An Ígálá-English Lexicon: A Bilingual Dictionary with Notes on Igala Language, History, Culture and Priest-Kings

By John Idakwoji

Ígálá language, which is spoken in parts of Kògí, Énúgu, Ánámbra, Delta and Bénúé States of Nigeria, is one of the world’s increasingly endangered languages. Unless something changes soon, it will be lost forever.

John Idakwoji spent more than thirty years researching the language so that he could share with the world its oceanic depth and the sacred, unique but under-exploited culture that it nurtures even in its seldom written, rarely described and sparsely documented state of being. The book takes the bull by the horns, as it equips Igala teachers and students with the tools they need to engage in practical learning and instruction. You’ll find:

insights on the properties and characteristics of the language, including its alphabet, tones, grammar, parts of speech, dialects, loan-words, and more.
features of the lexicon and how readers can recognize and use vocabulary.
over five thousand head-words presented in alphabetical order and bearing diacritical marks, phonetic symbols, and tone marks to enable interested non-Igalas to read the book.

Research-based information on Igala’s prehistoric origins and the three successive dynasties that have ruled the land bring a personal touch to the lexicon. There is a desperate need and a vociferous call for Ígáláà to be preserved, and An Ígálá-English Lexicon answers that clarion call with an impressive trove of data, analysis, and documentation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing Singapore
• Release date: Feb 12, 2015
• ISBN: 9781482827880

John Idakwoji

John Idakwoji is a language artist, playwright, an educationist, author, administrator and innovator with a passion for music, and who retired statutorily as a Deputy Director from Nigeria’s Federal Civil Service in 2012. He has successfully combined information communication technology and applied linguistics to create a bilingual lexicon of the Igala language. He hails from Anyigba, a Central Igala sub-urban town descended from the Itodo Aduga Royal House at Ida, Kogi State, Nigeria.

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Copyright © 2015 by John Idakwoji.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

www.partridgepublishing.com/singapore

My language, my awakening

A Maori proverb.

Contents

Dedication

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgement

Previous Works on Igala Language

The Ígálá Alphabet: Vowels; Diphthongs; Vowel Variants; Consonants; Articulation of Consonants; Memory Cue for Learning the Ígálá Alphabet; Forming Words From The Memory Cue

Tone in Igala Speech: Description of Syllablesl; What Experts say about Tone and Tone Marks; Ígálá Grammar

Parts of Speech: Noun Classes; Noun Formation; Pluralisation of Nouns; Double Pluralisation

Prounouns: Classes of Pronouns; Tone Change in Ígálà Prounouns; The Pronouns: ‘nà,’ ‘à,’ and ‘mà’ + auxiliary ‘á’; The pronouns:, ‘è,̣’ and ‘mè’̣ + auxiliary ‘é’̣; Mid-Toned, Unmarked Pronouns Suggesting Advice, Interrogation, Command and Reporting

Low-Toned Pronouns Indicating Past Tense; Changing Pronouns to Participial Forms; Possessive Pronouns; Fourth (4th) Person; Third (3rd) Person

Verbs; Onomatopoeic or Imitative Verbs

Adverbs: Adverb of Place, Time, Manner; Onomatopoeic or Imitative Adverbs; Adverbial Clauses; Adverbial Particle, ‘é’ or ‘ē’

Adjectives; Adjectival Phrases

Preposition; Conjunction; Interjection

Abbreviations Of Parts Of Speech

Features in the Lexicon: Headwords; Phonetic Transcription; Stressed and Unstressed Syllables; Model or Specimen Sentences; Derivatives; Images; Footnotes; Apostrophe; Tilde; Parentheses; Proverbs; Scientific Terms; Personal Names; Cross References; Italicsn

General Abbreviations In The Lexicon

THE LEXICON

Letter A

Letter B

Letter CH

Letter D

Letter E

Letter Ẹ

Letter F

Letter G

Letter GB

Letter Gw

Letter H

Letter I

Letter J

Letter K

Letter KP

Letter KW

Letter L

Letter M

Letter N

Letter NY

Letter Ñ

Letter ÑM

Letter ÑW

Letter O

Letter Ọ

Letter P

Letter R

Letter T

Letter U

Letter W

Letter Y

POSTSCRIPT

The Dialects of Ígálá Language

Comparative Linguistics

Relationship Between Ígáláà and Yorùbá Languages

Linguistic Adoption

English Loan-words

Háúsá Loan-words

Ìgbò Loan-words

Núpé Loan-words

Ìdọmà Loan-words

Igala Kingdom In Perspective

(i) Geography

(ii) Language

(iii) District Administration

(iv) Religion

(a) African Traditional Religion (ATR.)

(b) Foreign Religions

Islam

Christianity

• Church Missionary Society (CMS): Samuel Àjàyí Crowther

• Crowther’s Kidnap

• The Qua Iboe Mission

• The Roman Catholic Mission (RCM)

• The Church Missionaries in Many Lands (CMML)

(v) Pre-Colonial Economy

(a) Textile Production

(b) Dyeing (Ànúnú-Ényí)

(c) Leather-works

(d) Fishing

(e) Solid Mineral Deposits

(f) Iron Technology

(g) Rubber, Groundnut, Cotton Shea-butter, Castor-oil beans

British Expeditions to the River Niger in Central Africa (1832, 1841 & 1854)

(a) The Richard Lander Expedition of 1832

(b) The Trotter-led Expedition of 1841

(c) The William Balfur Baikie-led Expedition of 1854

Partitioning of the Igala Kingdom

Wars Fought By the Igalaa

(a) The Ígálá-Benin War

(b) The Ígálá-Jūkùn War

(c) Bassa Uprising

(d) Màhíónú War

Dynastic Sovereigns Of Ígálá History

(1) The Ígáláà (Or Àtá-Erí) Dynasty

(2) The Àji Àtá Dynasty

(3) The Júkùn (Or Kòróròfá) Dynasty

(a) Àbùtù Ẹ̀jẹ̀

(b) Ébúlẹẹ́jonú Ábùtù

(c) Ágánápojè

(d) Ìdoko Ágánápojè

(e) Áyẹ́gbà Ìdoko

(f) Ónú (Ónákpa) Akwùmábì

(g) Akogwu Ayẹ́gbà

(h) Òhíémi Ọ̀bọgọ (Òcholi Ọ̀gákọ mà d’ómú újà)

(i) Àámẹ́ẹ̀ Achọ

(j) Ìtódó Ádùgà

(k) Ọ́gáláà Akogwu

(l) Áídoko Adégbé

(m) Ónúchẹ́ Ámẹ-Achọ

(n) Éḳ éḷè ̣ Àgà (Assassinated in 1834)

(o) Àámẹ́ẹ̀ Òchéje (1835-1856)

(p) Ákwù Òdíbā (1856 – 1870)

(q) Òkolíko Onuché (1870-1894)

(r) Àámẹ́ Ágà (1876-1900)

(s) Òchéje Àámẹ́ Óchēje (a.k.a. Òchéje Onọ́kpā) (1901-1903)

(t) Òbòní Akwù (1905-1911)

(u) Ògwùché ̣ Akpá (1911–1919)

(v) Àtábọ Ìjòṃ ì (1919–1926)

(w) Ọ̀bàje Òchéje (1925–1946)

(x) Àáméẹ̀ ̣ Óbòní (1946–1956)

(y) Àlí Ọ̀bàje (1056-2012)

(z). Ìdákwó Àámé-̣ Óbòní (2013 to date)

