dragonking3:
So omenka is Igbo?

God forbid!

Even if i were to be, i'd certainly not be an ipod miscreant.

Posh3:


Igga speaks Igbo.... And also answers Igbo names.. I have plenty of them as neighbors here in Karmo, Abuja.

They are fluently billingual, i have also met people from that axis who speak igala.

bigfrancis21:

Igga and Ogurugu are mostly Igbo speaking, as confirmed by many, and speak Igbo as first language. Igala is an addition, just as many Nigerians speak Pidgin English in addition to their native languages.

https://www.nairaland.com/1256296/why-tussle-over-anambra-oil

In this link, a king from that axis even confimrmed that his people are igala speakers (meaning first language speakers). So i really dont get u guys at all.
These people share boundaries with igala and igbo speaking communities. Some speak more of igala while some speak more of igbo, i think it depends on the families involved. But for their king to openly declare his people as igala speaking, we can now b convinced of their true ethnicity.

bigfrancis21:


How do the Effium, Ntezi, Okpoto etc. peoples communicate with other Igbos in Ebonyi state?

They speak fluent Igbo from children to adults. Some of their Igbo neighbours speak their languages too.

oglalasioux:
Very educative post. Thanks, OP.

I'm particularly interested in the diversity of dialects in all languages. In Ebonyi State, for instance, there are more Igbo dialects than in all the Igbo speaking states.

I have come to the conclusion (speculative) that dialects suggest that other tribes joined the original tribes back in time and developed the dialects based on their original mother tongues.

The Ngbo people of Ebonyi State, in my opinion, are originally Idomas. Their dialect of the Igbo language is a pure intonation of the Idoma language. This is also true of the Nsukka people of Enugu state who speak Igbo with Igala intonation.

Most people don't know that the English language and German are 90% identical. Languages and dialects are pointers that the world is shaped by evolution.

Dutch actually, not German language.

But good point.

oglalasioux:


In Ishielu LGA alone, you have Ezillo speaking a totally different dialect, Iyonu speaking another dialect. Nkalagu and Umuhali speak another version of the Nkanu dialect while Nkalaha and Obegu speak the Nsukka dialect. That's 4.

Then you have Izzi, Ezza, Ikwo and Ngbo/Izhia making 8 dialects. When you add Afikpo, Ivo and Ohaozara you have total of 11 dialects.

Note that I didn't add the non Igbo speaking parts of the State such as Effium, Ofurekpe, Ntezi, Okpoto and Amuda.

Enugu State has 5 dialects namely Nkanu, Awgu, Udi and Nsukka. Anambra has 3 dialects, Umunze, Onitsha and Aguleri (except the northern Igala speaking communities). Abia has 3, Isukwato, Ngwa and Arochukwu. Imo has 3, Mbaise, Owerri and Okigwe.

So no Igbo state has more dialects than Ebonyi state.

On your stance that Ngbo people are not related to the Idomas you may be right. I base my argument on the sound of their words and similarities in their names such as Agbo and Agala among others.

See how conviently u separated same Ebonyi dialects while ignoring others...what of umuahia in Abia,ukwa, ohafia,ummunneochi, abiriba

Then Enugu..Nike; oji river, awgu; ngwo,udi

Stop writing what u don't know

Ezza-izzi-ikwo are same
Afikpo-Edda are same I mean in Ebonyi

So next time analkyse with open mind

bigfrancis21:


Well, the Igalas sought to conquer Nsukka land by taking advantage of the lack of a centralized kingship system in Igbo land (Igbo enwe eze). The extent of conquest by the Atta of Igala was the installation of an 'attama' to mediate between Nsukka gods and the people. However the Nsukka people strongly resisted the Igala influence. The Aku people of Nsukka defeated the Igalas at lake Omeluigala. A few Igalas settled in Nsukka land afterwards and were absorbed into the Igbo population. However, the Nsukkas still maintain Nri (natively called Nchi/Nshi) origin.

In my first year in the university I had an Igala roommate. The guy seemed to have something against Igbos defeating Igalas in the past and even one time told me that very soon the Igalas will conquer Nsukka land again.

My father was present during the coronation of this current Attah of Igala, he was also there this year during the anniversary. He said u need to see the array of Nsukka kings and elders who are always present in Idah confirming their igala origins and paying allegiance. I even watched it on NTA and i saw many Ezes from Nsukka at the occasion.

LorDBolton:


It's now a crime to be a polite & 'welcoming' people, I pity the yorubas they keep forming sophisticated allowing igbos settle in their main economic states (lag, ogun, oyo) instead of giving them the northern treatment once in a while so history will remember who owns the land lols

If we start talking about how onitsa is corrupted edo lingua onitse they will start raining invectives on me.

