| Igbo language and extinction
theorists
By Robert Obioha Okere
Wednesday, January 18, 2007
It is worrisome that of all the Nigerian major languages,
Igbo language has been singled out as the only one under serious
threat of extinction in the foreseeable future. At least,
this was the view of the United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
Since the UNESCO prediction a couple of years ago, the experts
have gone to the market square to sound it loud and clear
that Igbo language is on its way to extinction except urgent
steps are taken now to stem the tide of its sweeping movement
to oblivion.
But do languages really die? From my little knowledge of Linguistics
and history of languages, it is a proven fact that languages
do evolve and later die. Examples of dead languages are catholic
that it is needless recounting how such deaths occur. But
I remember my Linguistic teachers saying that Latin is a dead
language even though it is still widely used by the Catholic
Church in its liturgical services. It is no longer the language
of state policy and imperial power as at when the Roman Empire
was on its high glory.
Of the over 400 or more Nigerian tongues otherwise called
languages only about seven or eight can be said to be effectively
spoken and written. At best only the major three Nigerian
languages of Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa can be said to have attained
high level standardisation and can be studied in the universities.
The rest sooner or later might give way to other languages
that are in use. In the Nigerian Linguistic landscape, Igbo
is generally and widely spoken in the eastern part of the
country and some parts of former Midwest now Delta State,
Yoruba is widely spoken in the western Nigeria and some parts
of Kogi and Kwara states while Hausa is predominantly the
general language of the entire northern Nigerian.
In fact, of all the three major Nigerian languages, Hausa
is the most spoken in Nigeria and some countries in the West
African sub-region. It is closely followed by Yoruba and Igbo.
In terms of language engineering and standardisation, Hausa
has been the most beneficiary. Its use is beyond the frontiers
of Nigeria as a language of commerce, media and education.
The world acclaimed radio stations; the VOA and BBC have both
Hausa services.
While Yoruba and Igbo languages are yet to attain this global
attention, Yoruba has some advantages over the Igbo in terms
of standardisation and widespread of usage. There is no doubt
that all Nigerian languages face extinction if nothing is
done to improve their usage and getting the young ones really
interested in the study of these languages. Any language that
does not boast of new speakers in the form of young ones is
a sure candidate for extinction.
The views of the linguistic experts on the possible demise
of the Igbo language should worry every Igbo person. The death
of any language goes with a lot of loss to humanity in terms
of cultural, linguistic, social and moral values imbedded
in the language.
The offsprings of the black slaves today lament the loss of
their African heritage especially the language and culture
of their fore parents. For them, they knew that they came
from Africa but cannot trace effectively the African nationalities
they came from. They have lost their languages, their indigenous
names and everything about their Africanness except their
colour, mood, speech mannerisms, physique, music and other
characteristics that make them African.
It is not far fetched to see the reasons why Igbo language
is under threat of natural death. My earlier interviews and
interactions with Igbo language teachers and professors in
the universities of Lagos and Nsukka confirmed the fear of
the experts.
According to them, new students are no longer eager to take
up Igbo language studies except it is the last resort or except
it is called Linguistics and Igbo or whatever name that will
link it with English word. The teachers therefore are having
students who are not interested in the study of the language
itself. Igbo language speakers are not helping matters in
the funny manner they speak the language with a lot of code-mixing
and code-switching which has given birth to what is generally
called Engligbo––some admixture of Igbo and English.
This is steadily creeping into Yoruba and Hausa and indeed
other Nigerian languages. If Igbo language dies tomorrow,
blame it first on the attitude of the Igbos to their language
and the elevation of English as number one language. Many
Igbos by their attitude are everyday contributing towards
the quick demise of the language. They do not allow their
children to speak Igbo language. Rather they encourage their
wards to speak English first and then learn Igbo later. They
do not see the need to speak Igbo first before any other language.
To them, there is nothing to gain in terms of prestige or
job in speaking Igbo.
The language is not been encouraged by the media. Many Igbo
news print media are dead. There are no Igbo medium publication
still in existence except the bi-monthly publication in Igbo
of Awake, a magazine of the Jehovah Witnesses published in
the USA. News casting in Igbo language by the local radio
stations and Televisions are no longer a delight to watch
because the Igbo they dish out is more confusing to the listeners
who rather prefer watching the same news in English in order
to have a fuller grasp of the message. The gains made by the
Igbo language during Biafra and immediately after have been
eroded by the “I don’t care attitude” of
the users and speakers of the language. Those who write in
the language are no longer turning out masterpiece like the
distinguished late Igbo novelist, Tony Ubesie or the erudite
and foremost Igbo linguist, the late F.C Ogbalu.
The worst thing that has befallen Igbo language is that the
written form of the language does not quite reflect the spoken
Igbo. And the reason for this linguistic aberration lies in
adopting the so-called central Igbo dialect, which is an amorphous
creation in language engineering, which is highly artificial
in the evolvement of characteristics that are inherent in
natural languages.
The war over which dialect to use as official Igbo between
the Onitsha Igbo and the Owerri Igbo did not help matters
in the early development of the language. The insistence of
teachers of the language on the choice of an arbitrary central
Igbo dialect is the bane of Igbo studies.
Like Prof. Chinua Achebe’s stand on this issue, which
I highly support, is to allow every user of the language use
or write it in his dialect for a richer harvest of the language
because besides the general identified two major dialects,
there are still other variants of the Igbo language among
all the speakers of the language that are worthy of appreciation.
This is noticeable during interactions, in traditional songs
and music to the extent that the so-called general Igbo is
lost.
The dialect division in the use of the language can be gleaned
upon in the use of the varieties of the names of people and
places as well as how people name other material things like
money, wealth, woman etc. Another serious bane of Igbo studies
is that Igbo is taught with English or through the medium
of English in universities. The bachelors, masters and doctoral
degrees researches/thesis in Igbo studies are written in English
language. This is a great injustice to the Igbo language.
Another crime of these Igbo linguists is that they carry over
linguistic patterns of English and translate them wholesale
into Igbo grammar.
But we know that there are linguistic similarities, we also
know that of a lot more differ in languages than are similar.
This is more poignant in the case of Igbo, a tonal language
and English, which is a non-tonal but stress-timed language.
Most Igbos conduct their village meetings and other discourse
in English to the detriment of the Igbo language. Primary
and secondary schools in Igbo land give few hours to the study
of Igbo language and allot more hours to the teaching of English
language.
More premium is placed on English than Igbo language. The
home videos that debuted in Igbo language years ago no longer
do that now. The government of Igbo speaking states are the
worst culprit as every state activity is conducted in English
to the utter neglect of Igbo. There is urgent need to ensure
that Igbo language does not die for it is our only identity
and cultural heritage in the world that we should bequeath
upcoming generations. Spirited effort should be geared towards
the propagation and use of Igbo language in Igbo speaking
states. Those involved in language planning and engineering
should take note of the varieties of Igbo language and tap
on this resource to further develop the language.
Those writing Igbo should write it the way the people their
writing is portraying speak the language. Effort should be
made to further standardise and simplify Igbo so that it will
attract young speakers. All lovers of the Igbo language and
identity should not treat with levity the experts’ warning
on the near death of the language. The time to act is now
for tomorrow may be too late.
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