Browsing by Author "Philip, Imoh Manda"

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    Basa Personal Names: An Ethno-Pragmatic Survey
    (Department of Language and Linguistics, Nasarawa State University Keffi, 2020-12-05) Philip, Imoh Manda; Dansabo, Nyizo Friday
    Basa language belongs to Western Kainji of Kainji language family. It is spoken in North Central Nigeria, that is, all the Federal councils; Kogi, Nasarawa Niger, and Benue states. The work studies Basa personal names from the ethno-pragmatic perspective. Naming practice, though universal or cross-cultural among human societies, it is remarkably idiosyncratic in style, custom etc. The paper argues that naming practices are not arbitrary labels, but sociocultural tags that show socio-cultural functions, roles and meanings. The paper categorizes the typology of Basa personal names into different types, such as circumstantial, death prevention or reincarnation, idioms tic, riddles and proverbial names. Data for the study were obtained through interviews, personal observation and analyzed using the Leipzig Glossing Rules. Findings from the research show that Basa names undergo different derivational processes and there is a strong interface between a people’s language and their cultural practices, ie. it mirrors how a language is used as a cultural practice and how it serves as a window to understanding the worldview and philosophy of a given people.
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    BASA SENTENTIAL NAMES: A BRIEF DESCRIPTIVE STUDY
    (Department of Language and Linguistics, Nasarawa State University Keffi, 2020-12-12) Philip, Imoh Manda; Dansabo, Nyizo Friday
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    DEVELOPMENT OF REMNANT NIGERIAN LANGUAGES: THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITIES
    (Department of Lanaguages and Linguisitcs, Nasarawa State University Keffi, 2019-04-04) Philip, Imoh Manda; Samuel, Nuhu Baba; Dalhatu, Abigail M.
    This paper examines the issue of developing remnant Nigerian languages and the role of the government as well as the speech community in orthography development. The motivation for this paper stems from the fact that many endangered Nigerian languages are unwritten and efforts have been made over time to develop writing system for these languages but yield little or no result. Beyond these concerted efforts, many indigenous languages are gradually going into extinction due to dearth of writing system, proper planning and poor implementation of policy on small size languages. However, this paper sets out to explicate strategies that could be adopted by the government and the community to forestall the endangerment of remnant Nigerian languages. This study, among other things, shows that unless the government, its Agencies (Ministry of Education, Committees and Societies) and the community put concerted efforts in establishing rapport with specialized institutes, such as NINLAN, SIL, SOAS, Living Tongues Institute, and departments of linguistics all over the country to develop writing system and devising metalanguages for these languages, majority of these languages will be endangered or lost in the near future. The study concludes by reiterating the pivotal role of the government in policy making and implementation, thus advised that the government should provide guidelines, funds and promote the use of indigenous orthography in all levels of education and the media. Also, the study suggests relevant actions on the part of the community and government in order to minimize worst cases of language endangerment. Finally, this paper recommends that Readers Project be set up in every state of the federation as a way to develop, document and revitalize remnant Nigerian languages.
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    LANGUAGE: A SOLUTION FOR EMBATTLED NIGERIA
    (Department of Languages and Linguistics, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2010-02-20) Philip, Imoh Manda
    Language is an apparent subject of much interest. A factor that has been responsible for scholars and researchers inquiry for over a couple of decades on account of its role being the factor upon which humanity is built. A systematic, conventional use of sounds, signs or written symbols in human society for communication and self expression. The role of language is basically communication, social development, progress etc. Language therefore is an indispensable tool for societal peaceful co-existence. To therefore curb the persistent, prevalent crises in Nigeria and its wanton destructive repercussions which hamper development in every respect, language is the first matchless and indispensable tool. This paper views the special roles of language in conflict management and resolution in combatant Nigeria. Language performs four roles which are: to form, inform reform and transform' humans and their society. We shall apply this ideology outlined by systemic grammar to solve the perennial crises facing Nigeria. The functional linguistic approaches in this paper address and cure the personal and psychological maladies experienced by Nigeria describe it as "Language Therapy”.