But tell them igbos founded lagos n watch as they reach for the vaseline.

Even talking nonsense has a limit. Brother you've passed yours.

OmoIgala:


Exactly.
Igga, Ojjor, Ogurugu, Adani are all Original Igala towns that have now been labelled "Igbo" because of silly colonial mistakes.

Exactly. Colonial and political classifications to a large extent have defined Nigerian ethnicities to what they are today.

oglalasioux:


In Ishielu LGA alone, you have Ezillo speaking a totally different dialect, Iyonu speaking another dialect. Nkalagu and Umuhali speak another version of the Nkanu dialect while Nkalaha and Obegu speak the Nsukka dialect. That's 4.

Then you have Izzi, Ezza, Ikwo and Ngbo/Izhia making 8 dialects. When you add Afikpo, Ivo and Ohaozara you have total of 11 dialects.

Note that I didn't add the non Igbo speaking parts of the State such as Effium, Ofurekpe, Ntezi, Okpoto and Amuda.

Enugu State has 5 dialects namely Nkanu, Awgu, Udi and Nsukka. Anambra has 3 dialects, Umunze, Onitsha and Aguleri (except the northern Igala speaking communities). Abia has 3, Isukwato, Ngwa and Arochukwu. Imo has 3, Mbaise, Owerri and Okigwe.

So no Igbo state has more dialects than Ebonyi state.

On your stance that Ngbo people are not related to the Idomas you may be right. I base my argument on the sound of their words and similarities in their names such as Agbo and Agala among others.

You are dead wrong.

If we take it the way you did, then every Igbo town speaks it's own dialect. For example in Abia.

Umunneochi has three dialects distinct from each other: ie Nneato, Isuochi and Umuchieze dialects that is subdivided into Lekwesi, Lokpa ukwu, Lokpa nta, leru.

Isiukwuto has two dialects: Isiukwuato dialect and Uturu dialect.

Ohafia has two dialects: Ohafia proper and Abiriiba dialects.

Arochukwu has three dialects: Aro, Ihechiowa and Abam dialects

Bende is as diverse as they come, we have Umunneato dialects, Okporoenyi has a hybrid dialect mixed with Aro as they are of Aro origin. We have Ugwueke, Loghum, Ahaba imenyi, etc.

Come to Umuahia, we have Ohuhu, Ibeku, and Old umuahia dialects.

Ikwuano has its own myriads of dialects

Ngwa is a dialect with many sub dialects

Asa and Ndoki dialects in. Ukwa area with their own myriads of sub dialects.

If you add them up. You should have like 20 dialects or more.

Ebonyi is not peculiar. What you see in Ebonyi is the norm.

Anambra has more than three dialects. I don't know how you arrived at Anambra having just three dialects.

Orumba South has myriads of dialects, Ayamaelum LGA is like a world of it's own.

Orumba North, Aguata are also unique areas with different dialects. Ever listened to an Ekwulobia man speak before? Places in Aguata close to Imo border speak dialects that resemble those spoken in Northern Imo state.

How about Ihiala area, just look at the name, Ihiala, it already sounds Imo, as land in Anambra central areas is called Ana/ani and not Ala.


Nnewi south speak their own unique dialects that is laced with many Imo like words.

bigfrancis21:


To be honest, Onitsha Igbo should have been adopted as central Igbo dialect since it is not too hard for many other Igbos to speak. Notice that in most of our Igbo language movies, Onitsha or a mix of it is what is used to act our movies, except for dialect-specific ones showcasing the beauty of our unique Igbo dialects.

Come to think of it, while we have Ada Mbaise, Ada Mbano, Ada Nsukka, Ada Owerri, Ada Abakaliki etc. which are mostly SE Igbo dialects, Igbo language movie priducers should make movies too in Delta and Rivers Igbo dialects such as Ada Asaba, Ada Etche, Ada Agbor, Ada Ikwerre, Ada Ogwuashi-Ukwu etc.

even my hometown nnewi has its own dialect.

dere is no need to announce d adoption of d anambra Igbo

ianSweet:


My father was present during the coronation of this current Attah of Igala, he was also there this year during the anniversary. He said u need to see the array of Nsukka kings and elders who are always present in Idah confirming their igala origins and paying allegiance. I even watched it on NTA and i saw many Ezes from Nsukka at the occasion.