Family Tree of the Júkùn (or Kòróròfá) Dynasty

The Lost Kings of the Jukun (or Kororofa) Dynasty

Installation Of An Àtá-Igáláà

Rites Of Passage Of The Àtá-Igáláà

Notable Igalas In The Pre-Colonial And Colonial Period

(a) Princess Íníkpi Ayègbà

(b) rincess Ọ́moòdòkò Ayègbà

(c) Ọ́nọ́já Óbòní

(d) Ákogwu Ọ̀màgà Hiẹkwù-Hiẹkwù

(e) Ákogwu Àkpélè

(f) Queen Àdébú Àbùtù Ẹ̀jẹ̀ (Ónú Égwúmẹ́)

(g) Òchónía Àpẹ́

(h) Ákwù Àgàhiú

(i) Ádúkwú Ọkẹ́kwu

(j) Ódomà Ọ̀kọlọbádì

(l) Ódomà Abáláká

(l) Ádẹ́bọ Aruwà-Igọ́

(m) Ọ̀bàje Ìdègwù

Sources And Meanings Of Ígálá Names

Misspelling Of Ígálá Names

Early Trade, Legal Tenders

(a) Trade by Barter

(b) Cowry Shells and the Evolution of the Igala Numeral System

(c) The Zenith of Igala’s Glory

(d) Cowries Catalyzed Slave Trade

Ancient Igala Numeral System

Bibliography

Dedication

I dedicate this book, An Ígálá-English

Lexicon, to God Almighty, my Creator

and Enabler; to Reverend Father Gerard

Bouthillette (Congregatio Sancti Spiritus

(C.S.Sp) ; to my late, loving mum, Ágabé

Adẹ́bọ Aruwà-Igọ́; to all Ígálá people, both

at home and in the diaspora, including those

who, yesterday, spoke Ígáláà but, today, new

alien tongues put in their mouths by historical

circumstances beyond their control; who truly

trace their roots to Ígáláland but are no longer

able to articulate the Igala speech in spite of

its grandeur, appeal, depth and exceptional

communicative elegance; to all peoples

that are linked, in one way or the

other, to the

Ígáláà, and

who yearn

to speak,

read and

write the

language that

gives expression

to the Igala’s ancient, sacred,

unique and untainted culture. I dedicate this

book, finally, to all Igala children yet unborn.

Ọ̀tákída Édu Ch’òjima

Ọ̀tákída Òfé Ùkọ̀là Igáláà k’ì dẹ́ ì, Ú m’ú

du ràrẹ̀ Ọ́jọ́chàmáchāālāà k’Ì chọnà mi, Ẹ́nẹ-

èyíkwu mi; kpàí Ẹ́nẹfu Ìfada Jẹ̀ráàd Bótíyẹ̄tì

(C.S.Sp); kpàí íye-ọmà òdùmá mi, Ẹ́nẹyòkwú,

Ágabé Adẹ́bọ Aruwà-Igọ́. Ù ñọ́ m’ú du w’ábō

wa kù mà tété dódò j’ọdọ́da, k’àmoòkwọ́ ma

tẹtọ́ kw’ójī-anẹ̀ Igáláà kw’ìkò k’ì má mẹ̄ gẹ̄ẹ̀ ṅ.

Íchí wa-í àmoòkwọ́ ma kà igbélé; àmáà, ómūnẹ̄

mà ákà abájọ-í. Ù ñọ́ m’ú du ch’ùfẹ̀dọ̀ w’ábō

kù mà átọla mányú àbó Ígáláà l’ọ̀ọ́nà wéwe,

kù mà ábìèbi kú ma gb’Ígálá ny’ọ̄ñẹñẹnẹ.

Mà ñọ́ dọ́mọ̄ ājàlíñàlà kú ma neke gba ;

kú ma ñọ́

kọ nyọ̀nyọ̀.

Todu kú

ma lefù

ichí-égbọ́

kú ma

m’ẹñwu k’ì lugbo ọ̀gwù Igáláà. Òtítálá ñwu,

Ù m’ọ́tākīda Òfé Ùkọ̀là-í du w’ámọma ùbì.

Foreword

Igala, a West Benue-Congo language and precisely one of the ‘Yoruboid’ languages in Nigeria, is a minority language spoken by over two million people who live on the eastern part of Kogi State, covering nine (9) Local Government Areas of the state. It is also spoken by some communities in the neighbouring states, such as Delta, Enugu, Anambra and Benue.

Considering the criteria, language development, documentation and linguistic description, all the languages in Nigeria are endangered, including the Big Three – Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. This is so because even the so-called fairly highly-documented and/or analysed languages cannot compete favourably with well-researched and documented European and Asian languages. To the best of my knowledge, Igala is yet under-documented and only sparsely and insufficiently described. As it were, what is urgently needed for languages like Igala and other West Benue-Congo (WBC) languages without written historical sources is, for the time being, to provide a descriptive data of the spoken varieties in the forms of disciplined grammatical analysis and comprehensive lexicon.

Idakwoji’s An Igala-English Lexicon is, therefore, a timely response to this call. In my sincerely considered opinion, the lexicon, which is a product of thirty-three (33) years of painstaking research and compilation, is the richest, largest and most comprehensive single collection of Igala lexemes available so far in Igala language studies and documentation.

The book is a very significant contribution to Igala studies both as an invaluable research document and teaching tool in the language. I, therefore, recommend it to linguists and scholars of Igala language studies, students and teachers of Igala, and even the general readers interested in Igala studies.

Gideon S. Ọmachonu, PhD, AvHF,

Associate Professor of Linguistics

Preface

The scramble for and eventual partitioning, occupation and colonization of African territories by major European powers, following the Berlin Conference of 1884, led to the foisting of foreign languages on those captured territories as national languages. According to history books, the British, French, Portuguese, Spanish and Dutch who wielded colonial powers in parts of Africa did so ostensibly for easier communication and unification of the numerous indigenous, multi-lingual populations they colonized. While the new languages were adjudged a plus for the various colonial administrations, they could also be construed as a devastating blow on the integrity and sustainability of the affected local languages. By extension, the cultures of the speakers in the conquered kingdoms suffered as well.

In colonial times, schools in the Igala Kingdom adopted the English language as a medium of instruction. Initially, it was complemented, at the pre-primary school level, by Igala language after an orthography had been fashioned out for it by the Colonial Administration in 1932. Thereafter, the kingdom witnessed three unbroken decades of intensive study of mother-tongue instruction, which formed the foundation upon which the child’s subsequent education was based. The standard of education rose considerably high due to the cooperation and synergy among the stakeholders in the education sector at the time, namely: the early missionaries – who also doubled as school proprietors; the Igala Native Authority (N.A.), headed by His Royal Majesty, the King (Àtá-Igáláà), and the colonial administration, represented by Administrative Officers posted to Ídá, the capital of the Igala Division, as it was called then. The colonial officers were responsible for the implementation of colonial policies on various sectoral interests, like education, trade, religion, administration, and so on. The stakeholders, no doubt, had their individual vested interests, which justified their common enthusiasm in the evolution of a system of writing for Igala language. While the missionaries were stimulated by evangelistic fervour, the colonial administrators sought a fuller understanding of the people and their way of life through the local languages, possibly to foster better approach to governance. The Igala N.A., on its part, was driven purely by the political will to address the people’s quest for ‘white man’s knowledge’ in the new dispensation. And, incredibly, within the years that followed, up to the second half of the 1960s, citizens’ mastery of reading and writing was commendably high. They could even read copious texts, like the Holy Bible, following its translation and publication in 1937 by the Church Missionaries in Many Lands, CMML).They also avidly read the now-defunct bilingual newspaper, "Ókóò Anẹ̀ Igáláà," (Igala Parrot), which had circulated widely in Igalaland up to the onset of the Nigerian Civil War in 1967.

