SOME NENWE WORDS IN EXTINTION

There are very many words that can portray any particular language user as an indigene. Such words can be classified as onomatopoeia or colloquial. Nenwe language has that in abundance. Their proper use will always distinguish the users of such words as good speakers of the language or dialect. Unfortunately, we are allowing such Nenwe words to die off hence we replace them with English, leading to what we now refer to as Engligbo. 

Such words in Nenwe include but are not limited to:

Zerezere, ụvịọmịrịvịọ, vorovoro, aragara, ényịmakwụ, voyirivoyiri... name them. An Awka person or  an Nsukka man who hears Nenwe dialect may not actually know what a Nenwe man means when he uses such words. Neither will Nenwe people who hears their day to day business words understand theirs when they enter into that.

Vorovoro therefore is a kind of Nenwe colloquial that means brittle. We may  understand it better when we say that something la-avọri avọri; meaning it is very brittle. 

Damịrịda (Nenwe), Danda (central Igbo) means ants or éhụhụ. We may have been more acquainted with the central Igbo proverb: onye tụọ ntị n'anị, ọ nụ ụria danda.

The effort we are making here is to ensure we do not allow these minor words or phrases that make our dialect special to be phased out. If we hold on only to the simple simple ones like ọọ ngolu, ndaa, kelekwele etc, then our dialect will soon be bereaved of the speciality it enjoyed in the days of our forefathers.

The proverb: ji yoo vorovoro, (vọyịrịvọyịrị, yere yere) etc o ruwe damịrịda translates to: when the yam is well cooked, the ants will partake in its eating.

Literarily, in those days, when spoons were not in use, when one ate such well cooked yam, he cut it with the thumb that had long nails. Before the yam would get to the mouth, some of the yam particles would fall on the ground and in a few minutes after the meal, come and see ants having their field day.

Lesson: when the person at the head gets a fair share, those below will at least get the aroma of the eating.

Eg. Any state that belongs to an opposition party does not get enough share of the national cake. They hardly get enough with which to pay their civil servants talk less of engaging in projects that will benefit the masses.

More versions of the proverb will do us some good. So ya kpọtụwa akpọtụ!!!!!!!

By Sailas Nwenya  

   

NENWE PROVERB EXPLAINED By Clement Ebere

Ngwere lokiria  l'egu o woo awu or Ngwere Lokiria la uji, o woo awu

Let me use this opportunity to thank everyone here.

The NOLU, to my understanding, is a place for continued Education or Learning of Nenwe traditions , culture, wisdom, philosophical worldview, etc; among other things.. It,  therefore, has not just students, but learners. By learners, it means that every student already has profound knowledge, in areas of their choosing, but knowing more and adding more to other bodies of knowledge.

I wish to appreciate the acceptance of my explanation of or contribution to a proverb here. I also want to encourage more contributions to issues or interactiveness of all learners to make our learning here, stimulating and dynamic.

For the proverb - Ngwere lokiria  l'egu o woo awu or Ngwere Lokiria la uji, o woo awu, the two proverbs are the same. One is just a variant of the other.

Ngwere ( lizard), and Awu (Monitor lizard or Agama lizard ) are both in the same family of reptiles. They have close look in anatomical structure, and visualization. In fact the Agama Lizard is like a magnified lizard. The only difference is the size, but that does not, in any way, mean that the common lizard would grow big, at any time, to become Agama. It is like a mistaken thinking that the rat ( Oke), will one day grow very big to become Nchi ( grass cutter), because they are close cousins and looks alike. No, nature has made them to have the same look, but different size and entirely  not the same creature. 

Having said that, it is also worthy to say that their inhabitants differs. While Ngwere prefers homes and staying close to humans, Awu stays in Uji (Okorobooshishi) which are cavities in trees or stones (like caves) and stays away from humans. Yes, Ngwere could sit close and be enjoying human discussions and nodding its head as to the entertainment of such discussions, but Awu will run away with greatest speed at the slight human noise. The common lizards does not ordinarily live in uji or egu ( distant farm lands)  but awu prefers uji and egu.

However, if common lizard decides to stay in uji or la egu (l'egu), Farmland, and particularly for a longer time, then it will metamorphose or change to become Awu, in behavior and temperament.

The practical application of this proverb,  can be seen in a Nenwe man who had live abroad ( ijhe or eru)  for donkey years ( onye aka ijhe), and his behavior or new orientation changes. This has to do with his acculturation which will result to his values over everything. One observing his shocking behaviours and attitudes would safely say " la Ngwere lokiiria la uji, o woo awu"

Similarly, a young nenwerian who was born outside Nenwei and does not know Nenwe culture,  and if a boy,  impregnated his distant cousin ( Ada umunna). This is " aru" in Nenwei, but he may not see it as a big deal, claiming that she is not the sister and no direct blood relationship, forgetting the transient and spiritual blood connection. This can easily  happen  when Ngbere lokiria la uji!

 Also if a Nenwe wife due to acculturation at Onitsha or any big city decides to start sleeping with other men while still married with the husband or separated without consummating a divorce with him, simply because other women from other towns are doing the same thing and maybe her husband who is also disoriented accepts it as allowing her to do what pleasures her. In both cases, they are aru, but due to the fact that Ngwere has overstayed l'egu or uji, it has totally changed to a semblance of itself .

😅We are the learners👩‍🎓. I am expectant of other views, please.

Cheers everyone.

Manzhi Clement Ebere.

ILU NENWE KETAA :Epeteke zegbo,ọ lahụwa l'éwa ya.By.Sai Nwaenya

"Epeteke zegbo, ọ lahụwa l'éwa ya"

EPETEKE ZEGBO... explained.

Epeteke is a kind of Nenwe onomatopoeia  that depicts plenty but tiny in nature; like ụmụ mperete.
In the proverb, it refers to tiny yam seedlings.
Epeteke éwaji - tiny and sickly yam seedlings
Mgbii éwa ji - sizeable and halthy yam seedlings (see attached pix.

So what the proverb is saying is that if one decides to cut tiny his yam seedlings, he may get very greeny yam leaves but after all, he will harvest tiny yams. Its Bible equivalent: if you sow sparingly, you reap sparingly while the computer people say garbage in, garbage out.  


Lesson: Give adequate measure of inputs to expect reasonable output.
BY:Sai Nwaenya (Prof)
FRIDAY ORIE (08th May 2020)

FURTHER DISCUSSIONS:

Proverbs are very narrow ways of saying wide variety of things. Their usage depends on what prompt(s) them.
I used it as a farmer here. If as a road safety officer, you are to work under a contractor boss from Europe who disturbs you too much; you may console another officer who is equally disturbed by the European character not to worry, after all ọ kwa epeteke zegbo....
So the two explanations can work. The only major difference is that the second voice approached the explanation Etymologically.  Ie, trying to dig into the root of its coinage.

As a student, if you see one who reads so much but fails his exams, you can still use the proverb to address someone who wants to show a feeling that that student is the best in the class: you can say; ya gụwalụ ya, afterall, ọ kwa epeteke zegbo... It has a synonym: "ụkwa megbo ọ danga l'ukwu ye.

II
BY:Sai Nwaenya (Prof)
FRIDAY ORIE (08th May 2020)