What does "think" mean in Igbo?
The Igbo verb for "think" is iche, said roughly EE-cheh. iche is the infinitive, "to think", and the root of the verb is che. It is a verb of the mind: it is what a person does when turning something over, wondering about something, or holding an opinion. It joins the verbs met earlier in the course (were "take", ịhụ "see", bịa "come") and it takes its place beside the noun echiche "thought", which you met in the stories of this course (na-eche echiche "was thinking a thought").
Three things differ from English:
1. The topic comes after a small word. English says "think about the plan" or "think of you". Igbo says maka or banyere "about, concerning", and then the topic: O chere maka ihe a "She thought about this thing" (53.6), Gịnị ka unu na-eche banyere Kraịst? "What do you think about the Christ?" (53.12). 2. What you think can be a "that"-clause. For an opinion or a belief, Igbo uses chere na "thought that": O chere na ọ ga-ajụ nna anyị "He thought that he would ask our father" (53.21). The word na here is "that", the same word you met in Lesson 22. 3. The verb has a noun of its own, and the two go together. echiche "thought" is built on the same root, and Igbo likes to say "think a thought": Chee echiche (53.1), ana m eche echiche (53.2). English does the same only rarely ("think a thought").
There is one trap. The spelling che belongs to two verbs. One is "think". The other is "wait, stay in expectation of someone" and also "guard": Aga m eche ka ị bịa "I will wait for you to come". The dictionary lists them as two separate entries. What follows the verb tells you which is meant, and Section D shows how.
Igbo is a tonal language, but everyday Igbo spelling does not mark tone, and this lesson does not mark it either; your teacher, a speaker's voice or a dictionary will give you the tones. The dotted vowels ị, ọ and ụ are separate letters and must always be written.
- iche = to think; the root is che: chee "think!", chere "thought", na-eche "is thinking", ga-eche "will think". - The topic follows maka or banyere: O chere maka ihe a. "She thought about this." - To ask an opinion: Gịnị ka unu chere? "What do you think?" (Matthew 18:12). - A thought as a clause: chere na "thought that". The noun is echiche: Chee echiche. "Think." - Not thinking: O cheghị echiche "He did not think". And take care: che is also "wait", and it is a different verb.
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The IPA in this lesson gives the sounds of each word and leaves tone unmarked, as Igbo spelling does. Igbo is tonal and has no stress accent, so the capitals in respellings such as EE-cheh are only a guide for English readers.
- iche /it͡ʃe/: i is the light vowel of "machine", ch is as in "church", and the final e is the light vowel of "bed" without the glide. The word has two syllables, and both are short - che /t͡ʃe/ and chee /t͡ʃee/: chee is the same vowel held for twice as long. The double e in chee is how the spelling shows it, so do not write one e for the command - chere /t͡ʃeɾe/: r is a light tap, as in Spanish pero. The same tap is in chere, mere /meɾe/ and gwara /ɡʷaɾa/ - echiche /et͡ʃit͡ʃe/: three syllables, with ch twice; the middle i is the light vowel of "machine" - cheghị /t͡ʃeɣɪ/: gh /ɣ/ is a voiced sound made at the back of the mouth, and ị is close to the i of "bit" - banyere /baɲeɾe/: ny /ɲ/ is one sound, like Spanish ñ - ị /ɪ/, ọ /ɔ/, ụ /ʊ/ are the dotted vowels; o /o/, i /i/, u /u/ are the light vowels. Do not mix them: O chere /o t͡ʃeɾe/ against Ọ bụghị /ɔ bʊɣɪ/ - gw /ɡʷ/ and kw /kʷ/ are single sounds with rounded lips: gwara /ɡʷaɾa/ "told", echekwa /et͡ʃekʷa/ "keep" - kp /k͡p/ and gb /ɡ͡b/ are single sounds: mkpụrụ /m̩k͡pʊɾʊ/ "seed", mgbe /m̩ɡ͡be/ "when" - nw /ŋʷ/ and ny /ɲ/: nwanne /ŋʷanne/ "sibling", anyị /aɲɪ/ "we" - m and n can be whole syllables. As a pronoun, m /m̩/ "I, my, me" is a hum between the lips; nri /n̩ɾi/ "food" begins with a hummed n
