Half of a Yellow Sun Glossary 📖

The inclusion of many locally unique words to the story of ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ made the book create an ideal scenario of Nigeria before and during the civil war.

1. Sah: Sah is a pidgin word used in place of sir.
2. Kedu afa gi?: Kedu afa gi is a question that translates from Igbo to English as “what is your name?”
3. Akpu: Akpu is a West African delicacy made from fresh or fermented cassava. It looks like dough.
4. Umunna: Umunna is an Igbo word used to address a distant relation from someone’s paternal side.
5. Ugu: Ugu is a tropical vine that grows in West Africa. The vine has edible seeds and leaves made into a soup delicacy.
6. Agbogho: A short version of the Igbo word Agboghobia which means “young lady.”
7. Aja: The Igbo word for “sand.” It also alternatively means “appeasing the oracle.”
8. Akamu: Akamu is a delicacy of pap made from corn.
9. Akara: The Yoruba word for “Bean cake.”
10. Aku: Winged termites that appear during the rainy season.
11. Anara: The Igbo word for “Garden egg.”
12. Aro festival: The word Aro translates to “spear.” Aro festival is a cultural festival held by the Aro people with their fierce masquerades.
13. Oga: A pidgin word that refers to someone in a position of authority or someone wealthy.
14. Biko: Translates to the English word “please.”
15. Chineke: The Igbo word for “God the creator.”
16. Fada: Fada is a pidgin word for father.
17. Fiam: Fiam is used to express hurriedness.
18. Garri: Garri is a popular West African food produced from processing cassava tubers into dried cassava flour.
19. Ichie: Ichie is an Igbo word used as an honorary title for respected elders in a community.
20. Ifukwa gi: Translated from Igbo to English as “look at you.”
21. In ugo?: Translated from Igbo to English as “You hear?”
22. Isi owu: This is a traditional Igbo hairstyle plaited with a wool attachment.
23. Jollof Rice: A rice dish made combining spices, pepper, and tomatoes in the same pot with rice. It gets made during weddings or party occasions in Nigeria.
24. Koboko: Koboko is a twined whip produced from rawhide.
25. Moi-Moi: A steamed bean pudding delicacy made from washed and peeled beans, onions, pepper, and spices.
26. Nee Anya: An Igbo word meaning “watch out” in English.
27. Mmuo: An Igbo word meaning “spirit” in English.
28. Nna m: A phrase that means “our father” in English.
29. Nne: The Igbo word for mother.
30. Nwa m: The Igbo phrase for “my child.”
31. Nwanyi: The Igbo word for woman.
32. Nwoke: The Igbo word for man.
33. O ginidi?: A question that means “What is it really?” In English.
34. Ofe nsala: Ofensala means white pepper soup. The delicacy is distinct for its colorlessness.
35. Okpa: Okpa is a popular Igbo food made from dried flour of peas. The delicacy gets made into a cooked pudding.
36. Okporoko: Imported dried stockfish from Norway.
37. Red oil: Red oil is palm fruit oil.
38. Sha: A pidgin phrase for “excuse me.”
39. Yeye: A pidgin word meaning “useless.”
40. Kiosk: A small shop popularly made from sheet metal or wood.
41. Chin-chin: A delicacy made by rolling wheat flour into tiny puddings and frying them.
42. Biko: The Igbo word for “please.”
43. Biafra: The Igbo nation that was created by Colonel Ojukwu.
44. Ugba porridge: A porridge made from fermented African oil bean seed.
45. Tufia: A word used to declare a forbidding remark.

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