Edith Omohnor NWOKO

This research examines cohesion and coherence in Yoruba discourse, studying song texts used in Yoruba engagement ceremony. Cohesion is both the grammatical and lexical linking of sentences in a text. This is related to the concept of coherence, which deals with meaningfulness. The aim of this study is to examine how this concept of cohesion and coherence is achieved in the Yoruba discourse. The need of this study is for other linguists and interested researchers to know and understand how cohesion and coherence functions and achieved in both the Yoruba discourse and other African languages. The data collection technique for this research adopted both the primary and secondary method of data collection. The primary data collection techniques used to collect data by adopting the non- participant observation, I used writing, video recording and audio recording materials to gather data. I used the secondary data collection technique to gather secondary data and materials from libraries, internets and textbooks

This research examines cohesion and coherence in Yoruba discourse, studying song texts used in Yoruba engagement ceremony. Cohesion is both the grammatical and lexical linking of sentences in a text. This is related to the concept of coherence, which deals with meaningfulness. The aim of this study is to examine how this concept of cohesion and coherence is achieved in the Yoruba discourse. The need of this study is for other linguists and interested researchers to know and understand how cohesion and coherence functions and achieved in both the Yoruba discourse and other African languages. The data collection technique for this research adopted both the primary and secondary method of data collection. The primary data collection techniques used to collect data by adopting the non- participant observation, I used writing, video recording and audio recording materials to gather data. I used the secondary data collection technique to gather secondary data and materials from libraries, internets and textbooks. The data was analyzed using Halliday and Hassan (1976) concept of cohesion, showing the links within the text using the cohesive devices. The analysis reveals that these cohesive devices are means of showing bond within the text which makes it meaningful i.e. coherence is being achieved by appropriate linking using cohesive devices, but these cohesive devices are not sufficient enough to achieve coherence in a text. In conclusion, cohesion is a means of achieving coherence in a text, but it’s not sufficient enough.