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53.1a Chee think echiche thought
53.1b Chee /t͡ʃee/ think.IMP echiche /et͡ʃit͡ʃe/ thought
53.2a Ana am m I eche think echiche thought
53.2b Ana /ana/ PROG m /m̩/ 1SG.SUBJ eche /et͡ʃe/ think echiche /et͡ʃit͡ʃe/ thought
53.3a Echiche thought gị your dị is mma good
53.3b Echiche /et͡ʃit͡ʃe/ thought gị /ɡɪ/ 2SG.POSS dị /dɪ/ be mma /mma/ good
53.4a Gịnị what ka FOC ị you na-eche are-thinking
53.4b Gịnị /ɡɪnɪ/ what ka /ka/ FOC ị /ɪ/ 2SG na-eche /na et͡ʃe/ PROG-think
53.5a Chee think ya it nke of ọma goodness
53.5b Chee /t͡ʃee/ think.IMP ya /ja/ 3SG.OBJ nke /nke/ of ọma /ɔma/ goodness
53.6a O she chere thought maka about ihe thing a this
53.6b O /o/ 3SG chere /t͡ʃeɾe/ think.PST maka /maka/ about ihe /ihe/ thing a /a/ this.DEM
53.7a O she na-eche is-thinking maka about nwa child ya her
53.7b O /o/ 3SG na-eche /na et͡ʃe/ PROG-think maka /maka/ about nwa /ŋʷa/ child ya /ja/ 3SG.POSS
53.8a Nne mother m my na-eche is-thinking maka about m me
53.8b Nne /nne/ mother m /m̩/ 1SG.POSS na-eche /na et͡ʃe/ PROG-think maka /maka/ about m /m̩/ 1SG.OBJ
53.9a Anyị we na-eche are-thinking maka about ndụ life anyị our
53.9b Anyị /aɲɪ/ 1PL na-eche /na et͡ʃe/ PROG-think maka /maka/ about ndụ /ndʊ/ life anyị /aɲɪ/ 1PL.POSS
53.10a O he cheghị did-not-think echiche thought mgbe time ahụ that
53.10b O /o/ 3SG cheghị /t͡ʃeɣɪ/ think.NEG.PST echiche /et͡ʃit͡ʃe/ thought mgbe /m̩ɡ͡be/ time ahụ /ahʊ/ that.DEM
53.11a Gịnị what ka FOC unu you-all chere think banyere about ihe thing a this
53.11b Gịnị /ɡɪnɪ/ what ka /ka/ FOC unu /unu/ 2PL chere /t͡ʃeɾe/ think.PST banyere /baɲeɾe/ concerning ihe /ihe/ thing a /a/ this.DEM
53.12a Gịnị what ka FOC unu you-all na-eche are-thinking banyere about Kraịst Christ
53.12b Gịnị /ɡɪnɪ/ what ka /ka/ FOC unu /unu/ 2PL na-eche /na et͡ʃe/ PROG-think banyere /baɲeɾe/ concerning Kraịst /kɾaɪst/ Christ
53.13a O he chere thought n'ime in-inside onwe self ya his sị saying Gịnị what ka FOC m I ga-eme will-do n'ihi because-of na that enweghị not-having m I ebe place m I ga-echekwa will-store mkpụrụ seed m my
53.13b O /o/ 3SG chere /t͡ʃeɾe/ think.PST n'ime /nime/ LOC-inside onwe /oŋʷe/ self ya /ja/ 3SG.POSS sị /sɪ/ say Gịnị /ɡɪnɪ/ what ka /ka/ FOC m /m̩/ 1SG.SUBJ ga-eme /ɡa eme/ FUT-do n'ihi /nihi/ LOC-reason na /na/ that enweghị /eŋʷeɣɪ/ not.have m /m̩/ 1SG.SUBJ ebe /ebe/ place m /m̩/ 1SG.SUBJ ga-echekwa /ɡa et͡ʃekʷa/ FUT-store mkpụrụ /m̩k͡pʊɾʊ/ seed m /m̩/ 1SG.POSS
53.14a Ugbu time a this bụ is mgbe when ị you ga-eji will-use chee think echiche thought maka about ndụ life gị your
53.14b Ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM bụ /bʊ/ be mgbe /m̩ɡ͡be/ when ị /ɪ/ 2SG ga-eji /ɡa edʒi/ FUT-use chee /t͡ʃee/ think echiche /et͡ʃit͡ʃe/ thought maka /maka/ about ndụ /ndʊ/ life gị /ɡɪ/ 2SG.POSS
53.15a Chebara think-over ihe thing m I gwara told gị you echiche thought
53.15b Chebara /t͡ʃebaɾa/ think.over.IMP ihe /ihe/ thing m /m̩/ 1SG.SUBJ gwara /ɡʷaɾa/ tell.PST gị /ɡɪ/ 2SG.OBJ echiche /et͡ʃit͡ʃe/ thought
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53.1 Chee echiche. → "Think." (literally "Think a thought.")
