Welcome to NIGERIA

Igbo-Language

WHERE THE LANGUAGE CAME FROM

Brief History

• It all started in the 1500s-17oos when there was slave trade.

• By 1766 owners of the slave realized a language was speaking and it was not African language that they knew of were speaking.

• 1766-1892, the language started spreading around and the West Indies became aware of such language.

• People started using a little bit of Igbo words in books and when speaking.

• The people were now thinking about if there should be such a language.

• Because of the pronunciations in the language the government in Africa were speculating about whether or not the language should be kept.

• It was not until the 1900s that there became a debate about why the there should be such a language.

• People from all over the world came and started taking some Igbo words and putting them in their culture.

1999 -Chinua Achebe, the most internationally famous Igbo speaker, passionately denounced Standard Igbo, in a lecture sponsored by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese in Owerri.

There are numerous Igbo dialects, some of which are not mutually intelligible. The standard written form of Igbo is based on the Owerri and Umuahia dialects and has been in use since 1962.

REFERRING TO THE NOVEL ‘THINGS FALL APART’

HOW THEY USED

THEIR LANGUAGE

• The novel ‘Things Fall Apart’ by Chinua Achebe shows us just how strong and rich their language is.

• We may realise there are igbo words or phrases in their that we may not understand but if you actually put your imagination into it, you will realise the people are trying to communicate with you, making you understand their ways by their ‘foreign language’.

• Their language is shown through:WordsPhrasesProverbs

FolktalesStoriesSongs

• Agbala a man who had taken no title • Agadi-nwayi old woman• Chi personal god• Efulefu worthless man• Eqwugwu a masquerader who impersonates one of the

ancestral spirits of its village.• Ekwe a musical instrument, a type of drum made from

wood• eneke-nti-oba kind of bird• Iba fever• Ilo village green where assemblies take place• Inyanga showing off, bragging• isa-fia ceremony, if a wife has been from her husband a

long time, and were then to be re united with him, this ceremony would be preformed to ascertain that she had not been unfaithful to him during the time of their separation.

• iyi-uwa a special kind of stone which forms the link between ogbanje and the spirit world. only if

the iyi-uwa were discovered and destroyed would the child not die

• Jigida a string of waist beads• Kotma court messenger, not of Igbo origin• Kwenu a shout of approval and greeting• Ndichie elders• nna ayi our father• Nno welcome• nso-ani a religious offense of a kind abhorred by

everyone, literally, earth's taboo• Nza a very small bird• Obi large living quarters for head of family

• obodo dike the land of the brave• Ochu murder or manslaughter• Ogbanje a child who repeatedly dies and returns to its mother to be

reborn. It is almost impossible to bring up an obanje child without it dying, unless its iyi-uwa is first found and

destroyed• Ogene a musical instrument, a kind of gong• öjï ödü ache-ojii-o cow• Osu outcast, having been dedicated to a god the osu was taboo

and was not allowed to mix with the freeborn in any way• Oye the name of one of the four market days• Özö the name of one of the titles or ranks• Tufia a curse or oath• Udu a musical instrument , a type of drum from pottery• Uli a dye used by women for drawing patterns on the skin• Umuada a family fathering of daughters, for which female kinship folk

return to the village of origin• Umu nna a wide group of kinsmen• Uri part of a betrothal ceremony when the dowry is paid

How language actually contributes to the novel.

having his characters tell traditional folk tales.

Achebe helps us understand the language by:

writing his novel in English and then using the African language within passages. He uses his English knowledge for “Infiltrating the ranks of the enemy and destroying him from within” while his native language forces readers to “look outside of their constraints and identify more with the African culture.”

Igbo is a tonal language with two distinctive tones, high and low. In some cases a third, down-stepped high tone is recognized.

Learning the language

GREETINGS

ACTIVITY TIME

olee maka ndi be gï? how about your family?

olee ihe ha kwuru? What did they say?

olee ka i mere? how do you do?

gïnï ka unu na-eme? what are you (pl.) doing?

ebee ka ï nö? where are you?

ego ole ka ö bü? how much money is it?

onye ka ï bü? who are you?

onye mere ihea? who does this?

onye ka ihea mere? who does this happen to?

