pazienza:



Nice attempt, he is almost right.

My main resentment against his classification, is his use of town names to represent names of dialect.

I mean, how can you tell a proud Ogidi man that he speaks Abatete dialect? Why can't it be in reverse, I mean the Abatete speaking Ogidi dialect?

He could have done better, by looking for things those communities that speak same/ similar forms of the Igbo language known as Igbo dialects have in common to use to name the dialect.

i think dialects are named after the town that has the highest concentration of the language pattern under consideration.
Btw, on one hand u said u resent his use of towns to name dialects. While on the other u felt he could have done better by using Ogidi. Why?

kingslly:
What of Orlu,Nkwerre,Nwangele,Njaba etc? They have a particular dialect dat i didnt see on ur list

Yeah, Methink it was accidentally ommitted from the list of spoken Igbo dialects. I am from Njaba and I have consistently noticed that we and other above listed areas speak the same dialect. Igbo ethnologist group us under the 'Isu' dialect cluster of the wider Igbo language.

Noneroone:
i think dialects are named after the town that has the highest concentration of the language pattern under consideration.
Btw, on one hand u said u resent his use of towns to name dialects. While on the other u felt he could have done better by using Ogidi. Why?

Haha! No reason. I just felt that Ogidi as the headquarters of the old Idemili local government,and the speakers of the lightest/ sweetest version of the Idemili dialect deserves that honour better than Abatete. No offense to my Abatete neighbors, this is but a personal opinion, a tentative one for that matter.

pazienza:


Haha! No reason. I just felt that Ogidi as the headquarters of the old Idemili local government,and the speakers of the lightest/ sweetest version of the Idemili dialect deserves that honour better than Abatete. No offense to my Abatete neighbors, this is but a personal opinion, a tentative one for that matter.

Haha,Ide nnaa ibulukwa wuor....I know Umuoji don't sound as cool as Ogidi but how about Nkpor and Obosi ? Have you heard an Obosi and Nkpor man speak ? Very smooth and sweet.
Ogidi has influence from Onicha, Nkpor ,Ogbunike and rest of their neighboring towns. The reason why Umuoji sound different is because we are right in the heart of Idenmili,hence retaining the core of what should the typical Idenmili dialect. Which sounds like what is spoken in Njikoka/Nri areas. When I listen to Okonkwo asaa,Obiligbo I marvel at how similar Umuoji and Nri dialects are.

pazienza:


Haha! No reason. I just felt that Ogidi as the headquarters of the old Idemili local government,and the speakers of the lightest/ sweetest version of the Idemili dialect deserves that honour better than Abatete. No offense to my Abatete neighbors, this is but a personal opinion, a tentative one for that matter.

Abatete is far sweeter

Noneroone:
Abatete is far sweeter

Guy,isi Abatete?

Noneroone:
Abatete is far sweeter

maybe, but oraukwu is the sweetest

Malawian:

maybe, but oraukwu is the sweetest

ora ukwu WEY dey call armpit ''avu'' instead of abu .lol

oboy3:
ora ukwu WEY dey call armpit ''avu'' instead of abu .lol

Oraukwu says 'avu'? Really?

ChinenyeN:


Oraukwu says 'avu'? Really?

Does that surprise you? Awka says 'avu' as well. A lot of 'v' instead of 'b', really.

Chivuzo(name), Mvo (comb/ nail), Ivu (fat), etc.

In a way it does. I'm surprised mostly because the combination of 'ora' (as opposed to 'oha') and 'avu' (as opposed to 'abu') was unexpected. Added to that, we use 'avu' in our region, but are surrounded by communities that use 'abu' instead. It's just the complexity (and non-logic) of the dialect situation that's interesting me, I guess.

Indeed. You begin to think there is some predictable pattern to the linguistic variation...then you come across communities that make nonsense of the near-neat pattern you thought existed

You find communities in Enugu State that say 'ani', instead of 'ali/ala'. You would think they would say 'ora'. But no. They say 'oha'.