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    LEXICAL BORROWING: A CASE STUDY OF BASSA LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
    (Department of Languages and Linguistics, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, 2011-01-12) Philip, Imoh Manda; Abraham, David A.
    Language development involves such deliberate systematic activities as a conscious attempt e.g. by a government or a community to promote one language or one form of a language over another. This is done through codification or the planning of specific vocabulary. It also involves designing a standard orthography, dictionary, primers written texts and a meta language etc. Factors responsible for this activity in most African languages are inadequacy of languages with current use, domination of foreign languages. The evidence of contact made by two or more languages is borrowing. When people from different linguistic backgrounds come in contact, they tend to exchange cultures and languages, they tend to make use of words from each other's languages in order to refer things, activities or processes, ways of behaviour, organization etc which do not exist in their native vocabularies. Some of the foreign words employed get intergraded into languages' vocabularies, but are altered in pronunciation in order to adapt to the phonological patterns of the language acquiring them. This process has help language to develop their inadequate vocabularies. This work focuses on the role of borrowing English words for the development of Bassa language.
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    Nominal and Synthetic Compounds in Bassa: Formation and Inflectional Processes
    (Department of Languages and Linguistics, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, 2012-03-01) Abraham, David A.; Muhammed, Bashir Yusuf; Philip, Imoh Manda
    The study focuses on a descriptive investigation of Bassa nominal and synthetic compounds, a Proto- Kru language sub-categorized under Western Kru family of Benu The study focuses on a descriptive investigation of Bassa nominal and synthetic compounds, a Proto- Kru language sub-categorized under Western Kru family of Benue Congo languages (Blench & Williamson, 1988; Williamson, 1982). The work studies both the pervasive nature of their derivational and inflectional processes in Bassa language. The instruments used for sourcing data for the investigation include, interview corroborated with the native intuitions of the researcher of the language under investigation. The study discovers that compounding is characterized by productive derivational processes. The rule of vowel elision obligatorily applies to the final vowel of the head noun (Ni) where the complement noun (N2) begins with an initial vowel sound. Second, where the compounds are inflected for number, the deverbalizing prefix, the head noun, (Ni), the agreement marker, and the complement (N2) undergo the appropriate inflectional process. Finally, compound formation is also characterized by agreement markers (that is between the head and its complement). The pertinent contribution this investigation does is the fact that some salient characteristics underlying compounding in the language has been discovered. The findings of the research can be used to stimulate further investigations on the compounding of other languages and comparing them with other languages Congo languages (Blench & Williamson, 1988; Williamson, 1982). The work studies both the pervasive nature of their derivational and inflectional processes in Bassa language. The instruments used for sourcing data for the investigation include, interview corroborated with the native intuitions of the researcher of the language under investigation. The study discovers that compounding is characterized by productive derivational processes. The rule of vowel elision obligatorily applies to the final vowel of the head noun (Ni) where the complement noun (N2) begins with an initial vowel sound. Second, where the compounds are inflected for number, the deverbalizing prefix, the head noun, (Ni), the agreement marker, and the complement (N2) undergo the appropriate inflectional process. Finally, compound formation is also characterized by agreement markers (that is between the head and its complement). The pertinent contribution this investigation does is the fact that some salient characteristics underlying compounding in the language has been discovered. The findings of the research can be used to stimulate further investigations on the compounding of other languages and comparing them with other languages.
