This will enable one to understand language in the novel

1. Welcome
to
NIGERIA

2. Igbo-Language

3. WHERE THE LANGUAGE CAME
FROM

4. • It all started in the 1500s-17oos when
there was slave trade.
• By 1766 owners of the slave realized a
language was speaking and it was not
African language that they knew of
were speaking.
• 1766-1892, the language started
spreading around and the West Indies
became aware of such language.
• People started using a little bit of Igbo
words in books and when speaking.
• The people were now thinking about
if there should be such a language.
• Because of the pronunciations in the
language the government in Africa
were speculating about whether or
not the language should be kept.
• It was not until the 1900s that there
became a debate about why the there
should be such a language.
• People from all over the world came
and started taking some Igbo words
and putting them in their culture.
1999 -Chinua Achebe, the most internationally famous Igbo speaker,
passionately denounced Standard Igbo, in a lecture sponsored by the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese in Owerri.
There are numerous Igbo dialects, some of
which are not mutually intelligible. The
standard written form of Igbo is based on the
Owerri and Umuahia dialects and has been in
use since 1962.

5. REFERRING TO THE NOVEL ‘THINGS
FALL APART’

6. • The novel ‘Things Fall Apart’ by Chinua Achebe shows
us just how strong and rich their language is.
• We may realise there are igbo words or phrases in their
that we may not understand but if you actually put
your imagination into it, you will realise the people are
trying to communicate with you, making you
understand their ways by their ‘foreign language’.
• Their language is shown through:
Words
Phrases
Proverbs
Folktales
Stories
Songs

7. • Agbala a man who had taken no title
• Agadi-nwayi old woman
• Chi personal god
• Efulefu worthless man
• Eqwugwu a masquerader who impersonates one of the
ancestral spirits of its village.
• Ekwe a musical instrument, a type of drum made from
wood
• eneke-nti-oba kind of bird
• Iba fever
• Ilo village green where assemblies take place
• Inyanga showing off, bragging
• isa-fia ceremony, if a wife has been from her husband a
long time, and were then to be re united with
him, this ceremony would be preformed to
ascertain that she had not been unfaithful to him
during the time of their separation.

8. • iyi-uwa a special kind of stone which forms the link
between ogbanje and the spirit world. only if the
iyi-uwa were discovered and destroyed would the
child not die
• Jigida a string of waist beads
• Kotma court messenger, not of Igbo origin
• Kwenu a shout of approval and greeting
• Ndichie elders
• nna ayi our father
• Nno welcome
• nso-ani a religious offense of a kind abhorred by
everyone, literally, earth's taboo
• Nza a very small bird
• Obi large living quarters for head of family

9. • obodo dike the land of the brave
• Ochu murder or manslaughter
• Ogbanje a child who repeatedly dies and returns to its mother to be
reborn. It is almost impossible to bring up an obanje child
without it dying, unless its iyi-uwa is first found and destroyed
• Ogene a musical instrument, a kind of gong
• öjï ödü ache-ojii-o cow
• Osu outcast, having been dedicated to a god the osu was taboo
and was not allowed to mix with the freeborn in any way
• Oye the name of one of the four market days
• Özö the name of one of the titles or ranks
• Tufia a curse or oath
• Udu a musical instrument , a type of drum from pottery
• Uli a dye used by women for drawing patterns on the skin
• Umuada a family fathering of daughters, for which female kinship folk
return to the village of origin
• Umu nna a wide group of kinsmen
• Uri part of a betrothal ceremony when the dowry is paid

10. How language actually contributes to
the novel.
Achebe helps us understand
the language by:
having his characters tell traditional folk tales.
writing his novel in English and then using the
African language within passages. He uses his
English knowledge for “Infiltrating the ranks of
the enemy and destroying him from within”
while his native language forces readers to
“look outside of their constraints and identify
more with the African culture.”

11. Igbo is a tonal language with two
distinctive tones, high and low. In
some cases a third, down-stepped
high tone is recognized.

