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The Guosa Language:

By By: Alex G. Igbineweka

The Guosa African Cultural Center is a diverse multi-cultural center located temporarily on 647 16th Street, Unit ‘A’, Richmond, California 94801.

1) AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

The purpose of the Guosa Language African Cultural Center is to acquaint Western Civilization and the Asians world with the Guosa Language. A Pan Nigerian and West African Sub-Regional Language, Guosa is one of the world’s oldest language/cultural groups. Resulting from the ever-transforming Nigerian, West African Sub-Regional languages. Guosa is influencing the cultures and nations of West Africa as the sub regional countries rise to meet the challenging socio-political global civilization.

The Edo language is one of the States capital’s central languages spoken by the Edo people of Edo State in Nigeria. The language dates back to the pre-historic existence of the old Benin Kingdom which swept across the coastal territories of West Africa between the 12th Century B.C. and 1950s AD

In an attempt to subdue the powerful Benin Kingdom, the British went into war with the people of Benin (Edo). They dethroned and deported Ovonramwen the then Oba (King) of Benin Kingdom, to a neighbouring city Calabar on the Atlantic Coast of the Nigerian delta area in 1897. The British soldiers looted and carted away valuable artifacts from the Oba’s (King’s) palace which have become priceless artistic master-pieces in the British Museums and its environs. However, the language of the Binis (Edo) people continued to undergo tremendous evolutionary growth, which now transforms the Edo Language and Edo people into a position of modern cultural standardization.

2) THE GUOSA LANGUAGE

The Guosa language, on the other hand is the result of natural scientific evolution. It assumes international dimension, as it spreads across Nigeria and other West African Sub-Regional countries. It is a linguist link and complement to the languages and cultures of Togo, Republic of Benin, Gambia, Senegal, Chad, Niger, Liberia, and Ghana etc. The language is becoming a long lasting lingua franca and a language panacea for the diverse cultures and languages of the West African States. A similar position is held by Swahili the trade language which facilitated communication and commerce in South and East Africa. It is a known fact that Language is the main key to a global arts, culture and civilization. Other elements connected with language include socio-cultural awareness as well as unity between peoples. Language is capable of wearing several meanings in its message, mode, and receptacle. Language influences action, behavior, norms, values and other abstract yet perceptible roles of human beings in the society. Also, language brings mutual relationship and trust among different ethnic groups, community and trade. Africa’s languages and cultures have in the past, (and even now), been the subject of myth, oversight, and ignorance despite the international rapport around the world. It is in the light of the above, that the Guosa African Cultural Center in Richmond, California decided to introduce the Guosa Language Teaching Guosa will bring about much needed linguistic exposure to the community. Guosa Language and Culture can be a bridge aimed at the ages long linguistic barriers between the Western worlds visitors to the West African Sub-Regional countries. It will be a great pleasure, opportunity and privilege to have you and your family sign up for the Guosa and/or Edo Language classes scheduled to begin soon in Richmond.

Thanks.

Alex G. Igbineweka

Director.

Please, add your name to the list, fax your inquiries to (510) 235-8390 or call and leave a message at:

Guosa Language Research Center

P.O. Box 2797

Richmond, CA 94802

Tel: (510) 233-9228. Fax: (510) 235-8390

e-mail: guosalanguage2@aol.com, guosa_language02@yahoo.com

………………………………………………………………………………………………

ALEX IGBINEWEKA:

TEACH YOURSELF GUOSA LANGUAGE BOOK 2

(Nigeria’s future common indigenous lingua franca)

Guosa Publication Services,

(1999)

External Office:

P.O. Box 2797

Richmond, CA 94802-2797

Telephone: (510) 706-5652
E-MAIL ADDRESS: guosa-language@amheritageuniv.net
web site: www.guosa-language.tv
www.guosa-language.tv

Nigeria:

Ukhaegie Height

6, Uwa Lane, Off I.C.E. Road

Benin City, Edo State

Tèlìwáya/Tèlìyáh (Telephone/Telifax): (510) 706-5652

Síokòh (pager): (510) 616-0296. Nigeria: (52)-250860

ISBN 978-30291-2-6

© All Rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieved system without the prior written permission of Guosa Publication Services; or, Alex Igbineweka unless such copying is expressly permitted by federal copyright law. Address inquiries to: Guosa Publication Services, External Office, P.O. Box 2797, Richmond, CA 94802-2797.

