UNIT 11 ISI NKE IRI NA OTU ỤBỌCHị, IZUỤKA NA ỌNWA NA AFỌ (DAYS, WEEKS AND MONTHS OF THE YEAR)

Objective
By the end of this lesson, learners should be able to: 1. Know the days of the week in Igbo and the Igbo market days. 2. Know the Igbo reference for the weeks and months
Introduction

Nkọwa (introduction) Like most groups, the Igbos have adopted the Western seven day week. But for them, Monday is the first day of the week(“ụbọchi mbụ na izuụka”) and Sunday is the last day of the week. (ụbọchị asaa na izuụka”.) The days of the week are very essential to the Igbos because each of these days has a market day attached to it. Nevertheless, in talking about the days of the week, we simply translate them based on the number of the days of the week e.g, “ụbọchị mbụ na izuụka (first day of the week) = Monday, ụbọchị abụọ na izuụka (second day of the week ) = Tuesday.

Lesson Vocabulary

Lesson Vocabulary

) Ọnwa anọ na afọ April
Afọ year
Ebe ọ bụ Since
Echi Tomorrow
Echi gara aga Yesterday
Izuụka Week
Izuụka abụọ na ọnwa Week 2
Izuụka anọ na ọnwa Week 4
Izuụka atọ na ọnwa week 3
Izuụka mbụ na ọnwa Week 1
Kita Now
Ma This expresses “both”
Ma asi If
Ọ bụ na If
Ọba akwụkwọ Library
Oge ezumike Holiday
Oge ọkọchị Dry season
Oge udu mmiri Rainy season
Ọnwa Month
Ọnwa abụọ na afọ February
Ọnwa asaa na afọ July
Ọnwa asatọ na afọ August
Ọnwa atọ na afọ March
Ọnwa iri na abụọ na afọ December
Ọnwa iri na afọ October
Ọnwa iri na otu na afọ November
Ọnwa ise na afọ May
Ọnwa isii na afọ June
Ọnwa itolu na afọ September
Ọnwa mbụ na afọ January
Ọrụ Work
Taa/tata Today
Tutuu Until
Ụbọchị Day
ụbọchị abụọ na izuụka Tuesday
ụbọchị anọ na izuụka Thursday
ụbọchị asaa na izuụka Sunday
ụbọchị atọ na izuụka Wednesday
ụbọchị ise na izuụka Friday
ụbọchị isii na izuụka Saturday
ụbọchị mbụ na izuụka Monday
Ụbọchị na izuụka Days of the week
ụbọchị nile or kwa ụbọchị Day
Ụlọ ọgwụ Hospital
Ụlọ ụka Church
Ụnyahụ Yesterday
Were Take

Lesson Conversation:

Mgbeeke na Nwaafọ Mgbeeke na Nwaafọ na ekwu maka oge na afọ. Mgbeeke and Nwaafọ are talking about the calendar
Mgbeeke Nwaafọ, kedụ ahia ụbọchi taa bụ? Nwaafọ, what market day is today?
Nwaafọ Ụbọchị taa bụ Orie Today is Orie
Mgbeeke M che na ọ bụ Afọ? I thought is Afọ?
Nwaafọ Mba, ọ bụghị Afọ. No, it is not Afọ
Mgbeeke Kedụ ọnwa anyi no na ime ya? What month are we in?
Nwaafọ Anyi nọ na ime ọnwa Septemba We are in the month of September
Mgbeeke Afọ gini? What year?
Nwaafo Afọ puku abụọ na itolu Year two thousand and nine
Mgbeeke Waao!!. ị maa ihe nke ukwuu Waao!!..You are very smart
Nwaafọ Daalụ. Thank you

Lesson Monologue

Ada is talking about his weekly routine

Na ụbọchi mbụ na izuụka, m na aga ahịa. Na ụbọchị abụọ na izuụka, m na aga ụlọ akwụkwọ. Na ụbọchị atọ na izuụka, m na aga ọrụ. Na ụbọchị anọ na izuụka, m na aga ọba akwụkwọ ịgụ akwụkwọ m. Na ụbọchị ise na izuụka, m na aga ụlọ ọgwụ ihụ dọkita m. Na ụbọchị isii na izuụka, m na aga ihụ nne m na nna m. Na ụbọchị asaa na izuụka, m na aga ụlọ ụka.

On the first day of the week, I go to the market. On the second day of the week, I go to the school. On the third day of the week, I go to work. On the fourth day of the week, I go to the library to read my books. On the fifth day of the week, I go to the hospital to see my doctor. On the sixth day of the week, I go to see my mother and my father. On the seventh day of the week, I go to church.

