Page 1 of 22

41

Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol.7, No.12

Publication Date: December 25, 2020

DOI:10.14738/assrj.712.9423.

Udeagha, N. (2020). Values of Greetings in Igbo Traditional Culture and the Contemporary Society. Advances in Social Sciences Research

Journal, 7(12) 43-62.

Values of Greetings in Igbo Traditional Culture and the

Contemporary Society

Nduka Udeagha

Department of Religion, Cultural Studies University,

University of Nigeria, Nsukka

ABSTRACT

Greetings are one of the cherished core values that facilitate

interpersonal relationships and cooperative reality in Igbo traditional

culture. It appears that in the contemporary society, especially as a

result of influence of foreign languages and culture, the value attached

to greetings and respect for others are grossly waning, and more among

the younger generation. Some also greet in a nonconforming manner

that the socio-cultural value inherent in the Igbo traditional pattern of

greetings is apparently absent. As a result, some people have been

flagrantly contemptuous and snubbed away noble opportunities or

relationships that would have helped in improving their individual lives

and the society in general. The paper adopted ethnographic approach

and data derived largely from personal observation and interviews.

Despite the central place greetings occupied in the Igbo traditional

culture, there appears to be scarcity of exploratory information on it.

The paper, therefore, attempts to underscore the value of greetings by

highlighting its essential elements in Igbo traditional culture. The Igbo

should continue to make conscientious efforts in the preservation of

their social norms and cultural values, which have shaped and sustained

the society since time immemorial. It surmises that greeting in Igbo

traditional culture is key relational oil that lubricates and maintains

collective survival of the Igbo race.

Keywords: Greetings, Value, Igbo, Traditional, Culture.

INTRODUCTION

Greetings are fundamental features of universal culture and one of the most important aspects of

Igbo traditional values. Greetings are every moment affair and the very first things people say and

demonstrate when they meet. Even before one introduces himself, asks questions or makes a

request, universal courtesy and code of honour demands that he greets first. Greetings warm the

heart of the greeted and predisposed him or her to pay attention to other talks and requests from

the greeter. Indeed, one of the first things people learn in every society and culture they found

themselves is how to greet in their host language. Similarly, one of the first things those who live

outside their native cultural area learn about their own culture and language is how to greet. That

is why in the Igbo cultural framework, even children or people who can hardly speak Igbo language

proficiently, when they are greeted or asked “kedu?” (literally, how is it?) They can easily respond

“ọ dị mma” (it is fine). They basically learn Igbo language from greetings.

Page 2 of 22

42

Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol.7, Issue 12, December-2020

The origin of greetings in Igbo traditional culture is as old as the society itself. It has remained an

integral component of the fundamental and indispensable social experiences of the Igbo

progenitors that is transmitted from one generation to another with methodical features of

continuity. Greetings are the foremost techniques of Igbo language and custom that are socially

communicated. It is the main way Igbo culture is firstly announced wherever the Igbo meet

themselves. It underscores the value of personality and humanity. In Igbo culture, people greet each

other as many times as possible in a day. Those that reside where people often pass through in

traditional Igbo communities are bound to exchange constant and more number of greetings with

passersby than other community members. It is in this wise that the Igbo would say “Onye bi n’ụzọ

ji ụgwọ ekele” (he that resides along the way owes a lot to greetings). The manner and mode of

greeting in this regard is very important. As the Igbo would say “e kwe ekele ihu a saa” (when

greeting is returned the face beams with smiles).Greeting gestures sometimes reflect how cordial

or the degree of love people share. The Igbo demonstrate this when they say “ekele bụ ịhụnanya”

(greeting is love).

Whereas, greeting is an act of communication in which human beings register their presence and

exchange pleasantries, to the Igbo, it is much more. Greeting is a mark of respect and honour.

Respect itself is a core Igbo value that indicates deep feeling of regard and admiration shown

towards an elderly person or someone considered important. Typically, it is the younger ones that

greet the older ones [1-2]. The traditional Igbo society is community based. People are greeted

whenever or wherever they are seen. It is a mark of disrespect for a younger one to pass by an

elderly person without greeting him or her. Even elderly strangers are also greeted. In fact,

greetings in Igbo traditional culture is elevated to the status of an obligation that the Igbo would

normally say “kele onye ntị chiri, elu anụghị, ala ga-anụ” (greet even the deaf, if heavens do not hear

the earth will hear). It is seen as a mark of admiration and value. Ignoring people will be offensively

rude and a sign of improper training which normally incurs public opprobrium.

