DEPARTMENT OF LINGUISTICS STUDIES

The Uneme language is the language of the inhabitants of Ekpedo community in Akoko Edo(Edo North). This work aimed at giving a detailed account on the effects of multiple languages on the Uneme Ekpedo people, it is discovered that the language is under-utilized in formal settings and shares equal status with other languages in informal settings, hence a thorough examination of the linguistic situation of this community is presented in this research work. This work is targeted at finding the vitality of the Uneme language with a view to knowing the prestige and danger of extinction of the language. The framework of this study is sociolinguistics framework and it is targeted at bringing into limelight effect of language, and in this case multilinqualism has on a society. Chapter one provides an introduction of the study, statement of the problem, purpose of the study, research questions, significance of study, scope and limitations. Chapter two provides a review of related literature and theoritical framework. Chapter three entails a look into research design and methodology, population of study, area of study research instrument, sampling method/data collection and method of data analysis, the present study employed data obtained through questionnaire. chapter four contains the analysis and discussions. Chapter five summary of findings, conclusion, recommendations, references and appendix

This research provides a morphological analysis of affixation in the Ghotuo language using a descriptive linguistics approach. The study examines how affixes, including prefixes, suffixes, infixes, and circumfixes, modify root words to create new words and alter their grammatical and lexical functions. The research uses a qualitative method of data collection by conducting oral interviews with native speakers and consulting secondary sources. The analysis also explores other mophological processes such as disfixes, duplifixes, reduplication, suprafixes, and
simulfixes. The research demonstrates that affixation is a productive process in Ghotuo for creating new words and modifying their grammatical and lexical functions, including indicating plurality, negation, possession, and changes in lexical categories, while also showcasing processes like reduplication and tone alterations

This study aimed at helping the Edo second language (L2) speaker overcome the problems of transfer from his (first language or mother tongue) L1 and to become more competent in the use of English structures. The study concludes that language teachers need to draw students' attention to the differences and spend more time teaching students the correct usage so that students can become more proficient in using the two languages. This study considers that this piece of work would be important for language teaching and as such create better Edo speakers of English language. Working with the framework of the research, it accounts for the contrastive analysis of English and Edo languages. It is concerned with the comparison of both languages to determine the similarities or differences between them. This research work is divided into five sections. The first chapter is background to the study, the second chapter is the review of related literature. The third chapter is concern with Data presentation and the methodology used in
carrying out the research findings, population of the study, sampling techniques, source of data collection, tools of data collection, method of data analysis, All procedures followed in data collection are described. The fourth chapter deals with the data analysis. Some of these have been shown clearly in table form while the rest appear in sentences in the form of analysis. The fifth chapter being the last chapter of the research report is composed of the summary, conclusion and recommendation of the research report.

his research focuses on the socio-semantic analysis on belief of preordained names in Yoruba. It explores the values, interpretation and how these names are considered to influence its bearers in the society. This help understand the deeper meanings of these names, which not only serve as a label but embody cultural and historical context. The study adopted sociolinguistics theory adopted and embraced by many scholars such as William Labov and Dell Hymes for the description and analysis of the data. This study used both the primary and secondary method of data collection. The primary method of data collection was used my oral interview and telephone calls from Yoruba informants of 35-60 years age range. The secondary method of data collection was used through watching of different YouTube videos by elderly Yoruba speakers. This study arranged the preordained names into five classes for better understanding and analysed the names showing the beliefs, values of Yoruba people. The study addressed 3 main objectives, the first was grouping the preordained names into 5 categories: Lastly future research on preordained names could be the exploration of the impact of globalization and cultural exchange on naming practices. This could involve studying how names are influenced by cross-cultural interactions, migration, and the adoption of names from different languages and cultures

This study aims to proof that semantic relations can occur in Warri pidgin. The study also set proof that pidgin language is a language on its own from the aspect of semantics. Language main purpose is for communication and communication cannot be passed without the association of meaning in the words spoken between speakers and listeners, so in order to prove that warri pidgin is a language of its own the study will have to prove that words in warri pidgin not only have meaning but their meaning can be represented based on the kind of relationship that exist between the words that exist in warri pidgin and the meaning of those words. So by proving semantic relations can occur in warri pidgin, we will be able to prove that warri pidgin is a language on its own. Data were collected through face to face interview. A total of four informers were employed for this study and the number was 3 male one female at age range 20-50years. The reference theory by ogden and Richards
was adopted for the study.

