₦airaland Forum

Ihuomadinihu:
It means *avoid friends. I had a classmate with that name and i always felt that his parents went through a horrible experience with a close friend.
The guy was quite reclusive in class sef.

Oh, so it's Zere enyi. I thought it was a contraction of Zere unyi (dirt). The meaning is heavy. Don't think I would name my child that

Ihuomadinihu:
I have a list of beautiful igbo names,both ancient and modern.
For now am in love with names like Urenna, Nnenna, Yagazie, Zerenyi, Eringa, Udodirim, Akuoma, Amauche, Ochonma, Ekezie, Onyinye, Ucheoma, Ihuoma, Akuabata, Nonso, Ebube, Ginika,Oyooyo, Ikunna, Anayo, Akwaugo, Uchenna, Chidiadi, Dinneya, Ekeoma and Ahanna from the rattle snake movie,lol.

Beautiful names.

does Zerenyi mean stainless?

Chinachriss:
Abeg, dede Ngwa, park well, which one be Alaoma? I know you're a proud Ngwa man cos I've followed Igbo threads here on Nairaland. My mum is from Ngwa too but I must admit, I dont like Ngwa names one bit. Alaoma no sweet kobo for my ears o! Ngwa names such as Mgbechi, Nwanganga, nwamgburuka,Diogo, Kasarachi etc, these names funny die o

Diogo and Kasarachi are nice

akpu means hard or tough

O tara akpu = it is tough

Onye akpu obi = hard chested person i.e. a muscular guy

MrsPhyno:
U wanna help me

I'm so touched. It's Chemistry

I no know Chemistry oh! Now, if na Biology, ehn!

MrsPhyno:
Same place as you actually.

Nice. Your sis. I'm jealous

I'm doing homework and prowling the net. I guess I'm not that serious about my homework.....

What subject is your home work on?

MrsPhyno:
Me too. 10:30.

Sleep no dey come.

Sleep at 10:30? Ncha ncha o! I am a night owl. Went from work to see my sis. I actually just got back home.

I am in NY. Where are u, if u don't mind me asking?

Orimili:
Title says it all. I was born here, and never learned to speak. I'm in my late 20s and, for the past few years, I've been struggling to find resources that would help, with no results. I would ask others to help me learn, but the response usually ranges from dismisal, to general non-seriousness, to ridicule for not having mastered the language and culture at a young age.

I will not go into detail about my upbringing, because the end result is that I don't know much. I'm at the age where I should be thinking about starting a family, but I am uncomfortable with it, as I have become more aware of the rich igbo culture in which I came from in the past few years, and I want to be able to raise a family in that culture. I want to speak Igbo to my future wife and children. I want my children to have Igbo names and be proud of their heritage.

The problem is that I don't know where to start. The only cultural center I found in NYC seems to have been closed down for years now. Books I've found have only scratched the surface and do not begin to go into great depths of the many complexities of the language. Not one person I've met takes me seriously when I discuss wanting to learn.

Is there anyone, or anywhere I can go to in this city, or even within the US that can help me start on this journey?

August is chockfull for me but I could help you, starting September. I could point you to the resources that I know and you could also practice speaking with a native speaker i.e. me (via skype).

MrsPhyno:
Yeah i knew I heard it before...... Nice one.

You still dey awake? I'm just nightcrawling. Or is it morning where you are

Its 10:29 PM where I am

MrsPhyno:
Madam. So the conversation you've been having this whole time you didn't want me to understand it abi

On my own thread self

What's the meaning of udo please?

It means, Peace. Your husband is always saying it in his songs, coupled with the peace sign

Lanceslot:
Udo diri nwannem.

#Udo

Lanceslot:
Mbona?!? Are you from Ogbaru?

Anyi na Ogbaru bu nwanne. A bu'm onye Oguta

Brian2015:
thank you for your comments

You are welcome.