12. Learning the language

14. GREETINGS

15. ACTIVITY
TIME

16. olee maka ndi be gï? how about your family?
olee ihe ha kwuru? What did they say?
olee ka i mere? how do you do?
gïnï ka unu na-eme? what are you (pl.) doing?
ebee ka ï nö? where are you?
ego ole ka ö bü? how much money is it?
onye ka ï bü? who are you?
onye mere ihea? who does this?
onye ka ihea mere? who does this happen to?

17. • Hello. Ndeewo. (in-DEEH-WO)
• Hello. (informal) Kedú. (keh-DO)
• Hello. (casual) Ǹda. (in-DAH)
• Welcome Nnöö (in-NOOR)
• How are you? Kedu kà ímèrè? (keh-du kah E MEH-REH)
• Fine, thank you. Ọ di mma. (AW DEE MM-MA)
• What is your name? Kedu áhà gi? (keh-DO AH-HA gee)
• My name is ______ . Áhàm bụ ______, or Afam bu (: AH-HAM
BOO _____ .)
• Nice to meet you. Ọ di mma. (AW DEE MM-MA)
• Please. Biko. (BEE-COE)
• Thank you. Daalu/Imela. (DA-LOO/EE-MEH-LAH)
• You're welcome. Ndéwo. (IN-day-WOAH)
• Yes. Éeyi, Ëhh. (ey, AEH)

18. • No. Mbà . (IM-BAH)
• Excuse me. (getting attention) Biko, chètú. (BEE-coe, CHE-too)
• Excuse me. (begging pardon) Biko, é weli íwé. (BEE-coe, A
WELLI E-WAY)
• I'm sorry. Ndo; Gbághàrám. (in-DOH, BA-gah-RAM)
• Goodbye Ka omesia. (KAH O-MEH-SI-YA)
• Goodbye (informal) Ka anyi húní. (KA-NYEE HOO-NEE)I
• can't speak Igbo [well]. A nam a sú Igbo [ọfuma]. (AH nam
AH sue EEG-BOW [AW-FOO-MAH])
• Do you speak English? I na sú Bèké ? (EE na SOO BAY-KAY?)
• Is there someone here who speaks English? Ọ di onye nọ
nga nweríkí súfù bèké? (OR dee on-yeh NOR in-GAH weh-RI-KI
SUH-foo beh-KEH?)

19. • Help! Nyem áká! (NYEM AH-KAH)
• Look out! Lèmá kwá! (LAY-MA KWA)
• Good morning. Ibọla chi. (e BORLA CHI)
• Good evening. Ézígbó mgbede. (AY-ZEE-GBO MM-GBAYDAY)
• Good night. Ka chi bọ. (KA CHI BAW)
• Good night (to sleep) Ka chi fọ. (KA chi FOR)
• I don't understand. À ghotaghím.
• Where is the toilet? Ké ébé mpọsi dì? (keh EH BEH mmPose
D)

21. LEARNING THEIR ALPHABET AND HOW TO
PRONOUNCE THE WORDS.

22. ANIMALS

23. VEHICLES

25. Truth and Sincerity
The monkey said that she would not deny that
her child whom she carried on her back ate up
fruit, because she did not know whether he
stretched out his hand and plucked fruit: A
person should speak about what he knows.
Laughter does not show friendship [love]: The
behaviour or the face of a person can conceal
what is in his heart.
(One can speak only about things of which
he is certain.)
(All that glitters is not gold.)
Kindness and Wickedness
Greet the deaf person--if the sky does not
hear, the earth will hear: When you do a good
deed, if man does not repay you, God will.
(Do good always.)
A soft word causes anger to turn back: A
humble heart helps settle quarrels. (Humble words soften anger.)

26. Obedience and Disobedience
When a woman scorns her husband, her rear
end dries up [she loses moral support]: A
person should not despise the source of his
strength.
(People should respect those to whom
respect is due.)
The grasshopper which was killed by the
okpoko was deaf. Failure to listen causes
waste.
(Obstinacy leads to ruin.)
Wisdom and Foolishness
It is not by staring hard that one sees the road
[or understands what is going on]: A noisy
show does not imply knowledge.
(Empty vessels make a great deal of
noise. Bold looks do not mean courage.)
The titled man, not knowing what to say, says
that his companions have already said what he
would have said: Giving an excuse for
something.
(Giving lame excuse for not doing a thing.)