• Hello. Ndeewo. (in-DEEH-WO)• Hello. (informal) Kedú. (keh-DO)• Hello. (casual) Ǹda. (in-DAH)• Welcome Nnöö (in-NOOR)• How are you? Kedu kà ímèrè? (keh-du kah E MEH-REH)• Fine, thank you. Ọ di mma. (AW DEE MM-MA)• What is your name? Kedu áhà gi? (keh-DO AH-HA gee)• My name is ______ . Áhàm bụ ______, or Afam bu (: AH-

HAM BOO _____ .)• Nice to meet you. Ọ di mma. (AW DEE MM-MA)• Please. Biko. (BEE-COE)• Thank you. Daalu/Imela. (DA-LOO/EE-MEH-LAH)• You're welcome. Ndéwo. (IN-day-WOAH)• Yes. Éeyi, Ëhh. (ey, AEH)

• No. Mbà . (IM-BAH)• Excuse me. (getting attention) Biko, chètú. (BEE-coe, CHE-

too)• Excuse me. (begging pardon) Biko, é weli íwé. (BEE-coe, A

WELLI E-WAY)• I'm sorry. Ndo; Gbághàrám. (in-DOH, BA-gah-RAM)• Goodbye Ka omesia. (KAH O-MEH-SI-YA)• Goodbye (informal) Ka anyi húní. (KA-NYEE HOO-NEE)I• can't speak Igbo [well]. A nam a sú Igbo [ọfuma]. (AH nam

AH sue EEG-BOW [AW-FOO-MAH])• Do you speak English? I na sú Bèké ? (EE na SOO BAY-KAY?)• Is there someone here who speaks English? Ọ di onye nọ

nga nweríkí súfù bèké? (OR dee on-yeh NOR in-GAH weh-RI-KI SUH-foo beh-KEH?)

• Help! Nyem áká! (NYEM AH-KAH)• Look out! Lèmá kwá! (LAY-MA KWA)• Good morning. Ibọla chi. (e BORLA CHI)• Good evening. Ézígbó mgbede. (AY-ZEE-GBO MM-GBAYDAY)• Good night. Ka chi bọ. (KA CHI BAW)• Good night (to sleep) Ka chi fọ. (KA chi FOR)• I don't understand. À ghotaghím. • Where is the toilet? Ké ébé mpọsi dì? (keh EH BEH mmPose

D)

LEARNING THEIR ALPHABET AND HOW TO PRONOUNCE THE WORDS.

ANIMALS

VEHICLES

Truth and Sincerity

The monkey said that she would not deny that her child whom she carried on her back ate up fruit, because she did not know whether he stretched out his hand and plucked fruit: A person should speak about what he knows.

Laughter does not show friendship [love]: The behaviour or the face of a person can conceal what is in his heart.

(All that glitters is not gold.)

(One can speak only about things of which he is certain.)

Kindness and Wickedness

Greet the deaf person--if the sky does not hear, the earth will hear: When you do a good deed, if man does not repay you, God will.

(Do good always.)

A soft word causes anger to turn back: A humble heart helps settle quarrels. (Humble words soften anger.)

Obedience and Disobedience

When a woman scorns her husband, her rear end dries up [she loses moral support]: A person should not despise the source of his strength.

(People should respect those to whom respect is due.)

The grasshopper which was killed by the okpoko was deaf. Failure to listen causes waste. (Obstinacy leads to ruin.)

Wisdom and Foolishness It is not by staring hard that one sees the road [or understands what is going on]: A noisy show does not imply knowledge.

(Empty vessels make a great deal of noise. Bold looks do not mean courage.)

The titled man, not knowing what to say, says that his companions have already said what he would have said: Giving an excuse for something.

(Giving lame excuse for not doing a thing.)

He who drives himself away from a vehicle says that the vehicle did not reach him: One who acts against himself says that it is others who did it to him.

Excuse and Complaint

(A person who acts against his interest shifts the blame on others.)

Experience and Inexperience

If the hand opens the door, the mouth will claim responsibility Whatever has happened has happened.

One who borrows a cloth does not dance proudly: A man's hand is not strong in things he does not own. A man stands firmer where things that he owns are concerned.

Wealth and Poverty

(Neither a borrower nor a lender be. People are more at home with their own things.)

Aabout maka addition mgbaköafternoon ehihieairplane ügbö eluall niile, dum, nchaalso kwaa, -kwaziand naanglican (person) onye anglicananimal anüApril onwa-irias kaat na, n’August onwa-abö