53.2 Ana m eche echiche. → "I am thinking."
53.3 Echiche gị dị mma. → "Your idea is good." (literally "Your thought is good.")
53.4 Gịnị ka ị na-eche? → "What are you thinking?"
53.5 Chee ya nke ọma. → "Think about it carefully." (literally "Think it well.")
53.6 O chere maka ihe a. → "She thought about this matter."
53.7 O na-eche maka nwa ya. → "She is thinking about her child."
53.8 Nne m na-eche maka m. → "My mother is thinking about me."
53.9 Anyị na-eche maka ndụ anyị. → "We are thinking about our life."
53.10 O cheghị echiche mgbe ahụ. → "He did not think then."
53.11 Gịnị ka unu chere banyere ihe a? → "What do you think about this matter?"
53.12 Gịnị ka unu na-eche banyere Kraịst? → "What do you think about the Christ?"
53.13 O chere n'ime onwe ya sị, "Gịnị ka m ga-eme n'ihi na enweghị m ebe m ga-echekwa mkpụrụ m?" → "He thought to himself, 'What shall I do, because I have nowhere to store my crops?'" (mkpụrụ is "seed"; here it is the harvest.)
53.14 Ugbu a bụ mgbe ị ga-eji chee echiche maka ndụ gị. → "Now is the time to think about your life."
53.15 Chebara ihe m gwara gị echiche. → "Think over what I told you."
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53.1 Chee echiche.
53.2 Ana m eche echiche.
53.3 Echiche gị dị mma.
53.4 Gịnị ka ị na-eche?
53.5 Chee ya nke ọma.
53.6 O chere maka ihe a.
53.7 O na-eche maka nwa ya.
53.8 Nne m na-eche maka m.
53.9 Anyị na-eche maka ndụ anyị.
53.10 O cheghị echiche mgbe ahụ.
53.11 Gịnị ka unu chere banyere ihe a?
53.12 Gịnị ka unu na-eche banyere Kraịst?
53.13 O chere n'ime onwe ya sị, "Gịnị ka m ga-eme n'ihi na enweghị m ebe m ga-echekwa mkpụrụ m?"
53.14 Ugbu a bụ mgbe ị ga-eji chee echiche maka ndụ gị.
53.15 Chebara ihe m gwara gị echiche.
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These are the grammar rules for iche "think" in Igbo:
Where the examples come from. 53.11, 53.12 and 53.13 are from the Igbo Contemporary Bible (Biblica, Baịbụlụ Nsọ nʼIgbo Ndị Ugbu a): 53.11 is the opening question of Matthew 21:28, 53.12 is the first question of Matthew 22:42, and 53.13 is Luke 12:17. They are given with the course's apostrophe, n', in place of the Bible's nʼ. Each was checked against the published text of that edition. 53.1, 53.4, 53.5, 53.6, 53.7, 53.10, 53.14 and 53.15 are taken from, or adapted from, the example sentences of the verb che and the noun echiche in the Nkọwa okwu Igbo dictionary (nkowaokwu.com): 53.1 and 53.14 from its sentence Ugbua bụ mgbe ị ga-eji chee echiche maka ndụ gị, with ugbua respelt ugbu a as in Lesson 51; 53.7 and 53.10 are adapted, with the pronoun set to the light vowel (see Rule 10) and, in 53.10, mgbe ahụ added. The other examples of Section A (53.2, 53.3, 53.8, 53.9), and all the sentences of the Action Narrative, are built by the Institute from verified forms and words already met in this course; they are not quotations.
1. The forms of the verb. The root is che. The forms in this lesson are:
- iche "to think", the infinitive: the prefix i- goes before the root, and its vowel is the light i because the root has the light e. - chee "think!", the command. The vowel is doubled. The same form is used to one person or to several: Chee ya nke ọma (53.5). - chere "thought", the past: O chere maka ihe a (53.6). The ending is -re, as in mere "did"; the related verb cheta "remember" has chetara (Lesson 52). Igbo has no "he" and "she": O means either, and the translations choose one. - na-eche "is thinking", the progressive: O na-eche maka nwa ya (53.7). The first-person progressive takes ana m, as in Lesson 51: ana m eche echiche (53.2). - ga-eche "will think", the future: ga- before the verb, and aga m eche for "I", as with ga-eme. - cheghị "did not think", the negative past: O cheghị echiche (53.10). The ending -ghị is the one you know from bụghị "is not" in Lesson 52.
