Greetings fellow Nigerians!
Every other day, I hear you talk about “tribe” and “speaking my native dialect.” I’m writing to draw your ears. If I hear you speak like that again…!
Anyway, first, let’s embark on a linguistic escapade and unravel the mysteries of dialects, languages, and the not-so-friendly ‘T-word’—tribe. For a start, a dialect is like a language’s ugly and not-well-dressed cousin, the type whose clothes are only made of aso ebi. A dialect is a variation of a language spoken by a particular group or community. If rice is a language, then ofada is a dialect of it. You gerrit? (If you don’t gerrit, forgerrabarit!)
Don’t use dialect when you mean language. Now, a language, well, that’s the Ayra Starr or Rema of communication. It’s the idan—the grammar, vocabulary, and the secret handshake of a community. Like Bubu, a language belongs to everybody and belongs to no one (until you attempt a translation and it goes wrong). So, why are we bringing this up? It’s time to bid farewell to the ‘T-word.’ Using it to describe our languages or ethnic groups is so last season. It’s like callingcalling Nigerian Jollof rice just ‘rice’—utterly blasphemous!
Your language is not just a means of communication; it’s a treasure trove of history, identity, and, of course, a sprinkle of humour. Let’s speak it loud and proud, because our languages are the true MVPs!
A tribe is oftenoften used to mean a group of backward people by the people who consider themselves civilised. Have you ever heard the British refer to ‘the English tribe’ headed by His Royal Highness King Charles? But their ancestors and even they themselves have committed the most savage acts on themselves and on other people they colonised by brute force. And let’s not forget that colonial pastpast of ours, where the powers-that-be banned our beautiful languages in schools. Oh, the audacity! They even had the nerve to call them ‘vernacular.’ It’s like calling pounded yam and egusi soup a mere snack. Our languages deserve more respect!
Now, let’s talk about embracing our linguistic roots. We spend enough time in schools and offices speaking the colonial languages—English, French, Arabic, Portuguese, and very soon, Chinese—take your pick. At home, let’s make our mother tongues the stars of the show. Give them the VIP treatment, complete with red carpets made of proverbs and cultural idioms. If you don’t speak your mother tongue to your children, who’s tongue do you want use in chastising them about not being able to speak your language (not dialect) tomorrow? (In a few cases, yes, dialect is the problem; you want them to not just speak the general Idoma but the Agatu dialect. I understand that.)
Imagine the dinner table as a linguistic buffet, where your local language is the main course. Spice it up with laughter, stories, and a generous serving of pride in your heritage. Don’t let your language be the bouncer at the linguistic owambe; let it dance!
And remember, multilingualism is the new cool. Speaking your local language doesn’t mean you’re less sophisticated; it means you’re part of a rich salad of diversity. It’s like having a linguistic superpower—fluent in tradition, culture, and a dash of humour!
So, dear Nigerians, let’s retire the ‘T-word,’ break free from the colonial language chains, and celebrate the linguistic fiesta that is our heritage. Your language is not just a means of communication; it’s a treasure trove of history, identity, and, of course, a sprinkle of humour. Let’s speak it loud and proud, because our languages are the true MVPs!
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