Bbad öjöö, njöbag akpabanana ogedebe (verb) bübe tasty (verb) törö ütöbe, be present in location (verb) nöbe, have the quality of, be in (verb) dï beans agwa

beautiful öma, mmabed akwabedroom obubeer mmanyabelow n’okpurubeside n’akükübig ukwubillion ijeriblack ojiiblack man onye ojiibless (verb) gözie blue atülüboat ügbö mmiribody ahübook akwükwöbook seller ore akwükwöboss oga, onye isibreakfast nrï ütütübring (verb) kpörö bring in (verb) wetabroom azïzabrother nwa nne nwokebrother (maternal) nwannembrother (paternal) nwannam

bury ilibush ohiabush animal anü öhïabush meat anü öhïabut manabuy (verb) züö, gotabuyer özü ahïabye kodi

clock elekereclose nsoclose to home ndiuno

Ccar ügbö alacarry (verb) burucarry on one’s back (verb) kwöcassava jiakpucatholic (person) onye catholiccenter etiti

cloth akwacloud urukpucoconut aku oyibococoyam edecold oyicome (verb) bïacome from (verb) sicook (verb) siecorn ökacount ögügücow ehicray fish okporo

chair ochechew (verb) tachicken öküküchild nwa, nwantakïrïchildren umu akachop house ülö oririchristian onye ükachurch ükaclean öcha , ücha

cry (verb) beecupboard (box for food) akpatï nrïcustomer onye ahïa

Ddawn ütütüday üböchïdaytime ehihieDecember onwa-isii, onwa-asaadenomination okpukpe

development agency ndï mmepe obododismiss (verb) gbasaado (verb) meedoctor dibïa oyibodog nkitadon’t worry esogbunadoor akwüdown the road ndïdadrink mmanyadrive (verb) nyaadry season ököchïduck öbögwü

Europe obodo bekeeevery niile, dumexpect (verb) lee anyaexpensive oke ölü

Eeach niile, dumearly dawn üzöearth alaedge aküküeggs akwaeight asatöelectricity ökülatrïkelephant enyiEnglish bekeeenter (verb) bata

Ffall ill (verb) rïa örïa family ndï be family (lit. compound and house) ezi n’ülöfar from home ndiagufather nnaFebruary onwa-asatöfetch (verb) kutafinger mkpisi aka fire öküfirst mbüfish azüfive isefloor alafood nrïfork mkpisifour anöfriend enyi

Ggarden eggs afüfagarri garrigenuine (adjective) ezigirl nwata nwanyigive (verb) nyego (verb) gaago early (verb) ma üzö goat ewugod chukwugood öma, mmagood afternoon ehihie ömagood behaviour ezi omumegood day üböchi ömagood man ezigbo nwokegood morning ütütü ömagood night abalï ömagood-bye ka e mesïagood-evening abalï ömagood-morning ï bölachïgoodnight ka chi foograde clasï ground alagroup ndï

Hhalf ökarahappy anülïhappy easter añuli easterhappy new year añuli arö öfüüharmattan period oge ugürühawk egbehe o, ö, yahead-ache isi mgbuhear (verb) nüheight eluhelp (verb) nye akaher yaherbs akwükwö ögwühere ebeahis yahold (verb) jidehospital ülö ögwühot ökühotel ülö oririhour elekerehouse ülöhow olee, keduhow many ole

how much ole, ego olehundred narïhusband di

II mü, m , (verb) + mif manaigbo man onye igboin na, n’insiden’imeinstead of kamaintend to (verb) chöröinterior imeit o, ö, ya

JJanuary onwa-asaajesus christ jesu kristijoin (verb) nonyeJuly onwa-mbuJune onwa-iri na atö

kill (verb) gbukind üdïking ezekitchen usekwukolanut öjï igbo

Kkerosine nmanü-ökükey igodo

Lleaf akwükwölearn (verb) müöleft ekpelibrary ülö akwükwölife ndülike kalion agulittle girl nwata kïrï nwanyilive (verb) biliving-room mbaralocation ebe long ogologo lord chinekelot, many nnuku

Mmadam nnemake (verb) meemake a plea (verb) kpeeman nwokemanner etuMarch onwa-itolumarket ahïamasterogaMay onwa-iri na otumaybe ike kweme mü, mmeat anümedicine dealer onye na ere ögwümedicine man dibïamedicines ögwümeet izutemerchandise ngwa ahiamerry Christmas añuli ekeresimesimillion ndemoney egomonkey enwemoon önwa

morning ütütümother nnemotor ügbö alamotor-cycle ogbatumtummotorpark ödü ügbö ala

Nname aha , afa (Onitsha dialect)next özönight abalïnine itoluno mbanothing more onweroziNovember onwa-isenow ugbuanumber ole

Ooccasion ogeOctober onwa-anöof which nkeoffice ülö ölüoil mmanüon na, n’

on top of n’enuone otuonion alïbasaour anyï

pumpkin ügüpupil nwata akwükwöpurchase (verb) gota put, add (verb) tinye

Ppain mgbupaper akwükwöpay (verb) kwüö ügwöpear ubepeople ndïpepper oseperiod ogepig eziplace ebeplate afereplay football (verb) gbaa bölü please bikopossess (verb) jidepot iteprayer ekperepresent (verb) nyeprice önüprimary school elementrï

