Ubang: Cross River community where men, women don’t speak same language

Ubang, a predominantly cocoa-producing community nestled in the rural heart of Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State, embodies the saying that wonders shall never cease. Our correspondent reports that this unique village stands out due to its fascinating linguistic peculiarity: it is home to two distinct languages, one spoken exclusively by the men […]

Ubang, a predominantly cocoa-producing community nestled in the rural heart of Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State, embodies the saying that wonders shall never cease.

Our correspondent reports that this unique village stands out due to its fascinating linguistic peculiarity: it is home to two distinct languages, one spoken exclusively by the men and the other by the womenfolk. 

The rare phenomenon has garnered significant interest from linguists and anthropologists alike, thereby contributing to Ubang’s reputation as a place of wonder and cultural richness.

In Ubang, men and women communicate in different languages, giving rise to a unique cultural practice known as gender-based diglossia.

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Interestingly, they understand each other despite the distinct languages spoken by the male and female folks. While the men speak the Ofe dialect, the women speak the Araseke dialect.

Daniel Ochui, a retired head of Local Government Administration in the unified system of LG in Cross River, and an indigene of the quaint community, described Ubang as a place where men and women speak differently, yet understand one another perfectly.

He told our correspondent, who visited the community that, “It is very true that the Ubang people speak differently – the men speak different language from the women. It’s like every other act of nature and we inherited it from creation, just like every other tribe inherited their own language. It is not adopted, we were born into it.

“As children grow up, they tend to be closer to their mothers, so as they relate with their mothers; they imitate and learn the language from their mothers. 

“If they are male children, at some point their fathers would start correcting them to ensure they speak the way of the men. So, the fathers and brothers will reinforce the language on the male children because, under five years, the males have tendencies to speak like the women. 

“That’s because of their closeness to their sisters and mothers. But the females hardly make mistakes by speaking the male dialect when they are young, rather it’s the male children who often speak like their mothers. Like any other language, Ubang language has the same attributes and methods of teaching, imagination, and culture which are learnt indirectly by taking part in activities. 

Our correspondent also observed during the visit that the linguistic peculiarity sets Ubang apart from its neighbours – Alege, Ukpe and Boki – as men and women seamlessly navigate daily life speaking their respective languages. 

While the differences may seem baffling to outsiders, they have become an integral part of Ubang’s rich cultural tapestry.

In fact, in Ochui’s estimation, “the Ubang language is unique as despite being bound in the west by Boki, east by Ukpe and Alege, on the southwest, all of which speak other dialects, we have remained steadfast. We pick some words from their language, but they don’t understand Ubang.

“We understand them and can speak Boki, Alege and Ukpe. Very often, visitors who try to learn the Ubang language speak like the women and that’s because the men’s dialect is harder. The men’s version of the Ubang language is more related to Boki, while the women’s is closer to that of Alege and Ukpe.

“In Ubang, we don’t marry from within the same community – Okweriseng, Ofambe and Okiro – which are sub-clans in Ubang. We speak the same dialect because Ubang is a clan in Obudu LGA.”

He said another feature that makes Ubang unique is their agricultural produce.

“It’s only in Obudu you will find cocoa in large quantities and Ubang is notable for cocoa production as they were the first to introduce it just as we take the lead in palm oil, banana, pear, timber, groundnuts and kola nuts production, among others. All of these are produced in large quantities. Lorries come here to take our produce to the North,” Ochui added.

For Okang Anthony Orim, another indigene of Ubang, what makes the people unique, apart from their dual language, is their agriculture. He pointed out that, “we produce yam, timber, banana and so on. Our culture is very different from others: like Ekwo society, in which women are not permitted to see or partake in, it is celebrated when the head chief dies and women are not permitted to come out from 7pm daily whenever the event is celebrated. 

“The culture started long ago, just like the language. It is celebrated for seven days. It’s celebrated three times—when the man dies; beginning after three months of the monarch’s demise.”

Orim’s wife is not from Ubang, but she is able to speak a little of the language now. 

He explained that, “There is nothing diabolic about our dual languages, we were just born into it. From eight years old, a child will realise that he or she is speaking either of the gender’s language. Nothing will stop a child from speaking his own gender language because from that age their mates will laugh at them if they are unable to speak their gender language, so they will feel ashamed.

“There is, however, no penalty for defaulting. For instance, men call yam ‘kitong’ women call it ‘erui’ and while men refer to hand as ‘kodea’, the women call it ‘obuea’.”

Mary Ale, a daughter of the soil, believes that the dual languages spoken in her community is purely an act of God.

“I was born into speaking the different languages between men and women in Ubang. I can speak the female language fluently, and I was not taught. 

In Ubang, even the male children speak differently from the females and they both understand one another. We can’t combine the languages to make it one because it is an act of God,” Ale said.

Notably, the roots of gender-based diglossia in Ubang run deep, intertwined with the community’s history, traditions, and beliefs.

The Clan Head of Ubang, His Royal Highness (HRH), Ochui Iyang Odu Thomas, who is also Chairman of Ukalo (three ethnic groups – Ugbe, Alege and Ubang) in Obudu LGA Constituency II, thinks the origin of the dialectic practice could be traced back to the dawn of creation itself, with Ubang being blessed by a divine gift of dual language for men and women. 

His mythological narrative adds a layer of mystique to Ubang’s linguistic landscape, fueling speculation and intrigue.

