ElsonMorali:
I'm sorry to say but the demise of that language is only just a matter of time. I don't hate Igbo or anything but those who know, know that that is just the simple truth.

I've noticed that Igbos have an inordinate amount of inferiority complex to the white man. Hence they revere more than other Nigerians things associated with the white man.

A case in point. I've hardly met an Igbo person who proudly bore his/her native name.

Almost all of them bear English names as their first name proudly and insist to be identified with that name only.

I've dated an Igbo girl who sniffed at my native Yoruba name that I bear quite proudly and kept reinforcing her English name in the same sentence asking me If it wasn't beautiful and that If we got married we'd name our kids beautiful sounding English names.

I just smiled to myself smh Really hard for her.

Has nothing to do with inferiority complex and more to do with Religion.

ElsonMorali:
I'm sorry to say but the demise of that language is only just a matter of time. I don't hate Igbo or anything but those who know, know that that is just the simple truth.

I've noticed that Igbos have an inordinate amount of inferiority complex to the white man. Hence they revere more than other Nigerians things associated with the white man.

A case in point. I've hardly met an Igbo person who proudly bore his/her native name.

Almost all of them bear English names as their first name proudly and insist to be identified with that name only.

I've dated an Igbo girl who sniffed at my native Yoruba name that I bear quite proudly and kept reinforcing her English name in the same sentence asking me If it wasn't beautiful and that If we got married we'd name our kids beautiful sounding English names.

I just smiled to myself smh Really hard for her.

.

mccoy47:


THOSE ARE NOT IGBOS THAT U MET! if I have met 100 igbos in my life, 95% bear igbo names! Even me as an igbo guy, I DON'T HAVE AN ENGLISH NAME!
So go get ur stats right!

Oga a lot of igbo people don't bear igbo names especially in Lagos. You hear names like, Cindy, favour, wisdom, how's hyginus, longinus, Zara, beauty, flower, John, jerry, and all sorts or funny English names. They are not proud of their igbo names.

But it is highly impossible for any language to go.into extinction. If you go to alaba or ladipo, you see a lot of people speaking igbo let alone going to the south East. No language will go into extinction

Let us also remember that the most successful ethnic group in the world (the jews) cannot speak Hebrew (well, most of them tho)
And most Chinese who grew up outside China cannot speak Chinese
But that does not make them less Jewish or Chinese.

Just saying

Ngokafor:




...Black people have an inate inferiority complex to the White-man and yorubas are not exempted..,Stop making it an Igbo thing only..If i had time,i would have given you countless evidences to proove my assertions...
...Igbos bear first names as English names,while Yorubas bear last names as English names e.g..Mobolaji Johnson,Tunji Braithwaithe,Yemi Black,Gani Adams,Funsho Willians e.t.c.

...Black people Worldwide have to emancipate themselves from mental shackles to the White-man....Its a herculean task,but achievable.

Look, I'm not saying this as a slight against the Igbo people. Far from it. It's just a cold and objective observation from me.

I'm Catholic and I have a lot of Igbo acquaintances. So I know what I'm talking about.

The Yorubas that bear English surnames are very much in the minority and it's something that was inherited during the colonial era.

Have you ever seen a Yoruba person do a change of surname to English in the dailies in Nigeria ever?

You are right that the black man generally has a complex to the white man and I think I alluded to that in my former post.

Only good governance and self reliance instead of reliance on the west for our growth will change this perception of the black man.

A lot of Yoruba kids this days can't speak Yoruba, they will only speak English and tell you they understand Yoruba but can't speak it.

mccoy47:


THOSE ARE NOT IGBOS THAT U MET! if I have met 100 igbos in my life, 95% bear igbo names! Even me as an igbo guy, I DON'T HAVE AN ENGLISH NAME!
So go get ur stats right!

He is very correct.Go 2 Lagos,u go see am tire.
I was a victim of that play 2 where my 1st name is English and stressed from my nursery school,my mum stressed DAT.I followed DAT up even 2 d univ.
Co-incidentally,my parents were born in Lagos,my dad,Ebutte-Metta and my mum Alapere,hence they murder Yoruba just like us.
It was due to advise from my dad's best friend that he had to send his sons to school in d East just to learn Igbo culture,those 5 years shaped our lives.
I am running my PG in UI,I speak better Igbo,am happy about it,and made sure my native name becomes my 1st name now.
If any language will go extinct 1st,it is Igbo and then maybe Urhobo(from what I heard from folks there).





PS:We all wrote Yoruba in our SSCE

Growing up in Onitsha, it was was exactly the same drama in my family. We were never allowed to speak Ibo in my house and also in the secondary school I attended. All those parents of those days. I tire

mccoy47:


THOSE ARE NOT IGBOS THAT U MET! if I have met 100 igbos in my life, 95% bear igbo names! Even me as an igbo guy, I DON'T HAVE AN ENGLISH NAME!
So go get ur stats right!