Just when the culture of Igala language study was becoming more entrenched in the land, a disconcerting paradox unfolded. The use of the Igala mother-tongue as a complementary medium of instruction at the pre-primary school level stopped, surrendering the stage to English language. At the national level, three local Nigerian languages: Háúsá, Ìgbò and Yorùbá, were endorsed for continuous instruction and learning in schools. By implication, outside these three, all other local languages and cultures in Nigeria, numbering over five hundred, had been sent on quiet retirement in obscure isolation; while the burden of teaching local languages to children was indirectly transferred to parents. Unfortunately, many of these parents are not literate to carry out the pedagogical role. As a result, no one taught the children the mother-tongue any more.

The aftermath of that ‘putsch’ on the larger group of local languages is horrendous, as many of them are becoming increasingly endangered. The symptom of endangerment among the affected languages is the inability, on the part of several native speakers, to speak them as frequently and as fluently as they ought to. Recent empirical research has shown that several Nigerian languages, including ‘The Big Three,’ are endangered. The most vulnerable among them have gone into extinction due, in the main, to total absence of native speakers. Ethnologue: Languages of the World (17th Edition, 2013), by Lewis M. Paul, Gary F. Simons and Charles D. Fennig (eds.), puts the number of Nigerian languages that had gone extinct (as at 2013) to seven. The Nigerian Linguistics Association asserts that four hundred Nigerian languages are endangered, while the UNESCO puts its own number at sixteen. In an article, titled Saving Nigerian Languages, published in Nigeria’s Daily Trust newspaper, Monday, 15th December, 2014, it was reported that a recent UNESCO research had revealed that ten endangered languages like Ajawa, spoken in the Bauchi area and Basa-Guma, spoken in the Kainji area, had become extinct by February 2014, noting that if the trend continued unchecked, Nigerian languages would be on the extinction slope in two or three generations, adding that, currently, one hundred and fifty-two Nigerian languages are hardly spoken.

Ígáláà, a ‘kindred’ language to Yorùbá, is one of the endangered languages in Nigeria, considering the fact that it is less and less spoken by the younger generation, who have not been encouraged to speak it. The language is also seldom described, under-investigated and under-documented. On account of their inability to speak the language very well, many of today’s Igala youths know little about their culture, history, customs, traditions, mores and taboos as well as the core values and codes of ethics recommended by society. In addition, Igala language is hardly used in written communication, even amongst informed adult speakers. Other factors that inhibit their understanding of the local language include border influence; rural-urban migration; influence of cosmopolitan work-places and school premises in which parents and their off-springs find themselves on daily basis; inter-marriage and parental indiscretion. Some families do not speak the mother-tongue to their children at home; instead, they speak English or Pidgin to them, deluding themselves that their local language does not have the ‘civilizing’ capacity as English, or Pidgin. Little do such parents realize that they are on the way to failing in their bounden, ancestral duty of transmitting the mother-tongue to the next generation of speakers, their off-springs. According to a recent UNESCO research, 25 percent of children below the age 11 years are not able to speak their parents’ indigenous languages in Nigeria. To make matters worse, the wise and venerated old people who are the custodians of their language and culture, have commenced their descent, as they return to their Maker, having lived long leases of life on earth. The regret, however, is that their vast knowledge, which had made them ‘gurus’ in the language and culture, will be interred with them and missed forever.

At institutional level, there is flagrant non-compliance with the provision in the National Language Policy that encourages teaching children at tender age their mother-tongue first, before ushering them into other classes for instruction in other subjects. The supervisory mechanism in use in schools today, compared to what obtained in the colonial period seems to lack focus in terms of assessment of content, methodology and outcomes. Vernacular text-books, teaching aids and language-teaching equipment are scarce; while incentives for teachers have not been fashioned out, as the business of Igala study itself is yet to return actively to the front burner of national priorities. It is also anachronistic to refer to a handful of local languages as the ‘majority,’ while hundreds of their local counterparts become the ‘minority.’

It was, therefore, to combat these enormous challenges and to rein in the monster called ‘language endangerment’ that the idea of An Igala-English Lexicon was mooted over three decades ago. The lexicon, a bilingual text containing over 5000 indigenous Igala headwords, is modeled after a normal English dictionary in both style and features. Each headword is introduced in bold or black, tone-marked, stress-marked, phonetically transcribed and succinctly defined, with model sentences and nearly four hundred footnotes providing illustrations and further details. The headwords also generate large numbers of derivatives and these appear in form of compound words, proverbs, idioms, aphorisms and other poetic forms of Igala speech. They serve as a resource base for a more penetrative, all-inclusive and non-discriminatory instruction in Igala local language. Should a specific round of instruction dove-tail into other subject areas, such as agriculture, trade and commerce, history, civics, literature and so on, numerous headwords and topical write-ups that best suit their respective circumstances are amply provided in the lexicon. Non-Igala speaking readers are particularly assisted to pronounce the indigenous words in the lexicon and to learn to use them in sentences through the help of these diacritical marks, which underscore the lexicon’s capacity to export Igala language to other ethno-cultural environments.

Tone, which has been consistently ignored in Igala writing since the inception of the current Igala Orthography in the early 1930s, has been introduced in the lexicon. Apart from teaching readers how to read and monitor the movement of tone in a written Igala text, the lexicon also provides helpful tips to readers on how tone marks could be applied to written words, phrases and sentences. Mastering this critical resource will go a long way to enhance the reader’s understanding of a written text, while increasing his reading speed. Tone or accent marks are complemented by phonetic transcriptions and stress marks, all of which appear in parentheses in front of all the headwords, each performing its assigned, linguistic function. Some of the phonetic symbols, diacritical and stress marks used in the lexicon are standard, linguistic forms complemented by other universally- recognized models adopted in the writing of tonal languages. However, a few of them, which are specific to the lexicon, are indigenous forms created to represent certain peculiar units of sound hitherto ignored in written Igala speech. Their use here is provisional, as it is our hope that their standard substitutes will have emerged and that they would be accordingly reflected in the next edition of the book.

The lexicon provides remedial services to readers whose knowledge of the mother-tongue may not be deep enough and those who cannot even speak it at all. To assist readers, a wide variety of specimen sentences intended to engage them in simulated speech lessons is provided. The idea is to encourage such readers to learn the language by speaking it. The lexicon also provides numerous research avenues for scholars and students in several disciplines. Finally, readers are encouraged to contribute to the present database of Igala words and expressions as a contribution to the on-going documentation exercise intended to archive them.

Over and above everything else, the lexicon makes a case for all Nigerian and African language groups whose languages, like Ígáláà, have become endangered and vulnerable. It cries out stridently to drum up public or corporate empathy and support for these endangered languages in order to rescue them from the jaws of extinction. It urges native speakers of the endangered languages and their sympathizers in the ‘global village’ to tarry no more but, rather, to make hay while the sun shines.

Some headwords in the lexicon are a reproduction of some moon-light scenes and stories, childhood games, songs, practices and puzzles that tax cognitive reasoning, among many fun-filled games. The young ones of this age and time might find a few of these nostalgic experiences useful. The book is committed to the interest of young readers in their determination to learn their mother-tongue. To this end, an electronic version of the lexicon has been posted on the Internet and will be found at www.igalaenglishlexicon.com.

The oceanic depth of Ígáláà and, indeed, other Nigerian and African languages, as well as their capacities for dynamic expansion and development, could, if properly nurtured, be re-equipped, re-energized and re-directed to usher their speaking communities into active participation in the global economy, which has been the exclusive preserve of official languages of the world. The Ígáláà are incredibly rich in God-given vaults of artistic, literary, cultural, mineral and other resources and do call on investors for the exploration of these resources through cross-cultural co-operation. Research jointly carried out in the process could throw some light on certain shared cultural affinities or linguistic commonalities, which, if not captured early enough, could be lost in the sands of history.

