Browsing by Author "Nweya, G. O."

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A feature based analysis of Igbo complementisers
(Linguistic Association of Nigeria, 2019) Nweya, G. O.
"It has been argued that Igbo complementisers are associated with more than one clause type and therefore, cannot be classified based on the type of clause they introduce. This assertion has not been further examined in Igbo as the paucity of studies on Igbo complementisers show. Hence, there is need to characterise Igbo complementisers based on features for the purpose of classification. This study, therefore, re-examines the syntax of Igbo complementisers with a view to determining their distribution and c-selection properties as well as distinguish them based on their features. Data for the study were gathered from primary and secondary sources. The study identified three main complementisers in Igbo. They are nà ‘that’, mà ‘if/whether’ and kà ‘that’. ‘na’ c-selects mostly embedded declarative clauses. ‘mà introduces mostly interrogative clauses where both the matrix and embedded clauses bear overt question morpheme, while ‘kà’ is the only complementiser that introduces subjunctive clauses. Based on their behaviours, the study posits that ‘na’ ‘‘mà and ‘kà’ have strong declarative, interrogative and subjunctive features respectively. Using distinctive feature matrix, the study characterised and distinguished Igbo complementiser. It was also observed that there is no agreement between complementiser and inflection as obtainable in English since Igbo complementisers are not specified for any tense that matches with that of the c-selected IP. The study concludes that Igbo complementisers can be classified using distinctive features.
A Phonemic Analysis of Imilike-Igbo Consonants
(2018) Nweya, G. O.
This paper studies the consonants of Imilike dialect, a variety of Northern Igbo dialect. The main goal of the study is to identify the consonants that make up the dialect and establish their phonemic status. The theoretical framework adopted for the analysis is generative phonology. Data for the study were collected through oral interview and observation. The study identifies forty phonetic consonant sounds in the dialect. Twelve out of the forty consonants result from secondary articulations such as palatalisation and labialisation. Twenty nine out of the forty phonetic consonant \1 , nts identified in the dialect were assigned phonemic status while others were regarded 11\ allophones of someother segments. The study reveals the presence of the voiced post alveolar fricative [3] which is absent in the standard Igbo and the absence of the voiced velar fricative / y/ which is present in the standard Igbo. It points to the unique phonological features of the dialect that distinguish it from the standard variety.
A pragma-semiotic analysis of the Catholic bishops’ communiqué on the Ebola epidemic: Impact on the University of Ibadan Catholic faithful
(Lulu Press Inc., 2017) Solomon-Etefia, P. O.; Nweya, G. O.
This paper examines the extracts of the communiqué made by the Ibadan Catholic Bishops to the congregation on the Ebola epidemic. The paper identifies the practs, gives a semiotic interpretation of the signs visible, and discusses the impact of the communiqué on the Catholic faithful in the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. The data were collected from the Catholic Sunday Bulletin and the interviews conducted with, and the field notes collected from, the Catholic faithful informants (N=30) in the University of Ibadan. It utilised Mey’s pragmatic acts theory (PAT) and Saussure’s model of semiotic signs as the theoretical framework. The study shows that the communiqué is information motivated discourse on Ebola which comprises of direct acts that make use of the contextual features of shared situational knowledge, inferences, relevance, shared cultural knowledge, and references thereby exhibiting the pragmemes of cautioning, commanding, counselling and threatening; the semiotic sign ‘Holy Communion’ signifies the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ present in Bread and Wine, the semiotic sign ‘self-signing of oneself with holy water’ signifies spiritual cleansing, and the ‘sign of peace’ signifies love and unity among the people of God in the Church. Both the pragmemes and the semiotic signs have an impact on the Catholic Faithful in University of Ibadan.
An Ethno-Statistical Analysis of Direct and Indirect Acts in Catchy HIV/AIDS Campaign Messages in Benin Metropolis
(International Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies, 2015) Solomon-Etefia, P. O.; Nweya, G. O.
