lol

I was actualy busy in some way, it has nothing to do with "owo soap". I am yet to have a taste anyway,

I still want to try it,

how are you guys doing?

Please whoever can teach me Isoko, teach me oh! My only claim to my Urhobo identity is being able to speak a few Urhobo phrases here and there and my conc Waffi pidgin. If I can learn the language or if y'all know where I can get books to learn it please share. My mum started teaching me Igbo after she saw how upset I was that I don't know my father or mother tongues fluently. It always pains me when all these Hausa, Yoruba, E. Igbos and Kalabari peeps will just be rapping deir language sans problem. I know to speak and write French, German and Japanese more than my own language! I don even know how to greet properly in Urhobo now how bad is that?! Please teach me Isoko. At least as my popsie don retire to heaven man go fit still learn a closely related language.

I know Isokos say "degwo" and Urhobos say "migwo".
I know "miworho" = something like, "chei! I don die!"
Also "Joma vwoto" or "wa ne tiyin" (sp) = "don't disturb me!" or "free me!"
I know "kevbe igho" = give me money and "Mavwo?" and "Oyoma" = How you dey? and I dey OK respectively. Of course "oshare" = boy, "omote" = girl, "oye me" = my mother and "erha me" = My father and Omote/Oshare r'Uhobo = Urhobo girl/boy, "mo re o" = come and take (like bia be or bie ba), and "biko" = please.


Please add to my vocab.

How does one say the following:

Thank you =
(please) Sit down =
Good bye! =
Well done! =
Good afternoon/morning/evening =

Dalu much!

Hi, Princess, welcome to this thread. E be like say you don waka far with all the French and Japanese and gbo gbo languages when you e dey speak. Wadoo!

Nywayz, saying 'Digwo' covers a multitude of sins in Isoko. So, if you want to say thank you, you just say 'digwo' but then, you only say 'digwo' to an older one. As an authentic Delta person, na pidgin english we take dey cover everything. If my younger one give me something, I go just tell am 'dooo', you know the one when I mean. Welldone is also 'dooo'.
Goodbye, again, I don't think there is any direct translation but saying 'tode' which literally means 'till tomorrow' suffices.

I don't know if there are any books you can use to learn the language. I'll ask around. But you can get an Isoko bible and read it side by side with an English one, that's what I do sometimes. This might help a little.

Don't worry, you are not alone in the not able to speak or read or write your language category.  I know many, many peepo.

liftedone:

Hi, Princess, welcome to this thread. E be like say you don waka far with all the French and Japanese and gbo gbo languages when you e dey speak. Wadoo!

Nywayz, saying 'Digwo' covers a multitude of sins in Isoko. So, if you want to say thank you, you just say 'digwo' but then, you only say 'digwo' to an older one. As an authentic Delta person, na pidgin english we take dey cover everything. If my younger one give me something, I go just tell am 'dooo', you know the one when I mean. Welldone is also 'dooo'.
Goodbye, again, I don't think there is any direct translation but saying 'tode' which literally means 'till tomorrow' suffices.

I don't know if there are any books you can use to learn the language. I'll ask around. But you can get an Isoko bible and read it side by side with an English one, that's what I do sometimes. This might help a little.

Don't worry, you are not alone in the not able to speak or read or write your language category. I know many, many peepo.

Thanks Lifte, I really appreciate the help. Please if you see anything on the Urhobo or Isoko books, I'd def appreciate it. I have been able to find Igbo books so I'm working on that now. I learn quickly that's the only thing that is saving me.

migwo

I am Isoko (core) both parents. I'm from Isoko South LGA. My town: Igbide. And I thank the originator of this thread for coming up with this. For a minority tribe like us (the Isokos), I initially thought I will not see something like this coming on Nairaland. Wa do.

Now, the annoying thing about the thread is the horde of non-Isokos doing all in their power to rubbish the good intention of the originator of the thread. Nwando, Ifyalways and other Igbotic people should please stay away from here if there isn't anything meaningful they can contribute. The Igbo thread is a huge one loaded with ''meaningful'' contributions from Igbos both at home and in the diaspora. Can we have some peace of mind and a sense of belonging with this one?

Once again, I thank the good Isoko chap who came up with this thread in the first place. May the light of our forefathers continue to guide your paths, and may their blessings abide with us, their offspring where ever we're located on the face of the earth.

ono:

I am Isoko (core) both parents. I'm from Isoko South LGA. My town: Igbide. And I thank the originator of this thread for coming up with this. For a minority tribe like us (the Isokos), I initially thought I will not see something like this coming on Nairaland. Wa do.

