The Linguistic Variable in Cultural Erosion: TheTiv Experience.

The Tiv ethnic group was once considered to be one of the tribes that had a very rich culture. But for sometime now, there have been complaints that the Tiv culture is last eroding. Many factors have been adduced as being responsible for this ugly development. The dwindling levels of competence and performance in the Tiv language among Tiv people is said to be partly responsible for the high level of cultural erosion. This article attempts to establish the relationship that exists between language and culture, so as to ascertain the claim that language loss leads to cultural erosion. To do this, some selected Tiv speakers were studied with a view to showing that people who arc not in love with the Tiv language, and do not speak it, arc most unlikely to maintain and respect the Tiv culture. We then went ahead to see the negative effects this trend has on the Tiv nation. Findings here arc believed to be what is obtainable among other ethnic groups in Nigeria. Suggestions on how to correct the situation are then made.