He may be exaggerating but I do meet a lot of Igbos with 'English' names. If their parents didn't give it to them they will adopt one on their own - especially the women in Lagos and Abuja.

They'll even ask you what your 'English' name is if you have an African name. I often ask them why the expect Africans to have English names.

AZeD1:

Has nothing to do with inferiority complex and more to do with Religion.

Yeah, you're right too. It has a lot to do with religion as well.

But an underlying inferiority complex makes us think the white man's religion is superior.

In recent times there has been an upsurge in Yoruba aborisha worship and knowledge of it.

Even online here on Nairaland.

More people want to know, and haven known are fascinated.

It is good, I think.

castel428:

My broda u said it all. I am Igbo and I know how my fellow Igbo look at me when I mention my native name as my first name. Smh

Thank you brother and I appreciate your honesty and frankness. You have my respect this morning.

Once a problem is identified, the solution is right beside it. African languages and cultures are beautiful. They must not die off.

Again , am Yoruba and i live outside Nigeria, I insisted all the white guys around me including my boss learn to pronounce my Yoruba name, I didn't give them my English name.

willibounce1:


Oga a lot of igbo people don't bear igbo names especially in Lagos. You hear names like, Cindy, favour, wisdom, how's hyginus, longinus, Zara, beauty, flower, John, jerry, and all sorts or funny English names. They are not proud of their igbo names.

But it is highly impossible for any language to go.into extinction. If you go to alaba or ladipo, you see a lot of people speaking igbo let alone going to the south East. No language will go into extinction

I meet so many people called 'Favor' it is ridiculous.

I really don't like when people translate names from their native tongue into English - it actually makes the parents look like bush people.

'Favor', 'Wisdom', 'Praise' etc all sound stupid to me. I imagine the names sound more eloquent in Igbo.

willibounce1:


Oga a lot of igbo people don't bear igbo names especially in Lagos. You hear names like, Cindy, favour, wisdom, how's hyginus, longinus, Zara, beauty, flower, John, jerry, and all sorts or funny English names. They are not proud of their igbo names

Oga stop talking rubbish.

Most Igbo guys and girls too bear their Igbo names
Even tho there are others who don't hear Igbo names
Just say that most Igbo people THAT YOU HAVE MET don't bear Igbo names.

Besides, many Yoruba people I have met too dont bear Yoruba namea, but Christian names, and names like sikirat, Fatai, Ahmad, Yusuf etx (except you want to call Muslim names native names too)

So leave matter

hillsiderfak:
A lot of Yoruba kids this days can't speak Yoruba, they will only speak English and tell you they understand Yoruba but can't speak it.

Dem plenty for Lagos na

mccoy47:


THOSE ARE NOT IGBOS THAT U MET! if I have met 100 igbos in my life, 95% bear igbo names! Even me as an igbo guy, I DON'T HAVE AN ENGLISH NAME!
So go get ur stats right!

My dear I am Catholic and I am an architect, so I meet lots of Igbos and I have them as acquaintances OK, so I know what I'm talking about.

As a matter of fact, thinking about it now, I only know these Igbo acquaintances' English names ONLY. I don't now their Igbo first name.

You say they are nit Igbos, I can put their surnames here but it doesn't matter does it because in your heart If hearts even you know I'm telling the truth.

I'm not saying this to ridicule you guys, I'm only stating what I've observed.

Brilliant piece

ha! come to my house na. we chop igbo with ofe onugbu. And I still speak English fluently with that sweet soothing accent. Even my friends ask if I grew up in the states or something.
But my cousin ehn, his parents dey form posh lmaoo. if you hear his English ehn. dude needs autocorrect to be installed in his brain.
Igbo parents ana emegheri. inferiority complex

ElsonMorali:


Look, I'm not saying this as a slight against the Igbo people. Far from it. It's just a cold and objective observation from me.

I'm Catholic and I have a lot of Igbo acquaintances. So I know what I'm talking about.

The Yorubas that bear English surnames are very much in the minority and it's something that was inherited during the colonial era.

Have you ever seen a Yoruba person do a change of surname to English in the dailies in Nigeria ever?

You are right that the black man generally has a complex to the white man and I think I alluded to that in my former post.

Only good governance and self reliance instead of reliance on the west for our growth will change this perception of the black man.

...I have a Yoruba woman as a friend whose kids cannot speak Yoruba but English.They were born and stayed in Nigeria till they relocated last year...A certain guy from Ondo whom i almost married years ago goes by the name Samuel Adams,a Doctor in Enland who actually loved his name cos he said White-folks find it easy to' pronounce'..

.These are few personally examples i want to use to illustrate my point that inferiority-complex amongst Blacks to whites cuts across every ethnic,religious,educational and Social stratas of Black people,and that has to change...with time.