I was as surprised as you are now when I first learnt of some Abia State communities that have an 'f' where their neighbours have a 'h' or a sound closer to 'h' than to 'f'.

These pattern-destroying communities make it difficult for good thinkers like myself to come to truly self-satisfying conclusions.

Hehehehe!

ChinenyeN:

Oraukwu says 'avu'? Really?

yes,the do

SINCE WHEN ..IS FEDRAL GOVERNMENT THE CREATOR OF NEW LANGUAGES



NAWA

victor1464:
ukwuani/Ndokwa mbeneniooooo!!! Dd federal government recognises igbo,ukwuani,ikwerre,epkeye,ogba and ika as different ethnic nations but are languages with d same linguistical similarity thats is y they are classified as igbo and igboid languages... Dat is wat igbos should understand.....we also hav edo and edoid languages which are edo,ishan,etsako,owan,urobo,isoko... We also hav yoruboid languages,etc d igbos should learn to repect peoples ethnicty....remember uti nwachukwu of BIG brother, he is my brother from Ukwuani/Ndokwa nation not an igbo boy..NOTED remember omawunmi of BOTTOM bELLE fame,she is an itsekiri not a yoruba girl..NOTED..remember me, im a delta boy from ukwuani.....ishISHIEG-WARRI!!!!!yoo

Radoillo:
Indeed. You begin to think there is some predictable pattern to the linguistic variation...then you come across communities that make nonsense of the near-neat pattern you thought existed

You find communities in Enugu State that say 'ani', instead of 'ali/ala'. You would think they would say 'ora'. But no. They say 'oha'.

I was as surprised as you are now when I first learnt of some Abia State communities that have an 'f' where their neighbours have a 'h' or a sound closer to 'h' than to 'f'.

An Enugu and Ebonyi man will say 'Ani' an Anambra man is most likely to say 'Ana' while the Imo and Abia man will say 'Ala'. Remarkably,a delta Igbo will say 'Ani' even though he is closer to Anambra than Enugu. I'm an Anambra man. I have been to Ikwere and I understood their dialect of Igbo. I have been to an Ika market. I did my shopping in Igbo and they all understood me although I had to strain my ear to understand them but Ika/Igbo is still a dialect of Igbo that has been influenced by Bini people and it is the borrowed Bini words that makes it harder to understand. Any Delta-Igbo or Anioma indigenes who says they are not Igbo,look well and you will see that he or she is probably a descendant of an Isoko,Urohbo,Itshekiri migrant. Any Rivers Igbo (Ahoada,Etche,Ikwere) who says they are not Igbo,look very well and you will see that it has something to do with oil.

^ What part of Ebonyi says 'Ani'? The parts I know about all say 'Ali'.

Also I wouldn't think an Anambra man would understand Ikwerre on his first exposure to the lect. I've lived among Ikwerre people in the Obio/Akpor area, and though I could make out some words and phrases when they spoke, the lect was on the whole unintelligible to me. Which makes me wonder whether the Ikwerre people who you understood weren't speaking some sort of 'Compromise Dialect', like the so-named Southern Central Igbo (SCI). Practically every Ikwerre man I met in the Obio/Akpor axis spoke fluent SCI.

zendy:


An Enugu and Ebonyi man will say 'Ani' an Anambra man is most likely to say 'Ana' while the Imo and Abia man will say 'Ala'. Remarkably,a delta Igbo will say 'Ani' even though he is closer to Anambra than Enugu. I'm an Anambra man. I have been to Ikwere and I understood their dialect of Igbo. I have been to an Ika market. I did my shopping in Igbo and they all understood me although I had to strain my ear to understand them but Ika/Igbo is still a dialect of Igbo that has been influenced by Bini people and it is the borrowed Bini words that makes it harder to understand. Any Delta-Igbo or Anioma indigenes who says they are not Igbo,look well and you will see that he or she is probably a descendant of an Isoko,Urohbo,Itshekiri migrant. Any Rivers Igbo (Ahoada,Etche,Ikwere) who says they are not Igbo,look very well and you will see that it has something to do with oil.

in my side of anambra(idemili south),we say 'ani' and not ana,,we bear ezeani not ezeana and we have a town called ideani

My town Nenwe uses V as stated here except in (Name)Chivuzo

Radoillo:


Does that surprise you? Awka says 'avu' as well. A lot of 'v' instead of 'b', really.

