This paper sought to examine Igbo philosophy of death as an essential feature for authentic human existence in Africa.Death is a mystery which defies human understanding.No wonder,existentialist philosophers conceive ...This paper sought to examine Igbo philosophy of death as an essential feature for authentic human existence in Africa.Death is a mystery which defies human understanding.No wonder,existentialist philosophers conceive death as the facticity of human existence.Different cultures have undertaken to unravel the mystery of death.Hence,African nay Igbo conceives death as a transition of human beings from this physical world of the living to the world of the spirit.The invisible world of the spirit is a place where our revered ancestors live.The second burial rites are performed to gravitate the dead to ancestral world of spirit.African metaphysical assumptions of death and life after death are therefore subjected to critical examination.展开更多
The aim of this paper is to examine some theories of gender with a view to use them as bases for evaluating, assessing, and analyzing gender equality and inequality in Igbo traditional culture. In pursuance of this ai...The aim of this paper is to examine some theories of gender with a view to use them as bases for evaluating, assessing, and analyzing gender equality and inequality in Igbo traditional culture. In pursuance of this aim, particular attention will be paid to Igbo leadership practice. Were men and women equal in traditional Igbo culture？ If they were, which theories of gender equality are thereby corroborated and which are refuted？ Was the political landscape of the traditional Igbo a male terrain or was there a balance between men and women？ What was the degree of participation of both men and women？ The paper lays down certain criteria in order to determine equal or unequal or complementary status. These include access to resources, autonomy, and power. One or two lessons are drawn from the insights.展开更多
Multilingualism and multiculturalism have become so characteristic of our times that it is hard to come by a literary work that is strictly monolingual. Languages in contact influence each other in various ways. One l...Multilingualism and multiculturalism have become so characteristic of our times that it is hard to come by a literary work that is strictly monolingual. Languages in contact influence each other in various ways. One language could be more influential than the other as a result of linguistic and non-linguistic factors. A language that is documented and enjoys a more privileged political, economic, cultural, or religious position is likely to be more influential than another language that lacks these qualities. Languages in contact often borrow words from each other though a language that is considered to be more prestigious than another is more likely to be the donor language less prestigious one. Loanwords are therefore common among languages in contact. Intercultural literary communication is mostly effected through translation. Due to Africa＇s colonial experience, literary translation practice in Africa often involves European languages, Arabic, and indigenous African languages. In Nigeria, the languages that have played significant roles in literary translation include English, French, German, Arabic, and indigenous Nigerian languages. Franz Kafka＇s Brief an den Vater which was written in German has been translated into English as Letter to His Father by Ernest Kaiser and Eithne Wilkins and into Igbo as Soro Okwu m maobu Leta （Ndi） Nna by Felicia Ibemesi. This paper sets out to study loanwords in the English and Igbo translations from a target reader＇s perspective展开更多
The Igbo language has grown and developed to what is known as Standard Igbo （Igbo Izugbe） today. Series of efforts have gone into the modification and invention of words to ensure wider acceptability and intelligibi...The Igbo language has grown and developed to what is known as Standard Igbo （Igbo Izugbe） today. Series of efforts have gone into the modification and invention of words to ensure wider acceptability and intelligibility While this is a welcome idea, the tendency of the loss of communal identity in terms of the original local variety of the Igbo Language spoken by each community becomes very obvious. As Igbos can easily distinguish an Anambra man from an Imo man, it is also necessary that within Arlambra, one should be able to locate a particular town in the area through the spoken Igbo Language variety. This paper studies some of these local variants and advocates for a method of preserving such rich cultural heritage which are so valuable for posterity展开更多
The Igbos are one of the major tribes of Nigeria. Over the years, their distinct way of living have further accentuated their culture. The paper discusses the Igbo cultural landscape region which comprises of rural au...The Igbos are one of the major tribes of Nigeria. Over the years, their distinct way of living have further accentuated their culture. The paper discusses the Igbo cultural landscape region which comprises of rural autonomous communities made up of clusters of kindred and villages. In spite of the existence of the townships serving as trade, political and administrative centers for more than one century, the rate of urbanization has been very slow thereby affecting the development of the communities physically, economically and socially at astonishing rates consuming farmlands and traditional community boundaries. This paper is aimed at creating awareness on the unique regional growth pattern in Igbo land heavily dependent on cultural and natural heritages for purpose of determining adaptable regional planning strategies for such vibrant cultural region. It has examined the key issues and suggested a way forward to a more sustainable development of the region.展开更多
