Dear Reader,

Did you ask what language I think in?

Well, when I’m in the lap of family I find I think in Igbo. But mostly I think in the language I use more often. Yet, when I leave the theatre of Igbo for the territory of English there are words I miss, words I wish were part of the English lexicon, Words like JISIKE. ‘Hang in there…’, ‘Keep doing what you are doing so well…’ Appropriate in condolence, appropriate in endeavour, appropriate in encouragement – a right jack-of-all-context contraction. So this is Adopt-an-Igbo-Word Day and this is my ‘Word de Jour’ … fine, my word of the Month! Jisike. Let’s do it for the English: drop it in conversation with your Ga and your Ukrainian friends, and then explain it. Jisike. It helps that it is so euphonious, not a tongue twister like ‘nwokolo’, which requires both a pronunciation lesson (soft ‘n’) and a coached tongue. All the accents on Jisike’s syllables are on the up and up. Jisike. Click here for its pronunciation:  And if you are not the type to use pretentious foreign words like c’est la vie and sayonara in unprovoked conversation, well, there’s no cooler way to sign off a letter or an email than with Jisike. You’re sure to get an email back begging your pardon (assuming of course that Google is down or something), and then you can casually recruit another user to our cause… I used to do this instinctually, you know: sign off my letters with Jisike. Then I’d recall that my correspondent was not Igbo and rather than have a reader scratching his head, I’d go back and scratch out Jisike. Well, here’s a vote for more exciting sign-offs!

Jisike,

Chuma

2 Replies to “A Day in the Life (8 of 365 – Extending the English with Jisike)”

  1. Iquo DianaAbasi Eke says:

    Hmm, Okay, so you casually recruited me into thinking about better and more exciting sign offs. Nice!
    Jisike.
    (Looks nice on screen too)

    Reply

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