LANGUAGE, is a NOUN, but it has no single universally acceptable definition of what it really means. The definitions for Language therefore, are plethora, just as many dictionaries are available   How then did the various dictionaries define the term or word LANGUAGE?  

1. The New Lexicon Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language, defines it variously, thus: (1) “the organized system of speech used by human beings as a means of communication among themselves”; (2) “any such differentiated system as used by a section of the human race, the English language”; (3) “any apparently organized system of communication, the language of animals.”
2. @collinsdictionary.com in one of its many definitions, it had this to say: “A Language is a system of communication which consists of a set of sounds and written symbols which are used by the people of a particular country or region for talking or writing.”
3.  And Funk & Wagnalls Standard Desk Dictionary, defines it thus: “The expression and communication of emotions or ideas between human beings by means of speech and hearing.”
4. @definition.net, wiktionary had these definitions: (1) “Words, written or spoken, in a specific sequence that a person uses to describe, to another person, the type of thoughts in their mind.” (2) “A form of communication using words either spoken or gestured with the hands and structured with grammar, often with a written system.”
5. . While GCIDE @definition.net, defines it as: “Any system of symbols created for the purpose of communicating ideas, emotions, commands, etc., between sentient agents.”
6. @dictionary.cambridge.org, has these definitions: (1) “a system of communication consisting of sounds, words, and grammar.” (2) “a system of communication used by people living in a particular country”
7. @definition.net, Princeton’s Word Net defines it thus: “the mental faculty or power of vocal communication”
8. Under this same Website, Webster Dictionary has these definitions: (1) “any means of conveying or communicating ideas; specifically, human speech; the expression of ideas by the voice; sounds, expressive of thought, articulated by the organs of the throat and mouth.” (2) “the forms of speech, or the method of expressing ideas, peculiar to a particular nation.” (3) “a race, as distinguished by its speech. ”
9. Still under the same Website, Chambers 20^TH Century Dictionary has these definitions: (1) “that which is spoken by the tongue: human speech: speech peculiar to a nation: style or expression peculiar to an individual: diction: any manner of expressing thought – to express in language.” (2) “dead language, one no longer spoken as opposed to living language, one still spoken…”
10. @Chambers 21^st Century Dictionary, it defines it this way: “any formalized system of communication, especially one that uses sounds or written symbols which majority of a particular community will readily understand.”
11. @www.britannica.com, it has this definition: “Language, a system of conventional spoken, manual (signed), or written symbols by means of which human beings as members of a social group and participants in its culture, express themselves.”

After a thorough reading of all the definitions outlined here and many more not reflected, I observed that a significant communication link was missing in most of the definitions I have read. That significant link is: “UNDERSTANDING THE SENDER” In communication, there cannot be an effective communication between two persons ( the Sender or Speaker and the Recipient or Receiver )  when the Recipient or Receiver lacks understanding of what the Sender or Speaker really meant. Similarly, a language cannot be properly defined without the link of “UNDERSTANDING THE SENDER” being an integral part of it, because, communication is the conveyor belt of language to enable it get to its target audience or destination. Secondly, most of the definitions I read, did not take into consideration the relevance of the ANIMALS as part of mammals in the language structure. Concentration was mostly on human beings, thereby forgetting that, even the animals have their own language. Consequently, this is our own definition of language: “LANGUAGE IS THE PRODUCTION OF PECULIAR SOUNDS OR SIGNS, FROM A SENDER MAMMAL, THROUGH IDEAS OR EMOTIONS FROM THE MENTAL FACULTY, MEANT FOR THE UNDERSTANDING OF A PARTICULAR RECIPIENT MAMMAL – A PERSON OR GROUP OF PERSONS, RACE, NATION OR COMMUNITY OR FOR ANIMALS, WHEN SPOKEN, WRITTEN THROUGH SYMBOLS, OR DEMONSTRATED THROUGH SIGNS OR GESTURE, ESPECIALLY FOR THE HEARING AND VOCAL IMPAIRED AND THE ANIMALS.” (By Sir Barr. Egert A. Ogbemi Omoneukanrin 15^th April, 2021).   As for the ORIGIN, The New Lexicon Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language, posit, that: “The origin of language is not known.” However, it went further to explain that “Theories that language derive from echoic imitation, sound symbolism, instinctive cries, oral ‘gestures’ originally corresponding to bodily movement, account for only a small part of the known phenomena of language.” Just as there are several postulations of the meaning of language, so it is with the origin of language, which has no definitive and acceptable theory. But early speculations as quoted by en.m.wikipedia.org had it that, Charles Darwin (1871) – The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, had this to say: “I cannot doubt that language owes its origin to the imitation and modification, aided by signs and gestures, of various natural sounds, the voices of other animals, and man’s own instinctive cries.” Meanwhile, ten years earlier, in 1861, Max Muller, a historical Linguist, had published a list of speculative theories concerning the origins of spoken language.”(ibid, en.m.wikipedia.org) The list includes the following:

