13/07/2025
*LANGUAGE AS A PILLAR OF IDENTIFY*: _A Chief Sen Rich Kay's Response to Chief Innocent Onyah._
In the rich tapestry of human identity, language stands out as one of the most important markers of who a people are. While Chief Innocent Onyah's assertion — that language alone does not define a people — is correct and rooted in wisdom, it is equally critical to clarify, as Chief Sen Rich Kay rightly points out, that language remains a major, and often the first, factor in identifying a people. This write-up aims to explore this nuanced perspective — supporting Chief Onyah's broader view while firmly establishing the foundational importance of language in ethnic and cultural identity.
The nature of identity is multifaceted.
Indeed, identity is complex. It is a combination of history, geography, culture, belief systems, shared struggles, collective memory, and self-perception. No single factor can independently encompass the depth of what makes a people unique. Chief Onyah highlights this truth with powerful examples from Nigeria and beyond.
However, in the midst of this complexity, language often serves as the gateway to all other identity markers. It is through language that people pass down their history, explain their culture, express their spirituality, narrate their struggles, and construct their worldview. In fact, language is so intimately tied to a people’s self-understanding that in many cases, to lose a language is to risk the erasure of a people’s heritage.
We must understand and accept the truth that language Is a major identifier.
Language Encodes Cultural Knowledge
Language is not just a tool for communication; it is a repository of cultural wisdom. Through proverbs, idioms, adages, praise names, and storytelling, a language embeds the philosophical foundations of a people. For instance, the Igbo adage "Egbe bere, ugo bere" (Let the eagle perch, let the hawk perch) speaks to coexistence and justice. The deeper meaning of such expressions is often lost or diluted in translation, further emphasizing the importance of language in preserving the spirit of a people.
Let us consider names and nomenclature here.
The names we bear — both personal and communal — often reflect the linguistic and cultural environment we come from. A name like Chukwudi (Igbo) immediately signals a linguistic and ethnic identity that differs from a name like Adekunle (Yoruba), even before any discussion of customs or history begins.
Language is indeed the very first Identifier. In the absence of any visual or historical context, language is often the first lens through which people recognize and relate to others. For instance, when someone speaks Hausa, the immediate assumption is that they are Hausa or from Northern Nigeria, even though deeper investigation might reveal otherwise. That assumption demonstrates the strength of linguistic association with identity.
The way people perceive the world is often shaped by the structure and vocabulary of their language. For example, in many African languages, there are dozens of words to describe different kinds of rain, kinship relationships, or farming activities — reflections of the environment and priorities of the people.
Language fosters group belonging and social cohesion. It is the most natural tool used to draw boundaries between "us" and "them". Even in multicultural or multilingual societies, people tend to gather and organize along linguistic lines.
Chief Onyah makes a strong case with numerous examples that linguistic similarity does not always translate to uniform identity. For instance:
Ukwuani and Igbo: Though linguistically related, they have evolved separately due to geography, colonial boundaries, and political experience.
Ijebu and Egba: Both are Yoruba-speaking groups but possess distinct historical identities and governance systems.
Hausa-Fulani Fusion: The Fulani may speak Hausa fluently, but their heritage, religion, and pastoralist roots give them a separate cultural identity.
South Africa and India: Nations with multiple languages yet bound by broader national identities built on shared struggle or political frameworks.
These examples show that shared language does not necessarily mean shared identity, and different languages can exist within a single identity.
However, this reality should not minimize the foundational role of language. Rather, it reveals that language is a starting point, not the endpoint, in the complex journey of self-definition.
While Chief Onyah cautions against the over-reliance on language as the sole marker of identity, Chief Sen Rich Kay emphasizes the fact that language is a major — often primary — factor. Both perspectives are valid and can be reconciled.
Think of identity as a house:
Language is the doorway — the first thing encountered when approaching a people.
Culture, history, politics, and geography are the rooms — each containing its own depth and furnishing.
Just because the house has many rooms doesn't mean the doorway is unimportant. On the contrary, it is the doorway that welcomes you into the house in the first place.
Like in the case of Ndokwa and Anioma, taking Ndokwa as a case study, we see a language that is linguistically linked to Igbo, but also historically distinct due to location in Delta State and interaction with other ethnicities. Yet, to erase the linguistic connection is to overlook a vital aspect of Ndokwa identity.
Similarly, the Anioma identity encompasses a diverse array of Igbo-speaking communities within Delta State, such as Ukwuani, Ika, and Oshimili/Aniocha groups. While they may differ in dialects and local customs, their linguistic thread ties them together in the broader Igbo heritage, even as they form a distinct Anioma regional identity.
Honoring Language in Identity Discourse
We must strive for balance in our identity conversations. While language does not stand alone in defining a people, it should never be sidelined or underestimated. It is a living symbol of a people’s soul, a marker of continuity across generations.
To deny language’s role is to cut off a root from the tree of identity. And to reduce identity solely to language is to ignore the branches and fruits shaped by culture, geography, and history.
In supporting Chief Innocent Onyah’s insightful message, we affirm that identity is complex. Yet in line with Chief Sen Rich Kay’s position, we underscore that language remains a major and often first-identifying factor — powerful, foundational, and enduring.
Let us, therefore, celebrate our linguistic heritage not as a boundary, but as a bridge to understanding who we are, where we come from, and how we define ourselves in a changing world.
By: Chief Ifeanyichukwu Kingsley Enuenwosu aka Sen Rich Kay
A Cultural Advocate for Truth and Balance
Onu Osa 1 Of Ndokwa Nation
