The genealogy and motivation for <i>Igbongo</i>

Abstract

There is an evidence of secret variety in many of the worlds‘ languages. For diverse reasons, people create secrete language or code among their peers or group. This study examines the genealogy and motivation for Igbongo . Social identity theory was used and Snowball Sampling was adopted. It was gathered that there is no consensus on the origin of Igbongo but that Igbongo is an ancient Igbo invention. The result shows that Igbongo is fallout of a high mastery of the standard language on which it is based. In other words, individuals were so versed and proficient in their Igbo language or dialect that they were able to modify it to suit their purpose. On the motivation for Igbongo, the respondents used Igbongo for reasons of fun, secrecy, bragging and gossip. However, the majority of the respondents used Igbongo to conceal information as well as distance nonspeakers of the language. The implication of this finding is that there are various reasons why people use the variety across Igbo communities. It is note-worthy that this language has survived despite advances in technology, the influence of Western culture as well as globalisation. This survival is a demonstration of the fact that Igbongo is a variety of Igbo with various socio-cultural functions in the community. Although the speakers of Igbongo are few, it is suggested that this language be codified and further research conducted on it to fathom its uniqueness, in terms of phonology.