Objective
Different greeting patterns are used for the different times of the day.
Introduction
Different greeting patterns are used for the different times of the day.
EKELE NA OKWUKWE EKELE (Greetings and Responses)
Lesson Vocabulary
Lesson Vocabulary
| Mhm or oo | Thanks too | ||
| Daalu | Thanks | ||
| Ka emesia | Good bye | ||
| kedu/ndewo | Hello | ||
| Ndeewo | Thanks, you too | ||
| Ndo | Sorry | ||
| Nnọọ | Welcome | ||
| Oo | Thanks too | ||
| Oo, anwula nke gi | All the best to you |
Lesson Conversation:
| Obi | Ada, kedụ? | Ada, hello? | |
| Ada | Ọ dị mma. Kedụ maka gi? | It is good. How about you? | |
| Obi | Ọ dị mma. Daalụ | It is good. Thank you. | |
| Obi | M hụghi gị na ụlọ egwuregwu anyi ụbọchi gara aga. | I did not see you at the drama the other day. | |
| Ada | Ndo, enweghi m ike ịbia maka m gara na ụlọ nne nne m. Gịnị mere ụbọchị ahụ? | Not able to come because I went to my grandmother’s house. What happened on that day? | |
| Obi | Ihe nile gara nke ọma. Ihe mbu anyi mere bụ ịgwa ndị nile bịara “nnọọ” tupu ebido ihe ndi ọzọ. Mgbe emechara ihe ndi ọzọ, anyi gwara ha nnukwu “daalụ” maka na ha bịara. | Everything went fine. The first thing we did was to tell the people “welcome” before we start other things. After other things are done, we said a big “thank you” to them for coming. | |
| Ada | Unu mere nke ọma | You all did well | |
| Obi | Daalu | Thank you | |
| Ada | Ka emesịa | Bye- bye | |
| Obi | Ka emesịa | Bye- bye | |
| Obinna | Ị putakwa? | Are you out again? | |
| Osondu | Eee, daalụ | Yes thank you | |
| Obinna | Ị lotala? | Are you back? | |
| Osondu | Eee, daalụ | Yes thank you | |
| Obinna | Ị chighaala? | Are you back? | |
| Obinna | Kedu? | How is it? | |
| Osondu. If I have no time to indulge in these questions, then I might use the most common expression: “kedụ”. | Eee | Yes | |
| Osondu | Ọ di mma | It is alright. And then both of them will pass by. |
Lesson Monologue
Lesson Note
Teacher Notes
Fundamental Greetings
Let the students do a little recital or drama on what greeting pattern to use on waking up in the morning, at noon or when leaving someone at night.
“Ka emesia” (good bye or ‘til then) can be used at any time of the day when parting. Sometimes, at night, a party says “ka chi bọọ/foo,” the other responds “ka emesia.”
It is entirely wrong to use these literal translations – “ezigbo ụtụtụ,” “ezigbo ehihie,” “ezigbo mgbede,” and “ezigbo anyasi/abali” for “good morning,” “good afternoon,” “good evening,” and “good night,” respectively. Literally, they are correct but culturally they are wrong.
As you go through the other greeting patterns with the students, it is advisable that you tell them the most common ones used by basically 95% of Igbo speakers.
Cultural Notes
Different greeting patterns are used for the different times of the day.
ụtụtụ (morning)
Greeting: Ụtụtụ ọma. (Good morning.)
Response: ịsala chi.
ehihie (afternoon)
Greeting: Ehihie ọma. (Good afternoon.)
Response: Ehihie ọma.
abalị / uchichi / anyasi (night)
Greeting: Ka chi bọọ. /Ka chi foo. (Good night or may the day break))
Response: Ka ọ bọọ. /Ka chi foo.
The above responses can also be used to initiate greetings which elicit other responses
Fundamental Greetings
Note: Generally, in Igbo, the young do not initiate such greetings as “ị bọọla, ị pụtala ụra.” Older persons do initiate them
At dawn and throughout the morning hours
(a) Ị bọọla chi? or Ị bọọla? (Are you awake?) *used in the Owerri area
(b) Ị pụtala ụra? (Are you out from sleep?) *used in the Anambra area
(c) Ma mma. *used in the Okigwe area
(d) Kaa. *used in the Bende and Umuahia area
The responses are:
(a) Ee, ị bọọla. (Yes, are you awake too?)