Now, the annoying thing about the thread is the horde of non-Isokos doing all in their power to rubbish the good intention of the originator of the thread. Nwando, Ifyalways and other Igbotic people should please stay away from here if there isn't anything meaningful they can contribute. The Igbo thread is a huge one loaded with ''meaningful'' contributions from Igbos both at home and in the diaspora. Can we have some peace of mind and a sense of belonging with this one?

Go fry sand chop. Isokotic ewu

My brother, Ono, Wadoo. Eve? Kobuwo? Ehh, but Ify is now one of us, ehn, make you take am easy small  . Tell us a bit about Igbide. I know a particular family from there, don't want to mention names, but I'm sure if you are an authentic Igbide person, you should know the General. But wetin you dey do for N'jamena, no be Chad be that?

ifyalways:

Go fry sand chop. Isokotic ewu

Ewooo.
Ify, hmm, that Urhobo makossa, e be like say na gold for Warri. Nobody don fit get am for me. How body? I beg nak us some of that your meko, beko Isoko. LOL.

Isoko wadoo. Princess, where you?

Lifted,
Obuwo o ro ri. Do. I'm in Portharcourt at present. I really am not in N'Djamena. That na just to ''confuse'' people.

And how is ifyalways an Isoko? Is she married to one of us? Her name sounds ''Igbotic'' - like Osisi, her sister. I did not read that much in any of her entries here. Anyway sha, if she is one of us, she's welcome.

Igbide is not a big town - at least going by the other places I've visited in Isokoland. Ozoro, Iyede and Oleh are prolly the largest towns in Isokoland. Others are Olomoro, Irri, Emede, Ibredeni, Umeh, Aviara, Oweh (I heard its now called Otor-Oweh), Emevor, Enwhe and several others.

We're predominantly fishermen and farmers in Igbide. Cash crops are mainly groundnuts and sometime palm produce. My people claimed several years of oil exploration in the town has rendered the land non productive. But I think not.
Owodokpokpo is one of the major sub-towns in Igbide. There is Oteri-Igbide and Urovo. Igbide is bounded to the north by Uzere, west by Emede and Olomoro, to the east by Enwhe and to the south by the Urie lake and Umeh.

My dad told me the founder of the town came from Mgbidi, in present day Imo State. This is very much unlike the the claims of other towns in Isokoland, where many said their founders are from Benin. Some of the aged men and women in the town attest to this, and our chief's costume bear quite a lot of resemblance to that of the Igbos. For me, it's absurd. I don't want us to have anything to do with the Igbos. I don't hate them, but I don't like them either. The Igbide man loves adventure, largescale trading is another area they're into these days, and education is the order of the day.

I really can't remember everything about the town now. I was born and brought up in the West (Yorubaland). The much I know now is what my dad told us before he passed on. I visit Igbide at least twice in a year and interract with my relations for a long while before going back to PHC.

I hope that suits you just fine on Igbide. Do. Le lo me he r'awho whe.

Isoko wadoo,
Emevor wadoo,
I just love this thread,
I dont speak a word but i think i will learn alot from here.
I was surfing the internet for Isoko names when i came across this blog. Im so lucky and thank you all for the names posted. Im expecting my first child in July though am married to an Ondo lovely guy,i want my child to bear an Isoko name because im Isoko to the core eventhough my mum is an Edo woman and hubby a Yoruba guy. Can anyone tell me the meaning of Kessena? I love the name so much and plan to name my baby if its a boy but if its a girl, then its Onome
Bless you all,

Lifted,
I should correct you on some Isoko words for food items:

Rice = Isikapa
Beans = Ezaa
Garri / Cassava = Evu/Egu
Yam = Ole/ Ele

Bring them on.

ono:

Lifted,
Obuwo o ro ri. Do. I'm in Portharcourt at present. I really am not in N'Djamena. That na just to ''confuse'' people.

And how is ifyalways an Isoko? Is she married to one of us? Her name sounds ''Igbotic'' - like Osisi, her sister. I did not read that much in any of her entries here. Anyway sha, if she is one of us, she's welcome.

Igbide is not a big town - at least going by the other places I've visited in Isokoland. Ozoro, Iyede and Oleh are prolly the largest towns in Isokoland. Others are Olomoro, Irri, Emede, Ibredeni, Umeh, Aviara, Oweh (I heard its now called Otor-Oweh), Emevor, Enwhe and several others.