1) Ìfìnèrí:

Introduction:

In 1914, the Northern and Southern Protectorates of a colony, an administrative boundaries set up by the British colonialists, were dismantled and the colonies merged by Sir F. Lord Lugard. The merger became the first political turning point and a milestone development. It brought about the birth through the amalgamation of a unit geo-entity and nation called Nigeria. Consequently, Nigeria did not evolve through any known ethnographic origins. The amalgamation was cosmetic and that can be seen as such because there were no elements of homogeneity in the peoples that occupied the vast landmass. And then, in 1960, a new Nation State earned her right to self-determination and government. Nigeria, now a sovereign entity followed in the wake of the traditions willed to her by her colonialists. She readily embraced the English Language as her tentative Lingua-franca. This was not done in isolation as the country took due cognizance of the fact that Nigeria is a land of contrasts. From present day projections, about 100 million people populate Nigeria, as evidenced by figures from the National Population Census of 1991. Out of this astonishing number, it is believed that one out of every four Africans or one out of every six black persons in the world is a Nigerian by birth or otherwise. In the same vein also, there are at least 98,000 communities with a heterogeneous populace who speaks about 400 different languages in this same country. These data raise questions which border on the basis for cohesion, comprehension and unity in such diversity. It is an anthropological fact that Language plays a unifying role in the beginning, development, beliefs, and customs of any group of people. Language is a means by which words or expressions find meaning and is put into use. Basically, it is used as a means of giving out information, thoughts, skills, ideas, reasoning and ensure receipt of same from varied sources without loosing track of the desired objective.

Language is capable of wearing several meanings and its message, mode, receptacle or feedback loop can influence action, behaviour, norms, mores, values and other extra perceptible roles of human beings in the society. As a direct result of the diverse cultural and ethnic peculiarities of Nigeria, the development of a common indigenous language has been at a very sluggish pace. Our adopted lingua franca is an imported impostor in the true sense of usage. This reasoning explains why it has become difficult to formulate decisively, an educational and socio-political, economic as well as culturally integrated policy than can form the foundation for a purposeful agrarian, industrial and even technological revolution. It is in the light of the ethnocentric peculiarities of Nigeria, coupled with the wide marginal differences in terms of her people, her customs and value system; her resources, environment, divergent cultures and religions, that the Guosa Language was evolved as a medium of common indigenous socially interwoven language and as a unifying mould towards building a virile and formidable society.

2) The Guosa

There are about 400 different ethnic languages, dialects and fractionalized dialects in Nigeria. The Guosa Language alone had in its evolution at least 100 of these divers tongues, beginning with just a pair in the mid-sixties. The scope of the is to evolve as much as the total number of languages and dialects in the country into the Guosa, which is made up of carefully detailed units of the different ethnic languages and divers cultures in Nigeria; so that in years to come, Nigeria, an independent nation, will be able to take her stand in the committees of lingua franca nations of the world.

Below are some of the current list of languages single-handedly evolved into the Guosa Language by Alex Igbineweka, the evolutionist.

3) EVOLUTION OF LANGUAGES AND DIALECTS INTO THE GUOSA LANGUAGE (AS OF DATE)

NOTE: Rules and criteria have been made for the evolution of more Nigerian and the West African languages and Dialects into Guosa under the language growth scheme.