Structurally, it is divided into three sections, namely: Introductory, Lexicon and Postscript sections. The first section provides general information on the properties and characteristics of Igala language as well as Igala grammar and comparative linguistics, under which the linkages between Yorùbá and Ígálá have been examined. It also highlights loan-words derived from other languages, such as Háúsá, Ìgbò, Ìdọmà and Núpé, which are present in the Igala vocabulary. The second part, the Lexicon, is the core focus of the book and has all the features of a dictionary rendered in two columns. Footnotes have been used to provide fuller, more detailed information on certain concepts treated either as headwords or derivatives. They appear in tinier print at the bottom of the pages where they occur. The third and final part is the Postscript section, which is a cocktail of ethnographic information, including the geography, history, origins and natural resources of the Igala landscape as well as the several occupations practised by the Igalas in the past. These include rubber-tapping, dyeing, weaving, blacksmithing and iron-smelting, which have been discarded in modern times due mainly to certain sociological factors. It also contains profiles of Àtá-Igalas that have ruled the kingdom since the beginning of the three successive dynasties that have characterized the Igala kingship history. It also profiles some notable Igala citizens who lived in the pre-colonial and colonial periods and distinguished themselves, through extra-ordinary feats in trade, wars and mysticism. Brief accounts also exist on the major wars that were fought by the Igalas between the 16th and 19th Centuries. There are also abridged versions of the Narratives on the three (3) British Expeditions sent to the River Niger in Central Africa by the British Government, which visited the Àtá-Igáláà at Ídá, in 1832, 1841 and 1854 respectively. Finally, the section contains a reproduction of a pre-colonial numeral system, which enables one to count figures from one to one trillion mark!

Finally, Ígáláà and, indeed, other Nigerian and African languages, beckon stakeholders – linguists, language artists, sociolinguists, playwrights, movie-makers, theatre artists, educationists, curriculum designers, cultural icons, policy makers and players in the private and public sectors – to close ranks with Igala language experts in their arduous, pioneering task of articulating a road-map for Igala language study. Policy-makers are also urged to review the relevant legislations on mother-tongue instruction; to see to it that all indigenous languages spoken in the country and on the continent are given due attention. Parents are reminded of their divinely-inspired and bounden duty of teaching their children and wards all they need to know about their languages and cultures early in life. The overriding objective in carrying out these measures should be to put these wonderful, multi-talented and gifted children at the focal point of society’s concerns and priorities; to unlock their creative capacities and potentials as they are being armed with requisite skills and know-how to venture into the panoramic spheres of Igala language, literature, culture and history, which have remained almost virtually unexplored since the eons of antiquity.

Enjoy your reading.

John Ìdákwóji

Lexicographer

Acknowledgement

I give boundless thanks to my Creator and Enabler for preserving my life, blessing me with excellent health and making it possible for me to, among other things, bring the lexicon Project, which I had started over three decades back, to a dazzling fruition. I cannot but marvel at His miraculous doing in which the book finally came out in three versions – e-book, Paper-back and Case-bound print versions – way beyond what one had originally envisioned.

I wish to seize this opportunity to appreciate the informed vision and good governance credentials of His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kogi State, Captain Ídrìs Ìchàlà Wàdá. That the lexicon has made its debut in the Governor’s tenure is significant, being symptomatic of great things that could happen in the state’s educational sector in his time, including the provision of a vital infrastructure and framework for active and compulsory mother-tongue instruction in schools across the state. This service could also be extended to the schools’ host communities, where adults who have never gone to school could also be taught to read and write in their local languages, alongside preliminary English lessons.

I wish to seize this opportunity to formally congratulate His Royal Majesty, Ágábáìdù, Dr. Ìdákwó Michael Ameh Òbòni II, the Àtá-Igáláà, on his investiture, which occurred in April, 2013, for his profound interest in the lexicon. For the book to have arrived during his reign is an auspicious sign for the development and promotion of Igala language study in and outside his domain. Your Majesty, may your reign be long, fair and rewarding.

My profound (albeit posthumous) appreciation goes to his predecessor, Ágábáìdù, Dr. Àlíì Ọ̀chéja Ọ̀bàje (MBE, CON), whose 56-year reign witnessed increased growth and development in Igalaland. He will also be fondly remembered for bequeathing to his people an enduring Igala numeral system, which was used in the early 20th Century and is reproduced in this book. I wish to echo the voice of reason in acknowledgement of the steadfast loyalty of Senator (Dr.) Ahmadu Àdá Àlíì (GCON) to the Igala throne as well as his unique contributions to Igala development over time. Even though he has handsomely paid his dues to the motherland, Igala sons and daughters still look up to him for further guidance and support.

I wish to appreciate the stimulating encouragement I received from Professor T. K. Àdéyanjú, formerly of the Language Arts Department, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria who, on 19th October, 1981, endorsed this lexicon project, which, he said, was original and, therefore, capable of broadening the frontiers of Igala language. I also owe a similar depth of gratitude to Dr. Gideon Tsẹ́jà, an educationist, academician, publisher and administrator who, as a role model, has continued to inspire me since I received that Best English Student Award at the end of my National Certificate in Education (NCE) course at the Advanced Teachers College, Ahmadu Bello University, now Federal College of Education, Kano, in 1978. Without doubt, he has been a bastion of strength for me on this lexicon project, which, since its inception, has benefited so much from his support, encouragement, inspiration and professionalism.

My sincere appreciation goes to Pa John Akagwu, a nonagenarian retiree of over three decades, for his rich contributions to the Postscript segment of this book, particularly on the profiles of Àtá-Igálás in history. My special thanks go to Justice (Chief) Sylvester Ùmórù Onú, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, for his keen interest in the project and his endless support and encouragement. My profound gratitude goes to Chief Daniel A. Ákọ, a chemist, Ex-Federal Permanent Secretary and an opinion leader, for his wisdom, encouragement and informed contributions. I wish to acknowledge, with profound thanks, the kind intervention, support and encouragement of Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Ex-Minister of Transport, especially during the final stages of the project. My thanks also go to His Royal Highness, the Ọ̀gọ̀hì-Ànyìgbá, Ájọfẹ Àbú Shàíbù-Òkóló, for his blessings. To the Ámánà-Ọ̀gọ̀hì-Ànyìgbá, Architect (Chief) G.Y. Adúkwú, Ex-Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Health, I owe tremendous gratitude for his goodwill, support and encouragement. I also wish to thank Barrister Francis A. Wòdì for the numerous Igala words and expressions in addition to his legal input to the lexicon project for which he charged nothing. I also wish to thank Chief (Elder) James Àlàbí Òkái, the Ọ́kwu-Àtá-Igáláà, for his keen interest in the project.

I am grateful to His Royal Highness, the Ẹ̀jẹ̀-Ùgwọlawó, Chief Peter Ọ̀pàlúwa, for providing vital information on the Màhíónú War in 1916-1917 in the reign of Àtá Ògwùchẹ́ Akpá (1911-1919). I also wish to appreciate the unforgettable assistance of Architect (Dr.) Godwin Òdùmá, a former Director, Public Buildings in the then Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, for his contributions and also for the useful contact he initiated for me to meet and discuss, time and again, with some of my brothers and sisters in the diaspora, the Èbú-Igáláà of the Èbú community, near Àsàbà, Delta State, Nigeria.

I wish to pay a special tribute to my former boss, guardian and mentor, Rev. Fr. Gerard Bouthillette, a French Canadian Catholic priest, to whom this book is partly dedicated. I had worked with him on the manuscript of his Igala-English Dictionary project, which partly inspired the writing of An Igala-English Lexicon. My posthumous thanks go to His Lordship, Late Bishop Ephraim Òbót, former Catholic Bishop of Ídá Diocese, for his genuine interest in, and support for, the project while he was here with us. May His Lordship’s gentle soul rest in perfect peace. Amen.