You are a good man. Some men when they hear sterility, may even lash out against the person closest to them i.e their wives. Your acting selflessly and banding together with your wife to solve the problem is commendable

odumchi:
Madu iku ngwori putara na onye ahu na-eme onwe ya obi uto site na ińu nmanya, igba egwu, ikwori aku, igba arabanko, iri oriri ma umu ihe ndi ozo di otu ahu. Na Bekee akporo ya "jollification" ma o kwanu "catching fun".

Nwa mperete bu abogho mara nma.

Aghotana'm. Mbona.

@ Igba arabanko

I also would like to know the meaning of Udoh and Enyeama

Brian2015:
Hello Everybody,

I thought this would be a good place to post this so that I get the most insight.

I am a sterile man (can't father children) I don't know how this happened, I am 38 years old and have been married for 3 years. My wife has been tested and she can have children.

We have to use donor sperm....! I want to know if this is alright? I know that some people I have spoken to think it is and other do not. I am curious to hear what you all think? the community?

please give me your thoughts as I am very confused as to what is right and what is not

thank you and God Bless

You shouldn't have told anybody you know because some people are very judgemental and pretentious. Go around acting like their life is perfect and their doo doo doesn't stink.

There is nothing wrong with getting a sperm donor. You and your wife should go ahead and have your child. I don't think your wife should sleep with someone else like someone suggested on this thread. It should be a purely business transaction. The sperm donor shouldn't know your family and you shouldn't know him outside of verifying the quality of sperm that you are getting

odumchi:
Hahah, onwa bu asiri beer parlor.

I've heard a fair share of these funny stereotypes myself. Apparently it's thought that northern Abians are naturally disposed to violence while Nde Owere hold advanced degrees in iku ngwori and producing umu mperete.

Nde anyi ka anyi chitukwanu onwe anyi ochi!

Gini bu iku ngwori?

Mperete o bu akwuna akwuna?

For special(ist) you suggested "citi". So dentist would equal "ezeciti" and orthopedist equals Okpukpuciti.

In the Igbo alphabet there is "ch" and not "c"

My suggestion would be a broadening of the use of "di" or "dibia" an affix for special(ist) which already exists in the language. Already existing examples include:

Dibuno - Master of the home/housewife
Di mgba - master wrestler
Dibiaeze - dentist or it could be shortened to dieze and the "di" could be moved from being a prefix to a suffix

scholti:
The Igbo language is a great and beautiful language but it must undergo grammatical reinvention to enable it absorb and transmit knowledge. As it currently stands, it is ill-equipped to do so efficiently. Let's not kid ourselves, the Igbo grammar is too adapted to colloquial speech as opposed to serious academic writings for the obvious reason that for a significant portion of its existence, it was only spoken. It knew very little writing until missionary contact, hence its comfortability in speech than writing. The Igbo language that would be spoken and written in this century would be different from the one spoken in the seventeenth century. Below are affixes that would help tremendously in the fluent inflow and outflow of knowledge from the language. They have the potential of creating thousands of new words and literally creating an industry of creative activities. Ask an Igbo man to give you a compact Igbo word for 'hospitalization' and he would spill around words. But the English language didn't have to spill around words to coin the word. The word 'hospitalization' simply expresses the logic of being in an infirm state, in a hospital and it is achieved simply by affixing 'hospital ( a place)' with '-ization.' I propose that the Igbo equivalent of '-ization' should be '-mekọburu'; so 'hospitalization' would be 'mekọburu+ulọọgwu (hospital)’ = 'mekọburuulọọgwu.' Simple, elegant and economical. There are many English words whose meanings are expressed by affixes i.e. commun-ism’, ‘social-ism’ etc. English academic or advanced writings are filled with '-izations'' 'ized', 'ions', 'ous', that the Igbo language can't handle often, in a non-circuitous way. The English language has more than 1,200 affixes, that allows it create and transfer knowledge. Every language that aspires to serious learning must tweak its grammar a little, to aid the smooth transfer and outtransfer of knowledge. The absence of this impedes learning. Every language that has ever aspired to be a language of learning has artificially tweaked its grammar, Arabic, French, Russian etc. I propose underneath equivalents for some English affixes. (This is not an exhaustive list, I would be back for more.) Thanks for your reading time.

