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Izi language
Izi (Izii, Izzi) is an Igboid language spoken in Ebonyi state in Nigeria. It forms a dialect cluster with the closely related languages Ikwo, Ezza, and Mgbo.
Speakers of the Izi language are spread over a large area. Belonging to a larger group of people called the Igbo, the Izi distinguish themselves from their neighbors and have divided themselves into many clans. Izi speakers are found east of Abakaliki, the capital of the Ebonyi State and extend as far as the Anambra and Imo State boundaries. Longitudinally, Izi speakers extend from the Plateau State to approximately 12 miles north of the Cross River, which runs through the appropriately named Cross River State.
The maps on this page highlight the area where Izi speakers live, showing both the country of Nigeria within the African Continent and the divisions within Nigeria. Izi's parent group, the Igbo, reside in Southeast Nigeria. The area where the Igbo live has been termed “Igboland.” Though this area is divided by the Niger River, cultural unity is maintained by the Igbo people, as the river provides a convenient means of communication.
Research on the origins of the Igbo is limited, but a leading hypothesis is that many different communities immigrated in waves from the West and North to the borders of the central area of Igboland. These waves of immigration may have begun as early as the 9th century. From that central area, migration in the more recent past has occurred in all directions, which has led to a homogeneous Igbo culture.
The Portuguese arrived in Igboland in the mid-15th century, and from 1434 to 1807, contact points between European and African traders were established along the Nigerian coast. After slavery was abolished in 1807, the British became aggressive in its practices of industrial trade and imperialism. The British eventually conquered Igboland, and Igbo culture was compromised by British imperialism.
Before the 16th century, the Igbo had a pictogram form of writing called “Nsibidi”. That form died out, most likely because many of its users were members of secret societies and did not want it to be public. In 1854, A German philologist named Karl Richard Lepsius made a “Standard Alphabet”, meant for all the languages of the world. In 1882, Britain enacted an educational ordinance to direct the teaching of reading and writing only in English which temporarily inhibited the development of Igbo along with other languages of West Africa.
Controversy over Igbo orthography began in 1927, when the International Institute of African Languages and Cultures (IIALC) published a pamphlet, "Practical Orthography of African Languages". Consonants /gw/, /kw/, and /nw/ were added to represent Igbo sounds. The pamphlet used some symbols from the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), which began a controversy with the missionary society who had used Lepsius's writing for almost 70 years.
In 1929, the Colonial Government Board of Education tried to replace Lepsius with the IIALC's orthography. The government, along with Roman Catholic and Methodist missionaries, accepted and adopted the new orthography; however, other Protestant missionaries opposed it. A standard alphabet based on a central dialect was proposed in 1944 by Dr. Ida Ward, but the controversy continued, and a resolution was made to use the new alphabet only for government literature.
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Izi language
Izi (Izii, Izzi) is an Igboid language spoken in Ebonyi state in Nigeria. It forms a dialect cluster with the closely related languages Ikwo, Ezza, and Mgbo.
Speakers of the Izi language are spread over a large area. Belonging to a larger group of people called the Igbo, the Izi distinguish themselves from their neighbors and have divided themselves into many clans. Izi speakers are found east of Abakaliki, the capital of the Ebonyi State and extend as far as the Anambra and Imo State boundaries. Longitudinally, Izi speakers extend from the Plateau State to approximately 12 miles north of the Cross River, which runs through the appropriately named Cross River State.
The maps on this page highlight the area where Izi speakers live, showing both the country of Nigeria within the African Continent and the divisions within Nigeria. Izi's parent group, the Igbo, reside in Southeast Nigeria. The area where the Igbo live has been termed “Igboland.” Though this area is divided by the Niger River, cultural unity is maintained by the Igbo people, as the river provides a convenient means of communication.
Research on the origins of the Igbo is limited, but a leading hypothesis is that many different communities immigrated in waves from the West and North to the borders of the central area of Igboland. These waves of immigration may have begun as early as the 9th century. From that central area, migration in the more recent past has occurred in all directions, which has led to a homogeneous Igbo culture.
The Portuguese arrived in Igboland in the mid-15th century, and from 1434 to 1807, contact points between European and African traders were established along the Nigerian coast. After slavery was abolished in 1807, the British became aggressive in its practices of industrial trade and imperialism. The British eventually conquered Igboland, and Igbo culture was compromised by British imperialism.
Before the 16th century, the Igbo had a pictogram form of writing called “Nsibidi”. That form died out, most likely because many of its users were members of secret societies and did not want it to be public. In 1854, A German philologist named Karl Richard Lepsius made a “Standard Alphabet”, meant for all the languages of the world. In 1882, Britain enacted an educational ordinance to direct the teaching of reading and writing only in English which temporarily inhibited the development of Igbo along with other languages of West Africa.
Controversy over Igbo orthography began in 1927, when the International Institute of African Languages and Cultures (IIALC) published a pamphlet, "Practical Orthography of African Languages". Consonants /gw/, /kw/, and /nw/ were added to represent Igbo sounds. The pamphlet used some symbols from the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), which began a controversy with the missionary society who had used Lepsius's writing for almost 70 years.
In 1929, the Colonial Government Board of Education tried to replace Lepsius with the IIALC's orthography. The government, along with Roman Catholic and Methodist missionaries, accepted and adopted the new orthography; however, other Protestant missionaries opposed it. A standard alphabet based on a central dialect was proposed in 1944 by Dr. Ida Ward, but the controversy continued, and a resolution was made to use the new alphabet only for government literature.