LINGUISTIC SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE IBIBIO, EFIK AND IGBO: MY FINDINGS

I did my NYSC in Akwa Ibom. I wasn't just a corp member but a researcher. I was curious about many things. I had left Okobo for Nsit Atai, to Uruan then to Uyo before proceeding to Ikot Ekpene that very day.

The previous day, I was at Ikono and its environs. I have visited Ikot Abasi, Mkpat Enin, Etim Ekpo, etc.

It's both fact and true that I have gone to all the Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State, apart from Ịka area. Why? Because of rumour of cannibalism. I was afraid.

Within a year I spent in Akwa Ibom for NYSC, everyone knew I was a traveler. Some Corps members called me "Zonal Inspector". I visited almost everyone I met in the camp wherever they were posted. Some thought I was just traveling for nothing. I was traveling for something.

Each weekend, I would set out for a journey. I went zone by zone. Oron Zone, Uyo Zone, Abak Zone, Eket Zone and Ikot Ekpene zone. I traveled beyond these zonal areas and visited all the local government areas and many communities except Ịka, I previously mentioned.

I tried to carry out personal research. Yes, I sponsored myself. I used NYSC peanut to travel each month it's paid while I use my personal money to carter for my personal needs. For if you depend on N19,800 allowee, starvation and sickness might grab you on the tail.

Apart from white soup, vegetable and egusi soup, other soups are quite different from those cooked in Igbo land. I researched on the aspect food. They don't cook achị, akparata, ịsịsa, ahụekere but eritan, afang, atama, edikaikong, etc. I ate all, including ikpang.

Linguistically, I noticed vast differences between the Igbo, Efik, Annang and Ibibio. At the same time, I grabbed some similarities.

In Akwa Ibom State, there are many dialects. Okobo is close to Oron and under Oro nation but their dialects are not the same.

Within Okobo, Obufi community has a different dialect from the Okopedi community. Funny, from Okopedi or Ibakpan to Obufi is trekable, yet there is no mutual intelligibility in their tongues. The same thing with Oron and its environs.

This is a beauty & complexity of language .

The dialect spoken in Ikot Abasi is different from the one spoken in Nsit Ibium, Nsit Atai, Uruan, etc. But Ibibio is the main language for mutual intelligibility in Akwa Ibom State. Annang is different. Ikot Ekpene speaks Annang which differs from the Uyo indigenous dialect.

Because of varieties of dialects in Akwa Ibom, the general language used in churches, schools and formal settings was Efik, but now Ibibio.

Efik is the general language of Akwa-Cross. Remember, Akwa Ibom was created from Cross Rivers. Annang, Ibibio, Oron understand Efik.

Efik is the main language of Calabar. Bible, literatures and other indigenous publications are done in Efik. Some religious groups I carried out my research from in Akwa Ibom used Efik Bible and also preach in Efik. Efik is more centralised maybe cos Calabar was a seat of power.

I noticed that the languages of Ibibio and Efik are different from Igbo but quite a resemblance in forms, structures and lexicons, eg.

"ikpe" is judgement in Igbo. In Efik, "ikpe" means judgement. The same pronunciation, the same spelling, the same meaning.

Interesting right?

In Okobo dialect, which is of the Ibibio, "ewu" means goat. In Igbo, "ewu" means goat.

In Efik/Ibibio "akparawa" means a young grown up man. In Ọkpọsị dialect of Igbo, "mkparawa" means the same.

"Ọbasị" is God in Igbo while Efik/Ibibio say "Abasị".

Ọbasị in Igbo cannot be explained. It means it's a borrowed word from the Efik/Ibibio. You can explain Chi+na-eke =God that creates and Chi+ukwu= Big God.

But

Ọba+sị is what? What is Ọ̀ba+sị̀?

Research shows that the proximity of Arọ made this borrowing possible.

The same proximity of Ọhafịa and Efik made it possible for some Ọhafịa people to bear Efik name. Usang is plate in Cross River, some parts of Ọhafịa call plate usang too, not efere.

Language is beautiful. It has no enemy. It's a traveler. Language—oje mba enwe iro.

These similarities between Efik, Igbo and Ibibio without any change in form, sound or meaning, did they happen by chance or borrowing?

I have a lot of similarities and data I gathered and documented...but then...

I paused!