27. Excuse and Complaint
He who drives himself away from a vehicle
says that the vehicle did not reach him: One
who acts against himself says that it is others
who did it to him.
(A person who acts against his interest shifts
the blame on others.)
Experience and Inexperience
If the hand opens the door, the mouth will
claim responsibility
Whatever has happened has happened.
Wealth and Poverty
One who borrows a cloth does not dance
proudly: A man's hand is not strong in things
he does not own. A man stands firmer where
things that he owns are concerned.
(Neither a borrower nor a lender
be. People are more at home with
their own things.)

29. A
about maka
addition mgbakö
afternoon ehihie
airplane ügbö elu
all niile, dum, ncha
also kwaa, -kwazi
and na
anglican (person) onye anglican
animal anü
April onwa-iri
as ka
at na, n’
August onwa-abö
B
bad öjöö, njö
bag akpa
banana ogede
be (verb) bü
be tasty (verb) törö ütö
be, be present in location (verb) nö
be, have the quality of, be in (verb) dï
beans agwa
beautiful öma, mma
bed akwa
bedroom obu
beer mmanya
below n’okpuru
beside n’akükü
big ukwu
billion ijeri
black ojii
black man onye ojii
bless (verb) gözie
blue atülü
boat ügbö mmiri
body ahü
book akwükwö
book seller ore akwükwö
boss oga, onye isi
breakfast nrï ütütü
bring (verb) kpörö
bring in (verb) weta
broom azïza
brother nwa nne nwoke
brother (maternal) nwannem
brother (paternal) nwannam

30. bury ili
bush ohia
bush animal anü öhïa
bush meat anü öhïa
but mana
buy (verb) züö, gota
buyer özü ahïa
bye kodi
clock elekere
close nso
close to home ndiuno
C
car ügbö ala
carry (verb) buru
carry on one’s back (verb) kwö
cassava jiakpu
catholic (person) onye catholic
center etiti
cloth akwa
cloud urukpu
coconut aku oyibo
cocoyam ede
cold oyi
come (verb) bïa
come from (verb) si
cook (verb) sie
corn öka
count ögügü
cow ehi
cray fish okporo
chair oche
chew (verb) ta
chicken ökükü
child nwa, nwantakïrï
children umu aka
chop house ülö oriri
christian onye üka
church üka
clean öcha , ücha
cry (verb) bee
cupboard (box for food) akpatï nrï
customer onye ahïa
D
dawn ütütü
day üböchï
daytime ehihie
December onwa-isii, onwa-asaa
denomination okpukpe

31. development agency ndï mmepe obodo
dismiss (verb) gbasaa
do (verb) mee
doctor dibïa oyibo
dog nkita
don’t worry esogbuna
door akwü
down the road ndïda
drink mmanya
drive (verb) nyaa
dry season ököchï
duck öbögwü
Europe obodo bekee
every niile, dum
expect (verb) lee anya
expensive oke ölü
E
each niile, dum
early dawn üzö
earth ala
edge akükü
eggs akwa
eight asatö
electricity ökülatrïk
elephant enyi
English bekee
enter (verb) bata
F
fall ill (verb) rïa örïa
family ndï be
family (lit. compound and house) ezi n’ülö
far from home ndiagu
father nna
February onwa-asatö
fetch (verb) kuta
finger mkpisi aka
fire ökü
first mbü
fish azü
five ise
floor ala
food nrï
fork mkpisi
four anö
friend enyi

32. G
garden eggs afüfa
garri garri
genuine (adjective) ezi
girl nwata nwanyi
give (verb) nye
go (verb) gaa
go early (verb) ma üzö
goat ewu
god chukwu
good öma, mma
good afternoon ehihie öma
good behaviour ezi omume
good day üböchi öma
good man ezigbo nwoke
good morning ütütü öma
good night abalï öma
good-bye ka e mesïa
good-evening abalï öma
good-morning ï bölachï
goodnight ka chi foo
grade clasï
ground ala
group ndï
H
half ökara
happy anülï
happy easter añuli easter
happy new year añuli arö öfüü
harmattan period oge ugürü
hawk egbe
he o, ö, ya
head-ache isi mgbu
hear (verb) nü
height elu
help (verb) nye aka
her ya
herbs akwükwö ögwü
here ebea
his ya
hold (verb) jide
hospital ülö ögwü
hot ökü
hotel ülö oriri
hour elekere
house ülö
how olee, kedu
how many ole

33. how much ole, ego ole
hundred narï
husband di
I
I mü, m , (verb) + m
if mana
igbo man onye igbo
in na, n’
insiden’ime
instead of kama
intend to (verb) chörö
interior ime
it o, ö, ya
J
January onwa-asaa
jesus christ jesu kristi
join (verb) nonye
July onwa-mbu
June onwa-iri na atö
kill (verb) gbu
kind üdï
king eze
kitchen usekwu
kolanut öjï igbo
K
kerosine nmanü-ökü
key igodo
L
leaf akwükwö
learn (verb) müö
left ekpe
library ülö akwükwö
life ndü
like ka
lion agu
little girl nwata kïrï nwanyi
live (verb) bi
living-room mbara
location ebe
long ogologo
lord chineke
lot, many nnuku

34. M
madam nne
make (verb) mee
make a plea (verb) kpee
man nwoke
manner etu
March onwa-itolu
market ahïa
masteroga
May onwa-iri na otu
maybe ike kwe
me mü, m
meat anü
medicine dealer onye na ere ögwü
medicine man dibïa
medicines ögwü
meet izute
merchandise ngwa ahia
merry Christmas añuli ekeresimesi
million nde
money ego
monkey enwe
moon önwa
morning ütütü
mother nne
motor ügbö ala
motor-cycle ogbatumtum
motorpark ödü ügbö ala
N
name aha , afa (Onitsha dialect)
next özö
night abalï
nine itolu
no mba
nothing more onwerozi
November onwa-ise
now ugbua
number ole
O
occasion oge
October onwa-anö
of which nke
office ülö ölü
oil mmanü
on na, n’

35. on top of n’enu
one otu
onion alïbasa
our anyï
pumpkin ügü
pupil nwata akwükwö
purchase (verb) gota
put, add (verb) tinye
P
pain mgbu
paper akwükwö
pay (verb) kwüö ügwö
pear ube
people ndï
pepper ose
period oge
pig ezi
place ebe
plate afere
play football (verb) gbaa bölü
please biko
possess (verb) jide
pot ite
prayer ekpere
present (verb) nye
price önü
primary school elementrï
R
rain mmiri-ozuzo
rain (verb) zoo
rainy season udu mmiri
reading ögügü
red mme
red earth ajali
rice osikapa
right nrï
riverbank ikpere mmiri
room mgbe
roots mgbörögwü osisi
S
save (verb) zöpüta
say (verb) kwuo
school ülö akwükwö
secretary onye-ode akwükwö
see (verb) hü

36. sell ire
seller ore ihe
September onwa-atö
seven asaa
she o, ö, ya
sickness örïa
since ka mgbe
sister nwa nne nwanyï
strength ike
student nwata akwükwö
sun anwu, anyanwü
Sunday üböchï üka
sweep (verb) zaa
swim (verb) gwuo mmiri
swimming-pool ndörö mmiri
sister (maternal) nwannem
sister (paternal) nwannam
sit down (verb) nödü anï
six isii
small obele
snake agwö
somebody onye
something ihe
son nwa nwoke
sort üdï
speak süö
spoon ngazi
stand up (verb) kunie
stew ofe
stick osisi
stockfish okporoko
straight oto
T
tablets ögwü
take (verb) kpörö
teach (verb) kuzie
teacher onye nkuzi
tell (verb) gwa
ten iri
thank you imela
thank you very much ekele dili gï
that ahü, nke ahü, ihe ahü
that (conj.) na, ka
their ha
them ha
then e mesïa, mgbe ahü
there ebe ahü
these -a
these (group) ndïa