Generally, Igbo people greet Ndewo, but each Igbo community has words for greetings according to

their dialects, which they use for exchanging compliments when people meet. For instance, the

Ohafia community in Abia State greets Kaa; Nsukka community in Enugu State greets Deje; Onitsha

community in Anambra State greets Daalụ; Afikpo community in Ebonyi State greets Jọọkwa; and

Mbano community in Imo State greets A nwụla oo. These aspects of community greetings are little

different from the general Igbo method of greetings. There are also appropriate periodical,

occasional and seasonal greetings. Traditional cultural and religious groups have more highly

structured forms of greeting rituals and gestures. For instance, amongst titled men like the Nze, Ọzọ,

and members of masquerade cults and secret societies like Ekpe, Ọkọnkọ, Obon, etc., they have

different patterns of greetings in their groups. Before one addresses the body, there is an already

established pattern of greetings to follow, both in words and demonstrations.

Hence greeting is used to cement bond and communicate love and warmth people have for each

other, it helps in the formation of the community members. It helps people and groups to relate well

with one another. It creates good impressions and leaves memorable experiences. When a parent

or an elderly person goes out with a child and meets with another elderly person, if the child fails

or forgets to do the needful, the elderly always urges the child to greet the other elderly person “Udo

kele Maazi Okeke” (Udo greet Mr. Okeke), he would demand from the boy. The child, Udo, will greet

Page 3 of 22

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.712.9423 43

Udeagha, N. (2020). Values of Greetings in Igbo Traditional Culture and the Contemporary Society. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 7(12) 43-

62.

Mr. Okeke. This helps the child to imbibe the value of greetings and helps in his character formation.

The child is meant to always remember to greet.

The traditional community frowns at children that do not greet. The communal disapproval is

extended to his family. They are seen as not well brought up. The process of interacting and relating

with elderly persons starts with greetings. That is why the Igbo would say “nwata kwọchaa aka, o

soro ndị okenye rie nri” (if a child washes his hands well, he will dine with the elders). A child that

does what pleases the elders can easily relate with them.

In consideration of the foregoing, this paper derived a scope on two premises. On the one hand,

most previous studies on greetings especially in Nigeria focused on other cultural areas [3-5]. One

the other hand, the ones that capture the Igbo cultural group are more interested on the linguistic

or verbal aspects and illocutionary nature of greetings [6-8]. As such, despite the availability of a

number of studies on the subject of greetings, there appears to be apparent lack or insufficient

inquiry on the value of greetings in Igbo traditional culture. The paper, therefore, is a modest

attempt that focuses on the socio-cultural value of greetings in traditional Igbo culture.

METHODOLOGY

The study engages qualitative method and utilizes ethnographic approach to explore values of

greetings in Igbo traditional culture. While sharing interest in other universal elements of greetings,

the approach relates to what Duranti describes as “focusing on culture-specific aspects of greetings

behaviour” [9]. Thus, greetings behaviour of the Igbo and the values attached to them form the

kernel of the paper. The data are largely derived from participant observation. The researcher is

immersed in the Igbo culture as an active participating member, which afforded him ample

opportunity and privilege of assimilating diverse perspectives of the values and elements of

greetings. There were equally informal interviews with individuals from sub-cultural groups of

Olokoro in Abia, Onitsha in Anambra, Afikpo in Ebonyi, Nsukka in Enugu, and Owerri in Imo in order

to gain more insight and deeper understanding about norms of greetings in different domains of

southeastern states. This paper is a descriptive presentation of the data generated.

CONCEPT OF GREETING IN IGBO CULTURAL TRADITION

While greetings are universal social phenomena and codes of conduct, what constitutes a greeting

varies from culture to culture and group to group. Duranti [10] notes that in spite of the scholarly

attentions that have been given to the subject of greetings from different perspectives, there is

apparently no exact method to determine what is generally acceptable as a definition of greeting,

therefore in a particular speech community, there is no established way of deciding what is

“greetings”, but there is postulations on what constitute greetings and their functions in different

languages. In Igbo language, the word for ‘greeting’ is ‘ekele’.

The Igbo word ‘ekele’, is beyond one English word ‘greeting’. ‘Ekele’ can as well denote expression

of thanks. In that regard, it could mean more than mere communicative expressions. It can form a

body of ritual and act of fellowship. However, the Igbo word ‘ekele’ in the context of this study is

more related to a translation of the English word, ‘greeting’. While ‘ekele’ is the same Igbo word for

greeting and thanking, the research focuses more on greeting. A little explanation of the concept of

‘thanking’ to clearly mark the difference between thanking and greeting in Igbo traditional culture

may suffice.