fratermathy:


Lol. Sadly, he is not alone. Many Urhobo youths barely understand the language. Speaking it is even a different thing entirely.

We are working hard to undo the damage done to us by colonialism and negative attitudes towards our language.

Unfortunately, I'm one of such youths. My parents never spoke the language to us, and we were raised in solitude. It pains me everyday that I can't speak my language, and I wish there was a way I could learn it.

fratermathy:
I stumbled across a video of a white woman who can speak Urhobo fluently like someone who grew up in the village. She was speaking it with pride and all the features of a native speaker were there. I don't know her or where she grew up but I found the video fascinating. I am aware that there are many whites that can speak Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo. But this is Urhobo, a language that many of its people hardly speak (refer to my post on the dearth of Urhobo language), and so it is very intriguing. See video below:

Urhobo people: Speak Urhobo today! Learn Urhobo if you can't speak it yet! Be proud of your culture and identity! Don't let someone else be proud of it on your behalf!

Urhobo Wadoo!!! Mesiaghware o!


**NB: Urhobo is a language spoken by the Urhobo/Isoko people of Delta State, Nigeria.

Greetings!!.

This is a cause anybody who claim he/she is educated should be fighting for. Any culture that don't have their own language is dead!!.

The way that woman speaks Urhobo is how we ought to take English and French in Africa- as a languge to pass time, a language we can speak leisurely and not as if our life depend on it. Our main language should've remained our native languages; both in school and society.

And Nigerian parents are busy downgrading their languages in favor of queens English

Jesu...... Surprisingly Urhobo folks can't even speak fluently.

Its so sad. im based in lagos . Im half Uvwie and Half Orogun. I Dont understand any thing apart from the greetings. Donno what i can do.

i wasnt even even included in the list of Uhrobo people on nairaland

YOU all have been deceived that's not her talking. if only you understand and watch her lips.

fratermathy:


Lol. Sadly, he is not alone. Many Urhobo youths barely understand the language. Speaking it is even a different thing entirely.

We are working hard to undo the damage done to us by colonialism and negative attitudes towards our language.

Sadly all Edoid languages are in danger, including Urhobo/Isoko.

I'm beginning to doubt if any of the dialects can survive it alone long term, without a major collective effort. Instead of standalone BA Edo or Urhobo degrees, it should be joint degrees like BA Edoid Languages (Urhobo/Esan/Benin) or BA Edoid Languages & Linguistics (Isoko/Afemai/Degema).
These joint degrees will not only promote the philological understanding of the individual languages but also the grammatical similarities and variations.

The same way Germanic languages like German, English, Swedish, Dutch, Danish, etc re-enforce the understanding of each. Same applies to the romance languages of French, Italian, Romanian, Portuguese, Spanish, etc.

fratermathy:


I don tire for our matters. The reality is very sad.

The only solution is to engage in a mass campaign so that Urhobos can learn to appreciate the language better. We can use the Internet to draw attention and create a new Urhobo nationalism. That is why I like using nairaland to post some issues so that if the posts make Frontpage, they can reach out to many Urhobos. A post like this will go a long way if Lalasticlala or Seun puts it on Frontpage.

Apart from creating the consciousness, other Urhobos are creating movies, music, cartoons, oratory, etc, in Urhobo language to make learning the language easy. So the tools to learn are already there, they just need to be used by those who have taken interest in the language.

Again, we need to sensitise those in Urhobo towns and villages on the need to J'Urhobo! If prominent and very wealthy people are involved, an Urhobocentric ideology can be launched using media houses and billboards.

Urhobo should also be taken more seriously at the secondary school level. It should be a core subject for every Urhobo.

These, and many more, will, with time, correct some of the problems we have. I just hope that we all do our bits in actualising this.

You have a very good suggestion but i'm sorry to tell you that there's no group that has this problem that has ever recovered from it and the case of Urhobo is a peculiar one. Pidgin English is becoming the new mother tongue in that area. Even in Scotland, Ireland and Wales where they have the same problem and with the resources at their disposal, they've not made any progress. I even know some Igbo guys that went to learn Welsh to be able to teach it to the welsh themselves and as much as they're cashing to the bank, no difference is noticed. Here in Nigeria, the Iban people of Bonny/Opobo have tried it, e no work.

Sanchez01:

I'm telling you! Better fear grip me! The accent is so pure that without the video you would think the person talking is your everyday Urhobo woman.

Mostly yeah... But she gave herself away when she said "e beans e na".... Ur Local Urhobo woman would have called it isha

One of the costly price we have to pay for our stupidity putting English above our native languages is inability to interpret nature in academic terms. See this thread that should've been on front page https://www.nairaland.com/3750877/how-say-names-geometric-shapes#55912738

lsoul:
YOU all have been deceived that's not her talking. if only you understand and watch her lips.

That's her. The woman has even been identified. She is very active in Urhobo activities in London. Her name is Nancy.

younglawya:
i wasnt even even included in the list of Uhrobo people on nairaland

you didn't even spell the name of our tribe well.

we're in trouble

after hearing this,I dey shame for myself,na only migwor -vrendoh nd magareh I know. Chai!

airsaylongcon:


Mostly yeah... But she gave herself away when she said "e beans e na".... Ur Local Urhobo woman would have called it isha

Very true though. But her accent is on point.

Nicho118:
you didn't even spell the name of our tribe well.

we're in trouble

WOW.I don enter wahala. Come and teach me the language now. I dey find who go teach me

Wow Interesting

@ op isokos do not speak urhobo period!!!

