During my stay of over a decade in Southwest Nigeria – precisely Lagos – in the 1980s and 90s, I often heard people say “Igala language is an offshoot of the Yoruba language” in view of the similarities between them” I usually disagreed with them, explaining that research had established that Igala and Yoruba share a common ancestry. I also added that, along with Itsekiri, the languages form a trio of interconnected tongues. The three […]
Kigala: Speak & Write Igala
ÒKPÒNÒHÌÒ / ,ò .kpò .nò .hjò / abstract noun. high publicity; wide broadcast; exceptionally loud notice or attention given to something or someone in the public space. (Used exclusively in a verbal form). Verb. nù-òkpònòhìò / ,nùò ,kpò ,nò ,hìò / Definition: To give high publicity; to broadcast widely to a large audience; to draw attention to a particular issue of public interest. Verb: Nù-òkpònòhìò: To give high publicity; to broadcast widely to a […]
Numbers Pool – Álúkà
Historical Background Since the beginning of time, the Ígáláà have evolved a system of counting that stretches to large numbers beyond the imagination of the modern Igala youths and adults. Through this ancient system, Igala ancestors, who were predominantly farmers, were able to take record of their properties: the heaps they constructed in one day, the harvest of yam tubers, sacks of grains, and, of course, the cowries earned at the end of a market […]