We're predominantly fishermen and farmers in Igbide. Cash crops are mainly groundnuts and sometime palm produce. My people claimed several years of oil exploration in the town has rendered the land non productive. But I think not.
Owodokpokpo is one of the major sub-towns in Igbide. There is Oteri-Igbide and Urovo. Igbide is bounded to the north by Uzere, west by Emede and Olomoro, to the east by Enwhe and to the south by the Urie lake and Umeh.

My dad told me the founder of the town came from Mgbidi, in present day Imo State. This is very much unlike the the claims of other towns in Isokoland, where many said their founders are from Benin. Some of the aged men and women in the town attest to this, and our chief's costume bear quite a lot of resemblance to that of the Igbos. For me, it's absurd. I don't want us to have anything to do with the Igbos. I don't hate them, but I don't like them either. The Igbide man loves adventure, largescale trading is another area they're into these days, and education is the order of the day.

I really can't remember everything about the town now. I was born and brought up in the West (Yorubaland). The much I know now is what my dad told us before he passed on. I visit Igbide at least twice in a year and interract with my relations for a long while before going back to PHC.

I hope that suits you just fine on Igbide. Do. Le lo me he r'awho whe.

Igbotic ke?
how about you,isokotic?
ROFL
more like isiokuko

so your ancestors came from Igboland eh kwa?
you see
you all come back to us
you should be proud.
any zeal you have as a man is from your Igbo ancestory
you should be thanking God for that Mgbidi man.
you don't want anything to do with Igbos but our blood runs in your veins
go to the River Niger and jump in kia kia
that's the only way to end the misery

liftedone:

My brother, Ono, Wadoo. Eve? Kobuwo? Ehh, but Ify is now one of us, ehn, make you take am easy small  . Tell us a bit about Igbide. I know a particular family from there, don't want to mention names, but I'm sure if you are an authentic Igbide person, you should know the General. But wetin you dey do for N'jamena, no be Chad be that?
Ewooo.
Ify, hmm, that Urhobo makossa, e be like say na gold for Warri. Nobody don fit get am for me. How body? I beg nak us some of that your meko, beko Isoko. LOL.

Isoko wadoo. Princess, where you?

I dey full ground, nothing dey shake am. Wetin dey? Dem don dey roast me for work so as man mus wac I say mek I thread sofly sofly before my army boss go descend on my head like Holy Spirit. I still dey wait my first lesson oh. Who shall teach me?

Ifyalways gi bu afua tata? Please free dem. Your name marks u as Igbo, unless you are not. I'm part Delta Igbo so I understand wanting to belong as my mumsie's family grew up b/w Warri and Isele side. They're Igbo but they have some Warri razness mixed in with them (case in point my mumsie's everlasting friendship with ogogoro that is manifesting itself in us!)

sheniqua:

Igbotic ke?
how about you,isokotic?
ROFL
more like isiokuko

so your ancestors came from Igboland eh kwa?
you see
you all come back to us
you should be proud.
any zeal you have as a man is from your Igbo ancestory
you should be thanking God for that Mgbidi man.
you don't want anything to do with Igbos but our blood runs in your veins
go to the River Niger and jump in kia kia
that's the only way to end the misery

This must be Osisi/Nwando in disguise. Why on earth did Seun allow people to have several usernames?


Anyways, I know I can't do anything about our ''Igbotic'' origins. But we have mixed with other tribes over the years that it's quite difficult to pin a pure Mgbidi man in Igbide at this time.

Hey Ify and all o yorss, LoL, I went back and read the thread and have been seeing some Bini-ish things pop up here and there. I grew up all my life in Benin City so I can at least contribute small there. Omonigho is short for Ujuomonigho = A child is greater than money as you correctly deduced. It's a bini name sha. I've never heard it adhered to an Urhobo or Isoko person. My dad was active in the church and we had a nice sized group of Urhobo and Isokos and a spattering of Ijaws in the church and they used to get together and pray, have meetings, celebrate occasions and visit the sick with holy communion or get the priest to perform extreme unction. It always saddens me these days to be hearing of all this strife in the Niger Delta when I saw so many of them band together when I was growing up. Anyways, to add some Urhobo words even though this is an Isoko thread:

Igho vwe ro? = Where my money?
Wakobiro/kobiro = Thank you (plural/singular)
Vwe kpi,  "skuli" or "eshorsh" = I'm going to, "school" or "church"
Aghogho = Joy (which is the same as "Oghogho" in Bini)

I really really like Urhobo names. I think they are some of the coolest! Think about it, Omodafe = Dafe, Oghenetega = Tega, Eghaghara or Ovieya (Queen) = Vieya.  I don't know about you but Dafe and Tega are very sexy names to toast babes with! LOL. Where this Ufobabe? I needs some lessons! Anyone remember having lemongrass and unripe plantain in their Ukhodo?

