Saturday 24 August 2019

"Borgu" and "Deima"

Etymology of "Borgu"
Many people nowadays are not aware of how the word "Borgu" came in to use. Borgu is a manipulation of the word "Barugu". The word has undergone different kinds of manipulation and alterations before and during colonialism and till today.
Before the advent of the British into the Barugu land there have been a place in existence called "Baru" but because of the war then, the community became obsoleted. This Baru was known as "Barugu"  or "Baruten" both meaning the "Baru land" . An indigene of Barugu or Baruten is identified as "Barubi" or "Barutonu".  The Hausas pronounced Barugu as "Barugawa", while the Yorubas pronounced Barubi as "Baruba".
During the colonial era, the British pronounced Barugu as "Borugu" based on English phonetics. The whites been the educated ones and have control of the publicity, they wrote "Borgu" in their publications instead of Barugu. This was how the word Barugu was manipulated to Borgu which is now widely known.


"Deima"; Heritage
Deima is a Bartonu word for "heritage". The word in Bartonu can be literally translated as "what we met". Just like the sentence "ye sa deima wan mini" meaning "this is what we met". Another popular saying for deima in Barugu is yeba deima yeya barako, idesu deiman gari ko", meaning "what we met is what we do, let us talk about heritage".
Deima is the legacy passed from generation to generation. It is also an inheritance handed down from the past as a tradition. It is the cultural aspect that has been passed down through generations. In addition it is also the established norms of people.
Some of the traditions in Barugu;
1. Language
2. Names
3. Foods
4. Attire
5. Music, and among others

1. Language (Barum)
   Some of the languages in Barugu include Bartonum, Bokobaru, Bisan and other minor ethnic groups.
2. Names (Yinsiru)
    Some names in Barugu include Sabi, Yaru, Dado, Bake, Many, Sime and so on
3. Foods (Diyanu)
Barugu kingdom is widely known with its rich and unique in agriculture thereby making food sufficient for each household. Some of the foods are; wasawa, yennu, bataru, sokuru and so on.
4. Attire, Dressing, and Fashion (Yannu)
     The Barugus have their own mode of dressing and this dress is known as "Tako".

It is so unfortunate that most of these cultural heritages are fading away due to politics, and western influence. Prior to the emergence of the colonialist, Borgu Empire has maintained a solid and sound political organisation, but today there have been some abuse and negative influence to the political structure of Barugu.
Our history is our pride and the need to preserve these histories for the upcoming generation is vital for the unity of Barugu. Teaching the next generation about the history and cultural heritage of the great Barugu Empire is an approach to maintain the Deima.
So therefore, in line with this "Borgu Heritage"(this site) will focus on the history of some prominent historical figures in Barugu.

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