Indigenous Languages and Oral Traditions’ Preservation
Languages are sets of words or signs used for communication between people of the same heritage. In our day-to-day dealings, we use languages for communication at home, at work, in schools, and in our businesses.
My Indigenous language is Ibibio, Ibibio is not The official language in Nigeria. Nigerians are diverse in languages and cultures, we have the Hausas, the Yorubas, the Igbos, and Efiks/Ibibios ethnic groups, and their Central languages come with their names, Hausa for the Hausas, Yoruba for the Yorubas, Igbo for the Igbos, and Efik/Ibibio for the Efiks/Ibibios. Although there are other languages in Nigeria, the aforementioned Languages are the central languages of these ethnic groups and are understood by most people from the groups.
The official language in Nigeria is English, this language was instituted by the colonial Masters, the British, and English is taught in schools, used in workplaces, and for official transactions. Let us now talk about Ibibio.
IBIBIO LANGUAGE
Ibibio is a language spoken by the Ibibio people in Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria. Ibibio is just a tribe in Akwa Ibom State, which implies there are tribes with other languages in the state.
What makes Ibibio slightly special among the languages spoken by the Akwa Ibom people is that it is the central language of the State, almost everyone from the state understands the language. The Oron people with the Oro language, the Eket people with the Ekid language, the Annang people with the Annang language, etc all understand and speak the Ibibio language, almost everyone. Ibibio is like a heritage of the Akwa Ibom state.
My husband and I use Ibibio in our daily conversations, though we both speak and understand English fluently. But we are bringing up our daughter in English, we want her to speak and understand English fluently first, and since Ibibio runs in her blood, she will easily understand and speak it later in her life.
TRADITIONS
Some cultures in our country are preserved orally or through the commonly spoken language, but I will be focusing on that of the Ibibios. These are a few of them;
1. Dressing: the common dressing in Ibibio is wrappers(Ofoisin in Ibibio language). Men and women tight it differently. Women wear blouses as tops and men wear shirts as tops. The process of wearing a wrapper by men is known as Usobo in the Ibibio language and the shirt is known as Onyonyo in the Ibibio language. While purchasing these things, Ibibio's names are generally known by everyone.
My mother and father inlaw in traditional attire
2. Traditional marriages: In traditional marriages, the used languages are usually the Indigenous languages. The young ones will get to learn the processes of marriage in their Indigenous languages. The attire that is worn by the prospective mates is traditional.
3. Music and Dance: There are traditional songs that complement traditional dances, and these songs are sung in Indigenous languages, songs like Eyen-Eyen which compliments the Ekombi dance, you may read about the dance in this post.
4. Masquerade(Ekpo): Traditionally, the Ibibio displays some customs and traditions. It is for fun, the songs and the Incantations used by the Ekpo are in Indigenous languages.
Young ones in our country get to learn the traditions through their parents verbally or when they see them.
At this Juncture I want to teach you my indigenous language with three words
| Ibibio | English |
|---|---|
| Amesiere | Good morning |
| Abadie? | How are you? |
| Sosongo | Thank you |
@goodybest, Sosongo for organizing the contest.
My friends @jenniform, @aspiya, @owulama, I would like to read about your Indigenous languages and traditions.
Your cultural attire is really good and how I wish I can learn your cultural dance cause I love it😊🥰
Thanks for the invite ma'am, I wish you success in the contest
Thank you very much for taking the time to read my post, I also appreciate your comment , thank you.
Greetings!
My pleasure ma'am 🥰
Wow🌹 what a beautiful and insightful post about the importance of preserving indigenous languages and oral traditions! Your love for the Ibibio language and culture shines through in every paragraph.
It's great to see how you and your husband are passing on your heritage to your daughter, and how you're actively working to preserve the language and traditions of your community.
The details about traditional dressing and marriage ceremonies are fascinating, and the photos are a lovely touch. Your post is a wonderful reminder of the richness and diversity of indigenous cultures, and the importance of preserving them for future generations. Keep sharing your knowledge and passion with us, and thank you for being a beacon of cultural preservation.
Thank you very much for your kind words, I appreciate, one ❤️.
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Curated by : @eliany
Thank you very much @eliany for the support, I am grateful.
What a wonderful post! Your explanation of the importance of language and culture is enlightening. It's great to see you proudly sharing your indigenous language, Ibibio, and traditions with us. Your efforts to preserve and pass on your cultural heritage to your daughter are commendable. The photos of your family in traditional attire add a lovely personal touch. Thank you for sharing your language and customs with us. Please go ahead and teach us the three words in Ibibio!
Wishing you all the best in this contest...
Thank you so much for the encouragement and support, I really appreciate.
For the three words, I have translated them there in English.
I was smiling while reading through your entry. Thanks for sharing our traditions with others. Yes our kids will learn and understand our native language while watching. You and your hubby look so gorgeous 😍 in your traditional outfits.
Thank you very much for the compliment, and nice comments. I am happy you like my post, I appreciate.