Oh, I know this is like 55 posts in the space of 5 minutes but bear with me. Ifyalways, I support whoever said your owo soup na die! I'm lucky to have a mum who cooks better than some of the world's top chefs and I'm not just saying this because she's my mum. That woman has ruined all of us tastebuds forever because we will forever taste other Naija women's cooking as second rate. She is that good! I'm not even quarter of her and I've known Naija guys that were like, na you I go marry just by dint of tasting my food! Anyways, here is the recipe for some Urhobo meals which by the way the ingredients for Owo soup can be quickly turned to make a nice homemade soap - my mama's (grandma) recipe! Sorry, I don't give that out - it's too special. I've cleaned set-in blood stains with that soap!

Owo soup (old school) - serves 2 very hungry or 4 not so hungry people:

4 tins of oil palm fruits

1 to 1 1/2 tbs of ground Akaun/Kaun/Potash

1 fresh red pepper (The really hot ones. I prefer 4 but I like pepper)

1/2 a small tin of Enitan/Crayfish (you can add more if you like crayfish)

2 heads of dried fish (I call them "asia" pronounced "ah-see-a" but I don't know if there's another name)

Peppersoup spices - a bit of dawadawa/ogiri, Ukwa, and some other stuff whose names I can't remember but some markets have this already combined

1/4 of a small onion

2 knorr cubes

salt to taste

    Using a grinding stone, grind the quarter of the onion, the spices, the enitan and the pepper together. clear off the blended spices into a separate bowl.
    Wash and put the palm oil fruit into an odo (mortar) and pound it till the fibrous flesh is pounded off and you can see the black kernel.
Pour a kettle (about 3 cups of water) of boiling water over the pounded palm oil fruit rinsing the pestle while doing so.
Drain the palm oil juice out of the odo into your pot leaving the fiber and the kernel in the mortar (you can use the kernel for kernel oil, a great emollient and the fiber to wash and shine iron pots!)
    Put the pot on the fire. let the palm juice boil for 15 minutes. Add in the blended onion, pepper and spices from the grinding stone. Let the mixture reach boiling point. Add in the akaun (this actually thickens the broth and you can add a little bit of starch or pounded yam if you want it thicker or if you make a mistake and put the akaun in too early). Add the knorr cubes and dried fish and salt to taste. Stir it all and leave on the fire for 10 more minutes. You can add bushmeat, goat meat, beef, or fresh fish to the soup while adding the dried fish. Owo soup doesn't do well with chicken or turkey or pig unless you know how to spice them well.

PS: (You wash the dried fish by pouring boiling water on the dried fish, letting it soak for a few minutes then scrubbing it with soap and a sponge and rinsing it again with boiling water. This is to loosen the fish making it easier to eat - you want it to scatter small - as well as remove impurities such as sand)

I think we should create another thread for the Urhobos. . . . . .if there isn't one already.

ono:

I think we should create another thread for the Urhobos. . . . . .if there isn't one already.

Shuu! U dey drive me? We are one oh from the unheard of Adagalis in the Maiduguri ranges close to Chad to the francophone-ish peeps in Badaagry to every ethnic group in between! Naija na our own. My brother, we are all one.

Urhobo wadoo!
Isoko wadoo!
Imoni wadoo!
Naija wadoo!

I no dey drive anybody. Wetin I wan see na Isoko yarns, that's all.

ono:

I no dey drive anybody. Wetin I wan see na Isoko yarns, that's all.

Ono, Ono, Ono, how many times I call you? I don say take am easyooo. Emerera, wo yo. Owoma.

omoovie:

Shuu! You dey drive me? We are one oh from the unheard of Adagalis in the Maiduguri ranges close to Chad to the francophone-ish peeps in Badaagry to every ethnic group in between! Naija na our own. My brother, we are all one.

Urhobo wadoo!
Isoko wadoo!
Imoni wadoo!
Naija wadoo!

Princess, nobody dey drive you. We be one. Ehn, that your 'Owo' soup, na correct. Na you talk the real thing. I fear, o, when Ify call am emergency soup. I say' Emergency'? For where? My aunty dey take long time to cook that soup, we go wait so tayyyy. But the thing dey sweet o. But really oily, o, all those calories.

@Jevbe, I don't know what Kesena means, but I'll find out. It's really a lovely name. It's usually shortened to Kess. Have a safe "deliver" ala Shina Peters if you get my drift.

Ono, thank you for the correction. You see when Ify want disgrace me say I no sabi the language, na im I take that one bamboozle am. E be like say you wan open fowl yansh small. But I no worry. I still better pass Princess 

Isoko Wadoo !
Urhobo Wadoo!
Itsekiri Wadoo!
Bini Wadoo!
Igbo kwenu!!!!

Which town you come from sef?

Ehn, I come from somewhere after Irri, near Uzere, e dey your list. I know say you fit guess, but no mention am sha, I have my reasons. How life? You said you are in PH. I have two of my brothers living there.

Isoko wadoo!

Still trippin on all dis! I neva knew i had pips as empowered as dis,its a real life saver knowing dat all d pesimisstic,ass gnawing goats dat ve seen in lagos are only 0% of our population.
ISOKO 4 LIFE!!!
WE THE BEST!!!
ONE LOVE!!!

Am 4rm isoko north

ono:

I think we should create another thread for the Urhobos. . . . . .if there isn't one already.

ono:

I no dey drive anybody. Wetin I wan see na Isoko yarns, that's all.

I've taken your advice and found the Urhobo thread. I will not disturb y'all again eh. Thanks Lifte and co for making me feel welcome.

omoovie:

I've taken your advice and found the Urhobo thread. I will not disturb y'all again eh. Thanks Lifte and co for making me feel welcome.

No one said you ain't welcome here. Anyways, good you've found your thread.


Now, back to my Isoko brothers and sisters. Isoko wa do, Igbide wa do, Olomoro wa do, Emede wa do, Ozoro wa do, Oleh, Umeh, Aviara, Ibredeni, Iyede-Ame, Iyede-Otor, Irri, Emevor, Enwhe, Wa do o o o o o o.

Isoko wa a  je? Hi! Iyeee!!!! Oghene vi obo ko waa re kpobi.

Yes. My Isoko is rusty. I'm in the process of rejuvenating it. First thing to do is to go and renovate my house at Owodokpokpo-Igbide. I must go and interract with my people there. All the Isoko people here I greet una very well.  May God bless you all where ever you are. May the mighty hands of our ancestors guide you, prosper you in all you set your hands to do. May your offsprings fill the lands as the waters cover the seas.

May we never be regarded as minority anymore in the entity called Nigeria. The Lord God will do it. Amin!!

ono:


No one said you ain't welcome here. Anyways, good you've found your thread.


Now, back to my Isoko brothers and sisters. Isoko wa do, Igbide wa do, Olomoro wa do, Emede wa do, Ozoro wa do, Oleh, Umeh, Aviara, Ibredeni, Iyede-Ame, Iyede-Otor, Irri, Emevor, Enwhe, Wa do o o o o o o.

Isoko wa a je? Hi! Iyeee!!!! Oghene vi obo ko waa re kpobi.

Yes. My Isoko is rusty. I'm in the process of rejuvenating it. First thing to do is to go and renovate my house at Owodokpokpor-Igbide. I must go and interract with my people there. All the Isoko people here I greet una very well. May God bless you all where ever you are. May the mighty hands of our ancestors guide you, prosper you in all you set your hands to do. May your offsprings fill the lands as the waters cover the seas.

May we never be regarded as minority anymore in the entity called Nigeria. The Lord God will do it. Amin!!

ROFL.
you were born a minority
you will die a minority
even if your women start to deliver every five five months,you'll never catch up.

who ban babyo again?

Osisi,
Return to sender remains ur case. . Where you go hide since?

Beside, this is strictly Isoko thread. If you don't have anything special for us, pls back off. . . . .

Osisi,
you are too harsh in your post. I believe you were joking.

Isoko wadooo! One Nation!

isnet isoko, almost the sameas ishan or urhobo

Debosky,
quite an age. I misses you like I miss oxygen, Hope she is taking care of you plenty plenty?