UNIT 12 ISI NKE IRI NA ABỤỌ ỌRỤ ỤBỌCHỊ ( daily routine)

Objective

By the end of this lesson, learners should be able to: 1. Identify the igbo verbs 2. Know the easiest way to form a verb. 3. Discuss or write about their daily routines and chores.

Introduction

Life is full of ups and downs, activities and actions. This minute we are doing this, the next, we are doing the other. Igbos are known for their hard work and dedication in all their endevours, be it daily or otherwise. Here, we will take a look at our every day routine and some of the Igbo verbs since they are part of our daily routines and chores.

Lesson Vocabulary

Dekwa		also write
Dezie akwa		make bed
Imecha		To finish
ịteta ụra		To wake up from sleep
Kwa		also. (this also means “every”.)
Kwesiri ime ihe		suppose to do something
Maka		Because
Mgbe m mechara nke a		when I finish doing this
Mgbe nke a mechara		when this is finished
Tupu		Before
Tupu m mee nke a		Before i do this

Lesson Conversation:

Obi	Ada Kedụ?	Ada, how are you
Ada	Ọ dị mma, daalụ	I’m fine, thanks
Obi	Kedụ ka ụbọchị gị na-adị?	What is your day like?)
Ada	Ubọchị nile na-abụ m ogologo ụbochị	Every day for me is a long day
Obi	Mgbe m tete ụra na ụtụtụ, m na-agba ọsọ, rie nri, gaa ụlọ akwụkwọ, Na ehihie, m na agụ akwụkwọ m. Na abalị, m na-arahụ ụra.	When I wake up in the morning, I run, eat food, and go to school. In the afternoon, I study my books. At night, I go to sleep.
Ada	Ụbọchị gị dịka nke m.	You day is like mine.

Lesson Monologue

Adaọra na ekwu make ọrụ ụbọchị ya. (Adaora is talking about her daily routine.)

Aha m bụ Adaọra Obi. M na-eme ọtụtụ ihe kwa ụbọchi. Ụtụtụ nile, m na aza ụlọ m, dezie akwa m, rie nri ụtụtụ. M na aga ahia zụta nri maka isi nri ehihie. Mgbe m mechara nke a, m ga-aga ụlọ akwụkwọ igụ akwụkwọ m. Mụ na enyi m ga amụ akwụkwọ anyi ma dekwa ihe odide. Mgbe anyi mụchara akwụkwọ, m ga aga na ụlọ m maka isi nri ehihie. M ga eri nri wee zukwa ike tupu m gaa ịgba ọsọ na ụlọ akwụkwọ anyị. Na abalị, m ga eri nri abalị, muọ akwụkwọ m. Emesia, m ga aga na akwa m irahụ ụra.

My name is Adaora Obi. I do a lot of things everyday. Every morning, I sweep my house, make my bed, eat breakfast. I go to the market to buy food stuff for cooking lunch. When I’m done with this, I go to school to read my books. My friend and I would study our books and write assignments. When we finish studying, I will go to my house to cook lunch. I will eat lunch and then rest before I go to our school to run. At night, I will eat dinner, study. Later, I will go to my bed to sleep.

Lesson Note

Grammar Notes

Our next task is to learn about verbs. A verb is called ngwaa in Igbo. This is a word which gives the sentence its complete meaning and understanding. It conveys thoughts or actions.

O jere ahia Ụnyahụ/echi gara aga. (He/she went to the market yesterday.)
Ha gbara egwu. (They danced.)
Anyi ga-echu mmiri. (We will fetch water.)
Apart from conveying thoughts or actions which is its primary function, the Igbo verb has other functions which will be dealt with as we go along.

Verb Formation.
The easiest way to form a simple verb root is by adding any of the eight vowels after a consonant.