The news media are often replete with sad stories of religious intolerance,with some gory pictures of the victims thereof.In Joshua 24:1-28,the Israelites were asked by Joshua to choose whom they would like to serve.I...The news media are often replete with sad stories of religious intolerance,with some gory pictures of the victims thereof.In Joshua 24:1-28,the Israelites were asked by Joshua to choose whom they would like to serve.It smacks of religious freedom.Using the text as a theological fulcrum,this study emphasises the fundamental human right of freedom of worship in the context of the religious freedom embedded African-Igbo religious tradition.Given the diverse religious views in the world,it is dialogue and mutual respect which would make religious peace possible.Bad religious leaders and teachers mislead their adherents to do violent and bloody proselytization.But people should not be held under duress to accept a particular religious idea or to adhere to a particular group of worshippers,sometimes with only one alternative,that is death!Indeed,every religion should recommend itself by the amount of love and peace it engenders in the world.展开更多
This paper aims at comparing the lexical prepositions of the Ibibio and Igbo languages.Its objectives are to identify what constitute lexical prepositions in Ibibio and Igbo and highlight the similarities and differen...This paper aims at comparing the lexical prepositions of the Ibibio and Igbo languages.Its objectives are to identify what constitute lexical prepositions in Ibibio and Igbo and highlight the similarities and differences between Ibibio and Igbo lexical prepositions.The Ibibio data used for analysis were elicited from two Ibibio native speakers whereas Igbo data were obtained through introspection.The Ibibio and Igbo data were analysed descriptively.The findings of the research reveal that the lexical prepositions obtainable in Ibibio are ke‘to,in,for,at’,mme‘with’,ano‘from’,and ito/nto‘from’.In Igbo,some of the lexical prepositions include:na‘to,in,at,from’,maka‘for’,and gbasara‘about’.The similarity observed between Ibibio and Igbo lexical prepositions is that they both occur before a Noun Phrase(NP),that is,they take NP as their complement.In terms of their differences,the preposition‘to’is marked in Igbo but is unmarked in Ibibio.The preposition‘with’is overtly marked in Ibibio with mme but it is implied in Igbo constructions.Another notable difference between Ibibio and Igbo lexical prepositions is that the English preposition‘from’inflects for number in Ibibio but such feature is absent in Igbo.The paper recommends that further comparative researches should be carried out on other types of preposition like the category incorporated prepositions,and other word classes between Ibibio and Igbo in particular and other African languages in general.展开更多
This research looked at how the Igbo trade apprenticeship programme has helped lower poverty rates in that region of Nigeria.Five hypotheses were generated to test the potential existence of a causal connection betwee...This research looked at how the Igbo trade apprenticeship programme has helped lower poverty rates in that region of Nigeria.Five hypotheses were generated to test the potential existence of a causal connection between the independent and dependent variables.Using a survey methodology,a structured questionnaire was used to collect data,which was then evaluated using chi-square tests.The research found that the Igbo trade apprenticeship system contributed to lessening poverty in Nigeria’s southeast.According to the results,the method was successful in developing rich Igbo entrepreneurs and businesses,who in turn eradicated hunger,poverty,disease,and unemployment in Nigeria’s South East.The study concluded that the Nigerian government might better protect its citizens from exploitation within the Igbo trade apprenticeship system if it passed legislation to regulate,maintain,and prevent such abuse.展开更多
This paper explores the extent to which language and culture can suffice as an interpretative framework for interrogating the issues and challenges of Igbo identity within the multidimensional context of Nigeria.As a ...This paper explores the extent to which language and culture can suffice as an interpretative framework for interrogating the issues and challenges of Igbo identity within the multidimensional context of Nigeria.As a function of individual,group and collective personality,the search for identity,which is both physical and transcendental,can hardly ignore the pivotal significance of language and culture.Nonetheless,realities of contemporary times have tended to provoke a number of issues,which sire a seedbed of identity crisis and by extension gnaws away the centrality of language and culture in identity construction.This is the research problem identified,which we sought to address in this paper.To this effect,we identified language and culture as veritable tools of identity construction.However,the corroding effects of modernity and intervening variables on language and culture have not only divested the latter of their instrumentality but advertently or inadvertently emboldened real-time disruptive tendencies and concomitant exigencies to alter the salient ontological relationships that characteristically define the typical African society.To reverse this ugly trend,we suggest a retooling/re-jigging Igbo language and culture in a manner that would reposition them to reclaim their‘lost paradise’and re-invent them as indispensible integers in the identity construction equation.展开更多
