BOOKS HELPFUL FOR IGBO LANGUAGE STUDY

list compiled by Frances W. Pritchett


== DICTIONARIES ==

1. Awde, Nicholas & Onyekachi Wambu. Igbo-English/English-Igbo Dictionary & Phrasebook. New York: Hippocrene Books, 1999. 186 p. (Not a scholarly work but should be helpful for a tourist in Igboland.)

2. Echeruo, Michael J. C. Igbo-English Dictionary. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1998. 283 p. (An admirable work of scholarship with an easy-to-understand tone-marking system. The brief English-Igbo section at the back makes it doubly helpful. Echeruo introduces some controversial innovations in Igbo orthography for reasons that he explains in his introductory pages. Read it and decide for yourself!)

3. Igwe, G. Egemba. Igbo-English Dictionary. Ibadan: University Press Plc, 1999. 845 p. (An astoundingly comprehensive work by a seasoned and experienced Igbo scholar. I find it invaluable. Entries drawn from different Igbo dialects but with special attention to Central Igbo dialects.)

4. Nnaji, H. I. Modern English-Igbo Dictionary. Onitsha: Gonaj Books, 1986. 345 p. (Uses Onwu orthography. Geared toward secondary school students. I find it useful in conjunction with the other dictionaries, although there are too many full-page illustrations that impede rapid location of the entries.)

5. Welmers, Beatrice F. and William E. Welmers. Igbo: A Learner's Dictionary. Los Angeles: Privately published by author, 1968. 397 p. (Welmers was a distinguished professor of Linguistics at UCLA. This excellent book uses "Compromise Igbo," recording usages widely used in Owerri and Umuahia Provinces. It is a companion book to the Learner's Manual listed below.)

6. Williamson, Kay. Igbo-English Dictionary. Benin City: Ethiope Publishing Corp. , 1972. 568 p. (Uses a generalized form of Onitsha. A beautiful piece of work. My copy is falling apart from so much use. I guess the only way to see it now would be to get it from one of the large university libraries.)




== OTHER REFERENCE TEXTS ==

Abraham, R. C. The Principles of Ibo. Ibadan: Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, 1967. 127 p. (Occasional Publication No. 4.)

Alio, E.O. Graded Igbo Course Book 1. Longman Nigeria Ltd. , 1978. 98 p.

Armstrong, Robert G. A Comparative Wordlist of Five Igbo Dialects. Ibadan Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, 1967. 127 p. (Occasional Publication No. 5.)

Carnochan, J. , and Belonwu Iwuchuku. An Igbo Revision Course. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1963. 168 p.

Carrell, Patricia L. A Transformational Grammar of Igbo. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1970. 123 p. (West African Language Monographs No. 8.)

Center for Applied Linguistics. Languages of Sub-Saharan Africa: A Survey of Materials for the Study of the Uncommonly Taught Languages. Arlington, Virginia: Center for Applied Linguistics, 1976. 79 p. (Igbo: pp. 19-20.)

Dunstan, Elizabeth, ed. Twelve Nigerian Languages. New York: Africana Publishing Corp. , 1969. 185 p.

Emenanjo, E. Nolue. Elements of Modern Igbo Grammar. Ibadan: Oxford University Press, 1978. 234 p.

Emenanjo, E. Nolue. Auxiliaries in Igbo Syntax: A Comparative Study. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Linguistics Club, 1985. 231 p. (Studies in African Grammatical Systems No. 2.)

Green, M. M., and G. E. Igwe. A Descriptive Grammar of Igbo. London: Oxford University Press, 1963. 235 p.

Green, M. M., and G. E. Igwe. Introductory Igbo Language Course for Non-Igbo Speakers. London: Methodist Missionary Society, 1966. 181 p. (With cassette tape.)

Igwe, G. E., and M. M. Green. Igbo Language Course: Book I: Igbo Language Study. Ibadan: Oxford University Press, 1967. 159 p. (With cassette tape.)

Igwe, G. E., and M. M. Green. Igbo Language Course: Book II: Igbo Dialogues and Stories. Ibadan: Oxford University Press, 1967. 70 p. (With cassette tape.)