Catchy HIV/AIDS campaign messages in Benin metropolis exhibit the characteristics of direct and indirect acts. These acts play pragmatic roles in peoples’ understanding of catchy HIV/AIDS campaign messages in Benin metropolis. This paper investigates direct and indirect acts in HIV/AIDS catchy campaign messages in Benin metropolis from an ethno-statistical perspective; it assess respondents’ understanding of the campaign messages with the features of directness and indirectness. The data for the study were collected using the questionnaires from five LGAs in Benin metropolis. These are Oredo, Ikpoba-Okha, Ovia-North-East and Ovia-South-West and the data was analysed using the simple percentages. The paper reveals that some respondents could not understand some of the messages because of the pragmatic indirectness. It was also observed that background characteristics (age, education, gender, and ethnic group), understandable language for reading and writing of respondents and how HIV/AIDS messages were known play a major role in understanding the direct and indirect acts in the messages. The paper concludes by advising the message provider to write in simpler form for the effectiveness of these campaign messages, creating of messages in native languages is also encouraged.
Applicative Constructions in Igbo
(Department of Linguistics, African & Asian Studies, University of Lagos, 2020) Nweya, G. O.
The structure of applicative constructions has been in debate due to diverse opinions regarding the categorial status and distribution of the applicative morpheme. Previous studies have focused on the morphemic structure with scant attention paid to the distribution and interaction of the applicative morpheme with other inflectional affixes. This study examines the syntactic distribution of the Igbo applicative morpheme with a view to determining its categorial status and base position in relation to other inflectional affixes such as tense, aspect and negation. Employing the split verb phrase hypothesis of minimalist program, the study reveals that Igbo applicative morpheme is a functor that projects maximally as an Applicative Phrase, showing up after the verb in the process of interacting with other inflectional elements. The study concludes that in deriving applicative constructions in Igbo, the verb enters the derivation with unvalued tense and applicative features which get valued as the verb moves from one head to another while the affixes get merged to the verb.
Articulated structure of the Igbo tense phrase domain
(West African Linguistic Society, 2021) Nweya, G. O.
"The tense phrase (TP) domain is the domain that expresses grammatical tense, aspect and mood. Existing studies concentrated on describing the morph-syntactic features of the Igbo TP categories with little attention paid to their interaction and hierarchical order. This study, therefore, investigates the morpho-syntactic features and interaction of the functors with a view to determining their hierarchical order in the clause structure. Primary and secondary data were collected and subjected to syntactic analysis. Three main functors, Tense, Aspect and Negation, overtly occur in the Igbo TP area as verbal affixes and they exhibit two opposing patterns of morpheme order: V-T-ASP-NEG and T-ASP-NEG-V. The former, where the functors follow the verb, requires obligatory movement of the VP to spec TP, while the latter requires no such movement since the functors precede the verb. The study demonstrated that these morpheme orders are derived syntactically via operation merge with surface order corresponding to the hierarchical order. This is in contrast to preceding studies which assume mirror image where the linear order is the inverse of the hierarchical order.
Bilateral Audiometric and Acoustic Analysis of High Frequency Fricatives in Students with Speech Impairments
(Department of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages at the University of Nigeria, 2024) Nweya, G. O.; Adiboshi, A.
"Some scholars assume that it is possible for people who have impaired perceptions to distort fricatives. Although this assumption has been investigated in other climes; it has attracted little or no attention in the Nigerian context. This study, therefore, investigates high frequency fricatives in students with speech impairments using bilateral audiometric and acoustic analysis with a view to determining whether speech impaired persons that cannot perceive high frequency can distort fricatives as widely assumed. The audiometry was used to test the average pure tone threshold of twelve students who gave their consents and six were purposively selected. The nature of data that was elicited contained lexical items with fricatives: Is, f, f, v, zI. It was called by the researcher for the subjects and they repeated it while their voices were recorded into Praat directly for spectrographic analysis. It was reported that speech impaired persons distorted the fricatives Is, f, f, v, zI in varying degrees. For instance, subjects A, B, and C, distorted the sound Isl as It!, in soap IS'Jup/, as top, !.Qmh..respectively. In the word sheep IflP 'I"", If I was distorted as It I and Itfl, as in: [ipu, chitem and choyon by the subjects, respectively. The findings support the claim that it is possible for people who have impaired perceptions and cannot perceive high frequencies to distort fricatives.
Inflection in the Imilike dialect of Igbo
(Igbo Scholars, 2013) Nweya, G. O.
