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Browsing Department of English by Author "Akase, Tiav Thomas"
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Item Open Access ACCULTURATION IN THE PERIOD OF GLOBALIZATION: TIV LANGUAGE EXPERIENCE(Department of English, Nasarawa State University Keffi, 2012-07-05) Akase, Tiav Thomas; Amende, Charles A.Acculturation is the adoption of the element of one culture by a different cultural group. Culture entails the knowledge, belief art, morals, laws, customs, habits, and language acquired by the people of the society. Language is known to be the sole transmitter of culture. Globalization encourages integration among countries and cultures across the world. The forces of globalization have therefore, endangered the world's linguistic and cultural diversity. This paper therefore, examines the effects of globalization on Tiv language and culture in recent times. The paper will also suggest useful solutions to avoid total annihilation of the Tiv man's valued cultural heritage.Item Open Access AMBIGUITY IN TIV DISCOURSE(Department of Englsih, Nasarawa State University keffi, 2019-04-04) Akase, Tiav ThomasThis study examines ambiguity in Tiv discourse and how it can be interpreted. Ambiguity connotes a situation where a word or sentence has more than one meaning or interpretation. Ambiguity affects communication in language where meaning is distorted between a speaker and a listener, leading to misinterpretation and misunderstanding. This study therefore examines ambiguity in general with emphasis on lexical and structural ambiguities. Other causes or factors that are responsible for ambiguity in Tiv such as homonymy and polysemy are also examined. The study reveals instances of such ambiguities in Tiv discourse. The choice of appropriate words and the role of context are used to disambiguate such ambiguities. This is done, in order to ensure effective communication in Tiv as well as to contribute to the development of the Tiv language.Item Open Access AN ANALYSIS OF LINGUISTIC ARCHITECTURE OF TIV ANTHROPONOMASTICS(Department of English, Nasarawa State University Keffi, 2013-01-07) Akase, Tiav ThomasAnthroponomastics is a subdivision of Onomastics. It is concerned with the study of personal names. It is different from Toponomastics which is place names. The division is however an arbitrary one, as places are often named after people and vice versa. Personal name refers to the names of people assigned to them by their parents, relatives, guardians or elderly members of the family and the community. Tiv personal names have a structure that reflects the grammatical structure of the language. This structure of personal names is however, something that most of us take completely for granted. This is because, we are so used to the mentioning and understanding our native names with unselfconscious ease that we do not notice the complex linguistic architecture that underlies almost every Tiv personal name. It is in view of this that, the work is carried out to examine the various grammatical structures that are found in Tiv personal names, beginning from the smallest constituent of personal names to larger ones.Item Open Access Aspects of traditional Tiv naming practices: A sociocultural account(Department of English, Nasarawa State University Keffi, 2019-01-05) Mensah, Eyo; Rowan, Kirsty; Akase, Tiav Thomas; Ishima, JighjighAbstract Naming in the African cultural context serves both referential and connotative functions as a unique means of identity construction which contains important cultural meaning and metaphysical presuppositions. Among the Tiv people of Benue State, North-central Nigeria, personal names reflect social relations and reveal major insights into their history, philosophy, language, spirituality’ and worldview. Naming practices in Tiv are indicative of the community’s social existence and redefine the essence of its being. This article explores the interaction of the Tiv people naming system with their sociocultural experi ence and physical environment. We investigate how naming intersects with social class distinction (wealth vs. poverty), emotions, occupations and topography, and examine their sources, social categorization and socio-onomastic significance. This study is theoretically rooted in Goddard’s (2006) ethnopragmatic paradigm which examines the locally relevant construction of cultural and contextual meanings in the interpretation of language. Data for the study were sourced from two Tiv communities of Gboko and Makurdi in Benue State, Nigeria through participant observations, personal interviews and conversations with name-bearers, -givers and -users. We conclude that Tiv personal names reflect the socio cultural environment and provide prominent sites for the creative expression of the Tiv social universe and lived cultural experiences.Item Open Access DIALECT DISTANCE AMONG GBAGY1 DIALECTS: GBAGYI NGE-NGE AND GBAGYI NKWA(Department of English, Nasarawa State University Keffi, 2021-01-01) Amende, Charles A.; Akase, Tiav Thomas; Salisu, Muhammad Raj.This work examines dialect distance among Gbagyi dialects. Dialect distance connotes the degree of mutual intelligibility between dialects of the same language. The degree of mutual intelligibility however, relates to the extent of divergence between the dialects of Gbagyi language; and is measured by the degree of closeness in the writing system and pronunciation, coupled with high tendencies of cognacy between the dialects of the language. Mutuality breeds cordial relationship and understanding between speakers of a language, and its absence may often create problems in communication which may lead to misunderstanding, misinterpretation, and disintegration. This work therefore, examines the extent of dialect distance between two (2) dialects of Gbagyi language as they affect speakers of both dialects. The study is survey in nature; and findings reveal that mutual intelligibility exists between Gbagyi Nge-Nge and Gbagyi Nkwa dialects of Gbagyi language but the degree of mutual intelligibility is low. The study suggests a harmonization of the dialects for the standardization of the Gbagyi language.Item Open Access DIALECT DISTANCE AMONG GBAGYI DIALECTS: GBAGYI NGE-NGE AND GBAGYI NKWA(DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH FACULTY OF ARTS NASARAWA STATE UNIVERSITY, KEFFI, 2020-07-16) Amende, Charles A.; Akase, Tiav Thomas; Salisu, Muhammad RajThis work examines dialect distance among Gbagyi dialects. Dialect distance connotes the degree of mutual intelligibility between dialects of the same language. The degree of mutual intelligibility however, relates to the extent of divergence between the dialects of Gbagyi language; and is measured by the degree of closeness in the writing system and pronunciation, coupled with high tendencies of cognacy between the dialects of the language. Mutuality breeds cordial relationship and understanding between speakers of a language, and its absence may often create problems in communication which may lead to misunderstanding, misinterpretation, and disintegration. This work therefore, examines the extent of dialect distance between two (2) dialects of Gbagyi language as they affect speakers of both dialects. The study is survey in nature; and findings reveal that mutual intelligibility exists between Gbagyi Nge-Nge and Gbagyi Nkwa dialects of Gbagyi language but the degree of mutual intelligibility is low. The study suggests a harmonization of the dialects for the standardization of the Gbagyi language.Item Open Access THE EFFICACY OF LANGUAGE IN THE PROPAGATION OF RELIGION IN NIGERIA(Department of English, Nasarawa State University Keffi, 2012-07-12) Akase, Tiav ThomasLanguage is the chief tool for effective communication. Be it science, politics or religion, it is language that plays the crucial role in the propagation of axioms and ideas. There are different kinds of languages that are peculiar to the physical, natural and social sciences. But whether there is any specific language in the disclosure of religion is a question that needs to be discussed and analyzed. If comparative study of religion is carried out world over, it will be clear that there is no specific or universal language of religion. This is because unlike other sciences which are empirical in nature, religion is faindamentally an experience or awareness involving trans-empirical elements within its ambit. For this reason, its language is quite distinct and desires serious attention.Item Open Access Ethnopragmatic Analysis of Tiv Pet Names for Married Women(Department of English, Nasarawa State University Keffi, 2020-03-03) Akase, Tiav Thomas; Leo, Jighjigh; Ishima, JustusThis study is on ethnopragmatic analysis of Tiv pet parts of people are predominantly found in Benue Stat® of are fxpreSsions of affection the country like Nasarawa and Taraba states. Pet n relationship by husbands to and other forms of endearments used only in a marr‘f js a normaJ healthy thing strengthen their emotional link or union and commitmen^ ^ wjves The study for husbands who are happy, satisfied and passiona . their sources, social examines the motivation for the pet names among Y ' names in the categorization or classification and above all, the sigm icanc ot-Qns that pet Tiv society. The article explores the various experiences a ^ interpretation of convey. It also looks at the culturally and contextua m^an* re gathered from the Tiv the pet names discussed in the study. Data for this stu y .ews, conVersations with speaking area of Benue state, Nigeria through persona in servationS- The data is the pet name bearers and givers, and through par iclPan semantic or denotative analyzed based on ethnopragmatic meaning rat er based on their sources for meanings of the pet names. The pet names are a so gro p g exhibit intimacy and easy analysis. The findings from this study show a P bearers and givers of pet love between the bearers and the givers of the names, f they instill sanity, peace, names are good living examples that other coup es emu unity and harmony in marriages and families.Item Open Access LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGERS OF ORGANIZATIONS IN NIGERIA(Department of Language and Linguistics, Nasarawa State University Keffi, 2011-09-09) Akase, Tiav ThomasManagers of modern organizations are faced with many challenges today; one of them is language and culture. This becomes enormous when the manager has the responsibility of integrating members of the organization who have unique language and cultural values quite distinct from the others to achieve the goals of the organization. The way in which language and culture is managed will therefore, determine the success or failure of the organization. In order to meet up with these challenges, there is need for managers to have good understanding of language and cultural attributes of individual members as it affects their behaviours. This paper therefore, examines language and culture and its implications for managers of organizations in Nigeria. The paper also suggests ways of integrating the culture of members in order to enhance its goals.Item Open Access THE LANGUAGE OF ADVERTISING: A POWERFUL COMMUNICATION TOOL(Department of English, Nasarawa State University Keffi, 2009-07-07) Akase, Tiav ThomasAdvertising has become a profession world wide. This is because it has certain rules governing its practice, a body of knowledge and legal framework setting out its ethnical norms. As a profession and specialized discipline, it needs its language just like other professions and specialized disciplines. This paper therefore, examines the language of advertising as a powerful communication force in the business world. This is because the language of advertising creates mass awareness; convey information and education about goods and services towards extending the markets. More so, when ever it is effectively used, it convinces the listener and changes his mind to go for a particular good or service that is being advertised. The paper also explains why the language of advertising is a specialized form and why it is . different from other varieties of language use.Item Open Access Lexico-Semantic Relations in Tiv(Department of Language and Linguistics, Nasarawa State University Keffi, 2019-03-03) Akase, Tiav ThomasThis work examines semantic relations in Tiv. Semantic relations are a set of words with an identijiable semantic affinity. This affinity