1. Abriba 30 Ikwerre

2. Agbo 31. Isoko

3. Aniocha (celtics) 32 Itsekiri

4. Anioma 33. Izon

5. Berom 34. Jagba

6. Bete 35. Kagoro

7. Ebira 36. Kaje

8. Edo 37. Kalabari

9. Edo (celtics) 38. Kanuri

10. Efik 39. Kataf

11. Egun 40. Kolokuma

12. Enuani 41. Kukuruku

13. Esan 42. Kwale

14. Etsako 43. Nembe

15. Fulani 44. Nupe

16. Fulfulde 45. Ogba

17. Gbede 46. Ogori

18. Gwari 47. Okrika

19. Hausa 48. Ora

20. Hausa (celtics) 49. Sobe

21. Hausa (Guosa) 50. Some foreign languages

22. Ibibio 51. Tiv

23. Idoma 52. Urhobo

24. Igala

25. Igbo

26. Igbo (celtics)

27. Igbo (Guosa)

28. Ika/Ika-igbo

29. Ikale

4) LESSON 1

4(a) Guosa Language Tones:

As the first major step in the Guosa Language, here are the basic tonal marking which you must keep in memory so as to be able to pronounce each word excellently.

´ High tone ` Low tone V Low to high ^ High to low.

Mid-tone unmarked.

4(b) Alphabetization:

A B D E E F G I H J K L M N O O P R S T U V W Y Z

Graphic Alphabetization:

Aa Bb Dd Ee Ee Ff Gg Ii Hh Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Oo Pp Rr Ss Tt

Uu Vv Ww Yy Zz

Ilowe Naijeriya (Nigerian Peculiar SyllableConsonants)

c: (ch) as in àbíncí: [food]

gb: as in gbóntì: [hear/listen]

ng: as in mŏ ng shìengá: [I am going] i.e. present continuous

kp: as in íkpèrè: [adjective]

5) Evolution:

In the Guosa Language, visible and concrete objects are of Hausa, and or other northern Nigerian languages vocabularies origin; example:

Guosa English

Kwàndó basket

Kázá hen

Ból ball

Líttáfí book

Fénsà pencil

Invisible or abstract things are of Igbo, Yoruba or other southern Nigeria language origin. Their evolution from either Igbo and or Yoruba depends mainly on the alphabetical sequences. For instance, let us take the word “come” in English which meant: bìa (in Igbo language); and a corresponding wá (in Yoruba language) respectively. To decide which word should come in first or which word should evolve into the Guosa, you go on alphabetical sequence. In the above words from Igbo and yoruba languages, you will see that bìa comes before wá alphabetically.

Therefore, a sentence like: please, give me water (English) is thus evolved and translated as: bíko, fún mi ní rúwá (in the Guosa Language) because water is rúwá; and fún mi ní refers to give me.

6) Verb Patterns:

Guosa English

ò chètó ájì ‘wá tí shìengá gídá ………. our class Monitor has gone home

ó tí shìhé kófà? ……………………... Have you opened the door?

báasì, mó tí shìhé kófà ……………… yes, I have opened the door.

6(a) Future tense

m'á ………. shall/will

mi ………. me – (first person pronoun)

mi á shienga ……….. I shall go/I will go

NOTE: you may equally say: “m'á shienga” meaning [I shall/will go] by omitting the consonant “i”, i.e. instead of “mi á” you simply say “m'á”, meaning [I shall/I will]

m'á shienga ………. Shall go/will go

fá ò ni shìengá ………. They will not go/they shall not go

fá ò kànbò shìengá ………. They cannot go

fá ò shìengá ………. They did not go

fá má shìengá ………. They shall/will go

mi á shìengá mákárántá nà úzolá bíbìawá ………. I shall go to school next week; or, I shall go to school in the coming week.

6(b) Present Progressive:

mó ng sòngí ‘sóngà ……….I am singing a song

abókí mí ng samba ………. my friend is dancing

àwá ng mùkó èdè Gúosà ………. we are learning Guosa Language

kázá mí ng mùbí kwái ………. my hen is laying eggs.

6(c) Past Progressive: