says "Good Morning" and not just greetings.

His translation is actually more correct than yours. "Ututu oma" is not how to properly say "good morning" in Igbo.

99cent:

what has this got to do with the movie?
it was a pretty good film. Very inspiring.

The movie highlighted British colonialism in Igboland. Didn't you see how they made various villages compete amongst themselves for financial and infrastructural attention? Or how they laid the foundations for Westernizaion by teaching the villagers their language and alphabet? Or what about how the woman, fueled by her hatred of traditional superstitions, defied traditional norms and poured hot water on that masquerade?

NRI PRIEST: Nobody said there is nothing like Ubuni Ukpabi Nri but don't you try to overstretch its reach and Importance. Leave Ubini Ukpabi Nri where it rightly belong,Aro Agukwu Nri and sorrounding towns like Ngwa, Ikwerre Nkpor, Obosi and the rest.

Radoillo:

Nna eh, when people come here and argue against generally accepted facts of Igbo history, I just get tired.

Lee kwanu o!

NRI PRIEST:

And people did go on PILGRIMAGE to Agukwu. How many places in Igboland was was Ibini Ukpabi established ? Then compare that with howmany towns in Igboland and beyond that has the most famous deities in the whole of west Africa,Eke,Oye,Afor na Nkwo.

These deities were venerated in the whole of Igboland and beyond and days which formed the traditional Igbo days of week were name after them. If that isn't popularity tell me what is. How many towns in Igboland has Ubini Ukpabi ? Compare that with Ogwugwu Nshi and Ikenga Nshi,which went as far as Idoma,Igala,Uhrobo and Benin.
Nri bu Nkpologwu Igbo....Onye wee iwe nnie !

Ife bu isi okwu a bu na I maro ife Ibini Ukpabi bu. You don't seem to understand that Ibini Ukpabi and Ogwugwu were/are entirely different in function and significance.

Take another look at Radoillo's explanation:

Radoillo: U don't understand,

Odumchi was talking about ORACULAR deities, consulted by people from far and wide; not deities that were held in common by large chunks of Igboland (like Ikenga, Ifejioku, Ala/Ana, Eke, Oye etc).

People didn't come from Ijaw or Efik to consult the oracle of Ikenga-Nri, for example. (Ikenga-Nri didn't have an oracle as far as I know). But they came from such places and from throughout Igbo-speaking areas to consult Ubini Ukpabi.

Nke a o sokwu na ife a ga-eji mee argument?

Nri, this doesn't even have to be argued. O bu ihe dum akpaara ya isi okwu?