This paper examines inflection in the Imilike dialect of the Igbo language with emphasis on the verb inflection. The study adopts a descriptive approach based on surface structure analysis. Verbs were inflected for tense/aspect, mood and polarity in Imilike. The paper reveals that some inflectional affixes and strategies of achieving inflection in the dialect when compared with the standard Igbo and consequently influences the choice of affixes used to achieve inflection of verbs. The dialect employs strategies such as the optional use of the Open vowel prefix a/e, affix sequencing and more of the role suffixation to achieve inflection in the dialect. Tone plays a significant role in achieving inflection in the dialect as in the standard Igbo. The study points to the profound insight available from the study of various Igbo dialects.
Linguistic Analysis of Selected Folk Ballads of Mike Ejeagha
(Department of Linguistics, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, 2020) Oraegbunam, C. U.; Nweya, G. O.
Some earlier studies on Igbo folksongs focused mainly on the thematic and literary study of Igbo folksongs with little attention paid to the linguistic study of Igbo folksongs. To this end, this paper examines some linguistic properties of nine randomly selected works of Mike Ejeagha (ME) that are popular among his audience, with a view to identify and describe the linguistic quality of Igbo folksongs using ME as instance. Data used in the study were collected from ME’s records, transcribed, translated and subjected to descriptive linguistic analysis at the phonological, morphological and syntactic levels. Two phonological processes; vowel assimilation and syllable elision, were identified in the selected works of ME. Reduplication was identified at the morphological level. The syntax of ME arts reveals four syntactic process in his works, such as, topicalisation, negation, question formation and ellipsis to be instrumental in the aesthetics of ME’s art. The study showed that ME employed these linguistic processes repeatedly and consistently to show creativity and achieve stylistic effect in his folk ballads.
Mmetuta Usorookwu Na Echiche N'asusu Igbo
(2013-06) Nweya, G. O.
This paper examines inflection in the Imilike dialect of the Igbo language with emphasis on the verb inflection. The study adopts a descriptive approach based on surface structure analysis. Verbs were inflected for tense/aspect, mood and polarity in Imilike. The paper reveals that some inflectional affixes and strategies of achieving inflection in the dialect when compared with the standard Igbo and consequently influences the choice of affixes used to achieve inflection of verbs. The dialect employs strategies such as the optional use of the Open vowel prefix a/e, affix sequencing and more of the role suffixation to achieve inflection in the dialect. Tone plays a significant role in achieving inflection in the dialect as in the standard Igbo. The study points to the profound insight available from the study of various Igbo dialects.
Negation in Nupe
(University of Benin, 2019) Nweya, G. O.; Adedigba, J. O.
Negation as a syntactic process has attracted tremendous attention cross linguistically. However. existing studies on the morpho-syntax of Nupe has concentrated on the study of the tense, aspect and the internal s t ru c tu re of th e verb phrase with little attention paid to negation. This study is, therefore, investigates negative constructions in Nupe with a view to identifying the negative markers and their distribution. as well as the scope of negation and its interaction with tense and aspect. Primary 'data were elicited using Ibadan Syntactic Paradigm, Focus Group Discussion and In-Depth-Interview while secondary data w e re collected from existing literature. The data were subjected to interlinear glossing and syntactic analysis. Two negative markers were identified: the negative particle a, and the negative circumfix ga-mɔ .. The negative particle a has the widest distribution and it is used in deriving various sentence types while ‘ga-m5’ is used only in negative imperatives. The negative marker a occurs sentence final in all instances of its occurrence. Using the syntactic and semantic processes of cleft focus and paraphrasing, the study distinguished between constituent and sentential negation. With regard to the interaction of tense/aspect and negation. It was observed that tense and aspect morphemes do not co-occur but either of them co-occurs with negative morphemes in the same construction. While the tense or aspect marker occurs pre-verbal, the negative morpheme occurs clause final.
Non verbal predication in Igbo
(Crown Goldmine Communications, Ibadan, 2014) Nweya, G. O.
