Mwigo (imitation): captured birds and surveillance

 

Wigo - fence, hedge, enclosure. Panua ~ expand avenues/sources.

Derived terms

Mwigo (1) - imitation.

Mwigo (2) - large dove/pigeon used for travel prediction. (Red-eyed Dove / Streptopelia semitorquata)

Pigeons have high “homing instincts”, which means that when released from home or wherever they are taken to after capture, when released, they will return home. In the past, for those who didn’t have a knowledge of using celestial bodies for navigation (Caucasians in Eurasia and Africa), they would use captured pigeons which would be released from time to time on the journey. If the pigeon didn’t return, it meant the point of origin was still close-by so the travelers might just be going in circles. However, if the pigeon returned after some days, then the travelers would assume that they were moving away from their point of departure and would continue in the same direction. This practice is still prevalent in Caucasian lands like Yemen.

The pigeons would also be used to deliver messages for general post and for espionage, like in WW1 and WW2 and are still used for surveillance by intelligence collection services today.

Etymology

From -iga.

-iga (infinitive kuiga)

1. to copy

2. to imitate

Derived terms

Verbal derivations:

Applicative: -igia

Causative: -igiza (“pretend; act out”)

Nominal derivations:

mwigaji (“actor”)

mwigo (“copy, imitation”)

uigaji (“acting; imitation”)

 

Igala Language

Etymology 1

Ìgá

1. estate, domain, enclosed area

Derived terms

Ígáláà

Etymology 2

Ìga

1. Village weaverbird

2. A noisy person, chatterbox

Cognate with Yoruba ẹ̀gà, Nupe ègwa, and Idoma àga

Etymology 3

ìgà

1. fishnet

2. iron cage

The general idea connoted by -iga and its derivatives in the languages shown is (enclosure, cage, noise, some birds, imitation)

Lipyoto bird

(Kiswahili) Lipyoto – 1. bird that soils water sources. 2 instigator.

(Kimakonde) Lipyoto - fool, idiot. mpumbavu.

Kuva lipyoto. Be or become foolish. Kupumbazika.

Chemichemi - water-spring, water-source, river-source

At a meeting of newspaper editors some time in 2006, the Standard Group's Kizito Namulanda told the gathering about a bird called lipyoto. It does not like to see a river or water calm and clean. It will perch on a nearby branch, or from a vantage point above, and observe.

When the river or water is calm and clean, it will dive in swiftly and aggressively. With beak and wing, leg and talon, it will go to work. It will muddy the river; it will create chaos where there was order. That is what thrills, satisfies and makes lipyoto happy¹.

A common feature of these caged birds is imitation, occasionally noise, instigation, and folly.

References

Idakwoji, J. (2015) An Ígálá-English Lexicon. Partridge Publishing Singapore

¹Opanga, K. (2015) Kenya: Politicians Are Doing a 'Lipyoto' On Sugar Saga. Daily nation

Rugemalira, J.M. (2013) Kamusi Ya Kimakonde–Kiingereza–Kiswahili. Languages of Tanzania [LOT] Project University of Dar es Salaam

TUKI (2001), Kamusi Ya Kiswahili-Kiingereza; Swahili-English Dictionary. Published by Taasisi ya Uchunguzi wa Kiswahili (TUKI), Chuo Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.