37. they ha
think (verb) che
this -a, nkea, ihea
those ahü
those (group) ndi ahü
thousand puku
three atö
thunder egbe igwe
time elekere, oge
today taa, tata
toilet ülö mposi
tomorrow echi
too kwaa, -kwazi
top enu
town obodo
travel njem
travel (verb) jee
tree osisi
trouble nsogbu
truthezi okwu
turkey tolotolo
two abüö
U
ugly öjöö, njö
umbrella nche anwu
under n’okpuru
underside okpuru
university mahadüm
until tupu
up n’enu
us anyï
V
village (inside town) ime obodo
W
wait (verb) chere
want (verb) chö
war agha
water mmiri
water leaves gbörödi
water yam mbala ji
we anyï
weather üböchï
weeping akwa
welcome nnöö

38. well öfüma
well done da alü
what gïnï
when olee, kedu; olee oge
where ebee
whether mana
which olee, kedu
white öcha , ücha
white man onye öcha
who onye
why maka gini
wife nwuye
wind ikuke
wine mmanya
woman nwanyï
work ölü
worker onye ölü
workers ndï ölü
Y
yam ji
year arö, ahö
yellow edo
yes e-e
you, your gï; i, ï
you, your (pl.) unu

40. vowel pronounced as in
a arm
e set
i see
ï pit
o go
ö author
u put (verb)
ü shot

41. • 1 One Ótù (OH-too)
• 2 Two Abuọ (ah-BWORE)
• 3 Three Àtȯ (ah-TOH)
• 4 Four Anọ (ah-NORE)
• 5Five Isé (ee-SAY)
• 6 Six Ishii (EE-SHE-e)
• 7 Seven Asaa (ah-SAH-ah)
• 8 Eight Asatọ (ah-SAH-toh)
• 9 Nine Itóolu (ee-TOE-LOO)
• 10 Ten Iri (ee-REE)
• 11 Eleven Iri na ótù (ee-REE nah OH-too)
• 12 Twelve Iri na abuọ (ee-REE nah ah-BWORE)
• 13 Thirteen Iri na àtȯ (ee-REE nah ah-TOH)
• 14 Fourteen Iri na anọ (ee-REE nah ah-NORE)
• 15 Fifteen Iri na isé (ee-REE nah ee-SAY)

42. • 16 Sixteen Iri na ishii (ee-REE nah EE-SHE-e)
• 17 Seventeen Iri na asaa (ee-REE nah ah-SAH-ah)
• 18 Eighteen Iri na asatọ (ee-REE nah ah-SAH-toh)
• 19 Nineteen Iri na itóolu (ee-REE nah ee-TOE-LOO)
• 20 Twenty Iri abuọ; Ọgụ (ee-REE ah-BWORE; aw-GOH)
• 21 Twenty one Iri abuọ na ótù (ee-REE ah-BWORE nah OH-too)
• 22 Twenty two Iri abuọ na abuọ (ee-REE ah-BWORE nah ah-
BWORE)
• 23 Twenty three Iri abuọ na àtȯ (ee-REE ah-BWORE nah ah-TOH)
• 30 Thirty Iri àtȯ (ee-REE ah-TOH)
• 40 Fourty Iri anȯ; ọgụ abuọ (ee-REE ah-NORE; aw-goo ah-BWORE)
• 50 Fifty Iri isé (ee-REE ee-SAY)
• 60 Sixty Iri ishii (ee-REE EE-SHE-e)7
• 0 Seventy Iri Asaa (ee-REE ah-SAH-ah)
• 80 Eighty Iri Asato (ee-REE ah-SAH-toh)
• 90 Ninety Iri Itóolu (ee-REE ee-TOE-LOO)
• 100 Hundred Nnari; ọgụ isé (IN-NAH-REE; aw-gu ee-SAY)

