Department of Language and Linguistics

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https://keffi.nsuk.edu.ng/handle/20.500.14448/2024

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Browsing Department of Language and Linguistics by Author "Amende, Charles A."

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    Harmonizing Wana and Wangibi Dialects for the Standardization of Eggon Language
    (Department of Languages and Linguistics, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, 2020-03-17) Amende, Charles A.; Tanimu, Yusuf; Abraham, David A.
    in a multilingual community is accepted and codified. When a chosen dialect amongst others is reduced to writing, having a set of rules guiding the orthography, it is said to be a standard language. Standardization occurs as a result of a direct and deliberate intervention by a society. The standard language becomes a symbol of nationhood or is designated for official and social use in the community. This research discovered that Eggon, the language under review has about 14 dialects spoken across the Eggon communities and none of these dialects has been chosen as a standard dialect. The paper tries to identify the problems hindering the standardization .of Eggon and also tries to ascertain what steps need to be taken to develop a standard form of Eggon. A descriptive research method approach is used in this study and data was collected through interaction with informants that are competent in the language. The study reveals that a major factor hindering the standardization of Eggon is the challenge of which dialect to be used for the standardization. Findings indicate that the orthographic contrast between the two (2) dialects which are Wana and Wangibi is very minimal; therefore, efforts should be made to integrate the two (2) dialects to form a standard orthography of Eggon language, in accordance with the orthographies proposed in this work. This work tries to harmonize both mutually intelligible and widely spoken dialects and suggest that the harmonized version be accepted as a standard language that can be spoken across Eggon communities.
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    Language Endangerment and Globalization: The Northern Experience
    (Department of Languages and Linguistics, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, 2010-09-01) Abraham, David A.; Amende, Charles A.
    Much emphasis over the last two decades on language endangerment has only been placed firmly on the protection of cultural diversity, ahead of the sweeping homogenizing tidal wave of globalization. Linguists have been worried over the vast amount of cultural and linguistic knowledge that is disappearing in an increasing global world. The fear of language loss on daily basis or endangerment in this era of globalization has been a great concern to most Linguists which is the main concern this paper. The endangered languages are doomed to go into extinction like species lacking reproductive capacity. The target of this paper is therefore to discuss the circumstances; using the northern Nigeria language situation as a case study, that leads to language mortality, through the corollaries and agencies of globalization. The paper discovered that globalization has both positive and negative effects of globalization although the negative effect is more pronounced on the languages. The paper therefore recommends that mobilize remedial steps must be languages from the negative effects of globalization. This, if done will reduce the rate of language endangerment and death especially in northern Nigeria.
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    A Socio- Cultural and Linguistic Analysis of Gbagyi Names
    (Department of Languages and Linguistics, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, 2015-10-01) Abraham, David A.; Amende, Charles A.; Muhammad, Bashir Yusuf
    Names apart from serving as makers of individuals’ identities reveal the deep rooted socio semantic and cultural values, experience, prevailing situations and philosophies of a given society. The focus of this paper therefore, is on the structure and socio-semantic and cultural importance of Gbagyi names and their relevance to cultural promotion and identity of Gbagyi nation. It will also examine the various perspectives leading to the understanding of Gbagyi names and the meanings of Gbagyi names to their society. The method of data collection employed in collecting data for the work is that of interaction with the Gbagyi native speakers. Written materials on Gbagyi were also consulted to elicit Data. Direct observations among native speakers of the language also formed part of the method of data collection employed. The Data collected were analysed based on the structure and meaning of Gbagyi given names. The paper,though may not be as exhaustive provides an insight into the structure and semantics and values of Gbagyi personal names as reveals the implications and importance of names to the bearers in Gbagyi and to the general public at large.
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    A SOCIO- CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF GBAGYI NAMES
    (Department of Languages and Linguistics, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, 2015-10-26) Abraham, David A.; Amende, Charles A.
    Names apart from serving as marks of individuals ’ identities reveal the deep rooted socio semantic and cultural values, experience, prevailing situations and philosophies of a given society. The focus of this paper therefore, is to examine Linguistics and socio-semantic and Linguistics implications of Gbagyi names and their relevance to cultural promotion and identity of Gbagyi nation. It will basically carry out a linguistics analysis of Gbagyi names looking at the semantic and structural implications of the names. The primary and secondary research methods were employed in carrying this work; while the primary source shall be based on the interaction and direct observations among native speakers of the language, the secondary source shall be based on written materials on Gbagyi language. The Data collected shall be analysed based on the structure and meaning of Gbagyi given names. The paper therefore, though may not be as exhaustive, is hoped to provide an insight into the structure and semantic values of Gbagyi personal names and will also make the reader to appreciate the implication and importance of names to the bearers in Gbagyi language.
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    SOCIOLINGUISTICS SITUATION AND THE PLIGHT OF THE MINORITY IN NORTHERN NIGERIA: A CASE STUDY OF GBAGYI
    (Department of Languages and Linguistics, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, 2015-11-26) Amende, Charles A.; Abraham, David A.
    Much has been documented in Sociolinguistics about the advantages of bilingualism but perhaps not much has been done to examine the negative effects it has on smaller languages. The focus of this paper is therefore on the sociolinguistic situations that involve the dominance of Hausa on other .......minority, languages.in the North especially the .Gbagyi language.In another development, It examines the level of interference of Hausa lexis and sentence patterns in Gbagyi as one of the minorities languages in northern Nigeria, using Blench’s 1017 wordlist. The paper also determines the extent of Hausa influence on the Gbagyi as well as found out the means of preserving it from total extinction. • The descriptive statistical method is employed in gathering data and the simple percentage tool is also used to discover the extent' of incursion of Hausa into Gbagyi language. This paper finally tries in proffering solutions on how the language can be revitalized and saved from going into extinction.