2. Thinking about something. The topic follows maka or banyere, both "about": O chere maka ihe a (53.6), Gịnị ka unu na-eche banyere Kraịst? (53.12). The dictionary's examples use maka and the Bible's questions use banyere. Either will be understood. A pronoun after maka stays the plain m: Nne m na-eche maka m "My mother is thinking about me" (53.8). English "think of" and "think about" both become maka or banyere. na "in" is not used for the topic.
3. Asking for an opinion. Put gịnị ka "what" first, then the subject, then the verb: Gịnị ka unu chere banyere ihe a? (53.11). In the Bible both chere (Matthew 21:28 and 18:12: Gịnị ka unu chere?) and na-eche (Matthew 22:42, 53.12) are found in this question, and English renders both "What do you think?". The dictionary has the progressive too: Gịnị ka ị na-eche? (53.4). A learner who uses either will be understood.
4. A thought as a clause: chere na. When the thought is itself a sentence, chere is followed by na "that": O chere na ọ ga-ajụ nna anyị "He thought that he would ask our father" (53.21). The same pattern is in Lesson 22: Ndị obodo chere na eze ga-abịa taa. The words of the thought are not set in quotation marks: na only opens the clause. If the speaker's exact words are given, the verb sị "saying" opens them, as in Luke 12:17 (53.13): O chere n'ime onwe ya sị "He thought within himself, saying". n'ime onwe ya is "within himself": n'ime "in the inside of" + onwe "self" + ya "his".
5. The noun echiche, and "think a thought". echiche is "thought, idea, thinking". It is the object of the verb in the commonest phrase of the lesson: iche echiche "to think (a thought)", Chee echiche (53.1), ana m eche echiche (53.2). It can also stand alone, as the subject of a sentence: Echiche gị dị mma "Your idea is good" (53.3). When you want the topic, the verb does not need the noun: O chere maka ihe a (53.6) has no echiche. When you want an idea as a thing, use echiche.
6. The command. Chee ya nke ọma "Think about it carefully" (53.5): the thing to be thought about is ya "it" and nke ọma is the manner, "well". With a longer phrase, the dictionary has chebara "think over": Chebara ihe m gwara gị echiche "Think over what I told you" (53.15). In the dictionary's sentence the thing to be thought over comes between chebara and echiche; learn it as a block. ihe m gwara gị is "what I told you": ihe "thing" + the clause m gwara gị "I told you", with no word for "that".
7. Not thinking. The negative past is cheghị: O cheghị echiche mgbe ahụ "He did not think then" (53.10). The dictionary has the sentence O cheghị echiche tupu mee ihe o mere "He did not think before doing what he did", where tupu is "before". Compare Lesson 52, where mgbe ahụ fixed the time.
8. Now is the time to think: ga-eji chee. In 53.14, bụ mgbe "is the time when" is followed by ị ga-eji chee echiche. ga-eji is "will use" and chee is the verb of the thought. The sentence says that this moment (ugbu a, Lesson 51) is the time when you will use thinking on your life. You do not need to build this yourself yet; learn it as a block.
9. Two verbs spelt che. The word che is also "wait, stay in expectation of someone" and "guard". The dictionary's examples show the difference: Aga m eche ka ị bịa "I will wait for you to come", Ha na-eche m "They are waiting for me". Look at what comes next. maka, banyere, echiche or na after the verb: it is "think". A person as the direct object (eche m) or ka + a clause: it is "wait". Aga m eche alone, with nothing after it, can be either.
10. Vowel harmony. The vowels of a word belong to one of two sets: the light vowels e i o u and the heavy vowels a ị ọ ụ. The pronoun in front of the verb follows the verb. che has the light e, so the pronoun is the light O: O chere (53.6), O cheghị (53.10). The next clause may be heavy: in 53.21, o chere na ọ ga-ajụ nna anyị, the first o is light with chere and the second ọ is heavy with ajụ. The dictionary writes Ọ na-eche maka nwa ya, with a heavy Ọ, and we have followed the harmony of Lesson 52 and written O na-eche. For "you", the dictionary writes ị even in Gịnị ka ị na-eche? (53.4), and the course has done the same before (52.9, Kedu ihe ị na-eme?); some writers use the light i with a light verb. Both are seen.
