ezeagu:

Can anyone guess this dialect.

Ebe ki joko? Kiwuzi ohun? Yi e rizini igi?

ChinenyeN:

. . . and we all speak the same 'Igbo language' how?

rhymz:

. . . Now this is an inspiring story I must confess. You mean you grew up in Edo, could not speak until recently when you started schooling in the east? Did you make any effort to want to learn it? Like buy books attend igbo classes etc, just curious cos I may ve to resort to that if it worked for you. . .lol
By the way I think you are right about the NCI being the acceptable standard in literature, my Uncle has got a stash of igbo books most of them were written in NCI. But I dont know, there are people here with better knowledge of that sha, lol

ezeagu:

That is not Ohuhu. I've heard it, it would be "I futawa, wetara m ihe ahu" just like central Igbo. The thing you wrote seems more like Ngwa. One of the differences with Ohuhu and Central Igbo is the bu which Ohuhu uses wu, another is the fact that Ohuhu use their nose a lot and add a lot of 'shi', ('O shi gini'/'O si gini', 'Ishi'/'Isi', sukoshuo onu',), and they use 'j' (as in the French way of saying it) instead of 'z' in a lot of words (jim/zim), apart from that there's little different between the two. Most people have difficulty understanding anything from Owerre so it can't be the main base of Central Igbo. And I know about the different groups, Ohuhu and Umuokpara speak the same thing because Umuokpara split from the Ohuhu community, the Enugu-Port Harcourt motorway splits the two communities.

Can anyone guess this dialect.

Ebe ki joko? Kiwuzi ohun? Yi e rizini igi?

Chyz*:

Various areas may not speak the same tongue verbatim but they still speak the language of the "Igbo people".

FACE:

Ok, I give it to you. You have an idea of Umuahia dialect. All what you described is Umuahia dialect from north to south and not limited to Ohuhu. As per "henahu", I dey laff because you don't know what you are saying. Growing up, I had a friend that I always teased by calling him "Henahu of Umukabia" and you are telling me what ?

The express split Umuopara at Amachara (Umuopara) which borders the Ibeku clan of Ossah. The express also splits Ohuhu at Nkwoegwu and Umukabia with the western part towards Imo River. Ohuhu sits on top of Umuopara, geographycally the same direction as the express. If you say otherwise, tell me the Umuopara and Ohuhu communities on opposit sides of the express.

Ok, so you think that because you read that Umuopara split from Ohuhu, that you can now conclude that they speak the same thing and other Umuahia clans speak differently ? Shows how much you know.

Our dialects are nearly the same with very slight variations. Are you telling me that a person from Umunwanwa ( Umuopara) speaks more like someone from Nkwoegwu (Ohuhu) than someone from Ossah (Ibeku) ? I dey laff. For your infomation, Ibeku sits right in the middle of the other clans of Umuahia and shares borders with Ohuhu (N) Umuopara (W) Olokoro &co (S),Oboro & co(E)

Ka m jugharikwa gi ozo : I bu onye Umuahia ?

FACE:

We are more likely to say olia than ndaa, but would mainly say: "i du oke ole ?", "I du agini", "ahu du gu ike?" "I putala ?", "ndugu oke I du?" "I meru oke ole?"

ChinenyeN:

The Igbo language/dialect question goes beyond "accents", Ezeagu. I'd think you'd know that.

ezeagu:

I don't need to tell you about geography because it's already on Google Maps.

Ohuhu and Umuokpara speak the same thing, and their cultures haven't changed from each other. The thing you wrote as Umuahia dialect was probably just Ibeku because it didn't sound like Ohuhu.

'Du' and 'gu' does not exist in Ohuhu.

The 'henahu' is just a variation of Ohuhu, but the majority say 'Ihe ahu'.

EzeUche_:

Igbo language and its many dialects are beautiful, but I see a day, when many of our dialects will go extinct. This is bound to happen, so we better start recording the endangered dialects, before it is too late. However, I welcome that day, because the Igbo people will be united in our language that is spoken by everyone..

ChinenyeN:

Doubt it. Some clans might loose theirs, others might have their diluted to varying degrees, but I doubt all will go extinct the way you seem to be imagining.

EzeUche_:

You need to throw this Tower of Babel, where many Igbo dialects are spoken out of your mind. I pray for the day, when we Igbos are united with a common language. This focus on our different dialects, is an enemy of progress. Instead of focusing on these damnn dialects, we need to focus on preventing our language from going extinct, which is more important.

FACE:

No point going any further. You rely on google maps and your perception and I am telling you as a native of the area. You make me laff with this your "Ohuhu and Umuokpara" thingy. Where does Ohuhu start from and where does it end ? Same question applies to Ibeku and Umuokpara. You like to argue this Umuahia thing with me all the time and I wonder on what grounds. "Du and Gu" do not exist in Ohuhu ? Hahahahahahahahahha. Shows how much you know.

Listen to the Ohuhu music below. That's Umuahia dialect with very slght variations across the board. The first track in particular. check 2:16 - 2:31


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pjopLWD_aQ

ChinenyeN:

Go preach that to someone else. I'd rather speak English than give up my okwu for whatever 'common language' you have in mind.

ezeagu:

I didn't hear any 'du' or 'gu', that's the point. Ohuhu sounds the closest to Central Igbo I've heard, and this is because the people who created Central Igbo based it partly on Ohuhu. Geography is the not the issue, I mentioned Google Maps to show that it would be useless to try and test somebody about geography with the internet around.

