You see why quality education is very important?
Now our southeast brothers have joined the race to claim Odùduwa.
Here is their argument:
1. The word “Igbo” exist in Yorùbá language. For example, Igbo-ọra, Ìjẹ̀bú-Igbo, etc. What a convincing, indisputable evidence that Yorùbáland was part of Igboland.
2. Using the same logic from above, Odùduwà in Yorùbá language is a corruption of Odùdunwà in Igbo language. Odudu means “last” while nwa means “world.” Therefore, Odùduwà is a Yorùbá corruption of the Igbo word “Odudunwa” which means “last-world.”
From this vantage point, at least you can see clearly how and why the account of Benin revisionists and their Izoduwa theory is not tenable.
Now, here is a lecture for you all to take home:
First, as diverse as human language is, we only have few alphabets to shuffle and jostle together to form words in every society. 26 in English, 100+ in Eastern languages like Chinese. As a result of this, there are words in different languages of the world which are spelled the same but means different thing. Some even have close meaning, even though the cultures or societies may be world apart.
Now, if two words can exist in Chinese and itshekiri language which are pronounced and spelled the same way, does that mean one must have come from the other society? Evidently no.
From another perspective, if there could be words pronounced the same way in two cultures that are far apart, how much more cultures that share boundaries? The word “Igbo” exist in almost all Niger-Congo Kwa languages with varying degree of pronounciation. Should we then claim all Niger-congo languages derive from Igbo and as a result, the mother language from which all of us arise? No. For anybody can claim the same once they can find a word in another man’s language that are spelled or pronounced the same way as theirs.
To answer this man, igbo in Yorùbá is different in meaning from Igbo your tribe. Igbo in Yorùbá means bush, forest or Indian hemp. Igbo-ọra that he is using as evidence means fertile forest or bush. Ìjẹ̀bú Igbo is in contrast to Ìjẹ̀bú Ode and it means Ìjẹ̀bú that is far removed into the hinterland or deep forest.
That any town bear the word Igbo in Yorùbá does not mean it must have been founded by an Igbo man. Igbo Erin is here in Ilorin, Igbo oloyin is in Ìbàdàn. There are so many Igbo in Yorùbá land and they do not mean your Igbo.
So, dey your dey and rest.