Chivuzo(name), Mvo (comb/ nail), Ivu (fat), etc.

Not eveywhere use the word ANI in Enugu, Infact Awgu/Aninri local govt uses ALI (Land) likewise some part of Ebonyi Like IVO and Ohaozara

Radoillo:
^ What part of Ebonyi says 'Ani'? The parts I know about all say 'Ali'.

Also I wouldn't think an Anambra man would understand Ikwerre on his first exposure to the lect. I've lived among Ikwerre people in the Obio/Akpor area, and though I could make out some words and phrases when they spoke, the lect was on the whole unintelligible to me. Which makes me wonder whether the Ikwerre people who you understood weren't speaking some sort of 'Compromise Dialect', like the so-named Southern Central Igbo (SCI). Practically every Ikwerre man I met in the Obio/Akpor axis spoke fluent SCI.

CaptainOjemba:
Not eveywhere use the word ANI in Enugu, Infact Awgu/Aninri local govt uses ALI (Land) likewise some part of Ebonyi Like IVO and Ohaozara

I was aware of that. The Nsukka communities in Enugu State also use 'ali'.

CaptainOjemba:
My town Nenwe uses V as stated here except in (Name)Chivuzo

The thing is that nowadays names tend to get 'standardised'. Truth is, nobody in Awka today (at least none that I know) writes or pronounces his name as Chivuzo. In all the cases I've encountered it is Chibuzo. But informed speakers of the dialect know that it is actually -vuzo.

We have 'pan-Igboism' to thank for that.

Who knows, it might be the same for your town, too.

How would you say "I came before you" in Nenwe?

is it: "E bu m gi uzo bia"

or is it: "E vu m gi uzo bia"?

The answer might give you an idea how 'Chibuzo' would be pronounced/written in Nenwe if not for the 'standardisation' of names in the Igbo area.

CaptainOjemba:
Not eveywhere use the word ANI in Enugu, Infact Awgu/Aninri local govt uses ALI (Land) likewise some part of Ebonyi Like IVO and Ohaozara

Radoillo:


I was aware of that. The Nsukka communities in Enugu State also use 'ali'.

And Ikwerre to the extreme south of Igboland will say 'eli' or 'ali' i.e. eli ikwerre (ala ikwerre), eli mgbu, alimini (ala mmiri) etc.

Radoillo:


The thing is that nowadays names tend to get 'standardised'. Truth is, nobody in Awka today (at least none that I know) writes or pronounces his name as Chivuzo. In all the cases I've encountered it is Chibuzo. But informed speakers of the dialect know that it is actually -vuzo.

We have 'pan-Igboism' to thank for that.

Who knows, it might be the same for your town, too.

How would you say "I came before you" in Nenwe?

is it: "E bu m gi uzo bia"

or is it: "E vu m gi uzo bia"?

The answer might give you an idea how 'Chibuzo' would be pronounced/written in Nenwe if not for the 'standardisation' of names in the Igbo area.

M vu m wu uzo bia (I came before you) I somehow agree with you (chibuzo-Chivuzo) though will still make inquiries about that

oboy3:
in my side of anambra(idemili south),we say 'ani' and not ana,,we bear ezeani not ezeana and we have a town called ideani

Idenmili use both,interchangeably.How,Ana seems to be the most ancient.