Chidizman:


You're a foolish Afonja. I'm Igbo and i'm definitely proud of my native name.
Don't generalize that assertion to a particular tribe. Even afonjas are ashamed of their "Olu, Olu" names!

#smiles*

I will be the bigger person and ignore your insult.

For those who don't have many Igbo acquaintances, go on Facebook and type in the search bar English names such as Henry, Linda, Francisca, Judith etc and come back here with your findings.

Ngokafor:




...Black people have an inate inferiority complex to the White-man and yorubas are not exempted..,Stop making it an Igbo thing only..If i had time,i would have given you countless evidences to proove my assertions...
...Igbos bear first names as English names,while Yorubas bear last names as English names e.g..Mobolaji Johnson,Tunji Braithwaithe,Yemi Black,Gani Adams,Funsho Willians e.t.c.

...Black people Worldwide have to emancipate themselves from mental shackles to the White-man....Its a herculean task,but achievable.

That of Yoruba's is as a result of Slave returnees from Sierre Lone( Freetown) from the Caribbean or Brazil not because of inferiority complex. Most of them are from Lagos the likes of Funsho Williams, Mobolaji Johnson, Tunji Braithwaithe you mentioned but that is not to say Yoruba's too don't give their kids English names as against their native names but to be sincere I think the name thing cut across all tribes in Nigeria but as for the speaking of the language, igbos and SS are the major culprit because many grew up in Lagos. I even have a friend is name is Ighodalo he speaks Yoruba better than me that is a blooded Yoruba.

Obi di m uto maka na abum ezigbote nwa afo igbo,as for those igbo parents who are hell bent on westernising their children i wish more grease to their elbows....continue.

oglalasioux:
I'll prefer my children speak languages that will put food on their table. If the mother tongue can do that, good. If it can't, to hell with it.

Ngokafor:



...I have a Yoruba woman as a friend whose kids cannot speak Yoruba but English.They were born and stayed in Nigeria till they relocated last year...A certain guy from Ondo whom i almost married years ago goes by the name Samuel Adams,a Doctor in Enland who actually loved his name cos he said White-folks find it easy to' pronounce'..

.These are few personally examples i want to use to illustrate my point that inferiority-complex amongst Blacks to whites cuts across every ethnic,religious,educational and Social stratas of Black people,and that has to change...with time.

Please read my post again. I didn't say there aren't people from other ethnic groups who bear English names.

One of my uncles started giving his children English names because he liked them.

It was when he proposed to name his last born MacLeans, that a family meeting was called on his head. Lol.

All I'm saying is that Igbos more than others do this and it might be impacting negatively on their language and maybe culture.

When I was growing up it was normal in most middle class Igbo homes like mine to ban early speech of the language until University years. I didn't speak Igbo until secondary school. In recent times we now try to make our children speak Igbo early and they can't . I seem to communicate easier in English with my children but they do understand and speak Igbo with some difficulty.

cstr151:
I actually won't be surprised. I heard one overbleached igbo bimbo talking about how she would forbid her children speaking anything apart from pure correct English.
The very depth of human stupidity and the zenith of brilliance and rational thought can be found in the igbo race.
It becomes a serious problem when stupid people begin to outnumber rationality.

u are a brain dead slowpoke. y all dis hatred for a particular race? it is foolish bastards like u that brings about hatred and discord among Nigerians forgetting that we are all one despite our cultural differences. please grow up and get a life u stupid cunt. F**k u

Ferdinandu:
Growing up in Onitsha, it was was exactly the same drama in my family. We were never allowed to speak Ibo in my house and also in the secondary school I attended. All those parents of those days. I tire

The fact that you spelled "ibo" instead of "igbo" is even a bigger problem. That is if you are igbo per say. No such thing as "ibo" please.

chubbygal:

Ututu oma, nwannem nwanyi!!!!

Monk92:



N y shd it bother me if dey go extinct... D single most important tyn abt culture is dat it is dynamic. I dont have to stick to a way of life jst cus my forefathers did. The social environment under which they existed is very different from dat of my dispensation . They carved out a way of life that they thought was best for dem based on dis factor and i see no reason why i shdnt do mine as well. If they lived in the age that i am currently they probably wud av done d same.

Your case ain't that of dynamism, you preach extinction.
You sound stupid with it.

Ugosample:
The only way to save our languages is that we should make an educational policy that will teach the students in the native languages of that state at primary school level at least, then have a good English teacher teach them English as a subject in primary school...

Then After that, secondary school should now be done in English, !then the native languages taught as a subject's in both public and private schools across that state.

That way, we will be grounded in many languages, like what the Ghanaians are doing.

Mother tongue is exclusively the obligation of the parents or guardians.
The schools should offer it as subjects.
Just agree that modern day parents are ignorant and careless