ABSTRACT
In
the current Igbo linguistic demand for a dear-cut dialectal description,
analysis of the phonological aspect of various Igbo dialects becomes
fundamental. It is in answer to this need that this study was conceived. The
study attempts at describing some processes of the Amichi phonology with the
view to bringing out their areas of peculiarity and or commonality with other
dialects of the Igbo language. Subsequent to the establishment of the
exigencies, some related literatures were reviewed. This shaped our conceptions
of the variables and prepared us for the studies proper. From the four strata
of the study area, our data were drawn from 16 resource persons (4 from each
stratum) randomly selected. The analysis focused on various assimilation
processes, vowel harmony, segment deletion and insertion, coalescence,
palatalization and, vowel and consonant reduction in Amichi dialect. Some
outstanding peculiarities were found as well as area of conformity with the
standard form. These findings and recommendation are shown in the last chapter
of this study.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
1.0
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
1.2 STATEMENT OF
THE PROBLEM
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
1.5 RESEARCH QUESTION
16 SCOPE AND
LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
1.7 BRIEF HISTORY OF AMICHI
1.8 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
1.8.1 AREAOFSTUDY
1.8.2 SAMPLING TECHNIQUE
1.8.3 SOURCES OF DATA
1.8.4 METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 INTRODUCTION
2.1 THEORETICAL REVIEW
2.2 EMPIRICAL REVIEW
ASSIMILATION
2.3 SUMMARY
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 INTRODUCTION
3.1 ASSIMILATION IN AMICHI
3.1.1 VOWEL ASSIMILATION
3.1.2 CONSONANT ASSIMILATION
3.1.3 NASAL ASSIMILATION
3.2 DELETION IN AMICHI
3.3 INSERTION
3.4 COALESCENCES IN AMICHI
3.5 CONTRACTION
3.6 PALATALIZATION
3.7 VOWEL REDUCTION IN AMICHI
3.8 CONSONANT REDUCTION
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 SUMMARY,
FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION
4.1 SUMMARY
4.2 FINDINGS
4.3 RECOMMENDATIONS
4.4 CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Language has
inseparably co-existed with man from time immemorial. Beside its inseparability
from human existence, it has remained a do-without aspect of the human
existence. It is strongly rooted and relevant in all spheres of man’s
endeavour. It is biologically, socially, psychologically and economically
rooted or relevant. The use of language are numerous. One of its uses seldom
mentioned is its use as a tool for racial stratification of the human society.
One race differs from another not always in colour but in language.
Differences
across various language of the world are manifest in different levels of
linguistic analysis. In other words, different languages have different ways of
structuring their linguistic element at the sound level, lexical level,
phrasal/sentential level and meaning level. Of all these levels of linguistic
structures in different languages, the most fundamental, manifesting and of
course, important is the level of “sound structure”. It manifests obviously
even between two mutually intelligible speech variants. Argued from this
perspective, sound system, technically called phonology is the foundation of
language, the widest of all the levels of analysis and the most complex of all.
In fact, the study or understanding of any language starts from its sound
system: the sound inventory, combining of single sound segments into sequence
of meaningful strings, mutual co-occurrence and influence sounds have on one
another in various tempo/speed of speech, etc. This makes study of any phonological
aspect of any language a very unboring pursuit.
1.1
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Human sound is
different from other sounds because of its patterning according to phonological
principles: the principles that govern the organization of sounds in a particular
language. What is meant by this is that each language is phonologically
organized differently from another. The study of how sounds are patterned in a
language paved way to the rise of phonology which, concisely can be defined as
the arrangement of sound in a language to form speech patterns.
The main task
of phonology, according to Anagbogu et al (2001:75) is to understand or
describe how sequences of sounds can convey meaning. They emphasized its
importance by stating that communication process cannot be fully understood
unless how sounds of language organize themselves into meaningful units are
first understood. Ngwuta (1988:1) stated similarly when he said: “knowledge of
the sound system should be the first step in an effective study of any language”.
Unfortunately, as Ngwuta notes, more works are done on Igbo language generally
at the grammar/syntax level with very Uttle on its phonology. This has caused
paucity of knowledge of some phonological peculiarities among the various
dialects of Igbo.