I am, indeed, grateful to Mr. Yésúfù Ètù, a versatile Igala writer, who, from the outset, read through three preliminary manuscripts of the lexicon and offered candid suggestions. I wish to register my profound gratitude to Yàkubù Mohammed, publisher, administrator and journalist, who shared his robust experience and professionalism with me on this project. Similar thanks go to Dr. Gideon S. Ọmáchonū, Associate Professor of Linguistics, Nasarawa State University, Kéffì, for allowing me to pick his brain from time to time and also for his unbiased opinion on the potential of the book to accelerate the growth and development of Igala studies.

Dr. John Ìlẹ̀ẹ́mọ̀na Ọ̀gbadú, proprietor, JEC Hospital, Súlèja, Niger State, Nigeria has been a pillar of support for the lexicon project since 1984. Apart from supplying substantial medical registers and professional definitions of medical concepts to the project, which, no doubt, added value to the book, he also contributed to stabilizing several other entries in the lexicon. In addition, he also granted me unfettered access to his library and hosted the pre-publication run-through of the electronic manuscript of the book, an exercise that lasted a few months. In the light of these contributions, Dr. Ọ̀gbadú deserves to be decorated with the red feather of a Crested malimbe (see ùlòkò), which, in Igala culture, is a trophy for excellent performance. Similarly, Mr. Emmanuel Shàíbù Òdíbā, who also actively participated in the run-through exercise, deserves a pat on the back.

I wish to specially thank Chief Sylvester Ọnọ́jà for, at a point, exploring various possibilities for the publication of the book. I also will wish to appreciate the professional contributions of Mr. Gabriel Ibrahim Isa, a retired Senior Forester with the defunct World Bank-sponsored Ànyìgbá Agricultural Development Project (AADP), Ànyìgbá, who furnished the project, free of charge, with a large number of botanical registers. This, in no small way, facilitated the scientific definition of most of the economic trees and other plants that add to the luxuriance of the Igala vegetative belt. To His Royal Highness, the Áda-ọkpúlú Agánápojè, Chief Ahmadu A. Attah, I am most grateful for his tremendous interest in the project and the no holds barred interviews he granted me on some of the founding fathers of the ruling Júkùn (or Kwàráràfá) Dynasty, of whom he is a linear descendant. Their profiles, which are richly captured in the book, have revealed fresh information on the dynasty’s apical ancestors never before recorded in the public domain. (See Postscript: Dynastic Sovereigns of Igala History).

I wish to appreciate the contributions of Honourable John Àlíì Ogwu of Ùkwàjà, Ídá, a septuagenarian community leader, an educationist and philanthropist, for furnishing the project with information on the Igala traditional kingship structure, particularly with regard to the nine (9) aboriginal Ígálámēla Clans at Ídá. I also appreciate the efforts of Mr. John Égwémi, an Ex-soldier and a supervising security officer in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Àbúja, for supplying information on the kingship and age-grade systems in Ìbàjí area, south of Igala Kingdom.

Special thanks go to Mr. Friday Ọ̀gáchẹkọ̀ Ọ̀kái, a Director with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria, not just for his professional contribution to, and definitive support for the publication but also for always being there for me as a source of strength and mutual affection. I wish, at this point, to pause and salute the efforts of Engr. Abdullahi Haroun Bàbá of Dangote Group of Companies, in whose official (NNPC) quarters at Barnawa, Kaduna, Nigeria, the foundation stone of the project was laid in October, 1981. Since then, he has not only followed its progress but has also contributed substantially to the production of the book. My thanks also go to Engr. Yúsùf Hárúnà (FNSE), Ex-Executive Director, Engineering and Technical Services, Nigerian Ports Authority, Lagos, Nigeria, who has also been very supportive of the project. I also wish to acknowledge the kind disposition of Engr. Ahmed Rufai Mohammed, General Manager, Capital Projects, Nigerian Ports Authority, Lagos, Nigeria, to the project, particularly with regard to Nupe entries in the book. To Engr. Musa Wàdá, Port Manager, Calabar Port, Nigerian Ports Authority, I express my profound gratitude for his support and encouragement. To Mr. Paul Àjíbílì Ọ́kala of the Nigerian Custom Services, Lagos, Nigeria, I am very grateful for his contributions.

Words are not enough for me to express the depth of my gratitude to His Lordship, Honourable Justice Husseini Yusuf-Baba, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, not only for his uncommon interest in the book project all along but also for mobilizing support for its successful production. In this regard, I wish to appreciate the outstanding input of Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Abdulsalam Ìyàji, Louis Edet House, Force Headquarters, Abuja. His unparalleled contribution to the post-production success of the lexicon is highly appreciated. I am equally grateful to Engr. Kashim Ali, President, Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN); Dr. (Surgeon) A. A. Abdullahi, Defence Health Maintenance Limited Headquarters, Ahuja; Alhaji Yakubu Akọ, Kubwa and Barrister Halima Alfa, Asokoro, Abuja, respectively. May the good Lord, in His infinite mercy, reward them abundantly.

I wish, from the bottom of my heart, to thank an extraordinarily humble, humane and patriotic Nigerian: The Ordinary President, Ordinary Dr. Ahmad Isah, President/Founder, Bẹ̀rẹ̀kẹ̀tẹ̀ Family, Executive Media Strategist/CEO, Human Rights Radio & Television, Abuja, for his invaluable contribution, having afforded me, gratis, the critical air-time he granted me to announce the book’s arrival to a worldwide audience. I am profoundly thankful to Mrs. Esther Àchenyọ̀ Nordman (Nee Gross), Colorado, USA, for her commitment to the promotion of the lexicon in Nigeria and the USA. More importantly, I salute her and Mrs. Lois A. Wheeler (Nee Dibble) for their unflagging dedication to the cause of Igala literacy, which their celebrated fathers (of blessed memory) pioneered, nurtured and sustained.

I wish to acknowledge the support of Rev. Father Michael Umameh, currently a doctoral student at Leeds University, Leeds, United Kingdom, for his uncommon interest in the lexicon, which he fondly refers to as the ‘Magnum Opus.’ To Dr. Moses Ìgọ̀nọ́ of Phoenix, Arizona, USA, I owe tremendous gratitude for his tireless support for the lexicon and Igala literacy.

To Dr. Sam Nègèdu, a former Director, Agricultural Development Department, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Abuja, I am grateful for his constant support and encouragement. I am grateful to Alhaji Abubakar Abdul, a language artist, an educationist and administrator, for his support. To Prince Àbùdù Ùfẹ̀dọ̀-Ọjọ́ Ọma Àámẹ́ẹ̀ Àkpòlì of Ójúwó-Afu, Ídá, Kogi State, Nigeria, I am most grateful for his input, particularly in the areas of Igala history, culture and spirituality. I also appreciate the burning interest and shared opinions of Mr. Hassan Abọ who, from time to time, furnished the project with several Igala words and expressions treated in the lexicon. I wish to thank Dr. Tom Mìáchì, anthropologist, author, writer, ex- Director, Federal Civil Service, for his encouragement. My thanks also go to Surveyor Peter Ísa Àlìfáà with whom I have, on uncountable occasions, consulted to confirm the meanings of dozens of Igala vocabulary items contained in the lexicon. In the same vein, I wish to express my gratitude to Sir Stephen Yàya Iyòdó (KSM), a retired directorate-level federal administrative officer, who also contributed to the success of the book. I am also appreciative of the keen interest shown by Engr. Súlè Hárúnà, Deputy Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Abuja in the project.