This project work attempts to investigate and describe the body-part terminology in Obosi. Over the last 150 years, Nigeria has benefited from a lot of linguistic attention, mainly in the area of phonetics, phonology, morphology, and syntax. As with many African languages however, investigation of semantic issues has remained behind. The present study focuses on body part as a semantic domain, providing first of all a detailed and illustrated overview of Obosi body-part terminologies. Furthermore, the study covers such areas as grammatical constructions for bodily actions and events, organizing principles of the domain, frame semantic theory was employed to discuss some of the meaning ascribed to most of the body-parts, and the body parts in the context of the Obosi conception. An overview of previous research into body-part terminology provides the necessary background to the more descriptive part

This study examines selected syntactic processes (negation, WH-constructions and relative constructions) in the Ṣúpárè dialect of Yorùbá, a variety spoken in southwestern Nigeria. The research seeks to identify the structural properties that distinguish Ṣúpárè from Standard Yorùbá and to highlight the dialect’s unique strategies for clause formation. Data were collected through elicitation and validation from competent native speakers of Ṣúpárè across different quarters of the speech community. Analysis reveals that each syntactic operation requires two obligatory markers: one in sentence-initial or post-subject position and another in sentence-final position. In relative clauses, the subject argument is obligatorily filled with a resumptive pronoun, unlike Standard Yorùbá where the position remains empty. WH-constructions are realised through split interrogative markers at two syntactic positions, with no involvement of the focus marker “ni”. Negation is achieved through tonal alternations and low-tone syllables, in contrast to the segmental negator “kò” in Standard Yorùbá. The findings are interpreted within the Principles and Parameters framework (Chomsky 1981, 1986), which explains the observed patterns as outcomes of universal grammatical principles shaped by dialect-specific parametric settings. In particular, the study shows that Ṣúpárè grammar recognises the Aspectual Phrase as an independent projection, providing evidence for parametric variation in Yorùbá syntax. By documenting these features, the research contributes to comparative Yorùbá dialectology, advances the understanding of parametric variation in Niger-Congo languages and offers fresh insights into the interaction between universal principles and dialect-specific syntax.

This research, the Stylistic analysis of oral traditional funeral poetry in Awkuzu, aims to depict the importance of oral traditional funeral poetry in Awkuzu community and its impact in the community’s everyday life. Precisely the study seeks to analyze the stylistic features associated with oral traditional funeral poetry in Awkuzu, to examine the effect of death in the life of Awkuzu people as expressed through oral traditional funeral poetry and to convey the gender disparity associated with them. The data for analysis was collected through interview, non- participant observation and library research. The dirges are arranged in to sections according to the gender of the deceased involved. The data are studied immensely and analyzed by identifying the stylistic features of the funeral dirges. The ethnopoetic theory was employed in this study, the study looked at the style, performance, the oral text and also written text in regards of the ethnopoetic analysis. The dirges are compared with one another to find out the language features and as well depict the effect of death and gender disparity in them

This study aimed to investigate the place of storytelling in Ẹdo language documentation and preservation by assessing the significance of these storytellings in the language, examining the role of these stories in the maintenance and revitalization of the language in contemporary society, and to explore the influence of modern technologies and media platforms on the practice of storytelling and language documentation in the language. The research relied on data gotten from primary source. Interviews and storytelling sessions were conducted with elders, storytellers, and community members in Ẹdo- speaking areas in Benin City, specifically around Ovia North-East Local Government Area. The stories were first written in Ẹdo before been translated to English. The theoretical framework used for the analysis of this research was the Ethnography of Communication (SPEAKING MODEL) by Hymes (1964). The findings revealed that storytelling plays a significant role in documenting the Ẹdo language. Through oral traditions, stories serve as a repository for linguistic and cultural knowledge, preserving key expressions, idioms, and customs. It allows the language to be passed down from one generation to the next, ensuring its continuity. Storytelling also contributes to the maintenance and revitalization of the Ẹdo language in contemporary society. It helps keep the language alive by providing an engaging way to learn and practice it, especially in a time when modern languages and technologies are often prioritized.

This study presents a comparative phonological analysis of Ẹdo and Ikwerre, two Niger- Congo languages spoken in Ẹdo State and Rivers State, Nigeria, respectively. While both languages share historical and typological connections within the Niger-Congo family, their phonological systems exhibit significant diferences in segmental features, phonotactic structures, and phonological processes.The study aims to identify and analyze these diferences and similarities,focusing on their consonantal and vowel inventories, phonological rules, and prosodic features. The study adopts Comparative Phonology (Hyman, 1975) as its theoretical framework, providing a systematic approach to examining the phonological structures of the two languages. Data were collected through primary sources from native speakers and secondary sources from previous linguistic research.The analysis reveals that Ẹdo employs Advanced Tongue Root (ATR) vowel harmony, while Ikwerre exhibits nasalization and prenasalized consonants. Ikwerre's phonology is characterized by aspirated stops and glottalized sounds. Additionally, phonological processes such as assimilation, vowel harmony operate dif erently in both languages, further highlighting their phonological distinctiveness. The findings contribute to the classification of Ẹdo as an Ẹdoid language and Ikwerre as an Igboid language, reinforcing their unique
phonological identities within the Benue-Congo subgroup. The study also underscores the importance of phonological comparison in understanding language evolution, historical linguistics, and linguistic typology. Future research could explore the morphophonemic interactions, tonal variations, and language contact influences af ecting Ẹdo and Ikwerr