Glossary
This is a glossary of terms from the story.
Note: A significant portion of the dialogue is in Igbo, Yoruba or pidgin English. I have included this glossary to help with those bits.
Abasi - Efik/Ibibio supreme god.
Abasi Mbok - Efik/Ibibio phrase meaning “God please”.
Ajikwu akpu isi - a mythical monster summoned by the people of Edo and Ododo to fight the people of Ngwu.
Akai - Efik/Ibibio term meaning “sacred forest” or “sacred land”.
Alagbede Orun - Sokoti, the Orisha known as the heavenly blacksmith.
Amaghi, ana’m ekene - Igbo phrase meaning “the unknown, I greet you.”
Amama - Efik/Ibibio term. It is the name by which the highest rank of leopardmen are called.
Alusi - General term for gods and spirits from Igbo mythology.
Anansa - Efik/Ibibio goddess of the sea.
Atai - Efik/Ibibio goddess, and mediator. Wife of Abasi.
Bad belle - informal Nigerian Pidgin English slang meaning “hater”.
Chi’m o - Igbo exclamation meaning“my spirit.” or “my destiny”. The closest literal phrase would be ”OMG”. Similar is syntax and usage to the yoruba ”ori mi o" (my head/destiny).
Di eruku - Yoruba phrase meaning “turn to dust”.
Di, Ubok-Obong - Efik/Ibibio phrase meaning “come, hands of god”.
Dike n’atụghị egwu, ekene m gi - Igbo sentence meaning“Fearless hero, I greet you.”
Dinta agụ owuru abatala - Igbo sentence meaning“the hunter of leopards has come.”
Eka mmi - Efik/Ibibio phrase meaning “my mother”. it is a term of reverence
Ekpe - Secret society of Leopard men. It is also the name of the Ndem or spirit that controls the society of Leopard men.
E no la’m odu o - Igbo exclamation meaning “I have swallowed a pestle”. It means I have done that which I should not have done. The exclamation pays homage to Ola Rotimi’s Ovonramwen Nogbaisi, where the Oba said ”Benin, I fear, has this day swallowed a long pestle; now we shall have to sleep standing upright."
Essien Emana - Efik/Ibibio term meaning “destiny”.
Ekwetaghị m ya - Igbo phrase meaning “I don’t believe it”.
Fila Abeti Aja - traditional Yoruba cap, with pointed flaps hanging on both sides that are traditionally folded up.
Iberedem mmi - Efik/Ibibio term meaning “my support” or “my pillar”.
Ibit Ukpabi - The oracle of Arochukwu.
Ihe efu nke di arọ... bia - Igbo phrase meaning “the emptiness that is heavy...come.”
Ihe kpatara nsogbu m, ana m ahụ gị - Igbo phrase meaning “the cause of my problem, I greet you.”
Ikenga - An Alusi, venerated as a personal god.
Ikpaisong - Efik/Ibibio term meaning “tradition”.
ikpe ziri ezi abịala - Igbo phrase meaning “justice has come”.
Isiagu - Traditional pullover shirt worn predominantly by men with chieftaincy titles.
Juju - an object that has been deliberately infused with magical power or the magical power itself.
Koso - Short for “Olukoso”, a name for Sango the yoruba god of thunder.
Kpuchie anya gi - Igbo phrase meaning “cover your eyes.”
lee ite a na-akpọ ketulu ojii - Igbo phrase meaning “see pot calling kettle black”.
Mmaagha Kamalu - igbo name for Amadioha’s sword.
Mami Wata - a water spirit venerated in West Africa, particularly around riverine areas.
Native doctor - Witchdoctor or juju man.
Ndem - General term for gods and spirits from Efik/Ibibio mythology.
Ngbati - Igbo term for yoruba people (derogatory). Derived from the usage of the phrase “Ni ’gbati” (meaning “at the time”) by Yoruba people in a lot of their conversations.
Nsibidi - a system of symbols or early writing indigenous to the Efik/Ibibio, a well as Igbo people.
Nwanne’m nwanyi - Igbo phrase meaning “my sister”.
Obi m...atụrụ m uche gị - Igbo phrase meaning “my heart...I missed you.”
Obot - Efik/Ibibio term meaning “Nature”. It refers to the individual creation of persons by God. If someone is wild, they say he was created that way; if he is kind, again that is how he was created by God to be.
Ọ dị mma - Igbo phrase meaning “it is well,” or “it is okay”.
O di egwu - Igbo phrase meaning “wonderful” or “Amazing”. An exclamation of shock or amazement at something someone has said or done.
Ofufe - one of the numerous names for Amadioha, Alusi of thunder and lightning and bringer of justice.
ọ gaghị enyere gị aka - Igbo phrase meaning “it will not help you.”
Ogbarinmuyhari - Igbo phrase meaning “it shocked me”, or “e shock me”.
Ogogoro - Alcoholic produced by distilling palm wine or sugar cane.
Okpu agu - Traditional knitted igbo cap.
Okunrin gidigidi bi oke - Yoruba phrase meaning “A brave and firm man, strong like a mountain”.
Oloye nla - Yoruba phrase meaning “High chief” or “exalted person”.
Onye na-eweta ikpe ziri ezi - Igbo phrase meaning “the one who brings justice”.
Onye ochie - Igbo phrase meaning “ancient one”...in the same context as “revered elder”.
Opuro - Yoruba word meaning “Liar”.
Opuro, la enu e - Yoruba phrase meaning “Opuro (liar), open your mouth”. This phrase is a play on the saying “Enu opuro o’n s’eje” (lit: the mouth of a liar does not bleed).
Orisa/Orisha - General term for gods and spirits from Yoruba mythology.
Orunmila - Orisa of wisdom, and the diviner of destiny and prophecy.
Ukpong - Efik/Ibibio term meaning “soul”.
Ukpong Ikot - Efik/Ibibio term meaning “bush soul”. a term used to refer to a wandering soul that spends its time in the bush as a were-animal or bush beast.
Ubok-Obong - Efik/Ibibio term meaning “hands of God”.
Unwana mmi - Efik/Ibibio term meaning “my light”.
Unwana Abasi - Efik/Ibibio term meaning “light of God”.
Wepu - Igbo word meaning “remove”.