The thesis of this paper is a refutation of Wale Adenuga’s claim that the human person is nothing but a pencil in the hand of the creator.The paper adopts a hermeneutical approach from an Igbo conception of the human...The thesis of this paper is a refutation of Wale Adenuga’s claim that the human person is nothing but a pencil in the hand of the creator.The paper adopts a hermeneutical approach from an Igbo conception of the human person.It posits that in Igbo worldview,the human person occupies a central position because mankind is at the very centre of existence;hence is seen as the goodness or beauty of life(mma ndu)or the good or beauty that is(mma du{di}).While conceding the plausibility of a pencil being capable of doing great things when guided by a good hand,the paper maintains that from the point of view of Igbo ontology,the human person is distinctively more than a mere pencil in the hand of the creator because mankind is endowed with high intellectual capacity,freedom,and creativity on the basis of which it seen as both the beauty that is(mma du)or the beauty or goodness of life(mma ndu).Thus,the paper concludes that the fact that the human person is endowed with these attributes provides rational grounds to render Wale Adenuga’s concept of the human person as“nothing but a pencil in the hand of the creator”futile.展开更多
This paper examines semelfactivity in the Igbo language. It seeks to highlight semelfactive verbs and other semelfactive sentential elements. The data for the study were obtained through introspection which were confi...This paper examines semelfactivity in the Igbo language. It seeks to highlight semelfactive verbs and other semelfactive sentential elements. The data for the study were obtained through introspection which were confirmed by two native speakers of Igbo and were analysed descriptively. From the study, it was discovered that the semelfactive verbs in Igbo that co-occur with bound verb complements for emphasis are takwu ‘whisper’, lo‘swallow’, nwụ ‘die’ and hụpe ‘glimpse’ whereas kọ ‘scratch’, tabi ‘blink’, ze ‘sneeze’, kụ‘knock’, ti ‘shout’, wuli ‘jump’ (wu ‘jump’. -li ‘upward’ as opposed to wuda ‘jump downwards)’, gba ‘kick’, nyụ ‘fart’ and kwa ‘cough’ that take inherent complement verbs.The research also revealed that na mberede ‘suddenly’ and na ntabi anya ‘in a twinkle of an eye’ are semelfactive adverbials in the Igbo language. Based on the findings, the paper concludes that in Igbo, semelfactivity entails a one-time action and a spontaneous or instantaneous action.展开更多
This research analyses compound verbs in Igbo,using construction morphology theory.It seeks to identify compound verbs,analyse them using schemata structures,ascertain the structures and behaviours of tones,and examin...This research analyses compound verbs in Igbo,using construction morphology theory.It seeks to identify compound verbs,analyse them using schemata structures,ascertain the structures and behaviours of tones,and examine some inflected forms of compound verbs in Igbo language.The study adopts a descriptive method of data analysis to examine data collected through oral interviews,introspections(which are confirmed by two native speakers)and those obtained from journals and textbooks.The research discovers that some compound verbs do not obey the vowel harmony rule,and through the aid of the schema,it is observed that some transformational processes have occurred before a surface compound verb is formed.According to the findings,tones also play a distinctive role in Igbo compound verbs.The research recommends further research in this area,to account for other aspects of compound verbs in Igbo that the current study could not cover.展开更多
The Igbo artists of all generations, from the pre-colonial to the post-colonial period, and from her traditional to contemporary art practices, have demonstrated the ability to express the material, as well as spiritu...The Igbo artists of all generations, from the pre-colonial to the post-colonial period, and from her traditional to contemporary art practices, have demonstrated the ability to express the material, as well as spiritual world of the lgbo cultural society. The fear of the unknown, uncertainties of the forest, river, mountain, seas, oceans, lightening, thunder, and the changing weather, brings her artists in constant contact with their spirituality. Over time, these artists have demonstrated their inherent ability to perceive, through their various art practices, the unseen, speak the unspoken, revere and share in the silent salient world of their ancestors, as well as preserve it for posterity. This paper presents an insight into the Igbo cultural society with reference to her indigenous and contemporary art practices. It identifies the trajectories of her art and cultural developments toward contemporary and global acceptance, and in addition attempts to identify her visual creative frontiers.展开更多