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    Personal Names: An Ethno-Pragmatic Study of Basa Death Prevention Strategy
    (Department of Languages and Linguistics, Nasarawa State University Keffi, 2021-03-03) Philip, Imoh Manda; Dansabo, Nyizo Friday
    This paper investigates personal naming practice as a strategy for preventing death among the Basa people of North-Central Nigeria, from the socio-cultural perspective, that is, it seeks to identify and analyze certain names and naming pattern as a strategy in preventing infant mortality. In this language, death prevention names can generate and maintain some level of assurance and security that is vital for the survival of a child given the belief that certain spiritual forces are responsible for incessant child mortality. These names are believed to link the bearer with their past, ancestors and deities. The quantitative approach was used with the study population as well as introspection to elicit the primary data supplemented by school registers in the study area. The secondary data were obtained via the onomastic literature. Different factors are responsible for the bestowal of the first name, but this study focuses only on those influenced by death, particularly, those used to appeal to ancestors, deities and those used to taunt or dare death. The study discovered that personal naming among the Basa people goes beyond mere personal labels to telling stories that index various social and psychological factors and circumstances surrounding the family and the birth of the name bearer, sometimes, these names serve as appellations and a means of communication to the interpelled who are usually ancestors or
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    The Pragma - Semantics of Bassa Proverbs
    (Department of English Language and Linguistics, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2011-02-03) Philip, Imoh Manda
    This paper examines the pragma-semantic functions of Bassa proverbs. The inspiration for this work derives from the little attention paid to this aspect of linguistic literature and the peculiar meanings underlying such nuggets of wit in Bassa language. Proverbs are wise sayings that address the heart of the discourse in any given context truthfully and objectively. In Bassa language, proverbs are; the means by which messages are conveyed to their destination. They are structured in short sayings of wit and pleasing to hear. The meanings of proverbs can be worked out within the semantic theory. Hence, the Use Referential Theory model is the frame within which this work is situated. Ultimately, there is no parallel between the semantic sense of a proverb and the implied or pragmatic one.
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    Recounting History through Pristine Settlements: A Study of Selected Basa Toponyins in Nasarawa and Toto Local Governments of Nasarawa State
    (Department of Language and Linguistics, Nasarawa State University Keffi, 2022-09-09) Philip, Imoh Manda; Dansabo, Nyizo Friday
    This paper studies Basa toponyms in Toto and Nasarawa local government councils of Nasarawa State. Every place name in most Nigerian and African settlements has narratives which constitute the symbolic historical narrative behind it. The study seeks to answer the question: What are the motivations and the narratives behind toponyms in Toto and Nasarawa local government councils of Nasarawa stale? Ethnographic data for the study were obtained through interviews and metalinguistic conversations in Basa speaking domains of Toto and Nasarawa local councils. The investigation adopted the linguistic descriptive method using the Leipzig Glossing Rule to interpret the data obtained. The facts in this study show that, while various approaches such as oral history, archaeology and other scientific methods can be used by researchers to study toponyms, a linguistic approach can also be adopted as an alternative complement. The findings from this study show that place names are historical preserving strategies and tools among the Bas& ethnic group in Toto and Nasarawa local government areas. The linguistic approach used in the study revealed that the place names examined in the study involves various grammatical structures through complex morphological processes to derive their surface forms. The commonest sources of nomination of Basa toponyms are geographical features, water bodies, vegetations, animals, ideology, personal names, ideophones, transfer of settlement names and social factors. The investigation unearths, reminds, teaches and preserves unknown stories encapsulated in these toponyms.
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    Revisiting WH-Movement in Basa Language: A Government Binding Account
    (Department of English, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, 2015-01-17) Philip, Imoh Manda; David, Abraham Areo; Isa, Gambo; Daniel, Philip Moles
    Basa language is classified as belonging to Kainji family, under the sub-phylum Westem-Kainji (Croizier, and Blench, 1992:32). It is spoken in North Central Nigeria, such as the Federal Councils, Niger, Nasarawa, Benue, and Kogi States. This work investigates the intricacies and complexities underlying wh-movement in^Basa. In addition to the native intuitions of the researcher, data collected for this work include discourse observation and staged discourse by fluent native speakers. The study discovered that when this movement occurs, the moved constituent moves with all the grammatical properties associated with it at the extraction site. The study uncovered six (6) wh-phrases as items that are generated within IP but are moved within the containing SPEC-CP as leftmost constituents to form non-echo wh-questions. When this happens, it leaves the extraction site and adjoins within SPEC-CP leaving an empty category in the vacated position. This empty trace is properly/antecedent governed by the moved wh-item in- line with requirement of empty category principle of Government and Binding, in the spirit of which this study is undertaken. In Basa, I-constituents remain in-situ. The interesting discoveries in this work can be replicated in related African languages, especially those characterised by a similar syntactic parameter.
