Proverb #508

“Ozi ka nkụ .”

 

This proverb is a pithy little phrase that functions on many levels. It rolls off the toungue at the sight and site of work and can be given in excuse for laziness and indecision. But it is also used together with a little gesture - perhaps a rolling of the eyes or a wringing of the hands to explain about the sheer effort required ... Or in exasperation to drive home a point about the hopelessness and futility of a thing. It means 'We have chores surpassing  a mere gathering of firewood'.

Among the variants you are likely to hear are:

Ihe a ga-eme Ọ bụ otu ? - ajụjụ ndị Igbo.



Ihe ra 'nna Puku !!!

... [Before we learnt new systems of thought and counting, Puku - the thousandth represents to us a large large number] ...

Another word like Puku and predating it is 'Nnụ' - which represented to us, more the sense of a million ... 

Incidentally the word nnụnnụ means 'an innumerable flock' of birds which our ancestors and we ourselves, still witness in their migratory flights. Whenever these birds occurred as single individuals we had and used unique names for them. Egbe (Kite), Ugo (Eagle), Ọgankwọ,(Horned bill), Oboo (Jackdaw), Ahịa (Weaverbird -Asha), Ọkwụrụ (Weaverbird), Shekeleke (Egret), Ikwiikwii (Owl), Ọkwa (Patridge), Udele (Vulture), Ọkpoko, Torotoro (Ostrich, Peacock, Turkey), Mbe-mbe (Humming bird), Ọkụkọ (Chicken, Cock, Cockerel , Hen), Odeligbo (duck), Ọtụrụkpokpo (Wood pecker), Ọganwkọ-ọnụuhie (Kitty-hawk), Enekentịọba (Swift, Swallow)  ... the names of a few birds ... Nnụnnụ then became the generic term for birds.

Yet this is an analysis of  ... nnụ ... This word gave occasion to a phrase like 'Ihe a rị a nnụ' which means ... This is like a millon ... or 'There are just too many.' In our dialect ... the phrase got contracted and its meaning migrated a little and became closely aligned with 'Ihe a rị anụ' - It is heavy or hard ... which can be heard whenever one complains at the instance of particularly difficult or complex tasks.

Annụ became Arụ, Ahụ, Akpụ, Arọọ, Arịịị in other dialects ... all which take on a verb as a prefix to denote heaviness or hardness. For instance ... Ịfịa ahụ ... Ịta akpụ ... Ịdị arọọ ... Ịhịa ahụ.

So that's our proverb ... an explanation regarding jobs and the 'to do list' ... employing the imagery of a flock of birds and naming a few of the family individually.  From the many to the hard, speaking of which : we have a 1000 proverbs to list ... we must be getting on.

... ihie a ga-ememe erika.

Editorial:
This image is from the Nova Science website and it is explained powerfully on their website. Follow this link there.


Proverb, Angles and Shades Contributed By
Kelechi Isiodu, Umunjam, Mbieri.

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© ifont 2012, as it appears here.

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