It is against
this background that this work was conceptually motivated. This work is,
therefore, poised to cooking at the sound system of Amichi, a dialect of Igbo
spoken in Nnewi, Anambra
State. It shall analyze
some phonological processes in the dialect with the view to highlighting its
peculiarities.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
It has been
noted that the understanding of the sound level of a language/dialect is basic
to the understanding of the entire linguistic structure of such language or
dialect. Quite unfortunately, however, such basic steps have been ignored as it
touches various dialects of Igbo language, consequent upon which most of the
interesting peculiarities of such dialects are buried in generic statement
borne out of superficial study of other dialects or the standard Igbo. This
situation has led to many dialect users maintaining that their dialects are the
same as the standard Igbo. This is particularly so talking about dialect spoken
in Anambra state, Amichi for one. What a situation like this portends is that
the linguistic criteria of measuring variance among languages or dialects have
been left for the user to define by their ignorance of linguistic principles.
If linguists
do not rise and stamp their feet now, by using universal tools of linguistic
analysis, phonological tools among, to convincingly bring to bare the
peculiarities in the various dialects of Igbo, time shall come when such
distinctive elements, which are the beauty of the dialects shall be lost to the
present prevalent linguistic ignorance. This would not augur well with the
effort to have all dialects of Igbo properly studied and juxtaposed with the
principle of universal grammar.
1.3
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
This research
work is targeted at providing a description of some aspects of phonological
processes that operate in Amichi dialect of Igbo language. It will x-tray some
combinatory possibilities and principles in real speech situations in the
dialect.
1.4
SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
The
significance of this study is numerous. First, in the absence of many other
works done in Amichi, which focused on its phonology, this will serve as one
foundational work upon which future researchers would build. It will serve
feature as reference material much as it will open more channels to related
topics for feature studies.
Secondly, the
work will be a effort of Igbo linguists to have Igbo properly analyzed.
interesting peculiarities at processing level of contribution to the various
dialects of Highlighting some the phonological Amichi would also draw more
attention of other linguist to the dialect.
Above all by
the time clear answer are provided for all the research question. This work
would have contributed immensely to the pool of linguistic language generally.
1.5
RESEARCH QUESTION
In pursuance
of the purpose of this work, the following questions have been posed as a
general guide to the analysis of the data.
1. To what extent can the sound system of Amichi be
described?
2. To what extent do vowel and consonants enter into the
formation of syllables in Amichi?
3. To what degree are the phonological processes of Amich
describable?
16 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
This work is
centred on and limited to the description of some aspects of the phonological
processes in Arnichi dialect of Igbo language. Some of the processes earmarked
for examination include:
Various types ol secondary articulating Assimilation,
Elision or Delection, Vowel Harmony and Coalescence.
1.7 BRIEF
HISTORY OF AMICHI
The man Amichi
is the 5 son of “Okotu” Okotu had five direct sons namely Adazi Nnuwu, Adazi
Enu, Adazi Ani, Ichida an Amichi.
Amichi had
four (4) sons namely Okpala which is the first son, Udanna, Atuba and Ebenassa.
These four sons formed the kindred of Amichi. Okpala, which is the eldest, h
five (5) sons they are Ebenato Okpala, Obiagu, Eziama, Obiofa, and Uhuachasli.
Udanna also had four (4) sons Ebenato Udanna,
Okpooro, Umudim, Umuakwahi. Afouba had one son Ojiezeka,
Ebannasa also had one son named Isokaa
All these four
(4) sons kindred form the town Amichi. Amichi had three (3) political division
and these three division produce the 4 representative form of Amichi in Nnewi
South Local Government Area.
1.8
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The methods employed in data collection and analyses are
stated below.
1.8.1
AREAOFSTUDY
This study,
geographically and linguistically speaking is restricted to Amichi area and
dialect.
1.8.2
SAMPLING TECHNIQUE
A total of 16
persons where used as resource persons. They supplied the bulk of the data used
in this study. Their selection followed the stratified random sampling method.
The four kindreds of Amichi were considered the four strata from each of which
4 persons were selected, making the 16 used.
1.8.3
SOURCES OF DATA
Data were
drawn mainly from primary sources, which include face-to-face interview, direct
observation and the researchers intuition as a native speaker of the dialect,
Amichi. However some data, but very few were collected from secondary source like
textbooks, articles and other written materials.
1.8.4
METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS
All the data
collected were subjected to pure descriptive analysis. I other words,
descriptive method was adopted in the analysis of the data.
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