THE PHONETIC AND PHONEMIC DISTRIBUTIONS OF ‘AN’, ‘S̩’, ‘GW’ AND /GH/ IN IFÈ̩ DIALECT

MOSES ADEKUNLE

doi:10.5281/zenodo.21109252

Authors

MOSES ADEKUNLE O̩lábísí O̩nàbánjo̩ University, Ogun state, Nigeria Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21109252

Keywords:

References Language, Advanced Tongue Root, Plus (+), Minus (-), South Western Yoruba, South Eastern Yoruba, Vowel Shifting

Abstract

The ifè̩ dialect has some linguistic peculiarities that establish it as a dialect of the Yorùbá language. However, many of these linguistic distinctiveness have remained elusive to the literary studies in Yoruba linguistics. This paper discusses the phonetic and phonemic distinctive distributions of /an, s, gw, and gh/ in phonotactic constituencies in the Ifè̩ dialect extensively. The paper uses standard Yoruba as the reference language for each phonological description. The data collected in Adéwo̩lé (2021) were used to support many claims in each phonotactic constituency. The data used were descriptively analyzed in tandem with generative theory’s principles. Our findings revealed that vowel ‘an ’ is more extensively used in Ifè̩ than standard Yoruba, where ‘an ’ and ‘o̩n’ are basically allophones of the same phoneme. ‘ʃ’ as a phoneme stands for ‘s’ and ‘ʃ’, in distributive phonological constituencies as occurring in the standard Yoruba in Ifè̩ dialect. ‘Gh’ and ‘gw’ are allophones of the same phoneme in the Ifè̩ dialect. The paper testifies that ‘gh’ is the underlying phoneme because it has larger phonotactic distributions than ‘gw’. Basically, ‘gh’ co-occurs with the vowels with the plus Advance Tongue Root feature, while ‘gw’ harmonies with the vowels having the minus Advance Tongue Root feature. It is hoped that this paper has brought new findings on the phonetic description of ‘an ’, ‘s’, ‘gh’, and ‘gw’ in Ifè̩ to the fore and also added to the intuitive consciousness of the native speakers of the Yoruba language in general.

References

Abraham, R.C (1958). Dictionary of Modern Yoruba. London: University of London.

Adékúnlé, M.A (1997). “Àfiwé Fonó̩ló̩ji È̩ka-Èdè Ifè̩ ati Yorùbá Àjùmò̩lò̩. Unpublished M.A Dissertation, Department of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.

Adéníyì, H. (2005). “Àwo̩n È̩ka-ede Yorùbá”. Adéníyì, H. and A Òjó (eds) Ìlò-èdè àti È̩ka-èdè-Àpá Kejì, Trenton, USA: African World Press.

Adéníyì, H.R. (2010). “The Yorùbá Dialects in West Africa and Beyond. “Presented at the Research Institute for World Languages Os̩aka University, Japan.

Adéwo̩lé, L.O (1990). Fono̩ló̩jì ati Gírámà Yorùbá: Ibadan: University Press.

Adéwo̩lé, L.O (1996). “Ifè̩ Pronouns in Polylectal Grammar” Journal of Nigerian Languages and Literature. 2:56-63.

Ajó̩ńgó̩lò̩, T.O (2005). “Negation in the Ào Dialect of Yorùbá”, Unpublished PhD. Dissertation, Department of Linguistics and African Languages, University of Ibadan. PP.10-11

Awóbùlúyi, O. (1998). “Àwo̩n È̩ka-èdè Yorùbá”. Paper presented at the Annual conference of the Yorùbá Studies Association of Nigeria (YASN) held in Ìbàdàn pastoral institute, Ìbàdàn (Nov.9).

Bamgbose, A. (1990). Fonó̩ló̩j àti Gírámà Yorùbá. Ìbàdàn: University Press.

Bámgbós̩é, A. (2010). Fonóló̩jì and Gírámà Yorùbá (Reprinted). Ìbàdàn: University Press.

Bynon, T. (1996). Historical Linguistics. Cambridge: University of Cambridge Press. P.56.

Capo, H.B.C. (1989) “Defoid” in the Niger Congo Languages, John Bendor Samuel (ed), pp. 275-290. Lehnham: University Press of America.

Ìkò̩tún, R. (2017). “Pronouns in Ije̩s̩a Dialect”, Inquiry in Languages and Literatures. 10:1-14. Department of Linguistics and Languages. Adékúnlé Ajásin University, Àkùngbá-Àkókó, Oǹdó State.

Ogunsina, B.A (1997) “The Phonology of Ifè̩ Dialect, Unpublished B.A. Long essay. Department of Linguistics and African Languages, University of Ibadan, Ibadan.

Olúmúyìwá, O.T. (1994). Àwo̩n È̩ka-Èdè Yorùbá 1. Àkúré̩. Montem Paperbacks.

Olúmúyìwá, T. (2006). “Àwo̩n Wúnrè̩n Onítumò̩-Gírámà nínú Awo̩n È̩ka-Èdè Ààrun Gbùngbún”. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, Department of Linguistics and Languages, Adékúnlé Ajásin. University, Àkìngbó-Àkókó, Òndó State.

Owólabí, K. (2011). Ìjinlè̩ Ìtúpalè̩ Èdè... Fóné̩tíkì àti Fonó̩ló̩jì Èdè Yorùbá. (Àtúns̩e Keji). Ìbàdàn:Akada Publishers.

Pullyblank, D. (1986). “Vocalic Underspecification in Yoruba”. Linguistic Inquiry. 19:233-270.

Trudgill, P. (1994). Dialects, Richard Hundson (ed), London: Routledge.

THE PHONETIC AND PHONEMIC DISTRIBUTIONS OF ‘AN’, ‘S̩’, ‘GW’ AND /GH/ IN IFÈ̩ DIALECT

Authors

DOI:

Keywords:

Abstract

References

Downloads

Published

Issue

Section

License