11. Related words. The root che gives a family:
- cheta "remember", with the past chetara (Lesson 52, Mgbe ahụ ha chetara okwu ya "Then they remembered his words"). - echekwa "keep, store", in 53.13: ebe m ga-echekwa mkpụrụ m "a place where I will store my seed". - ichegbu onwe "to worry", in the Bible: Onye n'ime unu pụrụ itinye otu nkeji n'ogologo ụbọchị nke ndụ ya site n'ichegbu onwe ya? (Luke 12:25) "Which of you can add one moment to the length of his life by worrying?"
- Using na for the topic. Ana m eche na ihe a is not "I am thinking about this thing". Say Ana m eche maka ihe a. - Writing one e in the command. Chee needs the double e. Che echiche is not the command. - Using chere for "remember". chere is "thought". "Remembered" is chetara (Lesson 52). - Mixing the two che. Aga m eche ka ị bịa is "I will wait for you to come", not "I will think that you will come". For a thought about a coming, say Ana m eche maka ịbịa gị, or M chere na ị ga-abịa, "I think that you will come". - Mixing eche and echiche. eche is a verb form and echiche is a noun: Echiche gị dị mma has the noun, and Ana m eche echiche has both. - Forgetting the dots. ị, ọ and ụ are separate letters: Gịnị is not Ginį, and ọma is not oma. Write Gịnị ka ị na-eche? with all its dots. - Saying ch as k or sh. ch is one sound, as in "church".
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A common word. "Think" stands 53rd in the thousand-word list that this course follows, and the Igbo verb is as everyday as the English. It is used at home and in school, in the market and in church, and it needs no special register: Gịnị ka ị na-eche? is a question a friend or a teacher may ask.
The questions in the Bible. In the Igbo Contemporary Bible the question Gịnị ka unu chere? opens a parable and a challenge. In Matthew 18:12 the lost-sheep story starts with it, and in Matthew 21:28 it begins the story of the man with two sons. In Matthew 22:42, Gịnị ka unu na-eche banyere Kraịst? is the question that Jesus puts to the Pharisees. A speaker who wants to put a question to a listener's conscience, rather than to ask for a fact, uses the same words.
The thought spoken inside. Luke 12:17 shows how Igbo gives a thought: the man chere n'ime onwe ya sị, "thought within himself, saying". The speech marks are for the eye; in Igbo, sị "saying" opens the thought as it opens any speech, and the listener hears the man talking to himself.
Echiche as an idea. echiche is also the word for "an idea", and it appears in the phrases of daily life. The dictionary gives Echiche ya gbagọrọ agbagọ "His thinking is crooked", and Oke echiche na-ebute ọbaramgbalielu "Too much thinking causes high blood pressure", a thought that most readers will know.
Varieties. Igbo has many dialects, and a given dialect may have its own word for "think". The form taught here, iche, chere, na-eche, is the one used in the Bible and in the dictionary, and it is understood everywhere Igbo is spoken. The tones of che "think" and che "wait" are different in speech; the spelling does not show it.
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From Matthew 22, verses 41 and 42, in the Igbo Contemporary Bible (Baịbụlụ Nsọ nʼIgbo Ndị Ugbu a, Biblica, 2020). The Pharisees are gathered, and Jesus puts a question to them; its verb is na-eche.
The text is quoted exactly as this edition prints it, including its apostrophe in nʼotu, which the rest of this lesson writes as n'.
F.1a Mgbe when ndị people Farisii Pharisees gbakọrọ gathered nʼotu in-one ebe place Jisọs Jesus jụrụ asked ha them
F.1b Mgbe /m̩ɡ͡be/ when ndị /ndɪ/ PL.people Farisii /farisii/ Pharisees gbakọrọ /ɡ͡bakɔɾɔ/ gather.PST nʼotu /notu/ LOC-one ebe /ebe/ place Jisọs /dʒisɔs/ Jesus jụrụ /dʒʊɾʊ/ ask.PST ha /ha/ 3PL.OBJ
F.2a Gịnị what ka FOC unu you-all na-eche are-thinking banyere about Kraịst Christ Nwa child onye who ka FOC ọ he bụ is
F.2b Gịnị /ɡɪnɪ/ what ka /ka/ FOC unu /unu/ 2PL na-eche /na et͡ʃe/ PROG-think banyere /baɲeɾe/ concerning Kraịst /kɾaɪst/ Christ Nwa /ŋʷa/ child onye /oɲe/ who ka /ka/ FOC ọ /ɔ/ 3SG bụ /bʊ/ be
Mgbe ndị Farisii gbakọrọ nʼotu ebe, Jisọs jụrụ ha, "Gịnị ka unu na-eche banyere Kraịst? Nwa onye ka ọ bụ?"