Drill Questions

Question: Kedụ ọnwa anyi nọ na ya ugbu a? Answer: Anyi nọ na ọnwa nke atọ na afọ ugbu a. Question: Ọnwa nke a, ọ bụ ọnwa abụọ na afọ? Answer: Mba, ọnwa nke a abụghi ọnwa abụọ na afọ? Question: Ọnwa a, ọ bụ ọnwa nke atọ na afọ? Answer: Eee, ọnwa nke a bụ ọnwa nke atọ na afọ.

Question: What month are we in now? Answer: We are in the third month of the afọ now. Question: . This month, is it the second month of the year? Answer: No, this month is not the second month of the year. Question: This month is it the third month of the year? Answer; Yes, this month is the third month of the year.

Lesson Note

Cultural Notes

English adaptations

Jenụwarị January
Febụwarị Febuary
Mach March
Eprel April
Mee May
Jun June
Julaị July
Ọgọstụ August
Septemba September
Ọktoba October
Nọvemba November
Disemba December

Adaptations of the English terms can also be used.

Igbo English

Mọnde = Monday
Tusudee = Tuesday
Wenesdee = Wednesday
Tọsdee = Thursday
Fraidee = Friday
Satọdee = Saturday
Sọnde = Sunday

There are four market days in igbo.

Market days

Orie,
Afọ,
Nkwọ ,
Eke,

An important cultural point about these market days worth knowing is that they are associated with the names of people. E.g . most male children born on orie market day are named “nwaorie”,(child of orie) male Children born on afọ market day are named “nwaafọ”, (child of afọ),male Children born on nkwọ market day are named “nwankwọ”,(child of nkwọ) male Chidren born on eke market day are name, “nwaeke”, (child of eke). Girls and their corresponding names are mgbeorie, Mgbeafọ, Mgbenkwọ, Mgbeeke.

 

Grammar Notes

Njikọ (Conjunction)

Conjunctions are grammatical items which are primarily used to connect or join words, clauses or phrases together. In Igbo, conjunctions are categorized into two groups depending on what unit they join. These are the coordinating conjunctions which join words, phrases, clauses or other sentences and the subordinating conjunctions which join a principal sentence and a subordinating clause. In this section, we will take a look at the coordinating conjunctions.

Student Notes

Coordinating conjunctions:

1. “Na” as a conjunction normally means “and” as it joins two nouns, pronouns, main clauses and phrases together. As such “na” should be written separately in full without any elision or joining. E.g.

(a) Obi na Ada bụ ụmụnne.
(b) Mụ na ya ga aga ụlọ akwụkwọ.
(c) Ji na ede bụ nri.
(d) Iri nri na ịgba ọsọ di mma na ndụ mmadụ.
(e) Ịga ụlọ ọgwụ na ịhụ dọkịta bụ otu ihe.

2. Ma ọ bụ (or) is used to join two nouns or sentences to indicate one or the other. E. g.

(a) Were nke a ma ọ bụ nke ọzọ.
(b) Nye ya nri ma ọ bụ mmiri.
(c) Rie anụ ma ọ bụ azụ.
(d) Ọ chọrọ ị ga mahadum Harvard ma ọ bụ mahadum Yale.
(e) Ewu ma ọ bụ ọkụko.

3. mana/Kama (but) is also used to join two sentences. E.g.

(a) Ọ mara mma mana isi ya toro ogologo.
(b) Ụlọ ya buru ibu mana ọ di oji.
(c) Ọ hụrụ iri nri na anya kama ọ maghị e si nri.
(d) I nwe ike bia, kama m gaghi anọ na ulọ.
(e) Obi enyeghi ya ego kama o nyere ya nri.

4. Maka/n’ ihi (because) E.g

(a) Nye m ego ahụ maka m chọ ya.
(b) Mee ihe m kwuru maka m kwuru ya.
(c) Nneka gara na ulọ ha maka ha kpọrọ ya.
(d) Ọ na ebe akwa maka nne ya tiri ya ihe.
(e) Obi nyere Ada nri maka agụụ na agụ ya.

5. Ka e wee/ka o wee (so) E.g.

(a) O mere ya ka e wee too ya.
(b) Ọ rụrụ ọrụ ya ọsịsọ ka o wee laa na ụlọ ya na oge.

6. Tupu (before) E.g.

(a) Bia hụ m tupu m ga ụlọ akwụkwọ.
(b) Gaa ahịa tupu ị gaa ịgba ọsọ.

7. Ọ bụnadị (even though) E. g.

(a) Ọ na eti mkpu, ọ bụnadi ka ọ si ya mechie ọnụ.
(b) Jee hụ ya ọ bụnadi na ị chọghi.

8. Ọkachasị (especially) E.g.

