Skip to main content

Vice Chancellor, Delta State University Calls For Preservation Of The Uvwie Language


Prof. Roseline Oro Aziza, a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) of Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka calls on native speakers of the Uvwie language spoken majorly in Delta State, Nigeria to make efforts at preserving the language.


Prof. Aziza made the call during the 15th Coronation anniversary of the Ovie of Uvwie, HRM Dr. Emmanuel E. Sideso, Abe I, JP, OON, while stressing on some consequences if the Uvwie language should go extinct.


According to Aziza, language is a characteristic factor that distinguishes one society from another, the custodian of a people’s culture and tradition and a means they identify themselves.


According to Prof. Aziza, a child’s native language is called his ‘mother tongue’ not for want of adequate vocabulary but to emphasize the unique role the mother plays in helping the child become integrated into his society physically, mentally and psychologically.

In Uvwie as well as most communities in Urhoboland today, Pidgin is the lingua franca and, while the elders have Uvwie as their mother tongue, the youth have Pidgin and English as theirs. Useful as Pidgin is for everyday communication purposes, it does not carry a culture with it.


Since language controls the thought process, the value systems of parents and the youth differ. Therefore, when parents contrast present youth behaviour with their own youth, they consider the change a crumbling of cherished values.


But they forget that they have contributed to the unacceptable youth behaviour by not sufficiently exposing their children to their language and culture during their formative years, she added.


Source: TheNewsGuru.com

Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 21, 2023 at 9:13 AM

    When we preserve our languages,we preserve our culture.So let's do our best to preserve our languages

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rivers’ Born Journalist Awajis, The Voice Behind Andoni Section of Ogoni-Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro Unity Road

OPINION By: Josiah Egbilika The media has widely been acknowledged as a fourth tie of government. Besides it’s informative role, it has been credited as a watchdog. Beyond this role, the media has become an advocacy tool for social development. Remarkable achievements have been accoladed to journalists, On-Air-Personnel and even media houses in actualizing social developmental objectives of communities. In Rivers State, the media held the police accountable for the unjust torture of the Ikoku-5; unmasked the unjust gruesome murder of four University of Port Harcourt (Uniport( Students, now referred as the Aluu-4. These and many more including transparency and accountability of public officers as well as calls for completion of abandoned projects. One of such calls is that made by Awajibokoiton Josiah-Chijindu (fondly known as Awajis) for the completion of the Andoni section of the Ogoni-Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro unity road. The Ogoni-Andoni-Opobo unity road was awarded by a former governor of...
1 comment
Read more

CREATING PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE THROUGH LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTENANCE

by Josiah Egbilika Language Advocate, Najialogist, Human Rights and Gender Advocate Considering the decline in our indigenous languages, it has become of immense imperative to draw attention to the neglect of our indigenous languages. This is necessitated because the neglect of our languages has resulted to the abuse and false assumption that our indigenous languages are insufficient to national development, peace building and reconciliation. It is worthy of note that no good development can be achieved without communication. A good communication system is a facet to a better development in any region. No matter the tribe, race, belief or people, communicating the precepts and processes for better understanding and follow up is imperative. This is made possible through language. As a matter of truth not just fact, the  place of language in human development can never be undermined. It plays a major role in virtually every human endeavour. It relays the essence of human existence, s...
3 comments
Read more

Linguist Egbilika Calls For Adoption, Acceptance, Recognition of Endoglossophobia

A Port Harcourt based Linguist and Indigenous Language Advocate, Mr. Josiah Egbilika has called for the adoption, acceptance and recognition of the word, ‘Endoglossophobia’, and its inclusion in the next production of various dictionaries online or hardcopies. Speaking in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital on Wednesday, Mr. Egbilika stated that ‘Endoglossophobia’ is not just a word, but a real-life situation which if not handled can result in the extinction of indigenous languages. Noting that the situation is not only common in Nigeria or Africa but global, the Linguist enjoined that it be given the attention it deserves. By way of definition, Egbilika who holds a Master of Arts Degree in Linguistics, defined Endoglossophobia as the feeling of unease, apprehension, worry, irritation or nervousness experienced in learning or using either in speech or writing, one’s indigenous language or dialect. The indigenous language advocate, who stated that Endoglossophobia, simply put is the...
2 comments
Read more