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Lengua y migración / Language and Migration E-ISSN: 1889-5425 [email protected] Universidad de Alcalá España Lewis, ‘Demola Deciphering Aborigines and Migrants from Cognation and Topography in North-Western Edo Lengua y migración / Language and Migration, vol. 7, núm. 1, enero-junio, 2015, pp. 29- 51 Universidad de Alcalá Alcalá de Henares, España Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=519551619002 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative Deciphering Aborigines and Migrants from Cognation and Topography in North-Western Edo ‘Demola Lewis It is often easier to see what was wrong with earlier explanatory frameworks, with their emphasis on migration and diffusion, than it is to develop consistent and compelling alternative explanations. Renfrew (1994: 34) The prehistory of North-Western Edo (N.W.E1), Nigeria is laced with frequent drifts of population, consequent contact and subsequent lex- ical diffusion. There are speakers of twenty four odd North Edoid languages dispersed around the N.W.E. southerly plains of Owan and northerly hills of Akoko-Edo. This paper sketches prehistoric pat- terns of migration and aborigine settlement of North Edoid popula- tions as gleaned from vocabulary cognation percentages and geo- graphical variables. Three aborigine axes were identified: Okpella, North Ibie and Somorika, situated in hilly Akoko-Edo; and the pair of Uokha and Ghotuo are fingered as early Bini migrants into plain land Owan. The remainder groups have alternated fleeting uphill drafts during pestilence with downhill migration at pacific times. It was shown that the terrain was a capital factor in making Akoko-Edo a migrant’s magnet and epicentre of linguistic diversity. Keywords: Prehistory, Aborigine, Migrant, Cognation percentages, Geographical variables, North-Western Edo (Nigeria). Descifrar los aborígenes y los migrantes a partir de los cognados y la topografía en el noroeste de Edo. La prehistoria del noroeste de Edo, Nigeria, está relacionada con frecuentes movimientos de población, con el consiguiente contacto y la posterior difusión léxica. Hay hablan- tes de veinticuatro idiomas extranjeros del norte de Edoid repartidos por todo el noroeste de Edo, hacia las llanuras del sur y las montañas del norte de Owan Akoko-Edo. En el artículo se describen los patro- nes prehistóricos de la migración y el asentamiento de las poblaciones 29 Lengua y migración 7:1 (2015), 29-51 ISSN : 1889-5425. © Universidad de Alcalá Deciphering Aborigines and Migrants from Cognation and Topography in North-Western Edo aborígenes del norte de Edoid según se deduce de los porcentajes de cognados léxicos y de las variables geográficas. Se identificaron tres zonas aborígenes: Okpella, el norte de Ibie y Somorika, situado en el montañoso Akoko-Edo, y el par de Uokha y Ghotuo, como los pri- meros migrantes en Owan Bini. Los grupos restantes han alternado el aumento de corrientes efímeras durante las plagas con la disminución de la migración en tiempos de paz. Se demostró que la geografía era un factor fundamental para hacer de Akoko-Edo un imán de los migran- tes y epicentro de la diversidad lingüística. Palabras claves: prehistoria, aborígenes, migrantes, porcentajes de cognados, variables geográficas, noroeste de Edo (Nigeria). Introduction The migrationist antecedents of many North Edoid populations inundate lore as well as contemporary collective memory. Quite how these migra- tions took place may never be precisely accounted for. However, plausi- ble proposals are made here by way of tracking population shifts. Given the dynamic nature of language in North-Western Edo, it is imperative to first determine which factors should serve as indicators of migration and for that matter, aborigine. Trite to mention, such factors are not restrict- ed to linguistic domains. Therefore, in the following paragraphs, statisti- cal and topographical parameters, as well as patterns of settlement are deployed in tracking migrant and aborigine populations. 1. The North Edoid People and North- Western Edo The Edoid speak languages classified by the same name and reside in all of Edo and parts of Delta, Rivers, Ondo, Kogi and Kwara States of Nigeria. This work is concerned with the North Edoid (NE) division, largely as described by Elugbe (1989: 26). The people of NE dwell in the hilly terrain of North-Western Edo, and its high density of languages (24 in 566Km2) fits perfectly with prototypical homelands as advanced by several scholars (Elugbe 1979; Hill 2006) and particularly for Benue- Congo (Elugbe 1992; Schaefer et al. 2005). For that matter, the collec- tive name for the hills in this region is Afenmai, which means ‘our home’. Likely, North-Western Edo served as prehistoric refugium, and its geographical layout is germane to linguistic