1. Bow-wow. The bow-wow or cuckoo theory, which Muller attributed to the German philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder, saw early words as imitations of the cries of beasts and birds.
2. Pooh-pooh. The pooh-pooh theory saw the first words as emotional interjections and exclamations triggered by pain, pleasure, surprise, etc.
3. Ding-dong. Muller suggested what he called the ding-dong theory, which states that all things have a vibrating natural resonance, echoed somehow by man in his earliest words.
4. Yo-he-ho. The yo-he-ho theory claims language emerged from collective rhythmic labor, the attempt to synchronize muscular effort resulting in sounds such as heave alternating with sounds such as ho.
5. Ta-ta. This did not feature in Max Muller’s list, having been proposed in 1930 by Sir Richard Paget. According to the ta-ta theory, humans made the earliest words by tongue movement that mimicked manual gestures, rendering them audible.

However, the Wikipedia writers said: “Most scholars today consider all such theories not so much wrong – they occasionally offer peripheral insights – as naïve and irrelevant. The problem with these theories is that they are so narrowly mechanistic. They assume that once our ancestors had stumbled upon the appropriate ingenious mechanism for linking sounds with meanings, language automatically evolved and changed.” We shall conclude this segment by adapting for the ITSEKIRI LANGUAGE, the patriotic thought of HAIM KORSIA for the FRENCH LANGUAGE, which states: “WE DREAM IN ITSEKIRI, WE THINK IN ITSEKIRI, OUR CULTURE IS ITSEKIRI, OUR LANGUAGE IS ITSEKIRI, OBVIOUSLY, IWERE IS OUR NATION (COUNTRY).” (Source: www.definitions.net)   (B) THE BASIC GOALS FOR STUDYING THE ITSEKIRI LANGUAGE ON THIS SITE  

1. To enable the studying participants use Itsekiri Language as an easy medium of       communication in their areas of residence, schools and/or places of work or businesses.
2. To enable the studying participants acquire the appropriate and correct form of the spoken and written skills of the Itsekiri Language.
3. To enable the studying participants acquaint themselves with the social /political and     cultural values of the indigenous speakers of the Itsekiri language, with a view to creating synergy with people outside Iwere Home land, and thereby promoting international friendly understanding.
4. To enable the studying participants also aspire to improving the educational standards of the Itsekiri Language and Culture by way of making it possible to be taught, not only at the Primary and Secondary schools levels, as well as the College of Education in Warri, as it is presently, but at the University level, which could be studied up to acquiring a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) degree.