I am grateful to Professor Dánládì Ibrahim Musa, Provost, College of Education, Ánkpa for his support and encouragement. I also wish to acknowledge the interventions of Professor Seidu Mohammed Ọ̀gá, Director-General, National Space Research and Development Agency, Obasanjo Space Centre, Abuja, for which I remain grateful. I owe similar appreciation to Mr. Jonathan Òcholi Ọ̀kpànàchi of the Department of Theatre Arts, Kogi State University, Ànyìgbá, for his support and encouragement. I wish to acknowledge the institutional cooperation of the English Language Department, Kogi State University (KSU), Ànyìgbá and to wish its new head, Dr. Mrs. Grace Adanmo, a very fruitful tenure in the position. My thanks also go to Mr. John Abu Oyidih, Executive Director, Finance & Administration, Unity Kapital Assurance Plc, Abuja, for his keen interest in the project. I wish to appreciate the catalytic encouragement of Sam Égwù, Professor of Political Science, University of Jos, Nigeria and a former Governance Adviser to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). I am also thankful to Mr. Tony Ọ̀gbẹ̀, a Director with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, for his unflinching support. Similarly, I wish to thank Alhaji Àbúbakàr Anájà, Deputy Director, Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Headquarters, Bwari, Abuja, for his endless contributions.

All through the long period that I have been on this project, I have enjoyed amazing support and encouragement from almost all my childhood friends. They include Dr. Àbú Àtájà, Director (Administration and Finance) Agricultural Development Council, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Abuja; Mr. Àgèni Yusuf, Ex-Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries Plc., Ìgànmú, Lagos; Alhaji Ísa Ìchábá, immediate past Head of Kogi State Civil Service; Architect Yàkubù Noah, a retired Deputy Director with the Federal Ministry of Works, Abuja; Chief (Dr.) John Álewò Agbóníká, Associate Professor and former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Kogi State; Mr. Fidel Égwúche, Ex-Commissioner with Kogi State Government; Mr. Joseph Áúdù, formerly of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Abuja; Mr. John Bosco Shàíbù, a retired General Manager, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Úmùáhìà; Mr. Thompson Àbú, a media executive-cum-businessman, and his spouse, Mrs. Eugenia Àbú, Executive Director (Programmes), NTA, Abuja, Nigeria; Mr. Stephen Akwù, Interim Chairman, Kogi State Primary Education Board, Lokoja; Mr. Samuel Yúsúfù, Permanent Member, Kogi State Teaching Service Commission, Lokoja; Mr. Moses Abáláká, College of Education, Ánkpa; Mr. Godwin Abáláká, formerly of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Abuja. Chief (Pharmacist) Benjamin Àmọ́dù (FSPN), Director of Procurement, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Abuja. Others are Mr. Sunday Dan Ógu, Director of Programmes, Development and Implementation, New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), Abuja; Mr. Alex James Ìlláh, formerly of Schlumberger and Transocean Company; Mr. Godwin Òtígà, Ex-Director, Kogi State Ministry of Health, Lokoja; Dr. Andrew Noah, Director (Medical Services), Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja; Mr. Monday Agáma, Director (Co-ordination), National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP), The Presidency, Abuja and Mr. Samuel Abáláká, a Deputy Director with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources. I wish to specially acknowledge the significant intellectual contributions of Mr. Solomon Ọ̀gbadú, particularly in relation to some historical research findings used in the book. I must also mention Mr. Bala Dan Abu of Newswatch Communications, Lagos, for conscientiously following the progress of the book and also for giving me a measure of support and encouragement throughout the period that the project has lasted.

I wish to appreciate the contributions of Professor P.O. Égwúmàh, Wild Life and Range Management, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria and Professor Friday Garba Ọ̀gbẹ̀, Fisheries, Forestry and Wild Life, Kogi State University, Ànyìgbá, Nigeria. My thanks also go to Professor Ibrahim Ọ̀málẹ́ẹ̀, Public Administration Department, Nasarawa University, Kéffì, Nasarawa State, and his spouse, Mrs. Ruth Ọ̀málẹ́ẹ̀ for their encouragement.

My thanks also go to Mr. Charles Ọ̀málẹ̀, Chief Lecturer, Business Education, Kogi State College of Education, Ánkpa; Mr. Michael Àtádọ́gā, former Secretary, Kogi State Broadcasting Corporation, Lokoja; Alexius Audulai Maiyanga (Ph.D), Director (Planning, Research & Statistics, National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Abuja; Engr. Daniel Àhíábà Ọ́makìnikwù II, formerly with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Minna, Niger State; Alhaji Núhù Ahmed, Chairman, Kogi State Primary Education Board (SPEB), Lokoja, Nigeria. Mr. Àlí Adaìdù, food scientist and flour-miller; Mr. Martin Adáji, Artistic Director/CEO, National Troupe of Nigeria ; Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, Chief Nursing Officer, General Hospital, Ánkpa; Alhaji Àbú Sálífù, retired Permanent Secretary, Kogi State Ministry of Agriculture, Lokoja; Mr. Ákọ E. Ameh, Fine Artist and Businessman; Mallam Tìjani Oyìbó, hotelier/businessman; Alhaji Yusuf Àtái, former Director with National Arts Theatre, Ìgànmú, Lagos; Mr. Stephen Àtá, a retired Director Inspectorate, Ministry of Education, Kogi State; Mr. Àlí Òchèéníì, formerly with the Federal Inland Revenue Services; Mr. John Àtáwòdì, a retired Senior Police Officer; Alhaji Suleman Anájá, a professional photographer, who supplied most of the antique images of some past Ata-Igalas profiled in the Postscript section of the book.

Special thanks to Barrister Patrick Òkólo of Zenith Chambers, Abuja and Barrister Sunday Ọ̀gbadú, former General Manager (Legal), Bank of Agriculture Limited for their support and encouragement support. Barrister Josephine Ọ́jọ́nugwà Ógwu, whose legal contributions to the lexicon project I cannot fail to mention. I must not forget the contributions of Mr. Joseph Èjìmá Ọ̀gbadú, Deputy Director (Accounts), Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation; Godwin Ẹ́chá Ìgọ̀nọ́ of NNPC, Abuja; Mohammed Isa Àtókwū of The Presidency, Abuja; Mr. Solomon Jonathan Àhíábà, National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP), Abuja; Mr. Ùfarunà Àwúlúù Ìmaji, a Lagos-based Financial Consultant; Alhaji Abdul Ọ̀dáúdúù, General Manager, Town Planning and Development Board, Lokoja, Kogi State. I am also grateful to Mr. Moses Afẹ́nọkọ Ọ̀gbadú, Kogi State University, Mr. Nathanael Àbùdù Suleiman and Hon. Ógwu Ùfarunà of Ójófù, Ànyìgbá for their solidarity. I must not also fail to appreciate the measures of support rendered by Mohammed Hàlilù, Áchọ Matthew Ogwu, Ọ̀chẹ́ja Abraham Ogwu and Momoh Sani Iyòdó to the project.

I am profoundly thankful to Mohammed Álímù, my ICT Consultant, for his ingenuous deployment and creative application of technological tools in the creation of an indigenous Igala Font Type, which made the use of special characters, diacritical marks, phonetic symbols and tone marks used in the lexicon possible. By that gigantic achievement, he also made possible the realistic goal of universal accessibility for the lexicon. I wish to specially thank Mr. Ẹ̀zà Ábọ, formerly of Newswatch Communications, Lagos, for most of the illustrative images used in the lexicon.