This paper discusses non-verbal predication in Igbo. Predication captures the process of complementation that exists in SVO languages. The theoretical framework adopted for the analysis is the Minimalist Program (MP) of linguistic theory. The study identifies non-verbal predicates as nominal, adverbial and prepositional predicates in Igbo. In Igbo different morphosyntactic and predication categories make use of different copulas. These copulas obligatorily occur in nonverbal predication structures. On the structural relations, the paper' assumes, following Bowers (2001), that the relation of predication is better expressed if there is a functional category Pr whose function is to relate the subject to the predicate. In Igbo, the Pro is null; it attracts the NP/AdvPIPP object to adjoin to it due to its strong affixal features forming a complex head (p\ pImerges with the subject to form the PrP. The computation continues to generate a proposition thus, providing a descriptively and explanatorily adequate structural analysis of nonverbal predication structures in Igbo.
On the vowels of Imilike Dialect of the Igbo Language
(Unizik Journal of Arts and Humanities, 2015-01) Nweya, G. O.
This is a study of the vowels of Imilike dialect, a variety of Northern Igbo dialect. Its specific objectives include identifying the vowels of the dialect, determine their phonemic status, distributional pattern and phonotactic constraints and as well compare them with those displayed by the standard Igbo. Data for the study were collected using unstructured interview and observation. Data were analysed in the framework of generative phonology. Minimal pair test was conducted to identify the vowels of the dialect. The study reveals that the dialect displays eleven vowels including the open mid front unrounded vowel /£/ and the central vowels, [a] and [a]. AH except the central vowels are phonemic in the dialect. The central vowels are in free variation with other vowels in the dialect. AH the vowels occur in word initial, word medial and word final positions except the central vowels which do not occur in word initial position. The study also attests to the strict operation of vowel harmony in the dialect as in other Northern Igbo dialects. The study concludes that Imilike dialect displays more vowels than the standard Igbo.
Plural strategies and devices in Igbo
(University of Kansas, 2016) Nweya, G. O.
This study examines strategies and devices adopted in Igbo to mark plurality on lexical items at both word and phrasal levels. The study provides additional evidence, adequate description, and explanation, as well as a theoretical background to the phenomenon which hitherto was not provided by earlier studies. Data were collected through observation, oral interview, and from existing literature. Data were analysed based on the principles and operations of the Minimalist Program. The study finds that five basic strategies could be employed to mark plurality in Igbo. These include merging of singular nouns with plural words or morphemes, via reduplication, use of conjunctions, use plural sensitive verbs, and context of speech. Plural devices include nouns with an inherent PL feature such as ndi ‘persons’ and umu ‘offspring’; the third person plural pronoun, ha; quantifiers such as niile/dum ‘all’; numerals abuo ‘two’ and above; mass nouns, igwe/igwurube ‘group’; clitics ga and nu ; reduplicated nouns; conjunctions na ‘and’; and plural-sensitive verbs such as chita ‘bring’, and ju, ‘be’. The study concludes that Igbo belongs to the set of languages that syntactically mark plural by using independent morphemes/words; i.e. plural words.
Sentential Negation in the Imilike Dialect of Igbo
(University of Ibadan, 2015) Nweya, G. O.; Solomon-Etefia, P. O.
In spite of the fact that negation is a universal principle of human language, the process of negation and negative markers tends to be distinct across languages and dialects. This descriptive study therefore examines the process of achieving sentential negation in the Imilike dialect of the Igbo language. Its specific objectives are to identifying negative markers and negative polarity items; and show how negators interact with other functors in the dialect. Data for the study were collected from native speakers through oral interview and observation. Analysis is based on the verb forms identified in the dialect in relation to their affirmative counterparts. The results show that negative markers in the dialect are - ga/-g~ and -le/-If! which are suffixes. The former is used in the indicative, progressive and future tense/aspectual forms, while the latter is employed in imperative constructions. Tense/aspect markers such as the past, the perfective, the progressive and the future have negative forms which cooccur with the main negator in negative constructions. The study shows the rich inflectional and phonological properties of the dialect such as affix sequencing and vowel harmony. The study concludes that the process of negation and negative markers in Imilike Igbo is noticeably distinct from those of standard lgbo.
Simple Double Object Constructions in Igbo: A Minimalist Approach
(Department of Linguistics at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), 2018) Nweya, G. O.
