SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE SPELLINGS OF #IGBO WORDS AND ANGLICIZED JAPANESE WORDS

CopieD-Amenhotep Ezekwe > The Igbo People.
SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE SPELLINGS OF #IGBO WORDS AND ANGLICIZED JAPANESE WORDS...
1.Chichi (Japanese town)
Chichi (Igbo name)
--------------------------------------------------------
2. Ofunato (Japanese town)
Ofu na ato (Igbo phrase meaning ‘One and three’).
--------------------------------------------------------
3. Osaka (Japanese city)
Osaka (Igbo name)
--------------------------------------------------------
4. Mandokoro (Fujiwara family administrative centre)
Okoro (Igbo name)
--------------------------------------------------------
5. Ugo (Japanese town)
Ugo (Igbo name)
--------------------------------------------------------
6. Iheya (Japanese town)
Ihe ya (Igbo phrase meaning somebody’s property)
--------------------------------------------------------
7. Aba (Japanese)
Aba (Igbo state in Igboland)
--------------------------------------------------------
8. Izu (Japanese peninsula)
Izu: Igbo word
--------------------------------------------------------
9. Chika, Azuka, Ezuka (Japanese Names)
Chika, Azuka, Ezuka (Igbo Names)
--------------------------------------------------------
10. Obuchi (Japanese surname)
obuchi (Igbo surname)
--------------------------------------------------------
11. Uke (attack) = Japanese
Uke (evil attack) = igbo
--------------------------------------------------------
12. Adachi (Japanese name)
adachi (igbo name)
--------------------------------------------------------
13. Obishi- Japanese surname
Obichia- Igbo surname (Obishi literally means ‘head king’ in Igbo language)
--------------------------------------------------------
14. Cho- Japanese word that means, ‘a person who is’
Cho- Igbo word that means ‘to look for’
--------------------------------------------------------
15. Amagi- Japanese town
Ama gi- Igbo word meaning, ‘your town’
--------------------------------------------------------
16 Ka- Japanese word used to express doubt
Ka- Igbo word used to make a polite request
--------------------------------------------------------
17. Adachi-ku- Japanese city
Adachukwu- Igbo name
--------------------------------------------------------
18. Adachi-ku- Japanese city
Adachukwu- Igbo name
--------------------------------------------------------
19. Chinda- Japanese surname
Chinda- Igbo surname
--------------------------------------------------------
20. Obi- Japanese embroidered sash worn for martial arts
Obi- Igbo word for heart
--------------------------------------------------------
21. Obinata- Japanese surname
Obinna- Igbo name
--------------------------------------------------------
22. Nanami (japanese name)
Nnamani (igbo name)
--------------------------------------------------------
23. Chuka soba- Chinese style noodles popular in Japan
Chuka- Igbo name
--------------------------------------------------------
24. Ise- Japanese sacred place
Ise- Igbo word for ‘five’, and also an Igbo word of meaning ‘amen’, usually said during the sacred ceremony of kolanut breaking
--------------------------------------------------------
25. Anan- Japanese town
Anam- Igbo town
--------------------------------------------------------
26. Nanka- Japanese word used to express disappointment
Nanka- Igbo town
--------------------------------------------------------
27. Ike- Japanese prefix used to strenghten an adjective
Ike- Igbo word meaning strenght
--------------------------------------------------------
Ugo- Japanese town
Ugo- Igbo word that means, ‘eagle’.