(b) Ee, ị pụtala. (Yes, are you out too?)
Note that these greetings serve as the English “good morning.”
• During the afternoon, on meeting a friend or anybody
Greeting:
(a) Ndeewo. (Hello.) *used in the Owerri/Imo area
(b) Daalụ. *used in the Onitsha/Anamba area
(c) Ma mma. *used in the Okigwe area
(d) Kaa. *used in the Umuahia area
Note that in this context “daalụ” means “hello” and not “thank you” as it usually means.
Response:
(a) Ndeewo. (if the person is a visitor)
(b) Nọọ. (if the person is not a visitor)
(c) Daalụ. (can be used whether a visitor or not.)
Note that these greetings serve as the English “good afternoon.”
• At night
One can use the afternoon greetings “ndeewo” and “daalụ” and their corresponding responses on meeting a person at night, but when parting, or leaving anybody at night, the following are used.
Greeting:
(a) Ka chi bọọ or Ka chi foo. (Good night to you ) (singular)
(b) Ka chi bọọ nụ or Ka chi foo nụ. (Good night to you all.) (plural)
Response: (a) Ka chi boo or Ka chi foo or Ka ọ bọọ. (Good night.)
This literally means “may the next day come without mishap.”
Casual greetings
Casual greetings
A real Igbo man or woman cannot pass by without offering one greeting or another. Supposing you have met Obinna before, say an hour ago, and exchanged greetings as usual. On meeting him again you do not pass yourselves by without again saying something to each other.
The social exchange of verbal greetings may include one or more of these questions and their responses:
As in English, it is not common practice to give the negative response “it is not alright” (ọ dịghị mma). Therefore when the greeting “kedu” is offered, one expects the response “ọ dị mma” (it is alright) and not “ọ dị njọ” (it is bad or it is not alright). The person initiating the greeting has to demand for an explanation for the negative response. In general, the response for “kedụ” is “ọ di mma,” irrespective of whether it is good or bad. It is to very familiar people that the response “ọ di njọ is expressed to.”
Also remember that “kedụ” is a shortened form of “kedụ ka i mere” (how are you?) or “kedụ ka ọ di” (how is it?).
Greetings at work
(a) Ndeewo. (Wish you well.)
(b) Jisi ike. (Well done.)
(c) Deeme. (Wish you well at work.)
(d) Daalụ ọrụ. (Well done at work.)
Responses
(a) Mhm, ndeewo. (Yes, wish you well too.)
(b) Mhm, daalu. (Yes, thank you.)
Ndeewo is the most common greeting for work.
Greetings for wound, pain, sorrow, loss, or sickness suffered:
(a) Ndo. Sorry.)
(b) Kaa*. (Sorry.) *Note: only a small portion of Igbo speakers use this.
(c) Jisi ike. (Bear it with heart.)
Responses:
(a) Oo.
(b) Oo.
(c) Oo
“Ndo” is the most common expression.•
Welcome greeting to a visitor:When a visitor comes to you, you greet him with these expressions:
(a) “Nnọọ.” (Welcome, to a single person.)
(b) “Nnọọ nụ.” (Welcome, to more than one person.)
(a) “Ị biala?” (Have you come?, singular)
(b) “Unu abịala?” (Have you all come?, plural)
All are responded to with “mhm” or “ee,” meaning “yes.”
Student Notes
Other Greeting Patterns
Thanks
(a) Daalụ. (Thanks.) *used in the Anambra area
(b) Ndeewo. (Thanks.) *used in the Owerri area
(c) Ị meela. (Thanks; literally “you’ve done well.”) *used in the Owerri area
(d) Anwula. (Thanks; literally “do not die,” “wish you long life.”)
Lesson Exercise
(1) How would these individuals greet each other? Write a dialogue for each.
a. A father and his daughter
b. Two female students
c. A male student and another male student.
d. A mother and her son.
(2) On a visit to your grandmother, tell us what you will say to her in the morning, noon, and night.
(3) Write the appropriate greetings and responses.
1) Uche greets parents (6:00am)
2) Uche leaves for school and greets Nnamdị (8:00am)
3) Nnamdị greets Professor and classmates (10:00am)
4) Nnamdị leaves classroom (2:00pm)
5) Uche greets parents at bedtime (10:00pm)