→ "When the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 'What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?'"
— Matthew 22:41–42, Baịbụlụ Nsọ nʼIgbo Ndị Ugbu a (Igbo Contemporary Bible), Biblica
Mgbe ndị Farisii gbakọrọ nʼotu ebe, Jisọs jụrụ ha, "Gịnị ka unu na-eche banyere Kraịst? Nwa onye ka ọ bụ?"
Gịnị ka unu na-eche banyere Kraịst? is the question of Rule 3, in the progressive: gịnị ka "what" first, unu "you all" next, and the verb na-eche after them; banyere Kraịst is the topic, with banyere "about" before it as in Rule 2. The English is "What do you think about the Christ?", and the Igbo, word for word, is "What FOC you-all are-thinking concerning Christ?".
Nwa onye ka ọ bụ? is the second question: nwa "child", onye "who", ka the focus word, ọ bụ "he is", so "Whose son is he?".
Mgbe ndị Farisii gbakọrọ nʼotu ebe is "when the Pharisees were gathered in one place": mgbe "when" opens the clause, the subject ndị Farisii follows, and the verb gbakọrọ is the last word. nʼotu ebe is "in one place": nʼ "in" + otu "one" + ebe "place". jụrụ ha is "asked them": jụrụ is the past of jụ "ask", the verb of ga-ajụ in 53.21.
The Igbo keeps the plainness of the question: no word is added to soften it, and the same na-eche that a mother uses when she asks her son what he is thinking (53.4, 53.18) is the verb on the lips of Jesus.
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A decision turned over at home. The brother thinks, is asked what he is thinking, hears his mother's advice, makes up his mind, tells his father, and the father thinks too. The narrator uses eche, chere and na-eche in turn, with chere na for a thought that is a sentence.
53.16a Nwanne sibling m my nwoke male nọdụrụ sat ala down n'ụlọ in-house
53.16b Nwanne /ŋʷanne/ sibling m /m̩/ 1SG.POSS nwoke /ŋʷoke/ male nọdụrụ /nɔdʊɾʊ/ sit.PST ala /ala/ ground n'ụlọ /nʊlɔ/ LOC-house
53.17a O he na-eche is-thinking echiche thought
53.17b O /o/ 3SG na-eche /na et͡ʃe/ PROG-think echiche /et͡ʃit͡ʃe/ thought
53.18a Nne mother m my jụrụ asked ya him Gịnị what ka FOC ị you na-eche are-thinking
53.18b Nne /nne/ mother m /m̩/ 1SG.POSS jụrụ /dʒʊɾʊ/ ask.PST ya /ja/ 3SG.OBJ Gịnị /ɡɪnɪ/ what ka /ka/ FOC ị /ɪ/ 2SG na-eche /na et͡ʃe/ PROG-think
53.19a O he zara answered sị saying Ana am m I eche think maka about Lagos Lagos