--------------------------------------------------------
JAPANESE AND IGBO SIMILARITIES
1.Naka (Japanese name)
Odinaka (Igbo name)
--------------------------------------------------------
2.Owari (Japanese town)
Owerri (Igbo town)
--------------------------------------------------------
3. Chikamatsu (Japanese name)
Chikadibia (Igbo name)
--------------------------------------------------------
4. Obuchi (Japanese name)
Onyebuchi (Igbo name)
--------------------------------------------------------
5. Ikeda (Japanese name)
Ikedia (Igbo name)
--------------------------------------------------------
6. Be (ancient Japanese word for community)
Be (Igbo word for house)
--------------------------------------------------------
7. Abukuma (Japanese town)
Akuma (Igbo town)
--------------------------------------------------------
8. Obama (Japanese town)
Obama ( Igbo town in Rivers State, near Kalabari)
--------------------------------------------------------
9. Naze (Japanese town)
Nanze (Igbo town)
--------------------------------------------------------
10. Chikuma (Japanese female name)
Chukwuma (Chi ukwu ma) Igbo male name, mean ‘[bigger] god knows’
--------------------------------------------------------
11. Obira(Japanese town)
Obiora (Igbo male name)
--------------------------------------------------------
12. Akechi (Japanese town)
Nkechi: Igbo female name
--------------------------------------------------------
13. Yutaka (Japanese name)
utaka (igbo name)
--------------------------------------------------------
14. Atami- Japanese town
Atani- Igbo town
--------------------------------------------------------
15. Mazuka- Japanese surname
Azuka- Igbo name
--------------------------------------------------------
16. Komachi- Japanese name
Komasirichi- Igbo name
--------------------------------------------------------
17. Chiba- Japanese town
Chiba- Igbo word meaning, ‘to take something inside’
--------------------------------------------------------
18. Offu- Japanese word for ‘off’
Ofu- Igbo word for ‘one’
--------------------------------------------------------
19. Obara- Japanese name
Obara- Igbo word meaning blood
--------------------------------------------------------
20. Ano- Japanese word meaning ‘say’
Ano- Igbo word meaning ‘four’
--------------------------------------------------------
21. Aka- Japanese word for ‘red’
Aka- Igbo word for ‘hand’
--------------------------------------------------------
22. Ara- Japanese feminine term
Ara- Igbo word meaning breast
--------------------------------------------------------
23 Onishi- Japanese name
Onyisi- Igbo word for leader
--------------------------------------------------------
24. Asa- Japanese word meaning ‘morning’
Asa- Igbo word meaning ‘fine girl’
--------------------------------------------------------
25. Asaato- Japanese word meaning ‘to asert’
Asato- Igbo word for ‘eight’
--------------------------------------------------------
26. Ani- Japanese word meaning ‘brother-in-law’
Ani- Igbo word meaning ‘land’
--------------------------------------------------------
27. Ouchi- Japanese surname
Oluchi- Igbo name
--------------------------------------------------------
28. Ozu- Japanese surname
Ozu- Igbo town
--------------------------------------------------------
29. Akechi- Japanese surname
Nkechi- Igbo name
--------------------------------------------------------
30. Nara- Japanese word meaning ‘if’
Nara- Igbo past tense of the word ‘go’
--------------------------------------------------------
31. Asano- Japanese surname
Akanno- Igbo surname
--------------------------------------------------------
33. Ne- Japanese word used to interject
Ne- Igbo word meaning ‘look’
--------------------------------------------------------
34. Iro- Japanese word meaning ‘colour’
Iro- Igbo word meaning ‘outside’
--------------------------------------------------------
35. Ibuka- Japanese surname
Ebuka- Igbo name
--------------------------------------------------------
36. Sa- Japanese word used to explain obvious facts
Sa- Igbo word meaning ‘to answer’Also the same word for ‘wash’
--------------------------------------------------------
37. Ikina- Japanese surname
Ikenna- Igbo surname
--------------------------------------------------------
38. Uboshita- Japanes surname
Uboshi ta- Igbo phrase meaning, ‘today’
--------------------------------------------------------
39. Abutsu- Japanese name
Abutu- Igbo name
--------------------------------------------------------
40. Umeki- Japanese surname
Umeh- Igbo surname
--------------------------------------------------------
41. Ishioka- Japanese town
Isi oka- Igbo phrase meaning, ‘the cub of a corn plant’
--------------------------------------------------------
42. Osumi- Japanese strait
Osumenyi- Igbo town
--------------------------------------------------------
43. Neyagawa- Japanese town
Ne ya a’gawa- Igbo phrase that roughly translates to ‘look he’s going.’
--------------------------------------------------------
44. Obama- Japanese town
Obama- Igbo connected town in the Kalabari area of Nigeria
--------------------------------------------------------
45. Ofunato- Japanese town
Ofunato- Igbo phrase that roughly means, ‘One and three’.