The presence of Nsukka chiefs there does not confirm Igala origins. The presence of notable individuals or kings from other areas during a kingly coronation is mostly a friendly gesture. For example, the recent coronation of the Oba of Benin saw the presence of many dignitaries from Nigeria. The Nsukka chiefs attending the coronation of Attah Igala is not any different. Agreed a few Igalas, who seemed to have a strong penchant for Igboland, settled in Nsukka and were absorbed. The Nsukkas will tell you they are of Nshi/Nchi/Ichi/Ishi origin. Many of them you see bearing surnames/names such as Onye Ichi/Onye Ishi (Nri person). Note that the pronunciation (with falling intonation) is different from Onye Ishi in Igbo (up rising intonation) that means 'chief'/'leader'/'oga'.

Moreover, there are no Ezes in Nsukka. Most Nsukka communities have Onyishis (oldest male leaders, remember here that the pronunciation is the uprising intonation) instead.

Igala is a minority tribe in Anambra State, just like Idoma in Enugu State, Igbo, Idoma and Igala have been close until Islam came to some part of Igalaland and tried to change the culture. The tradition of unislamized Igala, Idoma and Igbo is very similar.

bigfrancis21:


Well, the Igalas sought to conquer Nsukka land by taking advantage of the lack of a centralized kingship system in Igbo land (Igbo enwe eze). The extent of conquest by the Atta of Igala was the installation of an 'attama' to mediate between Nsukka gods and the people. However the Nsukka people strongly resisted the Igala influence. The Aku people of Nsukka defeated the Igalas at lake Omeluigala. A few Igalas settled in Nsukka land afterwards and were absorbed into the Igbo population. However, the Nsukkas still maintain Nri (natively called Nchi/Nshi) origin.

In my first year in the university I had an Igala roommate. The guy seemed to have something against Igbos defeating Igalas in the past and even one time told me that very soon the Igalas will conquer Nsukka land again.

This is quite true. From what I heard the Attah of Igala ages ago began a conquest to rule over Nsukka and for a time he was actually successful: The Nsukka people actually answered to him but then later on the Nsukka people revolted and the Attah's rule came to an end in Nsukka

OmoIgala:


Sorry, I don't mean to sound rude, but Igbos have no right to Ette community, since it isn't Igboland.
In the latest ethnographic survey of Ette Area, only 5.7% of interviewed residents said they spoke Igbo regularly or took ethic pride in being igbo.
Ette isn't an equally tri linguistic area like u are trying to pant it, Igbos are a minority there.
Ettte is better off in Kogi state. There are already areas in Kogi with the same Igala-Idoma mix, and nobody is complaining.

But in the present Ette in Enugu state structure, katakata everywhere, because it isn't natural.

Igalas in Ette are migrants/invaders just like the Idomas, and they know this.

Ette remains Igboland as there remains indigenous Igbos in Ette even as we speak.

That's the situation of things.

Clinton9000:


Yes I agree with you...Anambra Igbo is central. Abia, Imo, Enugu and Ebonyi, Delta and Rivers have many dialects. What's funny is all these many Igbo dialects speakers even those in Delta like Agbor, and Rivers Ikwerre understand Anambra central Igbo well well. That's why most Rivers marry from Anambra...Peter Odili, Ameachi, Hon. Nwuche, Amadi, I mean all of them that I know marry mostly from Anambra. I lived in PH for 5 yrs, 1 out of every 3 married Ikwerres I knew, married from Anambra or Enugu. We all know Anambra and Enugu are one people except the Nnsuka that have Igala mix up and dialect.

I don't agree Anambra Igbo is central Igbo. Absolutely not. However,Anambra Igbo carries alot of central Igbo words. The central Igbo is very very formal and you can't hear any people speaking it wholesomely.

ianSweet:


Ette is an Igala town with Idoma and Igbo migrants. The kingship titles and traditional rulers are in Igala.

Igga and i think Ogurugu towns in Enugu are of Igala origin, they are both billingual in igala and igbo, but because they are in Enugu, they seem to identify as Igbo, am not really sure.

Ette is not an Igala town. It was never an Igala town and won't be in the future. The Igalas and Idomas invades Ette in the old, by the Idomas retain the majority their now, and they still have few Igbos there.

The Idomas there being the majority are eager to assimilate into the Igbo culture. Even if a referendum is held today to determine where Ette will be, the Idomas will team up with few Igbos there and ensure Ette remains part of Igboland.

SignalTNA:



Does your brain go on strike in the afternoon?

lwkmd... i can't stop laughing... That was epic

SlayerSupreme:


I don't agree Anambra Igbo is central Igbo. Absolutely not. However,Anambra Igbo carries alot of central Igbo words. The central Igbo is very very formal and you can't hear any people speaking it wholesomely.