53.19b O /o/ 3SG zara /zaɾa/ answer.PST sị /sɪ/ say Ana /ana/ PROG m /m̩/ 1SG.SUBJ eche /et͡ʃe/ think maka /maka/ about Lagos /laɡos/ Lagos
53.20a Nne mother m my sịrị said ya him Chee think ya it nke of ọma goodness
53.20b Nne /nne/ mother m /m̩/ 1SG.POSS sịrị /sɪɾɪ/ say.PST ya /ja/ 3SG.OBJ Chee /t͡ʃee/ think.IMP ya /ja/ 3SG.OBJ nke /nke/ of ọma /ɔma/ goodness
53.21a Mgbe time ahụ that o he chere thought na that ọ he ga-ajụ will-ask nna father anyị our
53.21b Mgbe /m̩ɡ͡be/ time ahụ /ahʊ/ that.DEM o /o/ 3SG chere /t͡ʃeɾe/ think.PST na /na/ that ọ /ɔ/ 3SG ga-ajụ /ɡa adʒʊ/ FUT-ask nna /nna/ father anyị /aɲɪ/ 1PL.POSS
53.22a Emesịa afterwards nna father anyị our batara came-in n'ụlọ in-house
53.22b Emesịa /emesɪa/ afterwards nna /nna/ father anyị /aɲɪ/ 1PL.POSS batara /bataɾa/ enter.PST n'ụlọ /nʊlɔ/ LOC-house
53.23a Nwanne sibling m my gwara told ya him echiche thought ya his
53.23b Nwanne /ŋʷanne/ sibling m /m̩/ 1SG.POSS gwara /ɡʷaɾa/ tell.PST ya /ja/ 3SG.OBJ echiche /et͡ʃit͡ʃe/ thought ya /ja/ 3SG.POSS
53.24a Nna father anyị our chere thought echiche thought
53.24b Nna /nna/ father anyị /aɲɪ/ 1PL.POSS chere /t͡ʃeɾe/ think.PST echiche /et͡ʃit͡ʃe/ thought
53.25a Emesịa afterwards ọ he sịrị said Echiche thought gị your dị is mma good
53.25b Emesịa /emesɪa/ afterwards ọ /ɔ/ 3SG sịrị /sɪɾɪ/ say.PST Echiche /et͡ʃit͡ʃe/ thought gị /ɡɪ/ 2SG.POSS dị /dɪ/ be mma /mma/ good
53.26a Obi heart dị was nwanne sibling m my ụtọ sweet
53.26b Obi /obi/ heart dị /dɪ/ be nwanne /ŋʷanne/ sibling m /m̩/ 1SG.POSS ụtọ /ʊtɔ/ sweet
53.27a Nne mother m my wetara brought anyị us nri food
53.27b Nne /nne/ mother m /m̩/ 1SG.POSS wetara /wetaɾa/ bring.PST anyị /aɲɪ/ 1PL.OBJ nri /n̩ɾi/ food
53.28a Anyị we niile all nọdụrụ sat ala down rie eat nri food
53.28b Anyị /aɲɪ/ 1PL niile /niile/ all nọdụrụ /nɔdʊɾʊ/ sit.PST ala /ala/ ground rie /ɾie/ eat nri /n̩ɾi/ food
53.29a O he na-eche was-thinking banyere about Lagos Lagos mgbe when o he na-eri was-eating nri food
53.29b O /o/ 3SG na-eche /na et͡ʃe/ PROG-think banyere /baɲeɾe/ concerning Lagos /laɡos/ Lagos mgbe /m̩ɡ͡be/ when o /o/ 3SG na-eri /na eɾi/ PROG-eat nri /n̩ɾi/ food
53.30a Emesịa afterwards anyị we niile all gara went ihi sleep ụra sleep
53.30b Emesịa /emesɪa/ afterwards anyị /aɲɪ/ 1PL niile /niile/ all gara /ɡaɾa/ go.PST ihi /ihi/ INF.sleep ụra /ʊɾa/ sleep