I think this is a great idea. It needs a great many people to brainstorm to come up with the prefixes and suffixes that work in the most seamless manner.


I think you should post your list here. Not everybody is going to click on the link.

Cc: Ihuomadinihu
Radoillo

christopher123:
that is nice, do we have oguma in uguta, we have ogume in ukwuani

and ukwuani and uguta are related

Yes there is. Someone also mentioned that Nwadei is a popular name in Delta state. Well in Uguta, we have Umudei village. The Kingship line runs through them. Dei must have been a very important man

ChinenyeN:
Gurgle, they're abstract for a reason (sexiness is subjective). So I focused on the most common aspects that would likely define how a person immediately responds to a new Igbo name.

Phut, the falling tone part is about the melodic nature of the language. Names that effectively capitalize on that melodic nature can climb their way up the sexiness ladder. Most Igbo wouldn't immediately understand the tone aspect, since they're so familiar with tonality that they will often take it for granted.

Here are examples of what I mean by the four qualities.

Authenticity: Instead of coming across any of the multiple (seemingly overused) Chi-variations, you come across an Aku, and it happens to be a guy.

Repetition: Obinna (example of bad repitition.. heard it so many times, you probably have a male cousin or two who bears the name) Obioma (example of good repetition.. you may know a guy one or two or three guys who bears or none at all, so it's fresh. Then you meet a girl who bears it and its even fresher).

Tone: Chioma is a good sounding name and has a decent melody to it, but it falls behind when compared to Adaku.

What do you think of Odera?

Meaning: This is probably the most subjective of all. Someone could see a name like Egwema and love it for the meaning thereby loving the name, and another person will look at that same name and say 'huh?'. So, this one is on a person-by-person basis, but still significant enough that it should probably be noted.

What do you think of Odera?

MrsPhyno:
@Phut
That song, Kush Musik, very on point and so catchy. If you guys get me talking about Phyno we won't just sleep this night. My favourite song on that album, in as much as I'm a big rap fan, is Ojigi. That song choiiii I don't know what it is about the song I just love it. It's just his voice, singing the whole time. No rap. And still the song is perfect. Couldn't find any lyrics or translations but I was told 'ojigi' means it's/he's holding you or something like that. And that he's just toasting a girl in street lingo.
Icholiya is also so good like he says really dirty things in the most appealing way lol. And of course Alobam. Phyno wrecked the whole naija with that song.
Runtown on Anamachi Versace! He killed it. Nme Nme is like the Igbo ballers song. Just spraying of money
The most painful part for me be say I no understand everything wey him talk so I just follow the beat and a few words I grab. And it's almost a crime to not understand his lyrics. Cause they're genius like you said. I want so bad to open a thread like that but you guys must come and help me out cause me self wan find translator. So I can finally understand that my favourite ojigi I swear that will be my wedding song

More reason why you should open the thread. If you mess up the Igbo lyrics a bit, we go correct you ... translate am join.


Anyi so yi na azu - We dey follow you for back

MrsPhyno:
@bolded: Funny enough I've met somebody like that. But he's a bit cosmopolitanized, he's based abroad so I guess he doesn't care. Still bothers me tho.
I'm this kinda hypocritical person, cause I love this 'One Igbo' mentality meanwhile I also love to hear about the stereotypes of different Igbo groups based on state and even village self. Good, bad and ugly. It just interests me so much especially when people talk about my side.

I don't think you are hypocritical. Take me for example, I am not that big on centralization of the language. I think what we need to do as a people, is to stop being lazy and to learn as many dialects of Igbo as possible. There are certain words for things that are only available in one dialect and not the other. If we learn as many dialects, it would help to preserve the richness of the language. But centralization leads to a killing off.

MrsPhyno:
I'm now feeling fly cause I know all these songs o. I have that Illbliss song as 'Naalu Ekele'. Have you heard of Zoro aka Swagbag. He has this song 042. Amazing!! And ofc we all know Flavour Nabania and Bracket. I'm so feeling Eastern music these days. A temporary favourite is Slowdogg 'Aka Gi' which I think means something about hands or clapping.

