Time is now for certain clinical explanations regarding how Igbo Language and its words should be called and written for posterity sake.
Any teacher who taught you that Igbo should be pronounced as Ibo should have their certificate withdrawn.
Igbo has its own phonetics, and it is a grave error to use English phonetics to pronounce Igbo words.
Igbo is a complete language on its own, not a dialect or a derivative of English.
The Igbo language is fully developed, just like the English language.
It uses a 36-letter alphabet, while English uses 26.
Igbo has 8 vowels: a, ị, ọ, ụ, e, i, o, u, and 28 consonants, also known as mgbochiume Igbo.
In comparison, English has 5 vowel letters and 21 consonants, these letters determine the sounds of each language.
The Igbo alphabet is known as Abidịị Igbo, and it’s important to note that this alphabet lacks the letters C, Q, and X because these sounds are not native to our language.
It is also important to note that the Igbo alphabet uses digraphs (two-letter combinations) such as ch, gb, gh, gw, kp, kw, nw, ny, and sh.
This is where the “gb” in “Igbo” comes from, it’s a unique sound, not simply a combination of “g” and “b.”
The level of ignorance among many young Igbo people today, especially those team “My Mama say I be Ibo” is heartbreaking, and it’s time we fixed this. Maka na asi: “Iberibe gbaa, afọ ya aghọ ome n’ala.”
Every day on the internet, I see videos misrepresenting the Igbo language, customs, and traditions, and often shared by our own people.
It’s disheartening because these inaccuracies are spreading false narratives about who we are.
#Donsethbeat
#Igbo