Igwe, G. E , and M. M. Green. Igbo Language Course: Book III: Dialogues, Sayings, Translations. Ibadan: Oxford University Press, 1970. 181 p.

Igwe, G. E , and M. M. Green. A Short Igbo Grammar. Ibadan: Oxford University Press, 1964. 60 p. (Reprinted 1970.)

International Phonetic Association. The Principles of the International Phonetic Association. London: International Phonetic Association, 1975. 55 p.

Ladefoged, Peter. "The Stops of Owerri Igbo." Studies in African Linguistics Supplement 6 (Nov. 1976):147-163.

Lord, Carol. "How Igbo got from SOV Serializing to SVO." Compounding. Studies in African Linguistics Supplement 7 (Dec. 1977):145-155.

Nwachukwu, P. Akujuoobi. Towards an Igbo Literary Standard. London- Kegan Paul International Ltd. , 1983. 88 p.

Ofomata, Chinedum E. Utoasusu Igbo Maka Junio Sekondiri. Enugu: Format Publishers (Nig) Ltd, 1995. 196 p.

Ofomata, Chinedum E. Utoasusu Igbo Maka Sinio Sekondiri. Enugu: Format Publishers (Nig), n.d. 237 p.

Ogbalu, F. C. , and E. N. Emenanjo. Igbo Language and Culture. Vol. 1. Ibadan: Oxford University Press, 1975. 216 p. (Studies presented at 1972 and 1973 seminars of SPILC.)

Ogbalu, F.C., and E. N. Emenanjo. Igbo Language and Culture. Vol. 2. Ibadan: University Press Limited, 1982. 237 p. (Studies presented at 1975 and 1976 seminaris of SPILC.)

Ogbalu, F. Chidozie. School Certificate G.C.E. Igbo. Onitsha: University Publishing Company, 1974. 247 p. (Co-published by Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd. , London.)

Okonkwo, M. M. A Complete Course in Igbo Grammar. Lagos: Macmillan Nigeria Publishers Ltd. , 1974. 213 p.

Okudiwe, Anizoba U. McOliver (George A. Okiwe). Basic Igbo Grammar: A Brief Introduction. Quebec: War Victims (Biafra) Rehabilitation Committee, 1970. 79 p.

Onwu Committee. The Official Igbo Orthography. Onwu Committee, 1961. 10 p.

Oruchalu, S. U. Rules for Igbo Spelling in the Latest Approved Orthography. 12 p. (2 copies.)

Ossai-Emeli, Cecilia I. A Descriptive Contrastive Analysis of English and Igbo Verb Systems. Boston: Ph.D. dissertation, School of Education, Boston University, 1975. 123 p.

Sangster, Linda. "Eleven Texts for Ibo Tapes. " Indiana University at Bloomington. (Sent by D. M. Warren, Prof. of Anthropology, Iowa State Univ. , Ames, Iowa, February 1982.)

Society for Promoting Igbo Language and Culture. Recommendations of the Standardization Committee: Volume 1. Onitsha: Society for Promoting Igbo Language and Culture. 23 p.

Thomas, Northcote W. Anthropological Report on the Ibo-Speaking Peoples of Nigeria. Part III: Proverbs, Narratives, Vocabularies and Grammar; Part VI: Proverbs, Stories, Tones in Ibo. London: Harrison and Sons, 1913.

Ward, Ida C. Practical Suggestions for the Learning of an African Language in the Field. London:: Oxford University Press, 1965. 40 p. International African Institute Memorandum XIV. (Original edition 1937)

Welmers, Beatrice F., and William E. Welmers. Igbo: A Learner's Manual. Los Angeles: Privately published by author, 1968. 200 p.

Welmers, William E. African Language Structures. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1973. 488 p.

Welmers, William E. "The Derivation of Igbo Verb Bases. " Studies in African Linguistics 1,1 (March 1970):49-59.

Welmers, William E. "Igbo Tonology. " Studies in African Linguistics 1,3 (Dec. 1970): 255-278.

Welmers, William E., and Beatrice F. Welmers. "Noun Modifiers in Igbo. " International Journal of American Linguistics 35,4 (Oct. 1969):315-322.

Williams, Edwin S. "Underlying Tone in Margi and Igbo. " Linguistic Inquiry 7,3 (Summer 1976):463-484.