(a) Ihe ahụ unu na eme na ewe m iwe ọkachasị, okwu unu na ekwu.
(b) Ọ na eme ọfụma na ụlọ akwụkwọ ọkachasị na afọ a.

 

Lesson Exercise

    (1) Anyi na-aga ụlọ akwụkwọ na ọnwa itolu na afọ. (we go to school on the nineth month of the year.)

    (2) Otu ọnwa m hụrụ na-anya bụ Septemba. (One month I love is September.)

    (3) A mụrụ m na izuụka anọ na ọnwa Jenuwari. (I was born on the fourth week of the month of January.)

    (4) E nwe izuụka anọ na ọnwa. (There are four weeks in a month.)

    (5) Baker Center bụ ụlọ mbụ na Quincy Street. (Baker Center is the first house on Quincy Street.)

    (6) Bịa na izuụka atọ na ọnwa. (Come on the third week of the month.)

    (7) Febụwarị bụ otu ọnwa dị oyi na afọ. (Febuary is one month that is cold in the year.)

    (8) Disemba bụ ọnwa iri na abụọ na afọ. (December is the twelveth month of the year.)

    (9) Julai na Ọgọstụ bụ ọnwa na afọ. (July and August are months of the month.)

    (10) John bịara ụlọ m na Jun. (John came to my house in June.)

    Pair the Igbo words in Group A with their corresponding English words in Group

    Group A Group B

    izuụka September
    ọnwa anọ na afọ June
    ọnwa ise na afọ February
    ọnwa iri na afọ March
    ụbọchị isii na izuụka August
    ụbọchị abụọ na izuụka Thursday
    ụbọchị mbụ na izuụka July
    ọnwa mbụ na afọ Wednesday
    ụbọchị ise na izuụka Sunday
    ọnwa iri na abụọ na afọ December
    ụbọchị asaa na izuụka Friday
    ụbọchị atọ na izuụka January
    ọnwa asaa na afọ Monday
    ụbọchị anọ na izuụka Tuesday
    ọnwa asatọ na afọ Saturday
    ọnwa atọ na afọ October
    ọnwa abụọ na afọ May
    ọnwa isii na afọ April
    ọnwa itolu na afọ week

    2. How would you respond to the following questions?

    a. Kedụ oge ị na enwe igbo klaasi?
    b. Kedụ oge Igbo klaasi gi na ebido?
    c. Kedụ oge Igbo klaasi gi na akwusi?
    d. Taa bụ ______________________
    e. Echi gara aga bụ ________________
    f. Echi bụ_______________________
    g. Ụbọchị ole na izuụka ka i na enwe Igbo klaasi?
    h. Izuụka ole dị na sịmesta nke a anyi nọ na ya?
    i. Kedụ na izụụka nke anyi nọ na ya?

    3. Read the following sentences and translate into igbo
    a. M na- aga ahia.
    b. Taa bụ ụbọchị ahịa obodo anyị.
    c. Nne m na nna m gara ahịa unyahụ.
    d. Obi na Ada bụ ụmụ akwụkwọ.
    e. Afọ, Eke na orie bụ ahịa obodo anyi.
    f. Ọnwa a bụ ọnwa anọ na afọ.
    g. Ụmụ akwụkwọ anyị bia taa.
    h. M ga aga ụlọ ya na afọ na abịa.
    i. Ụbọchị taa mara mma.
    j. Ahịa obodo anyị mara mma.

    4. Complete the following sentences with the appropriate coordinating conjunction.
    a. Nne m --------- nna m bụ mmadụ.
    b. Ose, nnu, osikapa, agwa ------- anụ bụ nri.
    c. Obi bịa hụ m …… o je na ụlọ ya.
    d. Ọ biara ……. m kpọrọ ya.
    e. Ọluchi ---- Chike hụ Ibe ---- Amara na anya.
    f. ofe egwusi ----- ofe ogbọnọ bụ nri ndi igbo.
    g. Ọ chọrọ nri …… o jighi ego.
    h. Ọkụkọ, ewu, ----- nkịta bụ ụmụ anụmanụ.
    i. Ya ---- ha ga agba ọsọ echi.
    j. ọkeke gara ụlọ ya …… ọ chọ ịhụ ya.

    5. Answer the following questions. You may ask your parents for help.

    a) Ahịa anọ dị n’ịzuụka bụ: ________________
    _____________________
    _____________________
    ______________________
    b) Aha obodo m bụ _____________________

    c) Ahịa obodo m bụ _____________________

    c) Ahịa mbụ n’izuụka bụ ____________________
    d) Obodo na-abia ahia obodo anyi bụ _____________________
    ________________________

    ________________________

    f) Ihe a na ere n’ahịa obodo anyị bụ

    ______________________
    _______________________
    ________________________
    ________________________
    _________________________

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