Exactly

oglalasioux:
Very educative post. Thanks, OP.

I'm particularly interested in the diversity of dialects in all languages. In Ebonyi State, for instance, there are more Igbo dialects than in all the Igbo speaking states.

I have come to the conclusion (speculative) that dialects suggest that other tribes joined the original tribes back in time and developed the dialects based on their original mother tongues.

The Ngbo people of Ebonyi State, in my opinion, are originally Idomas. Their dialect of the Igbo language is a pure intonation of the Idoma language. This is also true of the Nsukka people of Enugu state who speak Igbo with Igala intonation.

Most people don't know that the English language and German are 90% identical. Languages and dialects are pointers that the world is shaped by evolution.

I am from EBONYI and I speak Ikwo,dialect of the Igbos language closely Related to Izzi, Ezza and Mgbo dialects and the speakers hv mutual understanding among themselves, I hv tried to infer why some of the way we pronounce words hv slight change of accent from the central Igbo language and come to realize (#hypothesis) maybe most Igbo people migrated to the borders, intermarried from other tribes and some border tribes like d Igalla of Kogi,idoma of Benue, Efik/Ekoi of Cross River,Ibibio of Akwai ibom migrated to the close Igbos territory and were absorbed and assimilated as u can see among Nsukka of Enugu, Izzi, Ezza, Ikwo of Ebonyi, Ngwa of Abia, Ohaji/Egbema of Imo,etc.
From my personal observation, Nsukka,Awgu, both in Enugu state re related to Ohaozara /Onicha Igboeze dialects in EBONYI, same way Afikpo ,Edda and Akaeze dialects all in Ebonyi re related to the Bende and Ohafia, of Abia.
But of truth z dat Igbo language is taught in all schools within the Igbo speaking states of Abia, Anam, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo and z understood with ease, and any of them can understand the central Igbo up-to 70% and above, though not all can communicate fluently in the central Igbo without changing of accent to the mother tongue(dialect).
I hv seen many name that re beared by Igbos but are not of Igbo origin, even in Ikwo where I come from, we hv some Cross River community we have absorbed and they now speak Ikwo as they second language and some of their children nw bear Igbo name while they surname re mostly Cross.

kogirodent:

Igbos are not far off from Igalas bro. Some of the folks i know as Igalas i will have to admit are not full or real Igalas. We dn't need to look at them twice to know dat dey hail from the Igbo border areas. De only issue is that there are of mixed ancestry so u can't say which tribe dey really are. E.g Ibaji and Odolu Igalas.

So, who are the full igalas? The islamized ones with tiger stripped tribal marks? Pathetic. I guess those of u mixed with hausa and yorubas are the real igalas

ianSweet:


They are fluently billingual, i have also met people from that axis who speak igala.



https://www.nairaland.com/1256296/why-tussle-over-anambra-oil

In this link, a king from that axis even confimrmed that his people are igala speakers (meaning first language speakers). So i really dont get u guys at all.
These people share boundaries with igala and igbo speaking communities. Some speak more of igala while some speak more of igbo, i think it depends on the families involved. But for their king to openly declare his people as igala speaking, we can now b convinced of their true ethnicity.

You see the issue with many online articles is that they do not tell the story in full most times or they fail to portray the actual situation on ground. Many give hasty news also. For example, the olumbanasaa villages in Anambra north, an isolated island on the side of the anambra river that falls in Anambra state. Many articles you find online describe them as 'the 7 Igala speaking villages of Anambra state', and from reading the articles one would think that they speak only Igala however in reality all of these people speak Igbo fluently and many bear Igbo names as well. However, these factual details are left out in many articles online.

Coming to the Ugbodus/Ilukwobis of Delta state. Many articles would call them the olukwumi-speaking people of Delta state. Again, the impression most people would have is that they speak 'mostly' or 'only' Olukwumi or Olukwumi is their native language. But the actual situation on ground is that everyone, I mean everyone, speaks Igbo as first language from children to adults. Majority bear Igbo names except for recent efforts by a few to adopt Olukwumi names. Then some speak Ilukwobi, who are mostly the adults. In addition, the Ilukwobi they speak has heavy Igbo influence, pronunciation and words adapted into it. The street language in Ugbodu is Igbo. Infact in Ugbodu no Ugbodu person will speak Olukwumi to another person on the street except he/she knows that the other person can speak/understand it because not everyone speaks it but instead Igbo because everybody speaks it in Ugbodu.