The Igbo traditional society is patriarchal in nature with a prevalence of gender stereotypes. Men train their male children to grow up bold, strong, courageous, audacious and fearless while women on the other hand gr...The Igbo traditional society is patriarchal in nature with a prevalence of gender stereotypes. Men train their male children to grow up bold, strong, courageous, audacious and fearless while women on the other hand groom their female children to be soft-spoken, subservient and gentle. Both men and women have accepted their gender roles as a characterization which fate and destiny have bestowed on them, and are sensitized and indoctrinated in such a way that there are no conflicts between the two groups on the basis of their inherent traditional roles(cf. Ozumba, 2005). In the context of the Igbo traditional setting and within the confines of the gender stereotypes women are generally not viewed or perceived by their male counterparts as having the same status. This perception of women is often reflected in the social use of language to the extent that women are sometimes socially addressed and described with biased and discriminatory linguistic remarks and expressions. This paper descriptively examines, from semantic and pragmatic viewpoints, some discriminatory and biased Igbo linguistic expressions used by some men against women in contemporary Igbo society. The data for the study were collected mainly through oral interviews. The findings reveal that women are addressed and described with derogatory linguistic terms and imagery, portrayed as inferior to men. Based on the findings, the paper recommends a re-orientation of Igbo men from a young age, starting with parental discouragement of this trend in the home. Further studies on the general attitude towards women in contemporary Igbo society as linguistically expressed are suggested since such studies will constitute veritable sources of research information.展开更多
Background: For a long time Africa was considered safe from diabetes. However, the International Diabetes Federation predicts an increase in diabetes from 240 million in 2007 to 380 million in 2025 with 80% of the dis...Background: For a long time Africa was considered safe from diabetes. However, the International Diabetes Federation predicts an increase in diabetes from 240 million in 2007 to 380 million in 2025 with 80% of the disease burden in low and middle-income countries including Africa. This study was carried out to assess the prevalence of diabetes mellitus among a group of Nigerian women who had earlier been found to have a high prevalence of overweight/obesity. Methods: 253 women attending the 2009 Meeting were recruited for the study. Blood glucose concentration was measured using ACCU-CHEK(R) Advantage glucometer by Roche Diagnostics and diabetes mellitus defined as fasting blood glucose concentration >7 mmol/L. Results: The population mean age was 53.04 ± 11.09 years, diabetics 55.76 ± 10.77 years, and non-diabetics 52.84 ± 11.11 years p = 0.709. 17 (6.7%) subjects had diabetes. Of the 17 diabetics 10 (3.95%) were known to have diabetes previously and 7 (2.76%) were diagnosed for the first time. 3 of the 17 diabetics were aged 50 years. 11 of the 17 (64.7%) diabetics had blood pressure > 140/ 90 mmHg while only 54 of the 236 (22%) non-diabetics had blood pressure >140/90 mmHg. The mean non fasting blood glucose concentration of the population was 5.83 ± 2.33 mmol/L, that of diabetics was 11.9 ± 5.27 mmol/L and non-diabetics 5.39 mmol/L ± 1.03, p < 0.000. Of the 10 previously diagnosed to have diabetes only 3 (30%) had fasting blood glucose concentration <7 mmol/L. Diabetes mellitus correlated with age, systolic blood pressure and age correlated with body mass, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. Conclusion: The study showed a high prevalence of diabetes with a significant proportion of undiagnosed diabetes and a poor level of control among diagnosed diabetics.展开更多
Obesity is known to be a major risk factor of type 2 diabetes （T2D） and responsible for most lipid abnormalities associated with the disease but limited data on such association are available for diabetic patients o...Obesity is known to be a major risk factor of type 2 diabetes （T2D） and responsible for most lipid abnormalities associated with the disease but limited data on such association are available for diabetic patients of Igbo ethnicity in the South East region of Nigeria. A case-control study involving 72 T2D patients and 75 non-diabetic （ND） patients （control） ofIgbo ethnicity was conducted. Demographic and anthropometric data were obtained followed by blood collection for the determination of fasting blood sugar （FBS）, total cholesterol （TC）, triglyceride （TG）, high density lipoprotein （HDL） and low density lipoprotein （LDL）. Obesity based on waist circumference （WC） was significantly higher （p 〈 0.001） in T2D patients compared to their non-diabetic counterparts. Similarly, TC, TG and LDL levels were significantly （p 〈 0.001） higher in T2D patients while HDL was significantly lower （p 〈 0.001） in T2D patients compared to the control. The proportion of dyslipidaemia characterized by high TC, high TG, high LDL and low HDL was significantly higher （p 〈 0.001） in T2D patients. BMI correlated positively （p 〈 0.05） with WC, TC, and LDL while FBS correlated positively （p 〈 0.05） with TG but negatively with HDL. In conclusion, dyslipidaemia characterised by hypercholesterolaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia, elevated LDL and reduced HDL, as well as obesity were associated with T2D and correlated with FBS in this population.展开更多