53.16 Nwanne m nwoke nọdụrụ ala n'ụlọ. → "My brother sat down in the house."
53.17 O na-eche echiche. → "He was thinking."
53.18 Nne m jụrụ ya, "Gịnị ka ị na-eche?" → "My mother asked him, 'What are you thinking?'"
53.19 O zara sị, "Ana m eche maka Lagos." → "He answered, 'I am thinking about Lagos.'"
53.20 Nne m sịrị ya, "Chee ya nke ọma." → "My mother said to him, 'Think about it carefully.'"
53.21 Mgbe ahụ o chere na ọ ga-ajụ nna anyị. → "Then he thought that he would ask our father."
53.22 Emesịa nna anyị batara n'ụlọ. → "Afterwards our father came into the house."
53.23 Nwanne m gwara ya echiche ya. → "My brother told him his idea."
53.24 Nna anyị chere echiche. → "Our father thought."
53.25 Emesịa ọ sịrị, "Echiche gị dị mma." → "Afterwards he said, 'Your idea is good.'"
53.26 Obi dị nwanne m ụtọ. → "My brother was happy." (literally "The heart was sweet to my brother.")
53.27 Nne m wetara anyị nri. → "My mother brought us food."
53.28 Anyị niile nọdụrụ ala rie nri. → "We all sat down and ate."
53.29 O na-eche banyere Lagos mgbe o na-eri nri. → "He was thinking about Lagos while he was eating."
53.30 Emesịa anyị niile gara ihi ụra. → "Afterwards we all went to sleep."
53.16 Nwanne m nwoke nọdụrụ ala n'ụlọ.
53.17 O na-eche echiche.
53.18 Nne m jụrụ ya, "Gịnị ka ị na-eche?"
53.19 O zara sị, "Ana m eche maka Lagos."
53.20 Nne m sịrị ya, "Chee ya nke ọma."
53.21 Mgbe ahụ o chere na ọ ga-ajụ nna anyị.
53.22 Emesịa nna anyị batara n'ụlọ.
53.23 Nwanne m gwara ya echiche ya.
53.24 Nna anyị chere echiche.
53.25 Emesịa ọ sịrị, "Echiche gị dị mma."
53.26 Obi dị nwanne m ụtọ.
53.27 Nne m wetara anyị nri.
53.28 Anyị niile nọdụrụ ala rie nri.
53.29 O na-eche banyere Lagos mgbe o na-eri nri.
53.30 Emesịa anyị niile gara ihi ụra.
The frame. The story is told in the past, and its hinge is the thought of 53.21. The brother is first shown thinking (53.17, the progressive), then asked (53.18), then he answers (53.19) and is advised (53.20); then comes the thought that settles the matter, chere na (53.21). The father comes home (53.22) and is told (53.23), thinks (53.24), and gives his answer (53.25). A supper and a night follow, as in Lesson 52. Throughout, eche and chere keep the forms of Rule 1.
Vocabulary.
- nọdụrụ ala "sat down" (53.16, 53.28): as in Lesson 52 (52.28). n'ụlọ "in the house". - na-eche echiche "is thinking" (53.17): the progressive of Rule 1, with the noun of Rule 5. The pronoun is the light O. - jụrụ ya "asked him" (53.18): the past of jụ "ask", then the person asked. The words of the question follow, and the question is the one of Rule 3. - zara sị "answered, saying" (53.19): zara "answered" + sị "saying", as in Matthew 17:25 (Pita zara ha sị). Ana m eche maka Lagos "I am thinking about Lagos" has the ana m of 53.2. - sịrị ya "said to him" (53.20): sịrị "said" + the person addressed, as in sịrị m (Lesson 52). Chee ya nke ọma is 53.5, now said by a mother to her son. - chere na "thought that" (53.21): Rule 4. ga-ajụ "will ask": ga- + ajụ. The first o is light and the second ọ is heavy, which is Rule 10 in one sentence. nna anyị "our father" puts the possessor after the noun. - batara "came in" (53.22): as in 52.25. Emesịa "afterwards" is as in Lesson 52. - gwara ya echiche ya "told him his idea" (53.23): gwara "told", then the person who is told, ya "him", then the thing told, echiche ya "his thought". The order is person first, thing second, as with wetara ya nri in 52.27. - chere echiche "thought" (53.24): the past with the noun of Rule 5. It does not say what the father thought; the next sentence gives his answer. - Echiche gị dị mma "Your idea is good" (53.25): the sentence of 53.3, now an answer. - Obi dị nwanne m ụtọ "My brother was happy" (53.26): the construction of 52.30, with nwanne m in the place of m. - wetara anyị nri "brought us food" (53.27): the person who receives comes before the thing, as in 53.23. - na-eche banyere Lagos mgbe o na-eri nri "was thinking about Lagos while he was eating" (53.29): mgbe "when, while" opens a clause (Lesson 43) and na-eri is the progressive of ri "eat". Both pronouns are the light o, since both verbs have light vowels. - gara ihi ụra "went to sleep" (53.30): as in 52.29.
Where the topic goes. In the narrative, chere, eche and na-eche all stand after their subject, and the topic follows at once with maka (53.19) or banyere (53.29). The thought as a sentence is the only place where the verb is followed by na (53.21).
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- iche /it͡ʃe/ is one word of two short syllables; chee /t͡ʃee/, the command, has a long vowel and is written with two e. Write chee for the command and che for the root. - The apostrophe in n'ụlọ, n'ime, n'ihi marks the preposition na "in, at" whose vowel has dropped before the next word. The Bible edition quoted in Section F writes it as nʼ with a different apostrophe character. The two are the same spelling. - ị ọ ụ (dotted) and i o u (undotted) are always different letters: gịnị "what", ọma "goodness", ụlọ "house". Take care with the dots in gịnị, which has two, and in Kraịst. - ch, gb, gh, gw, kp, kw, nw and ny are single sounds, and mgbe, mkpụrụ and ndụ begin with a hummed m or n before the consonant. - The root che has two senses, "think" and "wait", with the same spelling; the dictionary lists them as separate entries, and the word that follows tells you which is meant.
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