Science Terms in Nigerian languages: The Igbo perspective-Cyprian Chidozie Eze

Abstract: This paper examines the meaning of Igbo and explains Igbo as a people, the people's language, and as an ethnic group. In bringing out some scientific terms in the Igbo language, some in the Igbo meta-language are also incorporated. Science and technology had been in Africa before the coming of the Europeans, and Igbo society was not an exception. The coming of the Europeans drew Igbo science and technology back. This is because the former looked more advanced and grew with speed. Being advanced they dominated the Igbo science and technology. Because Igbo science could not meet up with European science and technology, some of the inventions could not get equivalent terms in Igbo. This made borrowing inevitable. This paper succeeded in producing terms for many aspects of sciences and technology. In doing so, proved that the Igbo Language can be used to interpret Modern, Sciences and Technologies. Wooster’s general terminology theory (GTT) and Cabre’s communicative theory of terminology (CTT) were adopted.

Keywords: register; terminology; meta–Language; vocabularies; borrowing; Terminologies.