文摘This paper sought to examine Igbo philosophy of death as an essential feature for authentic human existence in Africa.Death is a mystery which defies human understanding.No wonder,existentialist philosophers conceive death as the facticity of human existence.Different cultures have undertaken to unravel the mystery of death.Hence,African nay Igbo conceives death as a transition of human beings from this physical world of the living to the world of the spirit.The invisible world of the spirit is a place where our revered ancestors live.The second burial rites are performed to gravitate the dead to ancestral world of spirit.African metaphysical assumptions of death and life after death are therefore subjected to critical examination.
文摘The aim of this paper is to examine some theories of gender with a view to use them as bases for evaluating, assessing, and analyzing gender equality and inequality in Igbo traditional culture. In pursuance of this aim, particular attention will be paid to Igbo leadership practice. Were men and women equal in traditional Igbo culture？ If they were, which theories of gender equality are thereby corroborated and which are refuted？ Was the political landscape of the traditional Igbo a male terrain or was there a balance between men and women？ What was the degree of participation of both men and women？ The paper lays down certain criteria in order to determine equal or unequal or complementary status. These include access to resources, autonomy, and power. One or two lessons are drawn from the insights.
文摘Multilingualism and multiculturalism have become so characteristic of our times that it is hard to come by a literary work that is strictly monolingual. Languages in contact influence each other in various ways. One language could be more influential than the other as a result of linguistic and non-linguistic factors. A language that is documented and enjoys a more privileged political, economic, cultural, or religious position is likely to be more influential than another language that lacks these qualities. Languages in contact often borrow words from each other though a language that is considered to be more prestigious than another is more likely to be the donor language less prestigious one. Loanwords are therefore common among languages in contact. Intercultural literary communication is mostly effected through translation. Due to Africa＇s colonial experience, literary translation practice in Africa often involves European languages, Arabic, and indigenous African languages. In Nigeria, the languages that have played significant roles in literary translation include English, French, German, Arabic, and indigenous Nigerian languages. Franz Kafka＇s Brief an den Vater which was written in German has been translated into English as Letter to His Father by Ernest Kaiser and Eithne Wilkins and into Igbo as Soro Okwu m maobu Leta （Ndi） Nna by Felicia Ibemesi. This paper sets out to study loanwords in the English and Igbo translations from a target reader＇s perspective
文摘The Igbo language has grown and developed to what is known as Standard Igbo （Igbo Izugbe） today. Series of efforts have gone into the modification and invention of words to ensure wider acceptability and intelligibility While this is a welcome idea, the tendency of the loss of communal identity in terms of the original local variety of the Igbo Language spoken by each community becomes very obvious. As Igbos can easily distinguish an Anambra man from an Imo man, it is also necessary that within Arlambra, one should be able to locate a particular town in the area through the spoken Igbo Language variety. This paper studies some of these local variants and advocates for a method of preserving such rich cultural heritage which are so valuable for posterity
文摘The Igbos are one of the major tribes of Nigeria. Over the years, their distinct way of living have further accentuated their culture. The paper discusses the Igbo cultural landscape region which comprises of rural autonomous communities made up of clusters of kindred and villages. In spite of the existence of the townships serving as trade, political and administrative centers for more than one century, the rate of urbanization has been very slow thereby affecting the development of the communities physically, economically and socially at astonishing rates consuming farmlands and traditional community boundaries. This paper is aimed at creating awareness on the unique regional growth pattern in Igbo land heavily dependent on cultural and natural heritages for purpose of determining adaptable regional planning strategies for such vibrant cultural region. It has examined the key issues and suggested a way forward to a more sustainable development of the region.
