Ifunanya

". . .'Ifunanya.' They're ancient words. They don't exist among any other group of people. There is no direct tranlation in Nuru, English, Sipo, or Vah. This word only has meaning when spoken by a man to the one he loves. A woman can't use the word unless she is barren. It is not juju. Not in the way that I know it. But the word has strength. It's wholly binding if it is true and the emotion reciprocated. This is not like the word 'love.' A man can tell a woman he loves her every day. Ifunanya is spoken only once in a man's life. Ifu means to 'look into,' 'n' means 'the,' and anya means 'eyes'. The eyes are the window to the soul."

Nnedi Okorafor

Who Fears Death, 2010, pp. 221.