Abstract

The language and culture of a people are one and the same. Before the advent of colonial rule and Western Civilization per se, the Igbo had existed with full civilization. Igbo is a name of a people, the language which is equally referred to as Igbo was wholly adequate to the people that make up a great proportion of the inhabitants of West Africa sub-region. It is a familiar expression that language is found in culture and culture is found in language, and it is these distinct cultural and linguistic features that earmarked the Igbo as among the progenitors of African Civilization. The origin and evolution of the Igbo language and culture over the generations can be problematic if it does not take cognizance of the periodization from the age of oralness to the period the language was reduced into writing. The material for this study involves both primary and secondary sources. Studies have shown that an in-depth study of the origin and evolution of languages and culture over the generations could go a long way to ameliorate the unfair treatment given to most of the endangered languages of the world. This study engages itself with the task of making an inroad in the terrain of historical linguistics, since the study of the origin and evolution of language and culture could bring enough confirmations that remote ancestors of the Igbo were among the autochthonous peoples that fathered the civilization of Africa – the cradle of humanity. The study is expected to spur scholars to contribute to the vast domain and enriched qualitative and quantitative features of the language of the Igbo, which in turn adds to an all-round appreciation of the Igbo in the global commitment towards sustainable development initiatives.

Keywords

Igbolanguageculturecivilization and evolution

Published in: Nsibidi:AE-FUNAI Journal of Humanities ( Volume: 1 , Issue: 1 , October 2018)

Page(s): 55 - 72

Date of Publication: October 2018

ISSN Information: 1596-5428