文摘The news media are often replete with sad stories of religious intolerance,with some gory pictures of the victims thereof.In Joshua 24:1-28,the Israelites were asked by Joshua to choose whom they would like to serve.It smacks of religious freedom.Using the text as a theological fulcrum,this study emphasises the fundamental human right of freedom of worship in the context of the religious freedom embedded African-Igbo religious tradition.Given the diverse religious views in the world,it is dialogue and mutual respect which would make religious peace possible.Bad religious leaders and teachers mislead their adherents to do violent and bloody proselytization.But people should not be held under duress to accept a particular religious idea or to adhere to a particular group of worshippers,sometimes with only one alternative,that is death!Indeed,every religion should recommend itself by the amount of love and peace it engenders in the world.
文摘This paper aims at comparing the lexical prepositions of the Ibibio and Igbo languages.Its objectives are to identify what constitute lexical prepositions in Ibibio and Igbo and highlight the similarities and differences between Ibibio and Igbo lexical prepositions.The Ibibio data used for analysis were elicited from two Ibibio native speakers whereas Igbo data were obtained through introspection.The Ibibio and Igbo data were analysed descriptively.The findings of the research reveal that the lexical prepositions obtainable in Ibibio are ke‘to,in,for,at’,mme‘with’,ano‘from’,and ito/nto‘from’.In Igbo,some of the lexical prepositions include:na‘to,in,at,from’,maka‘for’,and gbasara‘about’.The similarity observed between Ibibio and Igbo lexical prepositions is that they both occur before a Noun Phrase(NP),that is,they take NP as their complement.In terms of their differences,the preposition‘to’is marked in Igbo but is unmarked in Ibibio.The preposition‘with’is overtly marked in Ibibio with mme but it is implied in Igbo constructions.Another notable difference between Ibibio and Igbo lexical prepositions is that the English preposition‘from’inflects for number in Ibibio but such feature is absent in Igbo.The paper recommends that further comparative researches should be carried out on other types of preposition like the category incorporated prepositions,and other word classes between Ibibio and Igbo in particular and other African languages in general.
文摘This research looked at how the Igbo trade apprenticeship programme has helped lower poverty rates in that region of Nigeria.Five hypotheses were generated to test the potential existence of a causal connection between the independent and dependent variables.Using a survey methodology,a structured questionnaire was used to collect data,which was then evaluated using chi-square tests.The research found that the Igbo trade apprenticeship system contributed to lessening poverty in Nigeria’s southeast.According to the results,the method was successful in developing rich Igbo entrepreneurs and businesses,who in turn eradicated hunger,poverty,disease,and unemployment in Nigeria’s South East.The study concluded that the Nigerian government might better protect its citizens from exploitation within the Igbo trade apprenticeship system if it passed legislation to regulate,maintain,and prevent such abuse.
文摘This paper explores the extent to which language and culture can suffice as an interpretative framework for interrogating the issues and challenges of Igbo identity within the multidimensional context of Nigeria.As a function of individual,group and collective personality,the search for identity,which is both physical and transcendental,can hardly ignore the pivotal significance of language and culture.Nonetheless,realities of contemporary times have tended to provoke a number of issues,which sire a seedbed of identity crisis and by extension gnaws away the centrality of language and culture in identity construction.This is the research problem identified,which we sought to address in this paper.To this effect,we identified language and culture as veritable tools of identity construction.However,the corroding effects of modernity and intervening variables on language and culture have not only divested the latter of their instrumentality but advertently or inadvertently emboldened real-time disruptive tendencies and concomitant exigencies to alter the salient ontological relationships that characteristically define the typical African society.To reverse this ugly trend,we suggest a retooling/re-jigging Igbo language and culture in a manner that would reposition them to reclaim their‘lost paradise’and re-invent them as indispensible integers in the identity construction equation.