Coming back to the Iggas and Ogurugus. These people are not any more different from the Ilukwobis/Olukwumis of Delta state. Igbo is their native language, as evidenced in their native names. Igala is another language many learn to speak while growing up. That's the situation on ground.

LorDBolton:


It's now a crime to be a polite & 'welcoming' people, I pity the yorubas they keep forming sophisticated allowing igbos settle in their main economic states (lag, ogun, oyo) instead of giving them the northern treatment once in a while so history will remember who owns the land lols

If we start talking about how onitsa is corrupted edo lingua onitse they will start raining invectives on me.

But tell them igbos founded lagos n watch as they reach for the vaseline.

Stop talking trash!

Onicha is found all over Igboland, from Onicha Uboma in Imo, to Onicha Ngwa in Abia, to Onicha Uburu n Ebonyi state and Onicha Ndiagu, Onicha Enugu Ezike in Enugu.

Its a bit silly to start saying that such word like Onicha with etymology deep rooted in Igbo language is a corrupted word from small Bini. I think Philip Emegwali was the originator of that retarded theory, when he tried currying favour from Yorubas by insinuated that Onicha was derived from Oritsha, when he( Emegwali) knows next to nothing about the history of other Igbo communities except that of Onicha- mili.

ianSweet:


So, who are the full igalas? The islamized ones with tiger stripped tribal marks? Pathetic. I guess those of u mixed with hausa and yorubas are the real igalas

I guess so. That was a funny way to describe upland Igalas. They indeed look different from southern Igalas.

The southern ones are those who look more like Igbos and they tend to be Christians more. Just like the Idomas who are mostly Christians and Catholics like their Igbos neighbours.

didnt see akpanya on the list...they are also igala _igbos

msmarty:
didnt see akpanya on the list...they are also igala _igbos

What languages do they speak as first and second languages?

ianSweet:


I never disputed the fact that there are igala communities of Igbo origin in Kogi state, what i said is that the people of those communities now identify as igala ethnically.
Not just Ibaji or Olamaboro communities.
Onicha-Igo is a town in Ofu LGA and the name appears Igbo, there r towns in northern igala land that have igbo names and origins. So it's not just about the names.

But the case of igalas in the SE and SS is different because many of them still identify as Igala ethnically despite the strong igbo political and cultural influence on them.

It's normal, northern igalas have derogatory names for southern igalas and we also have for them too, even the northern igalas themselves have derogatory names for each other.

LOL! This comment is funny. Reminds me of a kogi lady who told me derogatorily that Ibaji people are all Igbos. What's up with all this derogatory ish iansweet? It's funny o.

bigfrancis21:


To be honest, Onitsha Igbo should have been adopted as central Igbo dialect since it is not too hard for many other Igbos to speak. Notice that in most of our Igbo language movies, Onitsha or a mix of it is what is used to act our movies, except for dialect-specific ones showcasing the beauty of our unique Igbo dialects.

Come to think of it, while we have Ada Mbaise, Ada Mbano, Ada Nsukka, Ada Owerri, Ada Abakaliki etc. which are mostly SE Igbo dialects, Igbo language movie priducers should make movies too in Delta and Rivers Igbo dialects such as Ada Asaba, Ada Etche, Ada Agbor, Ada Ikwerre, Ada Ogwuashi-Ukwu etc.

GREAT IDEA!!! That kind of movie will raise "DUST"!

giles14:
well good for u .
try going to other parts of igboland wen u speak anambra dey undastnd but wen dey speak theirs u will b lost.

so now which is central

Not particularly true, although am not from anambra most part of igbolands don't find it difficult understanding themselves with the exception of some dialects in Ebonyi...They might not be able to speak that particular dialects but they hear and compehend them

Afonjas:


stop mentioning my name

HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA This guy no go kill me

OmoIgala:


Please, I am just wondering if Akechi for Hausa and Iyaji for Yorubas can be regarded as derogatory?

Well, i did not grow up in our homeland, so am not fluent in igala, but i think these names might be derogatory but that was the best way our people could adress yorubas and hausas.

OgaEngr:
I know of Akpanya in Igalamela/Odolu LGA. They all speak Igbo. Everyone born and bred in the town speak Igbo. The ones that speak Igala are those that had travelled - mainly the elders.

Their market is Orie, also an Igbo Market day.

This is cool.

OmoIgala:


Yes, we are saying the same thing. All Southern Igala communities at border areas are Igala no doubt. It is some communities in Northern Igbo that are either not igbo, or not Fully Igbo.
Migration for farming, business etc is another issue entirely.

Ok u are correct.