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    VERBAL EXTENSIONS: VALENCY DECREASING EXTENSIONS IN THE BASA LANGUAGE
    (Department of Languages and Linguistics, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, 2017-10-01) Abraham, David A.; Philip, Imoh Manda; Moles, Philip Daniel; Isa, Gambo
    This work investigates verbal extensions that affect the valency of verbs in the Basa& language (Western Kainji). It focuses on verbal inflections that result in the reduction of the verb’s valency by one argument with regard to the basic structure. This current study attempts to investigate the morphosyntactic effects of reciprocal and reflexive affixes in the Basa& sentences. The significance of this work hinges on the fact that no known work has described these processes in Basa&. The language is endangered because its native speakers neglect speaking it in favour of English and Hausa. Furthermore, there is dearth of information on Basa&, especially in areas of morphology and syntax, which are basic to the study of language. study will therefore attempt to fill this existing gap in the literature. In addition to the native intuitions of one of the researchers, as a native speaker of the Basa language, data collected for this work include discourse observation, staged and elicited spoken data from fluent native speakers. It was found in the study that affixes attached to the verb root result in deriving an intransitive verb from a transitive one, and a transitive verb from a bi- or ditransitive. Both operations are triggered by verbal extensions and move the internal argument (object) to the subject position. The derived structure, therefore, is headed by a complex noun phrase but the verb no longer sub categorizes an internal argument. The work explores the morphosyntax of Basa& verbs and serves as a springboard for this aspect of Basa morphosyntax. It also contributes to the morphosyntactic literature.
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    Violation of Bijection Principle: More Evidence from Reflexive and Reciprocal Constructions of Selected Languages
    (Department of Language and Linguistics, Nasarawa State University Keffi, 2022-04-04) Philip, Imoh Manda; Dansabo, Nyizo Friday
    This study investigates rejlcxivization and reciprocal constructions in the Basa, Ilausa, Egbura/Igbira and Kono languages which appear to be universally attested in languages. The assumption of rejlcxivization and reciprocal is that many languages do not usually repeal the subject in the object position; rather, a rejlexive/reciprocal pronoun is expressed in grammatical constructions which is co-rcjerential with the subject in the object position. Basa belongs to Western Kainji language family. It is spoken in North Central Nigeria, that is, all the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) councils, Kogi, Niger, Nasarawa and Benue states. Ilausa genetically is a Chadic sub stock of Afro-Asiatic language family spoken, predominantly in northern Nigeria by not less than twenty four million people in Africa: nineteen million people in Nigeria, five million in Niger and one million in Cameroon, Togo and Benin. Egbura/Igbira is a Nupoid group of the Volta Niger of the Niger Congo language family spoken in Kogi, Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Kdno (Kwono or Konu) are situated in Saminaka. The language belongs to Kainji Eastern of Benue Congo language family. The aim and objective of this study is to show the limitation and weakness of the Bijection Principle and suggest a more universal method or approach which can account for other languages with contrastive parameters. In these languages, every pronominal subject-DP in a basic sentence displays an obligatory resumptive pronoun which functions assubject agreement [Subject Concord]. This study focuses on the syntactic position and function of Basa, Ilausa, Egbura/Igbira and Kono reflexive/ reciprocal constructions to answer the question "To what extent does the Bijection Principle valid universally?” the study discovered that the Bijection Principle is not valid universally, not even in the language where it is based The Leipzig Glossing rule nw used to interpret the data obtained. The finding from this study shows that reflexive constructions in the languages under survey violate the Bijection Principle in grammatical constructions which is supposed to be universal by examining the theoretical implications of the co-occurrence of resumptive pronoun/object agreement marker with reflexive binding. The study aligns itself with Sell (rg8g.g) which suggests that a syntactic theory should provide a descriptive space within which the range of variations found among other languages arc precisely captured; that is, a theory should be flexible enough to allow all variations Found