Igbo (slang)

Igbo (also spelled Igbó) is a Nigerian Pidgin slang term for [...] or [...] derived from the Yoruba word "igbó", loosely translated to mean "forest", "wood" or "bush". It is widely used in urban Nigerian contexts, particularly in speech, music and youth culture to mean "weed." The term has no relation to the Igbo people, and represents a heteronym of separate linguistic pathways.

Etymology

The slang term "igbo" originates from the Yorùbá word ìgbó, meaning "bush" or "forest". [...] plants naturally grow in bushy or forested areas, and the term likely emerged as a metaphor for the plant in informal Nigerian Pidgin. Over time, Igbó came to symbolically represent [...] in the sociolects of urban speakers.

This etymology is supported by its appearance in 19th-century Yoruba dictionaries

Cultural and linguistic context

Like many slang terms in Nigerian Pidgin, igbo represents a figurative semantic shift from physical space (forest) to substance ([...]). The term has become widely adopted and understood, even outside of Yoruba-speaking regions, due to the influence of Pidgin as a lingua franca.

See also

• Nigerian Pidgin
• [...] in Nigeria
• List of slang names for [...]
• Yoruba language