Double object constructions provide interesting evidence about the valency of verbs, agreement relations and word order variation across languages. However, existing studies have not paid adequate attention to investigating how the case feature of the objects are valued in Igbo double object constructions and how they are derived in phases based on the split projection hypothesis. This study, therefore, analyses double object constructions in Igbo with a view to determining how the case feature of the internal arguments are valued as well as the derivational procedure based on the phase model of the Minimalist Program. The study observed that the shells for simple DOCs were uP-AppIP- VP. The light u values the case feature of the indirect object; the applicative head introduces the IO and also values the case feature of the direct object while the lexical verb assigns (l-role to the indirect object. In the derivation of the simple double object constructions uP and ApplP are phases.
The eye as source of conceptual metaphors in Igbo
(Department of Igbo, African, and Asian Studies, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, 2024) Nweya, G. O.; Ejinwa, S. O.
"This study examines how the eye (ányá) body part in Igbo is variously conceptualized and used metaphorically to express abstract concepts. Existing works on body part metaphors in Igbo were based on the traditionalist perspectives which sees metaphor as a rhetoric or figurative device with little attention from the conceptual metaphor perspective which sees metaphor as a systematic cognitive device used in the understanding of abstract concepts through the application of concrete ones. Data for this study were collected from 20 native speakers of Igbo through oral interview and observations and subjected to semantic analysis. It was discovered that the eye (ányá) body part is a source domain or concrete concept used in mapping out or expressing abstract concepts in Igbo such as intelligence, love, hope, time/distance, greed, among others. It was further discovered that metaphor is a powerful cognitive tool that help in expressing the Igbo worldviews which comprises of their culture, belief system, core values, and morals, among others. The study therefore concluded that the Igbo language is rich in the use of metaphors in everyday conversation and in expressing and understanding the worldviews of native speakers of the language.
The structure of Ibìbìò determiner phrase
(West African Linguistic Society, 2022) Ubon, A. E.; Nweya, G. O.
"The Determiner Phrase (DP) is a syntactic category headed by a determiner. Its internal structure has attracted scholarly attention across languages. Although, various aspects of Ìbìbìò grammar have been examined by scholarly works, the syntax of the Determiner Phrase has not been given much attention. This study, therefore, investigates the Determiner Phrase in Ìbìbìò with a view to examining its internal constituents and hierarchical structure. Primary data for the study were elicited through interviews with the aid of the Ibadan 400-word list and syntactic checklist while secondary data were collected from existing literature. Data were analysed qualitatively based on the DP hypothesis and Chomsky’s Minimalist Program. The study identified ten determiner elements in the language. They are numbers, particularisers, as well as cardinal and ordinal numerals. Some are marked for specificity or definiteness (e.g. étó ádò) while others are marked for indefiniteness (étó kèèd). The difference between the former and the latter is definiteness and indefiniteness triggered by the determiners kèèd ‘a’ and ádò ‘the’ respectively. Other determiners identified in the language are: articles, demonstratives, quantifiers, genitives, pronouns, and bare nouns. Based on the distribution of the internal constituents of the DP, the hierarchical structure of the Ìbìbìò Determiner phrase is- DP>PartP>NumP>PossP>Num’rP>DemP>NP. The study concludes that DPs take NP complements in Ìbìbìò.
Towards Machine Translation for Security Surveillance
(Faculty of Arts, University of Benin., 2021) Odoje, C. O.; Nweya, G. O.
Global insecurity is one of the main challenges facing the world in recent times and Nigeria is among the most affected with thousands of deaths and loss of property worth billions of naira. Studies show that countries are achieving better security through the use intelligence reports where languages play significant roles than through the use of arms and ammunitions. However, previous studies on Nigerian languages have concentrated on language description and language documentation with little attention paid to language use for security surveillance and intelligence gathering This paper, therefore, evaluates Google translate, from the perspective of the Igbo and Yoruba languages. with a view to determining its level of efficiency in translating for the purpose of security surveillance or intelligence gathering, identifying its potentials for achieving better security and the challenges facing its use. The study reveals that Google translate could be used for security surveillance if properly adapted despite the shortcomings of its output. Factors such as multilingualism, inadequate funding, insufficient language resources and poor infrastructural development are some of the challenges facing the proposal. The implication is that the Nigerian government at all levels can harness the potentials of this tool towards overcoming its security challenges if it invests more in security especially at the State and Local Government levels.