Rrain mmiri-ozuzorain (verb) zoorainy season udu mmirireading ögügüred mmered earth ajalirice osikapa right nrïriverbank ikpere mmiriroom mgberoots mgbörögwü osisi

Ssave (verb) zöpüta say (verb) kwuoschool ülö akwükwösecretary onye-ode akwükwösee (verb) hü

sell ireseller ore iheSeptember onwa-atöseven asaashe o, ö, yasickness örïasince ka mgbesister nwa nne nwanyï

strength ikestudent nwata akwükwösun anwu, anyanwüSunday üböchï üka sweep (verb) zaaswim (verb) gwuo mmiriswimming-pool ndörö mmiri

sister (maternal) nwannemsister (paternal) nwannamsit down (verb) nödü anïsix isiismall obelesnake agwösomebody onye something iheson nwa nwoke sort üdïspeak süöspoon ngazistand up (verb) kunie stew ofestick osisistockfish okporokostraight oto

Ttablets ögwütake (verb) kpöröteach (verb) kuzieteacher onye nkuzi tell (verb) gwaten irithank you imelathank you very much ekele dili gïthat ahü, nke ahü, ihe ahüthat (conj.) na, katheir hathem hathen e mesïa, mgbe ahüthere ebe ahüthese -athese (group) ndïa

they hathink (verb) chethis -a, nkea, iheathose ahüthose (group) ndi ahüthousand pukuthree atöthunder egbe igwetime elekere, ogetoday taa, tatatoilet ülö mpositomorrow echitoo kwaa, -kwazitop enutown obodotravel njemtravel (verb) jeetree osisitrouble nsogbutruthezi okwuturkey tolotolotwo abüö

Uugly öjöö, njöumbrella nche anwuunder n’okpuruunderside okpuruuniversity mahadümuntil tupuup n’enuus anyï

Vvillage (inside town) ime obodo

Wwait (verb) cherewant (verb) chöwar aghawater mmiriwater leaves gbörödiwater yam mbala jiwe anyïweather üböchïweeping akwawelcome nnöö

well öfümawell done da alüwhat gïnïwhen olee, kedu; olee ogewhere ebeewhether manawhich olee, keduwhite öcha , üchawhite man onye öchawho onye why maka giniwife nwuyewind ikukewine mmanyawoman nwanyïwork ölüworker onye ölüworkers ndï ölü

Yyam ji year arö, ahö yellow edoyes e-eyou, your gï; i, ïyou, your (pl.) unu

vowel pronounced as in

a arm

e set

i see

ï pit

o go

ö author

u put (verb)

ü shot

Gram

mar: N

umerals

• 1 One Ótù (OH-too)• 2 Two Abuọ (ah-BWORE)• 3 Three Àtȯ (ah-TOH)• 4 Four Anọ (ah-NORE)• 5Five Isé (ee-SAY)• 6 Six Ishii (EE-SHE-e)• 7 Seven Asaa (ah-SAH-ah)• 8 Eight Asatọ (ah-SAH-toh)• 9 Nine Itóolu (ee-TOE-LOO)• 10 Ten Iri (ee-REE)• 11 Eleven Iri na ótù (ee-REE nah OH-too)• 12 Twelve Iri na abuọ (ee-REE nah ah-BWORE)• 13 Thirteen Iri na àtȯ (ee-REE nah ah-TOH)• 14 Fourteen Iri na anọ (ee-REE nah ah-NORE)• 15 Fifteen Iri na isé (ee-REE nah ee-SAY)

• 16 Sixteen Iri na ishii (ee-REE nah EE-SHE-e)• 17 Seventeen Iri na asaa (ee-REE nah ah-SAH-ah)• 18 Eighteen Iri na asatọ (ee-REE nah ah-SAH-toh)• 19 Nineteen Iri na itóolu (ee-REE nah ee-TOE-LOO)• 20 Twenty Iri abuọ; Ọgụ (ee-REE ah-BWORE; aw-GOH)• 21 Twenty one Iri abuọ na ótù (ee-REE ah-BWORE nah OH-too)• 22 Twenty two Iri abuọ na abuọ (ee-REE ah-BWORE nah ah-BWORE)• 23 Twenty three Iri abuọ na àtȯ (ee-REE ah-BWORE nah ah-TOH)• 30 Thirty Iri àtȯ (ee-REE ah-TOH)• 40 Fourty Iri anȯ; ọgụ abuọ (ee-REE ah-NORE; aw-goo ah-BWORE)• 50 Fifty Iri isé (ee-REE ee-SAY)• 60 Sixty Iri ishii (ee-REE EE-SHE-e)7• 0 Seventy Iri Asaa (ee-REE ah-SAH-ah)• 80 Eighty Iri Asato (ee-REE ah-SAH-toh)• 90 Ninety Iri Itóolu (ee-REE ee-TOE-LOO)• 100 Hundred Nnari; ọgụ isé (IN-NAH-REE; aw-gu ee-SAY)

