At this point, past a tenth of the way, it seemed a good time to air the formed/unformed debates and thoughts that have been hinted at and aired in some ways by various members of the group - this is a debate/conversation about [using] Union or Central Igbo and a chat with a good friend and a seasonable Igbo man should serve to illustrate the issues and ambiguities. Igbo and Ibo are used interchangeably. The grammar is not always right and there is here generous use of Netspeak, Textspeak, Pidgin English and Engligbo ... [Language eh? Tricky thing] with excerpts and redactions.
Chat with Bob Oji: Why Central Ibo, Why not?
Bob:
[I] was thinking the proverbs should all flow in a central Ibo dialect. Noticed some are in Anambra while some other ones went in Owerri. It's easy for me to read and understand, all b'cos [txtspeak] of my versatility in Ibo dialects. But with someone out there, our aim might lose some juice, or what do you think?
Kelechi:
It's like asking people not to have their dialects and accents - that way lies ruin ...
Bob:
Not exactly. When one can neither read nor understand an Ibo proverb (yet of Ibo origin), of what use is that proverb to him [?] ...
Kelechi:
Let the Anambrarians and Abians and Ohafians and Owerri people ... everyone, bring your dialect ... Igbo is a family of dialects and it is in speaking it and writing it - that you don't bring [about] a chauvinism of language [ or of expression] ... If a person doesn't understand ... a person gets to ask [their neigbour, brother, sister] ... And communicate ... that makes it sweeter ... Which is also why we have doyens like yourself and a few others ... Interpreting ... It's a communicative effort ... not an effort to standardise language ... amam ma ị n'enwe m?
The Americans spell one way ... and the British another ...
The Scottish and the Welsh all have a different way of speaking and communicating ... and none of them like subjugating their particular expressions to the customs and mannerisms of the English ... although they all recognise that the Engilsh English is the British English ...
:-)
:-)
Bob:
America and Britain ain't under the same umbrella remember. My female colleague is sharing in our chat and strongly believes all proverbs should come in a common dialect. Again I believe that part of the essence will be lost if one is able to understand only a part of the 'whole' due to dialect (sic) [also, dialectical] differences.
Kelechi:
There is a fascinating discussion of this very problem online – research the efforts of Archdeacon Dennis and how the Ibo Bible, 'Bible Nso' was produced …
See what Chinua Achebe said about it …. What your female colleague should do is … speak or write in her own dialect and let all of us try 'getting her meaning' … God did mean to confuse the language – not standardise it … Remember Babel ?(a biblical myth)
Bob:
Charlie [A Ghanaian colloquialism] there's no way you can understand a single line of Afikpo or Ohafia proverbs. How come the Ibo Bible is written in central Ibo?
Bob:
Charlie [A Ghanaian colloquialism] there's no way you can understand a single line of Afikpo or Ohafia proverbs. How come the Ibo Bible is written in central Ibo?
Kelechi:
Go look it up ... YEA ... HOW come?
Bob:
What you are putting together is a far cry from all the instances you are sighting [Citing] ...
Kelechi:
I can't do the central thing anyway and I will not start now ... I have a couple of variants ... that is ... my Dad's, My mum's and the mannerisms I learnt in Enugu … I can do a bit of Central … but not a lot … simply because I tried reading the Ibo Bible [and I still do … my whole Anglican upbringing was around Central Ibo]
Bob:
Point is that all these pple [People] understand the central thing and that's what matters
Kelechi:
Bobjay [Nickname]... Let those who understand the Central … Bring the Central.
How are you going to tell an Ibo man / woman … 'I want to understand you … but look, I will not understand you, unless you speak 'central'? Does that sit well?
Bob:
Dat [Txtspeak] you can't do central very well, doesn't mean it cant be central. Remember you have some of us to convert every proverb to central, before you post.
Kelechi:
We might consider that ... but my first inclination is not to - simply because ... having a central dialect is submitting to a forced experimentation in our culture and language that is foreign to it ...
Bob:
I try to read a proverb and it pops up as allien to me. Think about it!
Kelechi:
I am communicating Bobjay, not standardising … If it pops up as alien … query it. That's why I have the RFCs explained [RFCs, a project document]
Bob:
Okay, flow with your concept. I'm still in buh [but - Ebonics] you will def [definitely - more Ebonics ] get reactions (sounding like Bobjay) at the end of the day ...Kelechi:
Bra, it doesn't have to be flow with 'your' concept … Let's have the vision to see that this is the natural order of things … Bishop go speak Ngwa dialect, Panks go speak Nnobi or Enugu [In pidgin English], You, Ị wụ onye Umuahia ...
Okay, I take dat back. flow with the concept...
Lol ! [Txtspeak or Imchat speak]
Kelechi:
Besides I like what you are bringing ...
[Become ] admin ... As soon as I post one of these dialects ...
You give me a central Igbo version ... I will do that ...
And that way we can all have a thing going ...
Bob:
Aiight [Alright – Ebonics, see http://www.tfd.com/Ebonics ]
Kelechi:
What we must not do is ... insist that ... if it goes up on a main wall or as a headline on the Blog ... it has to be Central … That is foreign bra [Bra – brother, more Ebonics] And thanks for this stimulus I have angles and links for U. Don't go away. *And Charlie … U need to try me out with one of those Ohafia ones … [Name removed] will not oblige me yet. [Provides Links x 2]
{pre-1500s == A form of writing called nsibidi, using formalized pictograms, existed among the Igbo and neighboring groups. It died out, probably because it was popular among secret societies whose members did not want to discuss it publicly. In 1904, T. D. Maxwell, Acting District Commissioner in Ca... }
Bob:
If it ain't going up the blog as central, why bother with the conversion?
Kelechi:
Try looking at those links bro … We are Igbo people … we have always been ...
Bob:
Proverb #61 is a total confusion to a non-Owerre [non-Owerri] chap; my colleague bit her lip. Lol !
Kelechi:
We don't need the definition of other people or a kind of 'central' body to be or speak what we are / or speak ...
Bob:
I'll look dem [The links] up sha … [More Pidgin English]
Kelechi:
Well, explain to your colleague ... Bobjay ... or give her that variant in Standardised or Central Ibo … [Admin information deleted] … And I am going to post aspects of this conversation. The debate needs to get going ...
Bob:
… But we won't be able to do all of that explaining once this gold hits the hard copy format.Kelechi:
[I] Leave that to you and I and all the Igbo people and their editors ...
Bob:
Say again ?...
Kelechi:
Why do you think - these great people [Ibos] are best served by 'spoon feeding' them … Let them crack the bones … tear the flesh and break their plates trying to understand. That is essentially what a language should do [Besides communicating, basically it should serve to strengthen thought and habits of enquiry ... ] ...
Bob:
[About posting the debate] Part of the plan? Shlda [Should have] told me a long time...
Kelechi:
Kelechi:
Serve the mind and intellect - not the other way round … No … Igbo is beautiful, not a part of it, Not the blessed and sanctioned 'central' part of it … But ALL of it … Dig? [More Ebonics]
Yep. I leave office in 8mins. Hook up later on my mobile.
Kelechi:
Sure ...
Bob:
Thanx [Txtspeak] for the edu [Education]
Kelechi:
No, thanks for the edu … and for joining the effort ... remember we are like those 6 blind man [men] coming to see the Elephant ... remember the poem?...
Bob:
Yea i remember... onye ọwụla kọwaa site n'ihe obitere aka
Kelechi:
Beautiful ... Ị wụ oke Nze ... amarọ hapụ omen'ala mebe omen'enu
Bob:
Ikwuru ọfuma. daalụ!
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