b + a = ba (enter)
b + e = be (cry)
b + i = bi (live)
b + u = bu (carry)

d + a = da (fall)
d + e = de (write)
d + ị = dị (exist)
d + u = du (lead)

g + a = ga (go)
g + e = ge (listen)
g + o = go (buy)
g + ụ = gụ (read)

gb + a = gba (shoot)
gb + e = gbe (crawl)
gb + ọ = gbọ (vomit)
gb + u = gbu (kill)

gh + a = gha (scatter)
gh + e = ghe (fry)
gh + ọ = ghọ (pluck)

h + ọ = họ (select)
h + ụ = hụ (see)

j + a = ja (praise)
j + e = je (go)
j + i = ji (hold)
j + ụ = jụ (refuse)

k + e = ke (dress)
k + ụ = kụ (knock)

m + a = ma (know)
m + e = me (do)
m + ị = mị (slip)
m + ụ = mụ (learn)

nw + a = nwa (tempt)
nw + e + nwe (have/own)
nw + ụ = nwụ (die)
nw + u = nwu (burn)

ny + a = nya (plaster)
ny + e = nye (give)
ny + ị = nyị (weighty/being heavy)

p + a = pa (carry)

s + a = sa (wash)
s + e = se (draw)
s + o = so (follow)
s + ụ = sụ (pound)

t + a = ta (bite)
t + e = te (dance)
t + i = ti (hit)
t + o = to (praise)
t + ụ = tụ (throw)

z + a = za (answer/sweep)
z + e = ze (collapse)
z + i = zi (send)
z + o = zo (hide)

Caution! Not all Igbo consonants can make acceptable verb roots. Some do not make sense even when a vowel is suffixed to them.
Examples: bị, gbị, gbi, fi, ghị, gho, ghu, kị, ki, lị, mọ, nị, ni, no, nị, she, sho, shu, va, vị, yu, zị, gwị, kwị, nwị, nwọ, nyu, etc.

M ba na ụlọ. (I enter the house)
O be akwa. (He cries.)
Ha bi na Bostin. (They lives in Boston.)
O bu oche. (He carries the chair.)

a.) Some nouns are formed from the verb roots. These are formed by adding the vowels before the verb roots. E.g.

Vowels Verb roots Nouns A da Ada (a person’s name) E ke Eke (python) A wọ Awọ (toad) A ba Aba (name of a city) A kwa akwa (cloth)

b.) Some adjectives are also formed from the verb roots.

Vowels Verb roots Adjectives

A rọ arọ (heavy)
Ọ cha ọcha (white)
I bu ibu (fat)
N jọ njọ (ugly)

Compound Verb roots When simple verb roots are joined together, they form a compound verb root. gba (to shoot) + gbu (to kill) = gbagbu (to shoot, to kill) me (to do) + gbu (to kill) = megbu (to maltreat) de (to write) + ga (to go) = dega (to write

gba (to shoot) + gbu (to kill) = gbagbu (to shoot, to kill)
me (to do) + gbu (to kill) = megbu (to maltreat)
de (to write) + ga (to go) = dega (to write to)
gba (to run) + ba (to enter) = gbaba (run into)

a.) Some nouns are formed from the verb roots. These are formed by adding the vowels before the verb roots. E.g.

Vowels Verb roots Nouns
A da Ada (a person’s name)
E ke Eke (python)
A wọ Awọ (toad)
A ba Aba (name of a city)
A kwa akwa (cloth)

Lesson Exercise

1. A friend of yours has asked you what your daily routines are. Explaine to him/her what you do everyday.

2. Write a short dialogue about two people talking about their daily routine.

3. Match each of these prefixing vowels with their appropriate verb roots to form a noun.

Vowels Verb roots Noun

a) a lu
b) e nya
c) o da
d) ọ lọ
e) u mi
f) ụ ke
g) i ku
h) ị nụ
i) a be

4. Which of the two vowel consonants given below correspond to each of these verb roots to form a noun?

Vowel consonants Verb roots Noun

a) m tị
b) n ri
c) bọ
d) kpọ
e) cha
f) be
g) nu
h) ma

AJỤJỤ
1. Kedụ ihe Adaọra na eme ụtụtụ nile?
2. Kedụ ihe Adaọra na enyi ya ga eme na akụkọ a?
3. Kedụ ihe e kwuru Adaọra na eme na abalị na akụkọ a?
4. Kedụ ihe Adaọra ga aga ụlọ ya ime mgbe ọ mụchara akwụkwọ?
5. Kedụ oge Adaọra ji aga ịgba ọsọ na ụlọ akwụkwọ ha?

AJỤJỤ
1. Kedụ aha mmadụ abụọ na ekwu okwu na ebe a?
2. Onye kwuru, ‘ kedụ ka gị na adị”?
3. Kedụ azịza, e nyere maka ajụjụ?
4. Kedụ ihe Ada zara Obi maka etu ụbọchị ya dị?