Isoko

Isoko

people
      people of the northwestern part of the Niger Delta in Nigeria, speaking a language of the Kwa branch of the Niger-Congo family. The term Sobo is used by ethnographers as a cover term for both the Isoko and their neighbours the Urhobo, but the two groups remain distinct from one another.

      Isoko economy is based on farming, fishing, and the production of palm oil and kernels. The main food crops are yams and cassava, supplemented by corn (maize), beans, peppers, and peanuts (groundnuts).

      The family, consisting of a man, his wife or wives, and their children, lives together in a compound; one or more groups of families related through patrilineal descent occupy a ward of the village. The village itself is a compact settlement, usually containing fewer than 500 persons. Both men and women are grouped into age-grades, each with particular responsibilities. The duties of the women's grades include the ritual surrounding fertility and childbirth, and control of the market. Young boys perform simple communal tasks; adult men do major community work and are the fighting and executive unit of the village; older men form the nucleus of the village council. Membership in certain title organizations is available on payment of fees and is an important source of political authority. The Isoko never formed a single social or political unit; local communities remain autonomous.

      Traditional religion includes belief in a creator god and his messengers, in spirits, and in ancestral spirits. Diviners are consulted to explain failures in any activity, on occasions of illness or death, and before economic activity. Witches are believed to be organized into groups that meet regularly in large trees. Many Isoko, however, are now Christians.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

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  • Isoko — may refer to:* Isoko region, a region of Delta State, Nigeria * Isoko people, an ethnic group which inhabits the region * Isoko language, the language spoken by that ethnic group …   Wikipedia

  • Isoko — noun a) The language spoken in the and in Nigeria, by the Isoko people. It is linguistically similar to the language of the neighboring Urhobo people. b) A member of the Isoko tribe …   Wiktionary

  • Isoko region — Isoko is a region of Delta State in southern Nigeria and is inhabited by an ethnic group of the same name, the Isoko people. The region is divided into two Local Government Areas, Isoko North (headquartered at Ozoro) and Isoko South… …   Wikipedia

  • Isoko South — is an Local Government Area (LGA) in the Isoko region of Delta State, Nigeria. With its headquarters at Oleh, it is one of the two local governments that make up the Isoko region. The other is Isoko North, which has its headquarters at… …   Wikipedia

  • Isoko people — The Isoko people are an ethnolinguistic group that inhabits the Isoko region of Delta State, Nigeria. [ [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0001 9720(193404)7%3A2%3C160%3ATIT%3E2.0.CO%3B2 U The Isoko Tribe] , James W. Welch] LanguageThe language… …   Wikipedia

  • Isoko language — Infobox Language name=Isoko speakers=423 000 (2001, Ethnologue) region=Nigeria familycolor=Niger Congo fam2=Atlantic Congo fam3=Volta Congo fam4=Benue Congo fam5=Edoid fam6=southwestern iso3=isoThe Isoko language is spoken in the Isoko region,… …   Wikipedia

  • Isoko North — The Isoko North is one of the two Local Government Areas (LGA) in the Isoko region of Delta State, southern Nigeria, the other being Isoko South. The population of the LGA was approximately 112,000 as of 2003. Its headquarters are in the town of… …   Wikipedia

  • Isoko North — Admin ASC 2 Code Orig. name Isoko North Country and Admin Code NG.36.7729922 NG …   World countries Adminstrative division ASC I-II

  • Isoko South — Admin ASC 2 Code Orig. name Isoko South Country and Admin Code NG.36.7729923 NG …   World countries Adminstrative division ASC I-II

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