43. • 200 Two hundred Nnari abuọ; ọgu iri (in-NAH-REE ah-
BWORE; aw-goo-ee-lee)
̀
ụ• 300 Three hundred Nnari àtȯ (in-NAH-REE ah-TOH)
• 400 Four hundredNn("in-noo")
̀
• 1000 ụThousand Puku (POO-KOO)
• 2000 Two thousand Puku abuọ (POO-KOO ah-BWORE)
• 3000 Three thousand Puku àtȯ (POO-KOO ah-TOH)
• 8000 Eight thousand ụlánn(oo-LA-in-noo)
• 10,000 Ten thousand Puku iri (POO-KOO ee-RE)
• 100,000 A hundred thousand Puku nnari (POO-KOO IN-NAH-
REE)
• 1,000,000 Million Ndè (IN-day)
• 100,000,000 A hundred million Ndè nnari (IN-day IN-NAH-
REE)
• 1,000,000,000 Billion Ijeri (ee-JAY-REE)

44. BODY PARTS
• head íshí (EE-SHEE)
• Face ihü (EE-HUE)
• Eyes ányá (AHN-YAH)
• Ears ńtị (NN-tih)
• Nose ímí (EE-MEE)
• Throat akpịlị (AHK-pee-leeh)
• Chin àgbà (ahg-bah)
• neck ólú (OH-LOO)
• Shoulder sùbu (oo-boo)
• Chest ugwùlùgwù (ooh-gwoo-loo-gwoo)
• Waist úkwù (OO-kwoo)

45. • Arm sógwè áká (OH-guh-way-AH-KAH);ihü
áká (EE-HUE AH-KAH)
• Wrists nkwekọ áká (nn-kweh-koh AH-KAH)
• Fingers mkpisi áká (mm-KPEE-see AH-KAH)
• Hand sáká (AH-KAH)
• Elbow ǹkù (nn-koo)
• Buttock síkẹ (EE-keh)
• Thigh àkpàtà (ahk-pah-tah)
• Knee íkpèlè (EEK-peh-leh)
• Legs úkwụ (OO-KOOH)
• Foot òkpà (oh-k-pah)

46. • today ta, ụbọchi ta (TAH, OO-boh-chi TAH)
• yesterday nnyáfu, chi làràni (IN-YAH-fuh, CHI lah-RAH-nee)
• tomorrow échí (ay-CHI)
• this week izù nka (ee-ZOO in-KAH)
• last week izù laranị (ee-ZOO lah-rah-nee)
• next week izù nabia (ee-ZOO nah-BYAH)
• Sunday Ụbọchị úkà (oo-BOH-chi oo-KAH)
• Monday Mondè (MOHN-dae)
• Tuesday Tusde (toos-dae)
• WednesdayWensde (WENS-dae)
• Thursday Tosdè (TOHS-dae)
• Friday Fraidè (FRY-dae)
• Saturday Satde (SAHT-dae)

47. Months
• January Ọnwa Mbụ, Januari (AW-WAH OH-too, JAH-noo-wa-ree)
• February Ọnwa Abuọ, Febureri (AW-WAH ah-BWORE, FEH-boo-way-
ree)
• March Ọnwa Àtọ, Machi (AW-WAH ah-TOH, MAH-chi)
• April Ọnwa Ànȯ, Eprulu (AW-WAH ah-NORE, AY-prool-oo)
• May Ọnwa Ise, Me (AW-WAH ee-SAY, MEH)
• June Ọnwa Ishii, Jun (AW-WAH EE-SHE-e, JOON)
• July Ọnwa Asaa, Julai (AW-WAH ah-SAH-ah, JOO-lai)
• August Ọnwa Asatọ, Ogost (AW-WAH ah-SAH-toh, AW-gost)
• September Ọnwa Itoolu, Seputemba (AW-WAH ee-TOE-LOO, SEP-tehm-
BAH)
• October Ọnwa Iri, Oktoba (AW-WAH ee-REE, OK-toe-BAH)
• November Ọnwa Iri na Ótu, Novemba (AW-WAH ee-REE nah OH-too,
NO-vehm-BAH)
• December Ọnwa Iri na Abuọ, Disemba (AW-WAH ee-REE nah ah-
BWORE, DEE-sem-bah)