Creating terms in the domain of terrorism - The Igbo experience - Full Length Research Paper

Oct 15, 2026

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Terrorism has existed for centuries but increased in global visibility after the Second World War and especially following the September 11, 2001 attacks. Nigeria has faced threats associated with Boko Haram, exposing speakers to related vocabulary such as “terrorism” and “suicide bomber.” The paper aims to create terrorism-related terms in Igbo because no systematized Igbo terminology is identified, and it discusses the origins of terrorism while proposing a bilingual glossary.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Definitions of terrorism

A Brief History of Terrorism

African Educational Research Journal Vol. 3(2), pp. 89-95, April 2015 ISSN: 2354-2160 Full Length Research Paper Creating terms in the domain of terrorism: The Igbo experience Chidinma Okeogu National Institute for Nigerian Languages, Aba, Nigeria. Accepted 27 March, 2015 | ABSTRACT
Terrorism is not new. It has existed since the beginning of recorded history and more particularly after the Second World War Terrorist activities have been witnessed around the world. These attacks have multiplied since the terrorist attack on the United States of America on September 11 2001. In recent times in Nigeria, the unity of the country has been threatened by terrorist activities of the Boko Haram . Nigerians have been exposed to the vocabulary of terrorism like: terrorism, suicide bomber, counter terrorism etc. It is this new trend that heightened our curiosity to want to create terms in this area to enable the speakers of the Igbo language use such terms. To the best of our knowledge, there is no systematized creation of terms in the area of terrorism in the Igbo language. The aim of this paper is to create terms relating to terrorism in the
Igbo language. We will discuss briefly the origin of terrorism and confection a bilingual glossary on terrorism . Keywords: Boko Haram, bombing, terrorism, terrorist attack, terminology. | | --- | | E-mail: [chyokeogu@yahoo.fr](chyokeogu@yahoo.fr). | INTRODUCTION Terrorism did not start in the twentieth century. Though it has existed since the beginning of recorded history it can be relatively hard to define. Terrorism has been described variously as both a tactic and a strategy; a crime and a holy duty; a justified reaction to oppression and an inexcusable abomination. Obviously, a lot depends on whose point of view is being represented. Terrorism has often been an effective tactic for the weaker side in a conflict. As an asymmetric form of conflict, it confers coercive power with many of the advantages of military force at a fraction of the cost. Due to the secretive nature and small size of terrorist organizations, they often offer opponents no clear organization to defend against or to deter. Collins English Dictionary (2000) defines terrorism as a“systematic use of violence and intimidation to achieve some goal”. In some cases, terrorism has been a means to carry on a conflict without the adversary realizing the nature of the threat, mistaking terrorism for criminal activity. Because of these characteristics, terrorism has become increasingly common among those pursuing extreme goals throughout the world. But despite its popularity, terrorism can be a nebulous concept. Even within the U.S. Government, agencies responsible for different functions in the ongoing fight against terrorism use different definitions. Terrorism has been defined as producing violence, fear and intimidation in their victims. For example, the United States Department of Defense defines terrorism as “the calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological.” The FBI defines terrorism as “the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives. " The U.S. Department of State defines terrorism to be "premeditated politically-motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience". The United Nations definition of terrorism in 1992 is as follows: "An anxiety-inspiring method of repeated violent action, employed by (semi-) clandestine individual, group or state actors, for idiosyncratic, criminal or political reasons, whereby - in contrast to assassination -the direct targets of viole

FAQs

What motivates the paper’s focus on creating Igbo terms for terrorism?

The paper states that Nigerians have been exposed to terrorism vocabulary, yet there is no systematized creation of terrorism-related terms in Igbo. It aims to enable Igbo speakers to use such terms.

How does the paper describe terrorism in the introduction?

It presents terrorism as a criminal act involving violence, fear, and intimidation, noting that definitions vary by perspective. It cites multiple government and institutional definitions, emphasizing coercion and influence beyond immediate victims.

What is the paper’s brief timeline of terrorism’s development?

It outlines that terrorism dates back at least 1500 years (Zealots), then notes the term was first coined during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror (1793–1794). It further describes shifts through the 1960s–1980s and hostage-taking era into the 1980s.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Stanford