diversity. Thus, the 30 expression Afenmai is an Okhamheri term, which is inclusive of all the Lengua y migración 7:1 (2015), 29-51 ISSN : 1889-5425. © Universidad de Alcalá ‘Demola Lewis groups that sought refuge in the hills during eras of slave trade and other forms of pestilence. Some of these groups, as would be shown, were migrants from Owan and other south-western regions. Lewis (2013: 232) puts the language densities of Akoko-Edo and Owan as one language per 12km2 and 39km2 respectively. Older mem- bers of North-Western Edo tend to be bilingual speakers of an Edoid language and Yoruba. A good many also transact business in some variety of Nigerian Pidgin. Figure 1. Study Area: North-Western Edo, Nigeria (Courtesy of Odemerho F.) From the sociolinguistic perspective, the Edoid are a minority group within Nigeria’s large population of West Benue-Congo. Most of Nigeria’s southern populations speak Benue-Congo languages; while northern Nigeria is largely Afro-Asiatic. The three main languages of Nigeria are Yoruba, Igbo (of Benue-Congo) and Hausa (of Afro- Asiatic). While Afro-Asiatic is one of Africa’s four main language groups (the others being Niger-Congo, Khoisan and Nilo-Saharan); Benue-Congo is the largest subgroup of Niger-Congo (Williamson and Blench 2000). Like most minority groups, the Edoid often affiliate with the politically relevant Yoruba strong group; from whom they claim, by oral tradition, to have migrated north-easterly. However, such claims often occlude aspects of prehistory and create the impression that there 31 Lengua y migración 7:1 (2015), 29-51 ISSN : 1889-5425. © Universidad de Alcalá Deciphering Aborigines and Migrants from Cognation and Topography in North-Western Edo are no aborigine Edoid groups; more so, that all migrations were from Yorubaland. Indeed, there have been intra-Edoid migrations which this paper intends to point out. 1.1. Relief North-Western Edo is characterised by conical and dome formations round and about the Afenmai Hills, which rises to 2000 feet above sea level and extends from the River Osse on the west to the River Niger on the east (Schaefer and Egbokhareº 2010:º 34). North-Western Edo relief declines from north to south (see Figure 2). Akoko-Edo towers with mountain walls 800-2000 feet above sea level. The hills are dissected by broad valleys which in the past served as paths for fleeting populations; and today are migrant settlements. Owan East is in the range of 156-500 feet higher than sea surface, and Owan West has just about 16-100 feet elevation. Akoko-Edo is charac- terised by rocky domes and arable ridges which for centuries support- ed terrace farming. The terrain changes southerly. High plains and sparse hills typify Owan East, and Owan West at the bottom of the gra- dient is distinguished by its low plains. Figure 2. North-Western Edo Topography, plus Valley Settlement Path 32 (Courtesy of Odemerho F.) Lengua y migración 7:1 (2015), 29-51 ISSN : 1889-5425. © Universidad de Alcalá ‘Demola Lewis 1.2. Irrigation North-Western Edo is irrigated by four main rivers and their tributar- ies, all of which meander the topography, flowing south-westerly. River Osse outlines the western border of North-Western Edo, travelling the entireº º length of the region. River Onyami (Ojirami) dissects North Western Edo in half; it then flows westward into the Osse River at about midway in the region. The Orle River takes its rootº fromº north- east Akoko-Edo and travels southward to exit the region again at about halfway. Most of Owan irrigation is from a river by the same name. River Owan sources out from an inselberg in the Ikhin-Arokho axis; and it has three eastern tributaries and a fourth which joins it from the west. River Edion runs parallel to River Owan to the east, and its dis- tributaries bifurcate perpendicularly eastward and southward. Figure 3. North-Western Edo Villages and Rivers 33 Lengua y migración 7:1 (2015), 29-51 ISSN : 1889-5425. © Universidad de Alcalá Deciphering Aborigines and Migrants from Cognation and Topography in North-Western Edo 1.3. North Edoid Populations North-Western Edo is home to aborigine and migrant ethnic groups, who engaged in inter-ethnic wars during the 19th century and have maintained considerable peace and calm thereon. There are estimated 285,000 inhabitants in North-Western Edo, and a population density of 85 pers./km2 (Edo State Government 2004). Schaefer et al. (2005:171) put the number of village settlements at 85. This area inhabits high den- sity language varieties in contiguous settlements. For instance, if you drove 41.5 km from Igarra to Ososo (see Figure 3), you would meet speakers of at least six distinct languages, Etuno (Ebira in Igarra); Enwa; Akuku; Okpamheri; Uneme and Ososo. Many of their villages have physical demarcations none other than a patch of domestic farm between two buildings.