Misconception of the Ngwa Dialect word ‘Iko’
The word ‘Iko’ in Ngwa dialect means (much more of) love, dearness, affection or pet.
When you hear Ikonne, Ikonnaya, Ikodiya, ikonneya, Ikongwa, etc, the ‘iko’ therein does not mean extramarital affairs.
“Iko” serves as a root word as well as an independent word, depending on the circumstance. For instance, when an Ngwa person, man or woman, calls you ‘iko m”, he/she is calling you, ‘my love’, ‘my darling’, etc. And, this is very common and peripheral.
I know the depth of the word “iko” in Ngwa dialect creates misconceptions amongst non-Ngwa speakers.
Yes! Iko also mean an extramarital affairs between two adults in Ngwa. Yet, Ikwa iko is not as rampant as you think in Ngwa land than any other space on planet earth, hence, the proverb: Iko ejighi eku nwa – a child born out of marriage is not a legitimate child. Also note that, Ime okwa – pregnancy out of marriage – is a taboo in Ngwa land as a whole.
In the olden days in Ngwa land – when polygamy was the order as in any other African spaces – a married man could bring his iko (would-be wife) home before the wives. Or the the would-be wife can visit and be welcomed by the wives. Same applies to spinsters. Nma/Mpa, iko m mbiata taa – mother/father that girl I told you of is coming today!
There is a shift today, though, polygamy appears to be coming back due to de-westernization and clamour for independence in Igbo and Africa, in general. The spinsters’ scenario persists as it is everywhere.
Instead of assumptions and generalization that creates name calling, ask questions and understudy – research.
I hope this corrects or streamlines the conception of the term, “iko” to so many non-Ngwa dialect speaking people of the Igbo Nation.
Ngwa di Omimi!
Igbo di Omimi!
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