(C)                         THE GUIDE AND SYNOPSIS OF THE ITSEKIRI LANGUAGE STUDY

1. HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF ITSEKIRI LANGUAGE ( ITA BIRI WIWON NI OWUN-AJA ITSEKIRI ) We shall take a look at the ITSEKIRI LANGUAGE HISTORY, particularly its evolution and spread. We shall also examine its lexical components, means of its enrichment and the media input towards its standardization.
2. ITSEKIRI GRAMMAR ( ESIOWANJA NI OWUN-AJA ITSEKIRI ) We shall look at the different types and functions of the Parts of Speech and other areas in use in Itsekiri Language Grammar. For example, Noun (Onoruko); Pronoun (Ojijoruko); Adjective (Aghanoruko); Verb (Atsuliofo); Adverb (Aghatsuliofo); Sentence (Uliofo); Phrase (Eguliofo); Clause (Aruliofo); Orthography (Ikoniofo); Parts of Speech (Arofo); Syllable (Egburofo); Particles (Aweofo); Article or Determiner (Oweweofo); Gender (Ofo ekenren biri ebiren); Number agreement (Fiforijuka); Qualifier (Aburunjo).
3. THE USE OF ITSEKIRI LANGUAGE ( LILO OWUN-AJA ITSEKIRI ) Composition and Comprehension in both oral and writing. This will bring about the utilization and mastery of the Itsekiri language for the day to day usage at home and at all places. The studying participants will be made to study and understand the Itsekiri language orthography and its punctuation marks, which will eventually assist them in their written composition and comprehension on topical issues, such as education, politics, culture, religion etc.
4. INTRODUCTION TO ITSEKIRI ORAL AND WRITTEN LITERATURE ( UBIEKUNNO TI AGBEDOWUNAJA GBE FIFO BIRI YIYA OWUN-AJA ITSEKIRI GERERE ) The studying participants shall be introduced and exposed to various Itsekiri oral literature, such as folklores, oral songs, proverbs and idioms, different play games, ancient and modern oral and written poetry, prose and drama. In addition to all these, the history of Itsekiri literature and the biography of some notable and famous Itsekiri oral poets shall be studied.
5. ITSEKIRI PROSE ( IROTSI ITSEKIRI ) The Itsekiri prose in respect of form, content and style shall be examined generally, in addition to the in depth analysis of some issues or themes of such prose and their relevance to present day Itsekiri society. Some particular works and authors, shall be identified and selected for study.
6. ITSEKIRI PEOPLE AND THEIR CULTURE ( AGHAN OMA-IWERE BIRI UTSE-AJA TI AGHAN NE ) The study shall look into the social-cultural perspective of the Iwere people, considering both the historical and the contemporary areas of their lives. Specifically, attention shall be given to Itsekiri Life cycle, Social mores and Set-up, their Festivities, Traditional authority, Traditional medicine, Marriages, Worship, Kinship and Family life generally. There shall be a comparison between the past and the present in respect of Marriages, Family life and etiquette, Child bearing, Youth related activities and their code of conduct.
7. TRANSLATION – THEORY AND PRACTICE ( YIYIOWUANJADE – KIKO BIRI TSITSE RO ) One key aspect of the study of Itsekiri language is the ability to translate from English language or any other language you have the acquired skill, into the Itsekiri language and vice versa. Basically, there are techniques in translation, such as: understanding the text or script thoroughly; application of your Itsekiri language knowledge to the text or script; effective utilization of the Itsekiri language vocabulary in the construction of sentences; and the ability to properly tone mark every vowel of a sentence to bring out the actual meaning of the translated text or script.
8. ITSEKIRI OCCUPATIONS AND CRAFTS ( UKWOKOJE BIRI UTSEWO NI ALE-IWERE ) The study shall take a look at the different Itsekiri occupations and the crafts and compare the traditional occupations and crafts, which were in vogue in the past and those that are presently being practiced. The study shall also evaluate the effects of modern science and technology on these traditional occupations. The gender and age related occupations in terms of both the contemporary and traditional ones shall be looked into. Where need be, at any possible time, period or season, the studying participants may decide on embarking on an excursion to some of these rural or urban communities where the people themselves will be seen practically plying their trade. In the process of the excursion, so much experience and knowledge would have been acquired.
9. ITSEKIRI DRAMA ( ERE-IMUGHAN ) The study shall also focus on an aspect of the peoples’ social life, which is Drama. Different types of Itsekiri drama will be examined, both traditional and modern. The study will carry out comparative analysis of the Itsekiri drama in terms of form, content, and style and relate it to present day  Itsekiri Society. Occasionally, some works and authors/producers/directors of some films/drama may be selected for special study.
10. THE HISTORY OF WARRI (IWERE) AND ITS ROYALTY ( ITA ALE-IWERE BIRI OLAJA RO ) This language study shall embark on a critical study of the history of the IDIGENOUS SPEAKERS of the LANGUAGE, called ITSEKIRI and their cherished ROYALTY. Here, the actual meaning of the name of their proud HOME LAND, IWERE (WARRI) and the name of their unique monolithic language, ITSEKIRI will be unveiled. The source of their ROYALTY, THE CROWN OF THE OLU OF WARRI and all the KINGS that have reigned to date will also be discussed.
11. PERSONALITIES IN IWERE (WARRI) KINGDOM (AGHAN IKAMAKODI TO WI ALE-IWERE) The study shall identify some notable PERSONALITIES in IWERE, whose FOOT PRINTS are already indelible on the rock of times, for discussion.

  DATED: THURSDAY, 15^TH  APRIL, 2021. Prepared by: Sir Barr. Egert A. ogbemi Omoneukanrin Cert. Med.; FIHNR; DA. The On Line Itsekiri Language Study Facilitator