I don't know Zoro, but will check him out.

What are your best songs on Phyno's album?
I like everything but especially like " I chago kwa anya"

I chago kwa anya? Bia nwanne, I chago kwa anya? I se go kwa ife? This song is so seductively, good. It makes you go momentarily "hmmm!" at the thought of weed. And this is for someone who has never even as much as taken a puff of a cigarette. In fact, when I walk behind people that are smoking, I fan the smoke away with my hands. That is how good Phyno is

I also love "Ghost mode"

Also "Anam achi ife mu yi bu Versace."

"Ana'm achikwanu, I furu ukwu eze'm". A chorus he did for Illbliss.

You should open a thread dedicated to Phyno and his genius, lyrics

@ ChinenyeN: I kind of get what you are saying. But the falling tone part, I dont understand

MrsPhyno:
So Stormrex had a group? I never knew o. This is why I love nairaland wow I must go find some songs. Yeah her accent is kinda thick, a very particular kind. Pleasing to hear. And she's on Phyno's record label. Actually I love Phyno so much (if it wasn't obvious) it was him that even kinda gave me this like feverish desire to learn Igbo (from listening to Parcel, that beat is madttttt) His voice sweet dieeeee like his Igbo is so damn sexy and I don't usually say things like that and yes I am biased but the boy is really making us proud.

Yes. They had an album. The 3 girls graduated from the same University, I think.

Okpomekwe was one of their hits. Its on Youtube.

Also search Nwa Aba by Ruff coin. You go laugh so te.

30 40 also by Ruff coin featuring Phyno

MrsPhyno:
It's so bloody annoying. And when people back home ask why you don't speak your parents will join them to laugh at you. As if they are not to blame. Meanwhile I've noticed that this is much more common among Igbos than Yorubas. They seem to almost always teach their kids their language. Odd that we don't.

And you and Gurgle are going to change that in the next generation. You can do it. *Cheering from the sidelines*

Gurgle:
Alaoma is definitely nice. though I call it anioma

My dialect says Ani as well. ChinenyeN, what do you have to say about the fact that it is already the name of a place?

Gurgle:
Thanks a lot. Listening to Nganga now wish[b] I could give you something in return but im sure you know them already lol. [/b]

At the moment my jam is Flavour-Kene ya. Didn't know that guy was capable of singing such a reasonable song

Hahaha! No worries. My pleasure. Will gladly recommend more in the future

ChinenyeN:
Sexiness is subjective, BUT... if I had to say anything, I'd say that only Arinze can qualify out of all the other names in the OP's initial list. Aside from that, I'm looking at all the names posted so far and I've got to say, una no sabi segzi ma otu. The number one female name on earth should be Alaoma. Hewu.. see chills down my spine. For male names... I'll leave that up to the individual towns and villages to decide.

Olanna that she mentioned is also nice.

Onaedo - Jewel. Thats a great name as well. Can't say its sexy seeing as I am female myself

Gurgle:
I like Stormrex. She did a track with flavour called "Let's go to Enugu" (English translation- cant remember how to write it in Igbo ) have you heard it?

Yes I have. Its: Ka anyi je be Enugu.

Other recommendations for you: Have you listened to Illbliss: Bank alerts and Nara Ekene? Youtube it.
Also do you know Mista Chivagu? Watch his video for "Nganga" and "I done change hand." I believe you will enjoy them and also learn something

@ Resident expert (Radoillo) What dialect does Stormrex sing in?

MrsPhyno:
I want to learn. I'm trying sha. And by trying I mean listening to Phyno's songs over and over

He is awesome, isn't he? Do you know another group that I like? Desperate Chicks. Although they have disbanded. They speak a dialect that is kind of deep, but the thing sweet die. I have to listen to them a couple of times before I can fully grasp what they are saying. Have you heard of them? One of the group members is now a solo act. Her stage name is Stormrex.