The monarch said, “It’s true that from my axis – Ubang – we have two languages from time immemorial. Its existence began when God created the world. It’s not imagined or adopted, so women speak differently and men speak differently, but we understand one another. 

“For instance, my two wives are from Alege. As they get pregnant and give birth, they will be speaking their language while breastfeeding and nurturing the children. But as the children grow up, the male will fall into the gender he belongs to and begin to speak their language, while the female will do the same effortlessly. Nobody sits them down to teach them the language. 

“If they are twins of both male and female, the same thing would still happen. Whether male or female, you must understand the two languages even when spoken differently. We feel okay; we are enjoying it. We believe that at creation, we were the first people God created. 

“It’s likened to a woman who, after she finishes cooking, starts to share the food among her numerous children, beginning from the eldest whom she dishes plenty to, then on the realisation that the food might not go round, reduces the shares of others. 

“So, we believe that God after creation, while sharing languages, first gave two to Ubang, then discovered in the process that sharing two wouldn’t go round and now gave every other people just one language.”

The royal father further explained that, despite the apparent divide, communication between men and women in Ubang remained remarkably harmonious. 

He said through shared understanding and mutual respect, they bridged the gap between their linguistic worlds, fostering unity and cohesion within the community, stressing that the ability to transcend language barriers served as a testament to the resilience and adaptability of the people of Ubang.

“We are making efforts to document our language so that it doesn’t go extinct and so that unborn generations will come to know what existed. I have over the years told people, including the Whites coming here, that our language has great tourism potential, not only for the community, but for Nigeria, Africa and the world at large.

“If it were in other parts of the world, it may have been inserted in their university curriculum for scholars to learn. I will advise the government to promote these languages of ours to the outside world as moreover, it could generate revenue which in turn would boost the fortune of the state. 

“The government should pay more attention to our area by building a language and cultural centre here where people will come to be entertained,” the royal father urged.

For the inhabitants of Ubang, the division of languages is not merely a linguistic quirk but a fundamental aspect of identity and social structure. 

A traditionalist of Ubang origin, Ochui Ikwong, opined that right from childhood, boys and girls are immersed in their respective linguistic environments, learning the nuances and intricacies of their designated language. 

He emphasised that, “In this place, there are clear differences when we speak, but there is mutual understanding between the two sexes. Our languages have plural and singular intonations. The connotation is that both females and males understand one another, but their language is not the same. 

“In intonations, there are some words that will fall while others rise in the dual language. For instance, the menfolk’s language does not have singular or plural but the women have it. Men will call shoes ‘Ikwe’ while women call them ‘ikweaba’. 

“The men will call shirt ‘inke’ while women refer to it as ‘ariga’. Similarly, men will call  chicken ‘ikiwe’ while women call it ‘okwor’.” 

Collaborating the narratives, the little daughter of Ubang’s traditional head, Miss Thomas, said she could only speak the women’s language, but couldn’t communicate in the male dialect.

She described herself as ‘onyinye’ in a female dialect, meaning, ‘girl.’

In the same vein, both wives of the royal father, Monica Odu and Fransica Odu, who are from the neighbouring Alege community, admitted the differences between the male and female languages spoken in Ubang.

They, however, agreed that they understand one another, adding that with the passage of time, they have learnt the dialect enough to speak with their children such that as they mature, the boys undergo a rite of passage, transitioning from the women’s language to the men’s language—a symbolic gesture signaling their journey into adulthood and societal roles.

Similarly, John Ogboaka and Orim Francis narrated that they were born to meet the languages and learnt it from their fathers as well as other senior citizens in their community.

While Martina Ukan and Umang Canice said their dual languages was a gift from God,

Canice, especially, believed that their uniqueness stems from a mythological origin involving Adam and Eve being Ubang natives. 

“Apart from our unique languages, another feature that distinguishes our land is the footprint on one of our mountains. Agricultural products are harvested around it to preserve the place. It’s a special feature for us,” Canice said excitedly.

On her part, a broadcaster based in Calabar, Ursula Ikpali, who had visited to see things for herself, summed up Ubang as a beacon of cultural diversity and linguistic intrigue. 

“The chiefs we spoke to said they were born to know the dual language; that is to say it has been there over time and they are happy with them. The people are living happily among themselves with so much to feed on but lack the basic amenities such as schools, hospitals and good roads among others.”

Though the road leading to Ubang has now been fixed, the people, however, desire more from the government, including putting their tourism-rich vicinity on the global map.

That was why a retired LG administrator, Daniel Ochui, a graduate of the University of Calabar, while working on his B.Sc in Sociology, chose to do his research on Ubang. 

“My project caught the attention of my supervisor, a Ghanaian professor of anthropology. He was so intrigued by my work that he involved the Head of the Sociology Department, Prof. Uchendu, who was also a dean in the graduate school and had extensive research experience as a professor of anthropology.

“Prof. Uchendu’s interest in my project led him to involve his daughter, who was studying gender issues in Nigeria in the USA. She came to Ubang and conducted in-depth research for six months, which ultimately earned her a Doctorate. This topic garnered significant interest from many lecturers because it highlighted the unique cultural phenomenon of Ubang,” Ochui said.

Indeed, Ubang, sandwiched between the serenity of Ogburu-Ochoi and Okwe-Iruan mountains, echoes of tradition mingled with the rhythms of modernity, creates a vibrant tapestry of identity and heritage—a testament to the enduring spirit of a community with different languages, yet enriched by diversity.