文摘The thesis of this paper is a refutation of Wale Adenuga’s claim that the human person is nothing but a pencil in the hand of the creator.The paper adopts a hermeneutical approach from an Igbo conception of the human person.It posits that in Igbo worldview,the human person occupies a central position because mankind is at the very centre of existence;hence is seen as the goodness or beauty of life(mma ndu)or the good or beauty that is(mma du{di}).While conceding the plausibility of a pencil being capable of doing great things when guided by a good hand,the paper maintains that from the point of view of Igbo ontology,the human person is distinctively more than a mere pencil in the hand of the creator because mankind is endowed with high intellectual capacity,freedom,and creativity on the basis of which it seen as both the beauty that is(mma du)or the beauty or goodness of life(mma ndu).Thus,the paper concludes that the fact that the human person is endowed with these attributes provides rational grounds to render Wale Adenuga’s concept of the human person as“nothing but a pencil in the hand of the creator”futile.
文摘This paper examines semelfactivity in the Igbo language. It seeks to highlight semelfactive verbs and other semelfactive sentential elements. The data for the study were obtained through introspection which were confirmed by two native speakers of Igbo and were analysed descriptively. From the study, it was discovered that the semelfactive verbs in Igbo that co-occur with bound verb complements for emphasis are takwu ‘whisper’, lo‘swallow’, nwụ ‘die’ and hụpe ‘glimpse’ whereas kọ ‘scratch’, tabi ‘blink’, ze ‘sneeze’, kụ‘knock’, ti ‘shout’, wuli ‘jump’ (wu ‘jump’. -li ‘upward’ as opposed to wuda ‘jump downwards)’, gba ‘kick’, nyụ ‘fart’ and kwa ‘cough’ that take inherent complement verbs.The research also revealed that na mberede ‘suddenly’ and na ntabi anya ‘in a twinkle of an eye’ are semelfactive adverbials in the Igbo language. Based on the findings, the paper concludes that in Igbo, semelfactivity entails a one-time action and a spontaneous or instantaneous action.
文摘This research analyses compound verbs in Igbo,using construction morphology theory.It seeks to identify compound verbs,analyse them using schemata structures,ascertain the structures and behaviours of tones,and examine some inflected forms of compound verbs in Igbo language.The study adopts a descriptive method of data analysis to examine data collected through oral interviews,introspections(which are confirmed by two native speakers)and those obtained from journals and textbooks.The research discovers that some compound verbs do not obey the vowel harmony rule,and through the aid of the schema,it is observed that some transformational processes have occurred before a surface compound verb is formed.According to the findings,tones also play a distinctive role in Igbo compound verbs.The research recommends further research in this area,to account for other aspects of compound verbs in Igbo that the current study could not cover.
文摘The Igbo artists of all generations, from the pre-colonial to the post-colonial period, and from her traditional to contemporary art practices, have demonstrated the ability to express the material, as well as spiritual world of the lgbo cultural society. The fear of the unknown, uncertainties of the forest, river, mountain, seas, oceans, lightening, thunder, and the changing weather, brings her artists in constant contact with their spirituality. Over time, these artists have demonstrated their inherent ability to perceive, through their various art practices, the unseen, speak the unspoken, revere and share in the silent salient world of their ancestors, as well as preserve it for posterity. This paper presents an insight into the Igbo cultural society with reference to her indigenous and contemporary art practices. It identifies the trajectories of her art and cultural developments toward contemporary and global acceptance, and in addition attempts to identify her visual creative frontiers.