Efewestern:


the fault is actually from our parents, you can hardly seen an itsekiri youth that can't speak there language, are we not in the same warri together? , in fact itsekiri always name there children with there itsekiri language but that can't be said with urhobo, uvwie is the worst, hardly do you see someone speaking it, only the elders but I can hear very well but can't speak the dialect.

this is wat development cause, almost all of urhobo land is fast becoming town, from warri to orerokpe to abraka to agharo to sapele to ughelle etc so they think the only way out is to master pidgin and forget about our root.

cc: fratermathy

Bros, are u an Uvwie man?

airsaylongcon:


Mostly yeah... But she gave herself away when she said "e beans e na".... Ur Local Urhobo woman would have called it isha

Not true. Urhobos have a funny way of blending or mixing English words with the Urhobo language, mostly when they are not with their kinsmen. The accent is so strong that you would think she's your everyday Urhobo woman.

Sanchez01:

You're very correct. A portion of the blame goes to the parents. I heard Uvwie is worse truly and you have just confirmed it. It's sad.

I can confirm too. I was born and bred in Uvwie LGA. That language will be extinct in the next generation.

The problem bedevilling urhobo language i think is mostly urbanization and Warri (a very multi-ethnic and cosmopolitan centre) playing a greater role as the capital or heart of Urhobo population.

fratermathy:
I stumbled across a video of a white woman who can speak Urhobo fluently like someone who grew up in the village. She was speaking it with pride and all the features of a native speaker were there. I don't know her or where she grew up but I found the video fascinating. I am aware that there are many whites that can speak Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo. But this is Urhobo, a language that many of its people hardly speak (refer to my post on the dearth of Urhobo language), and so it is very intriguing. See video below:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lf5glkJddSE



Urhobo people: Speak Urhobo today! Learn Urhobo if you can't speak it yet! Be proud of your culture and identity! Don't let someone else be proud of it on your behalf!

Urhobo Wadoo!!! Mesiaghware o!


**NB: Urhobo is a language spoken by the Urhobo/Isoko people of Delta State, Nigeria.

This video is wonderful. Our language cannot die but I will suggest that we marry our own ladies and speak to the language to our children. The language is tough so children need to understand it while growing up if not, OYO is it. Also, we shouldn't make jest of others for not speaking the language rather we should encourage them to attend clan meetings or associations. Thats how the language will survive. Alot of us marry outside the tribe. I have several brothers and sisters married to igbos and yorubas. Who do you blame it children end up not speaking the language?
I am happy that atleast you bring up things like this. Thank you for this and God bless you...How I wish there are Urhobo and isoko videos were people can learn the language especially the basic parts. Abeg if you stumble on such videos please post them.
God bless delta State
God bless nigerdelta region.

PS: Thank you Chelsea. Oya Arsenal don't f up o.. ..over to watch the next match.

shestrong:
after hearing this,I dey shame for myself,na only migwor -vrendoh nd magareh I know. Chai!

Sadly, you don lost

Nicho118:
Uwherun? those people dialect go hard for me to learn o..

that is the simplest urhobo to the isoko people coz it's too close to our language

Nowenuse:


I can confirm too. I was born and bred in Uvwie LGA. That language will be extinct in the next generation.

The problem bedevilling urhobo language i think is mostly urbanization and Warri (a very multi-ethnic and cosmopolitan centre) playing a greater role as the capital or heart of Urhobo population.

Someone once said she is ashamed of speaking Urhobo. I was stunned that day. Urbanization is seriously plaguing us.

fratermathy:


You are very correct! Ughelli villages still speak Urhobo. However, Ughelli main town has been compromised as well. Although not yet as bad as Warri and Sapele.

Areas like Orogun, Agbarha, Ughievwen, Olomu, Evwreni, Uwherun and nearby areas can be relied upon for now.

Orogun switch upandan between Urhobo and Ukwani. But it was a pleasing sight seeing tiny kids scatter Urhobo flawlessly

Sanchez01:
Sadly, you don lost

nobody to teach me,I grew in d north nd popsi married anoda tribe.Choi!

Aphex:
Unfortunately, I'm one of such youths. My parents never spoke the language to us, and we were raised in solitude. It pains me everyday that I can't speak my language, and I wish there was a way I could learn it.

Refer to an earlier post I made on this thread, on the first page. I suggested watching some Urhobo movies. If possible, get and pay an Urhobo tutor if you can afford it.

Try and learn it for the sake of your identity! Language is everything and as an Urhoboman, your language should never elude you.

darfay:


that is the simplest urhobo to the isoko people coz it's too close to our language

yeah.. I've noticed that

fratermathy:
I stumbled across a video of a white woman who can speak Urhobo fluently like someone who grew up in the village. She was speaking it with pride and all the features of a native speaker were there. I don't know her or where she grew up but I found the video fascinating. I am aware that there are many whites that can speak Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo. But this is Urhobo, a language that many of its people hardly speak (refer to my post on the dearth of Urhobo language), and so it is very intriguing. See video below:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lf5glkJddSE



Urhobo people: Speak Urhobo today! Learn Urhobo if you can't speak it yet! Be proud of your culture and identity! Don't let someone else be proud of it on your behalf!

Urhobo Wadoo!!! Mesiaghware o!


**NB: Urhobo is a language spoken by the Urhobo/Isoko people of Delta State, Nigeria.

That person na urhobo albino... no be oyinbo

And my wife can't speak the language. Am vexing