The Problem of Meaning in Tiv

Semantics 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 language