I must not fail to mention some departed Igalas who had contributed to the project and the development of the Igala nation. They include Dr. Stephen Mákojí Achẹ́ma; Mr. Patrick Tòkwúláà Achọ; Mallam Áúdùlaì Adáji; Mr. Anthony Àchọ́ba; Mr. Patrick Ọmàtá; Alhaji Mamman Ìdù; Chief Àáchẹ́mù (Dandy) Àtájà; Mohammed Adáji; John Adẹ́jọ́ Àtájà; Noah Ẹnẹ-àpé, Chief Ísa Èdímè, Dauda B. Sule and Barrister Yusuf Alhassan. We pray that this book, in which we all shared a common vision, will continue to keep your memories fresh in our hearts. May your gentle souls find perfect repose in the Lord. Amen.

To my time-tested friends of many years, who have stood by me through thick and thin to ensure that the project saw the light of day, I owe profound gratitude. They include Mr. Francis Ápàkí Àlágyè, a Chief Security Officer with a construction company in Abuja; Chief Íkéchūkwū Anyádùbà, a veteran print and broadcast journalist; Alhaji (Dr.) Àlíyù Ilyasu Kàkùmí, former Managing Director, Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN) Limited, Kaduna, now MD/CEO, Lead Automobiles, Abuja; Engr. U. M. Hássàn, a Telecom Engineer, former AGM (Technical) PAN, Kaduna; Prince Àdì Àtóshì, a former Director with NNPC, Nigeria; Prince Umare Zorto, Ex-Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Tàrabà State; Dánjúmà Garba, Director, Road Transport Services, FCT, Abuja; Mr. Mr. Rex Wápdàm Zíttàs, former Sole Administrator, Làngtáng North LGA, Plateau State; Her Excellency, Ambassador Laraba Bhutto, Nigerian Ambassador to Cuba; Úchè Ézèchúkwú, a veteran journalist and back-page guest columnist with The Sun newspapers; Okey Mádùégbùnà, a Maritime Consultant; Engr. Ali Lawal, NNPC, Bayelsa, Nigeria ; Alhaji Àwáísù Áhmèd, Nigeria Immigration Services, Kaduna; Alhaji Táhìr Àùtá, a medical service provider in Kaduna metropolis and Mr. B.C.C. Ódò of the Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board, Abuja.

It would be unkind of me not to mention (nay, appreciate, from the bottom of my heart,) the tact, know-how and finesse deployed into the production of this lexicon by my publishers, Partridge Publishing Singapore, one of the leading, best-practice publishing houses world-wide. With its cream of professional staff – consultants, representatives and supervisors – Partridge has made possible what, ten years ago, would have been downright impossible: to produce a voluminous reference material like this one without the lexicographer visiting Singapore once or twice to monitor the progress of work on it. In this regard, I am particularly thankful to all the consultants assigned to oversee every segment of the production chain, from start to finish, without whose input the book’s ultimate fruition would have been but a mirage. In fact, the ethical high ground, including the humility, courtesy and professionalism with which they all played their individual roles, is highly commended.

Finally, I wish to acknowledge the various contributions of my family, namely: Mr. Idoko Immanuel Ìdákwóji and his wife, Lorraine, both of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Ọ́makojí John Idakwoji Jnr., a Computer Science/Mathematics graduate, for his ICT-based input; Ẹ́nẹjọ́ David Ìdákwóji for his artistic views relating to the exterior design of the book and some headwords relating to traditional architecture. I am also grateful to Áchílẹ̀ Gerard Ìdákwóji for his insightful suggestions and penetrative viewpoints on several concepts in the lexicon and also for helping out with the proof-reading of the copious manuscript. To Áfẹ́nẹ-ọkọ Daniel Ìdákwóji, a radiology student at the University of Calabar, I say thanks for assisting with registers relating to bones and muscles treated as headwords in the lexicon. Finally, to my wife and soul-mate, Mrs. Patricia Ásàna Ìdákwóji (nee-Ógwu), words cannot be enough for me to express my gratitude, especially for keeping the home-front ever peaceful, lively and conducive for the execution of a project of this magnitude.

John Ìdákwóji

The Lexicographer

Previous Works on Igala Language

The first published work on Ígálá language appeared in Reverend John Clarke’s Specimens of Dialects" published in 1848. In 1854, Sigismund W. Koellé, a German linguist, published his "Polyglotha Africana" in which he catalogued 300 words and phrases drawn from 156 languages, including Ígáláà. In this work, Koellé classified Ígáláà in the same Kwá language family with Yorùbá, based on their fairly close similarities. Reverend (later Bishop) Samuel Àjàyí Crowther, in 1855, following his second voyage to Ídá with the William Balfur Baikie-led Victorian Expedition in 1854, published "A Comparative Word-list of Igala, Yoruba and English Languages." In that publication, he upheld Koellé’s classification of Ígáláà with Yorùbá in the same language phylum. Reverend A.G. Coomber, in 1867, published the first "Igala Primer" (London, CMS). However, in all these early works, tone, which is part and parcel of African tonal languages, was ignored.

Mr. W.T.A. Philpot, an Assistant District Officer, working with Mr. A. A. Hewstone and his wife, compiled an Ígálá word-list comprising 600 words and, in 1935, published his first book, "A Short Study of Igala." In 1938, Mr. (later Colonel) Dibble and Mr. Hewstone published "An English-Igala Word-List." In 1951, (later Professor) R.G. Armstrong prepared an unpublished "Grammatical Sketch of Igala" at Mr. Dibble’s mission compound at Ànyìgbá, with the guidance of his native Assistant, Ìjẹ́kẹ́líì Àgbényọ́ọ̀. In 1965, Armstrong published a set of "Comparative Word-Lists of Igala and Yoruba." Thereafter, two American Peace Corps volunteers, Mr. Ray Silverstein and Mr. Edward Fresco, did a phonological study of the Igala language and later published the "Two Dialects of Igala and Yoruba" in which he compared Èbú dialect of Ígáláà with the Ígáláà spoken in the central area of the Igala Kingdom (see Èbú). In 1969, Fresco published "The Tones of the Yoruba and Igala Disyllabic Noun Prefixes." He was the first linguist and scholar to point out that Igala nouns never start on the Mid tone, as do those of Yorùbá. Mr. Ray Silverstein wrote a Ph.D. thesis on "Igala Historical Phonology" in 1973. Dr. Femi Akinkugbe (1976 ; 1978), compared Yorùbá, Ìtsẹ̀kírí and Ígáláà and demonstrated that they form a ‘Yoruboid’ sub-family of the Kwá language phylum of the West Benue-Congo languages.

Orthographies of African Languages

The design of orthographies for African languages dates back to the 17th Century when the early missionaries were in the vanguard of language development, motivated by the spirit of evangelism and the need to translate the scripture into African vernaculars. Coupled with this was the humanistic curiosity kindled by the Renaissance in Europe between the 18th and 20th Centuries, which further promoted increasing know-how in the study of African languages, with German scholars blazing the trail. Towards the end of the 18th Century, it became a fashion for linguists to gather massive volumes of comparative word-lists, a scholarly obsession that ultimately led to the publication of large numbers of monographs on African languages at the time.

The Igala Orthography

The Encarta Dictionaries (2007) defines ‘orthography’ as the study of correct spelling, or the study of how letters are arranged, or the relationship between sounds and letters. The goal of orthography, therefore, is to ensure that the composite letters of an alphabet are properly arranged and applied to writing in accordance with established conventions.

Before the first half of the 19th Century, Igala language had still remained in its spoken form and no effort had been made to commit it to writing as there was no system of writing in place. It was not until the early 1930s that a synergy of efforts by the Colonial Administration and early missionaries led to the emergence of the current Igala Orthography in 1932. The Anthropological and Historical Notes on the Igala People details the contributions of Mr. W.T.A. Philpot, an Assistant Divisional Officer (A.D.O.) posted to the Igala Division (as it was called then) in the 1930s. He was supported by another linguist, Mr. A. A. Hewstone, then, the Secretary of the Church Missionaries in Many Lands (CMML).

