Igbo Language (one of the three main Languages in Nigeria)

MKPỤRỤ EDEMEDE N’ASỤSỤ IGBO, NNUKWU NA OBERE [THE IGBO ALPHABETS, BIG AND SMALL]

Below are the Igbo alphabets commonly refered to, in Igbo as A, B, CH, D… . ; these alphabets are 36 in number according to Ọnwụ orthography in 1961.

Ndị nnukwu na ndị obere ha, [their big and their small letters]
Ndị nnukwu mkpụrụ edemede bụ, [the capital letters are]:
A, B, CH, D, E, F, G, GB, GH, GW, H, I, Ị, J, K, KP, KW, L, M, N, Ň, NW, NY, O, Ọ, P, R, S, SH, T, U, Ụ, V, W, Y, Z.

Ndị obere mkpụrụ edemede, [the small letters are]:
a, b, ch, d, e, f, g, gb, gh, gw, h, i, ị, j, k, kp, kw, l, m, n, ń, nw, ny, o, ọ, p, r, s, ,sh, t, u, ụ, v, w, y, z.

Just as in English or any other language, words are formed in Igbo by the combination of letters. Examples of words formed with the complete alphabets are:
A as in AHA – NAME
B as in BE – HOME
CH as in CHUKWU – GOD
D as in DEE – WRITE
E as in EGBE – GUN, KITE
F as in FEE – WORSHIP
G as in GEE – LISTEN
GB as in GBUO – KILL
GH as in GHASAA – SPREAD (clothes)
GW as in GWA – TELL
H as in HA – THEM
I as in IKUKU – AIR
Ị as in ỊBA – FEVER
J as in JEE – GO
K as in KỊTAA – NOW
KP as in KPUCHIE – COVER
KW as in KWUO – SAY
L as in LAA – GO (home)
M as in MỤ - ME
N as in NNE, NNA – MOTHER, FATHER
Ň as in ŇỤỌ - DRINK
NW as in NWATAKỊRỊ - CHILD
NY as in NYE – GIVE
O as in OKE – RAT
Ọ as in ỌKỤKỌ - FOWL
P as in PỊA – CARVE
R as in REE – SELL
S as in SAA – WASH
SH as in SHIE – COOK [noun]
T as in TINYE – PUT [into]
U as in UNU – YOU [plural]
Ụ as in ỤRỤ -SWAMP
V as in EVU – WASP
W as in WETA – BRING
Y as in YA – HIM, HER, IT
Z as in ZUO, ZỤỌ – STEAL, BUY.

It should be noted that some of the above words are nouns while others are verbs. But we hope to delve into the nuances in some other place.

NDỊ A BỤ GA ỤDAUME IGBO [THE FOLLOWING ARE THE VOWELS IN IGBO]:
Ụdaume Igbo dị asatọ. E kere ha otu abụọ [the vowels are eight in number and they are divided into two groups]
Group one which is regarded as the A group consists of A, Ị, Ọ,Ụ.
Group two which is regarded as the E group consists of E, I, O, U.
Together they are eight in number and they do the function of vowels as in other languages.

Haven taken away the vowels from the alphabets, the remaining letters are the consonants which are called mgbochiume. And mgbochiume are twenty-eight in number and they are: B, GB, CH, D, F, G, GH, GW, H, J, K, KP, KW, L, M, N, NW, NY, Ň, P, R, S, SH, T, V, W, Y, Z,

NDAKỌRỊTA ỤDAUME [VOWEL HARMONY]
TOWARDS THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE TWO GROUPS IN IGBO VOWELS.
The two groups of Igbo vowels as we have them above means that there are set down rules that govern Igbo vowels accordinly. Just as black garment is out of place in a serious assembly of whites vice versa, so are the words of the vowels of any group out of place in words that contain more of the vowels of another group, except in cases of exception, especially in borrowed words [we shall give the example of such words later].

Examples of words that obey the rules of vowel harmony include:
From “A” group also known as uda mfe: (This group is made up of “A” vowel and three dotted vowels).
A as in ahịa – market; akwụkwọ - leaf, book; ala – land; agụụ - hunger; arụrụ - ant.
Ị as in Ịba – fever; ịsha - crayfish.
Ọ as in Ọbọgwụ - duck; ọchịchịị - darkness; ọba – barn; ọgaranya – richman.
Ụ as in ụganị - draught; ụchịcha – cocroach; ụnyaa – yesterday; ụzọ - road.

From “E” group also known as uda aro: (this group is made up of “E” vowel and three undotted vowels)
E as in Ekwe – wooden gong; enyi – friend, elephant; eze – teeth, king; eriri – rope.
I as in idide – earthworm; iberibe – stupidity, particles; ime – inside.
O as in oge – time; okwukwe – faith; onyinye – gift; okirikiri – round; oke – rat.
U as in ude – cream, pomade; ube – spear, pear; udele – vulture; ute – mat.

The following are word which the promoters of the Igbo language and culture agreed to call the following English words [ndị a bụ ihe ndị otu na-ewelite asụsụ na omenala Igbo kwekọrịtara ka a na-akpọ okwu Bekee ndị a]:

Bekee Igbo
1. Proverb Ilu
2. Riddles Okwu ntụhị
3. Tongue twisters Okwu ntụgharị ire
4. Grammar Ụtọasụsụ
5. Composition Edemede
6. Literature Agụmagụ
7. Spelling Nsụpe
8. Proper noun Ahaaka
9. Common noun Ahaizugbe
10. Collective noun Ahaotu
11. Genda Jenda
12. Masculine Oke
13. Feminine Nwunye
14. Adverb Nkwuwa
15. Adjective Nkọwaaha
16. Verb Ngwaa
17. Pronoun Nnọchiaha
18. Noun Nkpọaha
19. Preposition Mbuuzọ
20. Auxiliary verb Nnyemaka ngwaa
21. Idiom Akpaalaokwu
22. Sụffix Nsonazụ
23. Prefix Nganiru
24. Subject Isiokwu
25. Object Mmejuokwu
26. Unit Nkebi
27. Dictation Agụọedee
28. Debate Arụmarụ ụka
29. Nursery rhymes Egwu ịgụgụ nwa
30. Culture Omenala
31. Paragraph Oke
32 Lullabies Egwu ụra
33. Participle Nkọwangwaa
34. Sentence Ahịrịokwu
35. Number Ọnụọgụgụ