--------------------------------------------------------
46. Oji- Japanese town
Oji- Igbo river, i.e Oji River
--------------------------------------------------------
47. Tsujii- Japanese name
Osuji- Igbo name
48. Otsu- Japanese town
Otu- Igbo town
--------------------------------------------------------
49. Abukuma- Japanese river
Akuma- Igbo town
--------------------------------------------------------
50. Asuka- Japanese town
Nsukka- Igbo town
--------------------------------------------------------
51. Chuai- Japanese name
Chuka- Igbo name
--------------------------------------------------------
52. Anato- Japanese town
Ani ato- Igbo phrase meaning ‘third land’
--------------------------------------------------------
53. Aruku- Japanese word which means, ‘to walk’
Ilo Ukwu- Igbo word which means to limp
--------------------------------------------------------
54. Nemuru- Japanese word for sleep
Laru- Igbo word for ‘sleep’
--------------------------------------------------------
55. Kata- Japanese word for ‘shoulder’
Aka- Igbo word for ‘hand’
--------------------------------------------------------
56. Omu-Japanese town
Omu- Igbo word for palm frond
--------------------------------------------------------
57. Onagawa- Japanese town
O na agawa- Igbo phrase that roughly means,’ he/she is going’
--------------------------------------------------------
58. Inuzuka- Japanese name
Izuka- Igbo word for ‘week’
--------------------------------------------------------
59. Iheya- Japanese town
Ihe ya- Igbo phrase that means ‘his/her property’
--------------------------------------------------------
60. Onomichi- Japanese town
Ichi/Nnewiichi- Igbo town
--------------------------------------------------------
70. Hanawa- Japanese town
Ha nawa- Igbo phrase that roughly means,’ they should go home’
--------------------------------------------------------
71. Azuchi- Japanese town
Azuka- Igbo name
--------------------------------------------------------
72. Eitoku- Japanese name
Etukoku- Igbo name
--------------------------------------------------------
73. Chikanatsu- Japanese name
Chikamatsu- Japanese name Shika- Japanese word
Chika- Igbo name
--------------------------------------------------------
74. To- Japanese word for ‘and’
To- Igbo word for ‘grow’
--------------------------------------------------------
75. Kenji- Japanese name
Nkemjika- Igbo surname
--------------------------------------------------------
76. Takumi- Japanese name
Akumi- Ancient name of the Igbos, currently used mainly in Afro America
--------------------------------------------------------
77. Suru- Japanese word meaning to ‘die clothes using a wooden mold’
Suru- Igbo word for saying one has ‘washed clothes’
--------------------------------------------------------
78. Chikafusa- Japanese name
Chikadibia- Igbo name
--------------------------------------------------------
79. Be- Ancient Japanese word meaning community
Be- Igbo word meaning home
--------------------------------------------------------
80. Ze- Japanese word that indicates assertion
Ze- Igbo word meaning ‘to avoid’
--------------------------------------------------------
81. Zo- Japanese word that indicates assertion, but less forcefully than the word ‘ze’
Zo- Igbo word that means to ‘hide’
--------------------------------------------------------
82. Amaya- Japanese nameAmala- Igbo name Ayaka- Japanese name
Amaka- Igbo short form of the names Ndidi amaka and Chiamaka
--------------------------------------------------------
83 Haruka- Japanese name
Aluka- Igbo short form of the name Akaluka
--------------------------------------------------------
84. Aki- Japanese word meaning ‘emptiness’
Aki- Igbo word for ‘palm kernel’
--------------------------------------------------------
85. Arata- Japanese name
Araka- Igbo surname
86. Hajime- Japanese name meaning, ‘beginning’
Ha ji me- Igbo phrase alluding to making or creating something
Note: the Japanese have two similar words for first son (Hachiro and Hachirou).
Interestingly, the Igbos have two similar words for first son ( Diokpa and Diokpala).
These Japanese and Igbo words do not have similarity in sounds, but their identical structure suggests deep-seated similarities in the DNAs of both cultures.
Misakuchi- ancient Japanese religious festival Igo chi/ Ilo chi- ancient Igbo religious festivals
According to Elizabeth Isichei- in her book, ‘Igbo Worlds’- Igo Chi means, ‘to offer sacrifices to ones chi, while Ilo Chi means, ‘a period during which people reaffirm their association. with their ancestors, personal spirits, and the divinities associated with everyday activities’.
Oniye- Japanese word meaning religious sacrifice
Onyinye- Igbo word meaning religious offering.
Note: According to Kubo, we can still see the custom of the wooden pillar called “oniye-bashira,” which means, “sacrifice-pillar.”
Today in Igboland, religious offering is called onyinye.
Sources:
Encyclopedia Americana,
Igbo Worlds, by Elizabeth Isichei
3 hrs · The Igbo People.
More