DEPARTMENT OF LINGUISTICS STUDIES

Wittgesten (1921) has once argued that the meaning of any termor expression cannot be interpreted or gotten outside its context, context isonething that cannot be debonked when explaining the meaning of expression. This work is titled the semantic analysis of covid-19 terminologies inEtsakolanguage, the Etsako language is an Ediod language located in Edostate. The data for this study id collected through the use of oral interviewwhileexploring the use of the qualitative research design, the conceptual theoryofmeaning was adopted as the theoretical frame of the study. Relatedworksof literature which forms the basis for which this study can be fromwerereviewed after which the presentation of data, data are presented by grouping them. After a successful analysis done by bringing out the contextual usage of the terms, it be confirmed that meaning cannot exist outside the context of usage, the context of usage has a great influenceindetermining, if the context changes meaning changes.

There is a growing trend in the world of languages going into extinction due to the attitude people have toward their language. In Nigeria alone it has already been reported that many languages have gone already into extinction while others have experienced langauge shift
and there are still some which are currently endangered. This study is aimed at pointing out the attitude of Esan speakers living in Ekpoma toward the Esan language. The Mentalist approach was used taken into consideration the questionnaire method. It was further gathered that the attitude posed by the Esan speakers in Ekpoma was fairly positive.

There is a growing trend in the world of languages going into extinction due to the attitude people have toward their language. In Nigeria alone it has already been reported that many languages have gone already into extinction while others have experienced langauge shift
and there are still some which are currently endangered. This study is aimed at pointing out the attitude of Esan speakers living in Ekpoma toward the Esan language. The Mentalist approach was used taken into consideration the questionnaire method. It was further gathered that the attitude posed by the Esan speakers in Ekpoma was fairly positive.

This study examines the syllable structure and patterning in Ika, spoken in southern Nigeria. It's objectives were to investigate the Language's syllable structure and identify it's Syllable patterns. The study employs synchronic data from Ika native speakers in it's consideration of syllable structure and patterns of the language. The data collection involved 8 Ika speakers aged between 45 and 60 years in Agbor. A University of Benin 200 word-list of lexical basic items was used to collect the primary data, and participants' voices were recorded as they provide the Ika equivalent of each word from the list. The research adopts a descriptive method in it's analysis utilizing the Onset- Rhyme framework to analyze syllable structure and patterns. The study identified that (1) Ika primarily employs open syllables with no coda and was three basic syllable structures: V-syllable, CV-syllable, CVV-syllable, (2) the Sonority hierarchy plays a significant role in shaping these structures,(3) the language exhibits syllable patterns such as v.cv, v.cv.cv, cv.cv and v.cv.cv. This study also observed that syllablic nasals are present in Ika. The research concludes, therefore, that Ika has a simple and light syllable

This project work focuses on socio-semiotic analysis of Itsekiri cultural delicacies. The aim of the study is to examine cultural delicacies in Itsekiri. Data for this study were elucidated from primary and secondary sources. The primary data was collected from five native speakers of Itsekiri and a traditional chief by personal communication, Secondary data comprises published materials on food and culture in the related languages, etc. In course of data analysis, the study adopted a descriptive research design for the description and analysis of the data. The study finds that natural languages like Itsekiri exhibit a high rate of culturally especially when it involves delicacies. The study also found out that sensitivity to food rules and customs is important in building and strengthening cross-cultural relationships.

Language is a complex, multifaceted communicationsystemthat enables humans to express thoughts, ideas, emotions, andinformation. It is a fundamental aspect of human culture andsociety, facilitating interaction, knowledge sharing, and meaning conveyance. This study examines the use of language across different agegroups. Language plays a pivotal role in the age-grade systemas it servesasameans of communication and identity among its members. Thisincludes aspects such as vocabulary, grammar, speech patterns, anddiscourse. The theoretical framework utilized in this studyisthespeech act theory (1962) which characterizes the distinctcommunication styles into different speech act. Acrucial element oflanguage use within this system is understanding the specializedterminologies or jargons unique to each age group. Qualitativedataanalysis was employed, highlighting the significant role languageplays among various age demographics. In this research, tenparticipants were interviewed, ranging in age from40 to 80yearsold. The preferred language for the age-grading systemin UrhehueisEdo, viii the indigenous language of the Orhionmwon community. This systemis a traditional social structure where individuals are categorizedintodifferent age groups based on their year of birth. These agegroupsserve as social units and play a crucial role in manyfacetsofcommunity life.