文摘The Igbo traditional society is patriarchal in nature with a prevalence of gender stereotypes. Men train their male children to grow up bold, strong, courageous, audacious and fearless while women on the other hand groom their female children to be soft-spoken, subservient and gentle. Both men and women have accepted their gender roles as a characterization which fate and destiny have bestowed on them, and are sensitized and indoctrinated in such a way that there are no conflicts between the two groups on the basis of their inherent traditional roles(cf. Ozumba, 2005). In the context of the Igbo traditional setting and within the confines of the gender stereotypes women are generally not viewed or perceived by their male counterparts as having the same status. This perception of women is often reflected in the social use of language to the extent that women are sometimes socially addressed and described with biased and discriminatory linguistic remarks and expressions. This paper descriptively examines, from semantic and pragmatic viewpoints, some discriminatory and biased Igbo linguistic expressions used by some men against women in contemporary Igbo society. The data for the study were collected mainly through oral interviews. The findings reveal that women are addressed and described with derogatory linguistic terms and imagery, portrayed as inferior to men. Based on the findings, the paper recommends a re-orientation of Igbo men from a young age, starting with parental discouragement of this trend in the home. Further studies on the general attitude towards women in contemporary Igbo society as linguistically expressed are suggested since such studies will constitute veritable sources of research information.
文摘Background: For a long time Africa was considered safe from diabetes. However, the International Diabetes Federation predicts an increase in diabetes from 240 million in 2007 to 380 million in 2025 with 80% of the disease burden in low and middle-income countries including Africa. This study was carried out to assess the prevalence of diabetes mellitus among a group of Nigerian women who had earlier been found to have a high prevalence of overweight/obesity. Methods: 253 women attending the 2009 Meeting were recruited for the study. Blood glucose concentration was measured using ACCU-CHEK(R) Advantage glucometer by Roche Diagnostics and diabetes mellitus defined as fasting blood glucose concentration >7 mmol/L. Results: The population mean age was 53.04 ± 11.09 years, diabetics 55.76 ± 10.77 years, and non-diabetics 52.84 ± 11.11 years p = 0.709. 17 (6.7%) subjects had diabetes. Of the 17 diabetics 10 (3.95%) were known to have diabetes previously and 7 (2.76%) were diagnosed for the first time. 3 of the 17 diabetics were aged 50 years. 11 of the 17 (64.7%) diabetics had blood pressure > 140/ 90 mmHg while only 54 of the 236 (22%) non-diabetics had blood pressure >140/90 mmHg. The mean non fasting blood glucose concentration of the population was 5.83 ± 2.33 mmol/L, that of diabetics was 11.9 ± 5.27 mmol/L and non-diabetics 5.39 mmol/L ± 1.03, p < 0.000. Of the 10 previously diagnosed to have diabetes only 3 (30%) had fasting blood glucose concentration <7 mmol/L. Diabetes mellitus correlated with age, systolic blood pressure and age correlated with body mass, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. Conclusion: The study showed a high prevalence of diabetes with a significant proportion of undiagnosed diabetes and a poor level of control among diagnosed diabetics.
文摘Obesity is known to be a major risk factor of type 2 diabetes （T2D） and responsible for most lipid abnormalities associated with the disease but limited data on such association are available for diabetic patients of Igbo ethnicity in the South East region of Nigeria. A case-control study involving 72 T2D patients and 75 non-diabetic （ND） patients （control） ofIgbo ethnicity was conducted. Demographic and anthropometric data were obtained followed by blood collection for the determination of fasting blood sugar （FBS）, total cholesterol （TC）, triglyceride （TG）, high density lipoprotein （HDL） and low density lipoprotein （LDL）. Obesity based on waist circumference （WC） was significantly higher （p 〈 0.001） in T2D patients compared to their non-diabetic counterparts. Similarly, TC, TG and LDL levels were significantly （p 〈 0.001） higher in T2D patients while HDL was significantly lower （p 〈 0.001） in T2D patients compared to the control. The proportion of dyslipidaemia characterized by high TC, high TG, high LDL and low HDL was significantly higher （p 〈 0.001） in T2D patients. BMI correlated positively （p 〈 0.05） with WC, TC, and LDL while FBS correlated positively （p 〈 0.05） with TG but negatively with HDL. In conclusion, dyslipidaemia characterised by hypercholesterolaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia, elevated LDL and reduced HDL, as well as obesity were associated with T2D and correlated with FBS in this population.