creates a relationship between words in which they are connected in order to make more acceptable meaning out of them. It is obvious that semantic relations in Tiv consist of vocabularies that empower speakers of the language in attaining proficiency in the use of the language, but is this always the case? When you listen to most communications in the language, users do not show good mastery and use of sense relations. It follows that, misapplication of these sense relations by speakers render the listeners confused as to what the right option of word or expression should be in a given scenario. This misapplication in the use of the semantic relations would also result to wrong grammatical construction in the language. This work, therefore, calls for the need to identify these semantic relations in Tiv and understand their uses and applications to produce very intelligible and pragmatic sentences. The work examines the various possible semantic relations that exist in Tiv language with emphasis on synonymy, antonymy, homonymy and hyponymy. The tendency for wrong choice of words meant for one situation for another is almost inevitable due to lack of mastery in these areas of linguistic domain. The researchers are able to detect these semantic relations and their wrong applications in this work through the researchers ’ interaction with native speakers using our intuitive knowledge of the language. The work explains the need to educate students and learners of the language on the importance of semantic relations and their appropriate applications in daily discourse. It is also expected that the work will deepen the grammar of the speakers and learners and will further enhance effective communication in the language.Item Open Access The Problem of Meaning in Tiv(Department of English, Nasarawa State University Keffi, 2016-01-05) Akase, Tiav ThomasSemantics is generally accepted to be the study of meaning in language. The effort of scholars to define meaning has lapses against universal acceptability. This means that meaning which is at the centre of semantics has considerable disparity among different scholars on the exact conception of meaning. It is in view of this that Leech (1981) concludes that meaning is elusive and cannot be pinned down to a precise definition. This paper shows that language, as a vital instrument of communication, cannot be effective without meaning. In view of this, certain theories are considered here to explain in an explicit way the nature of meaning. These theories relate meaning to syntax and show the relationship between them. They relate meaning to the contents and situations of word and sentence usage. Of all the theories discussed here, contextual theory is the most comprehensive and most descriptively adequate in accounting for meaning in the Tiv language. Two dimensions of meaning, descriptive and non-descriptive are also revealed in Tiv. The work also shows that tone is very distinctive in providing meaning both lexically and grammatically in the Tiv language. This work is very significant for the teaching of the Tiv language. It also provides another material for the enrichment of the languageItem Open Access Semantic Contradictions of Some Expressive and Regulatory Proverbs in Tiv(Department of English, Nasarawa State University Keffi, 2013-06-08) Akase, Tiav ThomasProverbs are veiy useful instrument among the Tiv people of Benue State. They are used to resolve conflict, teach morals, educate people, emphasise a point made, and give weight to expression. Tiv proverbs cover eveiy aspect of the Tiv life and culture. Proverbial communication is common among aged men. Proverbs are not all straight forward. This inherent contradiction is what this paper explores. The paper therefore analyses the contradiction in philosophy, meaning, intentions and applications of a set of contradictory Tiv -proverbs with the aim of explicating the contradictions - to clarify their meanings and aid usage of such proverbs.Item Open Access SEMANTIC VALUE OF SILENCE IN TIV DISCOURSE(Department of English, Nasarawa State University Keffi, 2021-01-05) Akase, Tiav Thomas; Mohammed, Y.; Amende, Charles A.Semantics attaches meaning and value to all aspects of human behavior including silence. The way we dress, talk, eat, walk, look at things, etc., all convey meaning. This is because everything that human beings do, actions and inactions have meaning in semantics. It.is in view of this t|iat the researchers want to examine the value of silence which is the complete absence of sound or noise in’a discourse. Silence is an aspect of nonverbal communication that is often used; in Tiv Discourse. It expresses information about the,.user’s feelings, ideas, attitudes, etc. People from different cultures' have different meanings and interpretations of silence whenever it is used in any discourse. This work however, Centre sonly on Tiv experience and usage. The findings of the.work show that silence has both positive and negative semantic values in Tiv discourse. Most importantly, the work helps us to knowwhen and how to use it and shall not bother much that it is an insult or one is ignored whenever it is used, for it may convey different meaning. The paper is a contribution to the development of Tiv discourse studies and language in general.Item Open Access Sentential Names In Tiv(Department of Language and Linguistics, Nasarawa State Unversity Keffi, 2019-01-01) Eyo, Mensah; Ishima, Jighjigh; Akase, Tiav ThomasItem Open Access A SOCIO CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF ARABIC PERSONAL NAMES(Department of English, Nasarawa State University Keffi, 2013-08-08) Ayuba, Adam Binchi; Akase, Tiav ThomasThis study is an investigation into the Arabic anthroponomyms which reflects the naming practices of Arab people of Saudi Arabia. The study aims at investigating personal names of Arabs as they look very striking to someone who does not know much about their culture. The names are classified into different categories oh the basis of their sources. The changing pattern or practice of naming of the people will also be examined here. The study is therefore, an attempt towards understanding anthroponomy as a branch of Onomastics in relation to sociolinguistics.