• 200 Two hundred Nnari abuọ; ọgu iri (in-NAH-REE ah-BWORE; aw-goo-ee-lee)

• 300 Three hundred Nnari àtȯ (in-NAH-REE ah-TOH)• 400 Four hundredNn ("in-noo")ụ̀�• 1000 Thousand Puku (POO-KOO)• 2000 Two thousand Puku abuọ (POO-KOO ah-BWORE)• 3000 Three thousand Puku àtȯ (POO-KOO ah-TOH)• 8000 Eight thousand ụlánn (ụ̀� oo-LA-in-noo)• 10,000 Ten thousand Puku iri (POO-KOO ee-RE)• 100,000 A hundred thousand Puku nnari (POO-KOO IN-NAH-

REE)• 1,000,000 Million Ndè (IN-day)• 100,000,000 A hundred million Ndè nnari (IN-day IN-NAH-

REE)• 1,000,000,000 Billion Ijeri (ee-JAY-REE)

BODY PARTS

• head íshí (EE-SHEE)• Face ihü (EE-HUE)• Eyes ányá (AHN-YAH)• Ears ńtị (NN-tih)• Nose ímí (EE-MEE)• Throat akpịlị (AHK-pee-leeh)• Chin àgbà (ahg-bah)• neck ólú (OH-LOO)• Shoulder sùbu (oo-boo)• Chest ugwùlùgwù (ooh-gwoo-loo-gwoo)• Waist úkwù (OO-kwoo)

• Arm sógwè áká (OH-guh-way-AH-KAH);ihü áká (EE-HUE AH-KAH)

• Wrists nkwekọ áká (nn-kweh-koh AH-KAH)• Fingers mkpisi áká (mm-KPEE-see AH-KAH)• Handsáká (AH-KAH)• Elbow ǹkù (nn-koo)• Buttock síkẹ (EE-keh)• Thighàkpàtà (ahk-pah-tah)• Knee íkpèlè (EEK-peh-leh)• Legs úkwụ (OO-KOOH)• Foot òkpà (oh-k-pah)

Days

• today ta, ụbọchi ta (TAH, OO-boh-chi TAH)• yesterday nnyáfu, chi làràni (IN-YAH-fuh, CHI lah-RAH-nee)• tomorrow échí (ay-CHI)• this week izù nka (ee-ZOO in-KAH)• last week izù laranị (ee-ZOO lah-rah-nee)• next week izù nabia (ee-ZOO nah-BYAH)• Sunday Ụbọchị úkà (oo-BOH-chi oo-KAH)• Monday Mondè (MOHN-dae)• Tuesday Tusde (toos-dae)• Wednesday Wensde (WENS-dae)• Thursday Tosdè (TOHS-dae)• Friday Fraidè (FRY-dae)• Saturday Satde (SAHT-dae)

Months• January Ọnwa Mbụ, Januari (AW-WAH OH-too, JAH-noo-wa-ree)• February Ọnwa Abuọ, Febureri (AW-WAH ah-BWORE, FEH-boo-way-ree)• March Ọnwa Àtọ, Machi (AW-WAH ah-TOH, MAH-chi)• April Ọnwa Ànȯ, Eprulu (AW-WAH ah-NORE, AY-prool-oo)• May Ọnwa Ise, Me (AW-WAH ee-SAY, MEH)• June Ọnwa Ishii, Jun (AW-WAH EE-SHE-e, JOON)• July Ọnwa Asaa, Julai (AW-WAH ah-SAH-ah, JOO-lai)• August Ọnwa Asatọ, Ogost (AW-WAH ah-SAH-toh, AW-gost)• September Ọnwa Itoolu, Seputemba (AW-WAH ee-TOE-LOO, SEP-tehm-

BAH)• October Ọnwa Iri, Oktoba (AW-WAH ee-REE, OK-toe-BAH)• November Ọnwa Iri na Ótu, Novemba (AW-WAH ee-REE nah OH-too,

NO-vehm-BAH)• December Ọnwa Iri na Abuọ, Disemba (AW-WAH ee-REE nah ah-

BWORE, DEE-sem-bah)