egō
egō is the Igbo word for money.
The term refers to currency in a general sense.
Meaning: currency (noun)
Did you know?
- In traditional Igbo society, wealth was not measured solely by egō, but by the number of yam barns a man possessed. Yams were effectively a form of edible currency and a symbol of social status.
- Before the use of egō, the Igbo people used manilla bracelets and cowrie shells as currency. These items were so valued that they were often stored in specialized bags to ensure they were not lost.
- In traditional Igbo markets, the act of paying egō is often accompanied by a series of social negotiations and greetings that are considered more important than the actual transaction.
Examples in context
- Ị nwere egō maka ihe a?Do you have money for this?
- Echere m na ọ nweghị egō.I think that he has no money.
Example conversation
Chidi is asking Ada for the cost of an item.
- ChidiAda, ego ole ka ọ na-egbu?Ada, how much money does it cost?
- AdaỌ na-egbu puku ise.It costs five thousand.
- ChidiAnọ m na-achọ egō ugbu a.I am looking for money right now.
- AdaỊ nwere ike ịkwụ ụba.You can pay later.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “money” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