This study is based on the linguistic comparison of two different dailects of Edo language. The various dialectal variation of the Edolanguage was identified and their linguistic relationship to prove if all are mutually intelligible. Word list was analysed to find out if these dailects have a genetic and linguistic relationship. Effort was also made to compare the selected word list using parts of the bodyparts, food, nature, things, numerals, relatives, animals, professions, places and other lexical items. With these words list, cognate was used to determine the level of similarities and differences betweenthe two dialects. In addition, we used the cognates to showtherelationship that exist within these dailects, we also examinedtheenvironmental and geographical influence on the central Edoinfluence on the dailects that generated the slight dialectal varieties. Finally, the findings of the two dailects of Edo language showthat Oredo and Oza-Aibiokunla are not separate languages but dialects of the same language due to the 72.65% degree of their similarities.

This study examines the sociolinguistic aspects of language use in traditional market settings, where goods and services are exchanged. A traditional market, in this context, refers to a space where transactions follow indigenous African customs. The research focuses on the discourse structure, speech acts, and contextual language use in Ochanja Market, Anambra State. The study employs Hymes’ (1974) S.P.E.A.K.I.N.G model from The Ethnography of Communication to analyze data collected from traders and other market participants. Data were obtained through a tape recorder and a questionnaire to assess linguistic preferences in market transactions. Findings indicate that the majority of traders at Ochanja Market prefer to communicate in Anambra Igbo, followed by Nigerian Pidgin. This preference aligns with the linguistic composition of the market, where a
significant proportion of traders and buyers belong to the Igbo ethnic group, influencing the dominant language used in commercial

This study examined the emergence variety of Igbo in Onitsha and the study focused on the speech style of Urban Onitsha youths. The emergence of globalization in the 21 century has made the youth to employ language in a remarkable way to shape and advance to new Identity for urban youth language, emerging speech style of youths which
may be regarded as a new dialect and every day, it continues to experience and go through innovations. The major focus of this research work is to analyse where and how the the emerging speech style affect the lives of the youth and Igbo people as a whole.The research questions are, who are the speakers of youth language in urban Onitsha and how the urban youth language develop.The features of youth language in urban Onitsha, Is urban Onitsha youth language an anti-language? And how the urban language contribute to communication among the youth and the older youth?. The objectives of this study are to identify the speakers of youth’s language in Urban Onitsha. To find out how youth language develops in urban Onitsha, Examine the features of the youth language of urban Onitsha,to determine the status of the youth language in the society and examine how the youth language of urban Onitsha contribute to the mutual understanding and communications among the youths and other members.This research employs both the primary and secondary method of data collecting needed for this research,since the main focus of this research work where youths, particularly youth who are fans of Onitsha language. Part of the data were collected from prominent speakers of Igbo language from the department of Linguistic studies were also used as a method of data collection. It was found from the study that Youth language emerge from the mainstream language and has slangs, heavy vernacular, pidgin,non standard vocabulary, style shifting,and other host of linguistics and others as it's scope and features. Youths as one of the most influential social groups has employed their own language in a remarkable way to shape and advance to new Identity for themselves

Yoruba folksongs, deeply ingrained within the oral customs of the Yoruba community, hold immense value as preservers of cultural legacy, language customs, and communal principles. This study is an attempt to carry out an ethnographic analysis on Yoruba folksongs, with the motivation of understanding the rich dimension of the Yoruba folksongs. The data for this study were collected using the oral interview method, from native speakers. These data included different folksongs in Yoruba. The ethnography of communication theory is used as the guiding theoretical framework for the study. The analysis reveals that these songs are primarily utilized in settings such as the home, palace, or community, serving as vehicles for the transmission of linguistic norms and values. Yoruba folksongs are characterized by metaphorical expressions that of er insights into societal norms, history, and collective knowledge. They are often used for praising individuals, including royalty, employing high-status language to describe esteemed figures. Through metaphor and symbolism, folksongs convey the mood, thoughts, and locations associated with celebrated actions, enriching the understanding of societal dynamics within the Yoruba community