FACE:

You argued about words you have no clue about and I went through the pains of giving you a link and telling you that the dialect was Umuahia across the board with slight variations  and you keep hammering on Ohuhu.

FACE:

You said that the express splits Ohuhu from Umuopara and I said na lie and informed you that the express passed through Umuopara at Amachara near Ossah Ibeku(google failed you there).

FACE:

You said central Igbo was based on Ohuhu and now you have shifted gears to "partly based" on Ohuhu. (That was never in contention as I had earlier said that it was based on Imo/Abia/Enugu).

ezeagu:

This thing you people are calling "SCI" is mostly the Ohuhu dialect of Umuahia, for this dialect listen to Bright Chimezie, it's actually a dialect that forms a large part of standard Igbo.

No, Umuahia-Ohuhu is a big part of Standard Igbo, you must be an Ibeku person.

pslm23:

@ topic, My birth family is made up of Awkuzu Anambra State and Ukwa East in Abia State. Between the two, the igbo my brothers, sisters and i speak is a combination of NCI, SCI, PCI, and all the CI's of igbo land but we still understand each other. I would say though that I love to hear my uncles speak the Ukwa igbo. It's hard to understand and sweet to listen to. Onitsha igbo is nice too.
In short, I just love hearing my language in whatever shape or form it comes 

ChinenyeN:

PCI?

ChinenyeN:

Go preach that to someone else. I'd rather speak English than give up my okwu for whatever 'common language' you have in mind.

pslm23:

did i type that? sorry, ma bad!

EzeUche_:

Then I guess you will be speaking English. You will one day realize that most Igbos are losing the ability to speak their dialect. Our dialect will one day be a distant memory. Even your precious Ngwa dialect will be left in the past. Go to Aba, the heart of Ngwaland and see how many people with the ability to speak the Ngwa dialect or understand it.

Our dialects are mostly spoken in the rural areas of Igboland, not the urban centers. As more Igbos move into these urban areas, there offspring will lose the ability to speak their dialect. And let us not forget that many Igbos are mixed with various clans, so it serves no purpose in speaking a dialect.

I am for the survival of our language, not the many dialects. Record the dialects for future generations, but the dialects will go the way of other dialects of various languages.

ChinenyeN:

No, don't be. I'm just curious as to what you may have meant by PCI.
It's very cheep of you to site Aba as an excuse example for your assertion. We all know that Aba is commercial hub. So, it's no wonder Ngwa isn't particularly spoken there, but it is foolish to use Aba as a way to measure the loss of an entire clan's okwu; and not just any clan, Ngwa specifically, a large clan that can probably host 10+ more Aba's and then some. So don't over-assert your point, and don't even think you're making a point which I can even take seriously.

Also urbanization does not equal loss of okwu. I know many urbanized Ngwa families who haven't lost okwu Ngwa. I personally know a number of youth born and raised here in the states that speak fluent Ngwa. I myself am third-generation urbanized. My grandfather moved from our ama and settled in Aba. He spoke thorough Ngwa. My father is a city boy, born and raised in Aba (he speaks thorough Ngwa). I was born in Lagos, visited Aba only once, not to even talk of my own amaala, left for the states (one of the most urbanized of urban countries) when I was 5 or 6, and I've been here ever since, but I speak thorough Ngwa and Ngwa only. So don't over-assert your point. Urbanization does not equal loss of okwu.

And lastly, as I stated earlier, I doubt your assertion. It's not to say that some peoples won't lose their tongues. Of course, I believe that some clans will (if they haven't already), but I seriously doubt that it will ever be as your asserting; that the tongues of each and every clan will be but a distant memory. I seriously doubt that, and my doubt has nothing to do with Ngwa. I just simply doubt the reality of you assertion. . . that and my detest for your 'one Igbo' yarns, in particular.

So liala hnwe ojoo nwa Nmogho. Ogwe m agbasoola gh' titi.

ChinenyeN:

Frightening is not really the word. Disappointing and upsetting (quite possibly even vexing) is more like it. Anyway, don't get your hopes up too high with the brother talk, and it's like I stated earlier, I would feel more comfortable speaking English.

EzeUche_:


It must be frightening for you the possibility that our "LECTS" may go extinct. Your clan is your identity, that is why you have been fighting me for the past year. My identity is my "igboness." Even though I was born of Arochukwu, I see you my Ngwa friend as a brother. I would hope that you would see me as the same as well.

What is more beautiful than having all Igbos speaking a unified language, without the fear of it going extinct? Your "lect" ill live on in a way, through a unified language.

afam4eva:

You will feel more comfortable speaking English to a unified Igbo? I'm really not in favour of the extinction of our dialect but at the same time i hate your guts. You seem to hate the idea of being Igbo. Why not join your Ikwerre brother who have disclaimed their ethnic heritage instead of always causing discord in Igbo threads. I've never met an Igbo person like you in my life. TUFIAKWA

asha 80:

since majority of igbos did not or do not practice monarchy it would be difficult to preserve original dialects.