OdenigboAroli:

Idenmili use both,interchangeably.How,Ana seems to be the most ancient.

how do you know the one which is ancient and the recent one?

tonychristopher:



The Aboh kingdom is divided into two distinct communities. The UMUDEI who descend from Ogwezi, the son of Esume and first Obi of Aboh and the NDICHE who are considered the " non royals ". The Ndiche are of mixed origin. They include the aboriginal " Idumu Iwele " people who were of AKRI origin. Many of the Ndiche were of Igala origin, some came from the Eatern Igbo country just as some arrived from neighbouring Anioma communities. It should also be noted that many of the Ndiche were of ex-slave origin but Aboh assimilates ex-slaves easily. The large settlement of Abalagada north of Aboh main town came originally from Anam ( in Anambra State ) they are therefore of Ndiche stock.

According to history when the Abohs arrived, they were well received by the AKRI aborigines who were settled at the present site of Aboh. Both communities Aboh and Akri were in cordial relationship until Ogwezi became the leader of the Aboh community. The Akri were invited for a feast and unknown to them, the Abohs had concealed machetes in the basket of yams ( called ABOH JI ) and it was from the basket the Abohs broght their weapons and unleashed terror on their Akri neighbours. Many of the Akri managed to escape. Many fled across the Niger where they founded the villages of AKRI OGIDI, AKRI OZIZOR( Present Minister of Aviation Stella Oduah is from here ) and AKRI ATANI( now Atani where Prof Ben Nwabueze and Chief Osita Osadebe comes from ). Some moved South of Aboh to found the villages of AKRI ( Or Akarai ) Obodo and AKRI( or Akarai ) Etiti. A remnant of the Akri settled and became integrated as part of Aboh kingdom ie the Idumu Iwele. It should be noted that the Aboh kingdom ( not community ) was founded in about 1650. The Akri themselves are said to be of Edo origin and had settled in the country in about 1480.

The Obis of Aboh are descended from Ogwezi while the Iyase the most important chief in the kingdom must come from Ndiche. By tradition , the Iyase traditionally installs the Obi. An Obi is chosen from the Ogwezi or UMUDEI lineage. The Idumu Iwele people provide most of the priests( Eze Ani and Eze Osimili) while also from the Umudei lineage the ODUAH who is the oldest man from the lineage i conidered the spiritual head of the kingdom. The Aboh kingdom comprises of the Aboh main town and over 20 satelite villages in Ndokwa East LGA.
.

Hi Tony,

I am from Uguta/Oguta in Imo State.

In Uguta, we also have an Umudei Village from which the Obi is picked. And we also have the post of Iyasara. We were originally in Delta State but migrated. Can you tell me what the relationship is between us and present groups in Delta State.

Also you referred to Ndoni as Ndokwaland. By this, do you mean descendants of? I thought Ndokwaland is limited to parts of Delta State

Phut:


Hi Tony,

I am from Uguta/Oguta in Imo State.

In Uguta, we also have an Umudei Village from which the Obi is picked. And we also have the post of Iyasara. We were originally in Delta State but migrated. Can you tell me what the relationship is between us and present groups in Delta State.

Also you referred to Ndoni as Ndokwaland. By this, do you mean descendants of? I thought Ndokwaland is limited to parts of Delta State

The traditions that I am familiar with say that the Ugwuta people were part of the Umuezechime migration from Benin (or Agbor) through the Aniocha area of Delta to Onitsha. After the leader of the Ugwuta group lost the leadership tussle to Chimaefi, leader of the Onitsha group, the Ugwuta group decided to leave Onitsha to the present site of Ugwuta.

This, at least, is what the tradition relates. There may be other traditions that tell the story differently, but I haven't yet encountered them.

I have my reservations about this Aniocha-to-Onitsha-to-Ugwuta traditions however, especially because Ugwuta dialect doesn't sound quite like Onitsha-Aniocha, but sounds almost exactly like what you would hear in the Ukwuani-Aboh-Ndoni area. This suggests to me that the ancestors of the Ugwuta people probably came from that area - the Ukwuani-Aboh area. In some of my discussions with Abagworo (who I believe to be from the Ugwuta area) I said - and I think he agreed - that Ugwuta is basically an Ukwuani dialect. The same is true for Ndoni. In a sense, Ndoni and Ugwuta could be said to be 'Ndokwa' communities on the other side of the Niger River.