Professor Westermann, one of the Directors in the International Institute of African Languages and Culture in Paris, France, made an input to the proposed orthography. He had made the following suggestions : (i) That the vowel letter, /ẹ/ be represented with the symbol ‘ɛ’ in writing. (ii) That the symbol, ‘ɔ,’ should represent the sound /ọ/ ; and (iii) that the nasal sound, ‘ñ,’ be substituted with the symbol, ‘ŋ.’ Hewstone, however, contested the last suggestion based on his observation that the capital letter of ‘ŋ’ resembled the capital form of letter ‘d,’ which could cause some confusion for the entire spelling system, if adopted. At that period of orthography development and the evolution of the Igala alphabet, no distinction had yet been made between the sounds /é/ and /ẹ́/ and /o/ and /ọ/ respectively.

Mr. W.T.A. Philpot, submitted the proposed orthography on 16th November, 1931, to His Honour, the Lieutenant-General of the Northern Provinces (NP), Sir Richmond H. Palmer, requesting for his approval to apply it to Igala writing. Palmer, while giving his consent, had remarked that It conforms to the orthography approved generally by His Excellency, the Governor of Nigeria, for application, in due course, to Yoruba, to which Igala is a kindred language. He, however, cautioned that the critical function of tone should not be compromised, adding that it was important to use tone marks to facilitate that function. He explained that For the African, it seems only necessary to insert tone marks where the meanings of words spelt in the same way vary according to the tone used. It will be necessary in a dictionary to mark all the tones.

The first Igala primer was a product of the new orthography; so also Christian hymns, scriptural notes and the Igala translation of the Holy Bible in 1937 and the printing of the Ókóò Anẹ̀ Igáláà (The Igala Parrot), a bilingual weekly newspaper printed at Ìká, a CMML missionary outpost in Ìfẹ̀ District in the present-day Ọ̀málá LGA. In spite of these breakthroughs in Igala writing, tone still remained elusive until 1965, when Reverend Father Gerard Bouthillette (C.S.Sp) of the Catholic Mission, Ànyìgbá, embarked on an Ígálá-English Dictionary project in which tone marks were used on all vocabulary items in the manuscript. However, the book could not be completed due to his failing health, which forced him to return to Canada. An Ígálá-English Lexicon, in which tone-marks are used as an integral part of Igala language and writing, was inspired by that noble effort.

Orthography Review Meetings

In 1951, an Orthography Meeting was held at Ànyìgbá at the instance of the Igala Divisional Office, which later reported that it had finally arrived …at a permanent orthography for Igala, even though the challenge of tone still lingered. However, in the late 1970s, interest in the orthography question was re-kindled by a CMML missionary, Mr. Paul Gross, popularly known as ‘Paul Ọma-Ẹnẹfu Ànyìgbá’ (Paul, the Son of an Anyigba white-man). Paul was very knowledgeable in Igala speech and writing such that his unusual competency in the language baffled native speakers. Mr. Spencer J. Dibble (son of Late Colonel Dibble) also demonstrated equal zeal in the development of Igala speech and writing. Still, they made no effort to fill the vacuum that tone had left in Igala writing.

In the late 1980s, indigenous efforts towards the promotion of Igala writing became noticeable among Igala linguists, including Mr. Josiah Yésúfù Ètù, a 1981 English Honours graduate of the University of Lagos. He co-authored an Ígálá primer, Ígálá Ékọ́chẹ̄ Ejódùdu, with Dr. Tom Miachi in 1984. In the primers, they introduced tone but limited circulation of the books and lack of follow-up actions, prevented the awareness of tone to sink into the psyche of the Igala writer. Dr. Miachi was at the vanguard of Igala language development in the 1980s. For instance, in 1984, he organised three separate National Seminars and Workshops at the instance of the National Language Centre, Lagos.

Special Characters

Some of the "Special Characters" of the Igala Orthography, particularly the nasal consonant, ‘ñ,’ came under the scrutiny of experts at one of such National Seminars/Workshops, which took place at the Federal Polytechnic, Ídá. They had queried its appropriateness and had moved that it be substituted with the compound letter, ‘ng.’ They explained that the sound ‘ng,’ was closest to its English equivalent as shown in the words, ‘English’ and ‘England.’ The other supportive argument was that the original form, ‘ñ,’ which is pronounced /ŋ/ in Ígáláà, is pronounced /ny/ in Spanish. However, the new form failed to find favour with the Igala writing public in view of its potential not only to mislead and confuse the reader but also its capacity to introduce strange words that have no meaning in Igala speech, as demonstrated in Column 3 of the table below.

In the writing of An Ígálá-English Lexicon, it is the popular 1932 Igala Orthography, which the Igala writing public is conversant with, that was adopted as the medium.

THE ÍGÁLÁ ALPHABET

Small Letters

Capital (Block) Letters

The Igala alphabet in use today is an adaptation of the letters of the English alphabet combined with a smattering of indigenous letters depicting those sounds that are peculiar to Ígálá speech. It is made up of thirty-one (31) letters, seven (7) of which are vowels and twenty-four (24) consonants. Of the seven vowels, two vowels (‘ẹ’ and ‘ọ’) are most indigenous to Ígáláà, with a dot underneath each to distinguish it from /e/ and /o/. Of the 24 consonants, sixteen (16) are single, stand-alone units ; while eight (8) are compound letters representing single, mono-syllabic sounds, namely : ‘ch,’ ‘gb,’ ‘gw,’ ‘kp,’ ‘kw’ ‘ñm,’ ‘ñw’ and ‘ny.’

VOWELS

Basically, as stated earlier, there are seven (7) vowels in the Igala alphabet. They are  : a, e, ẹ, i, o, ọ, u and their characteristics are discussed in the chart below.

LONG OR DUPLICATED VOWELS

In Igala speech, there are instances where the same vowel succeeds itself. Examples include ‘ọ̀kpóóĺó,’ (straight ; as the crow flies) ; ‘jéélé’ (in an orderly assembly) ; ‘kpẹ̀nyẹ̀ẹ̀’ (filthily) ; ‘òdùdu púúlú’ (early in the morning).

Diphthongs

The word, ‘diphthong, is a Greek word meaning, ‘double sounds.’ It is a combination of two different vowels with distinct sounds lying side by side in a word. In its articulation, there is a seamless glide from one vowel to the neighbouring other, as in ‘Á ẹ̀ lè?’ (How are you?). ‘Á ẹ̀ che lè?’ (How did you do it?). ‘Á ì kà?’ (What did he/she/it say?) (See ‘ábú’). Other examples are : àákpà (maize) (derived from ‘àkákpà’) ; ‘èémī’ (lie ; untruth), derived from ‘èmímí’ (to be raw or uncooked) ; ‘èéī’ (this ; this one), derived from ‘èyí-ī’ (this one) ; ámáà (curse) ; ágbáà (basket) ; ẹ́nẹ́ẹ̀? (who?) ; ẹ́ñwúù? (what) ; Ú lè nóò (I won’t go). etc. Igala writing behaviour has always ignored the duplicated vowels in words, preferring to choose one and leave the other, even when the articulation of that omitted component is unmistakeably audible. Duplication of vowel sounds is an integral part of Igala language; hence, by dropping one vowel and retaining the other, one is injuring the make-up of the word and causing it to lose its tone and meaning. In the lexicon, the sound quality of all duplicated vowels is clearly indicated to reflect the exact way that such words are pronounced in day-to-day speech.

Other diphthongs include : ae,