My brother you asked a very good question, in igbo land we migrated from some areas, I am an anambra man but my grand father told me that we migrated from some part in imo state, u know why i used ndokwa is that i wanted the ukwuani to understand that they speak the same igbo dialect with some part of imo state especially uguta 1 and 2 which includes egbuoma and which is few minutes drive from owerri. I am owerri born boy married an ukwuani woman and i have uguta friend even my kid brother wife is from uguta 1

now when i talk i talk with fact...most villages that have names around places have origin from those places..take a look okuzu in ukwuani they are from awkuzu in present day anambra, but there are execption to this rule like port harchourt...that doesnt mean that they are from England but they have English influence so was Benin empire, they had many influence in some parts of igbo land, mind you noyt all. these influences is in periphereal part of igbo land so for you have umudei ..that means that the village is the children of dei and must have migrated from present day delta igbo and delta igbo havingg benin inflence must have carried some of their nuances and culture with them when migrating...never you under estimate the power of colonialism so the term iyasara came into been suh like we have ichafu for head scaff in igbo land...but ichafu is not an igbo word it is from european word meaning la chiffon a kind of material


Ukwuani and Uguta have same dialect and are kins the same way onitsha miri and asab have same dialect...just like looking into owerri migration and Agbor...you will understand that Agbor speaks the same dialect with Owerri just that a little benin inflence also



Ndoni and Ndokwa land speaks same dialect of Igbo which include uguta and that was why I categorized them same just like Ohaji, Egbema, Etche and possibly Ikwerre speaks same dialect which includes a bit of izombe and elele side....i am vast with dialects and i can categoricall speak upto 6 igbo dialects seamlessly


dalu nwanne

nice question

Phut:


Hi Tony,

I am from Uguta/Oguta in Imo State.

In Uguta, we also have an Umudei Village from which the Obi is picked. And we also have the post of Iyasara. We were originally in Delta State but migrated. Can you tell me what the relationship is between us and present groups in Delta State.

Also you referred to Ndoni as Ndokwaland. By this, do you mean descendants of? I thought Ndokwaland is limited to parts of Delta State

this is a dude that is vast in anything igbo and i respect his postulation....lol

nice one bro

Radoillo:



The traditions that I am familiar with say that the Ugwuta people were part of the Umuezechime migration from Benin (or Agbor) through the Aniocha area of Delta to Onitsha. After the leader of the Ugwuta group lost the leadership tussle to Chimaefi, leader of the Onitsha group, the Ugwuta group decided to leave Onitsha to the present site of Ugwuta.

This, at least, is what the tradition relates. There may be other traditions that tell the story differently, but I haven't yet encountered them.

I have my reservations about this Aniocha-to-Onitsha-to-Ugwuta traditions however, especially because Ugwuta dialect doesn't sound quite like Onitsha-Aniocha, but sounds almost exactly like what you would hear in the Ukwuani-Aboh-Ndoni area. This suggests to me that the ancestors of the Ugwuta people probably came from that area - the Ukwuani-Aboh area. In some of my discussions with Abagworo (who I believe to be from the Ugwuta area) I said - and I think he agreed - that Ugwuta is basically an Ukwuani dialect. The same is true for Ndoni. In a sense, Ndoni and Ugwuta could be said to be 'Ndokwa' communities on the other side of the Niger River.

Ahoada,Andoni,Ndoni,Ikwerre,Opobo,Abua,Bonny,Ekpeye,Ogba etcâ€"these are all Igbo-speaking people in Rivers State alone. You see,I wouldn't have brought all these facts up but the way people talk about them 'owning' the Niger Delta necessitates a poignant reply and this I have done.I would have rather kept them to myself.


whAT IS YOUR TAKE?

bigfrancis21:




And Ikwerre to the extreme south of Igboland will say 'eli' or 'ali' i.e. eli ikwerre (ala ikwerre), eli mgbu, alimini (ala mmiri) etc.