CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 General Background
Language is the fabric that ties every member of the society together. It is an instrument used by man for specific purposes. The focus of this research is to shed light on how noun phrases are formed in Migili language. Migili is a Nigerian language spoken in Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The first chapter of this research focuses on the genetic classification of Migili language, the scope and organization of study, the theoretical framework, data collection, that is that government and binding theory.
According to Winkler (2007:l05) “Syntax is the branch of linguistics that is concerned with the principles by which the phrases and words of a language are combined to make sentences”. In other words, syntax is a sub-field of linguistics that studies the arrangement of words in a sentence.
1.2 Historical Background of Migili
Migili refers to the name of a language and also a group of people. The Migili people constitute about 96% of the total population of Agyaragu in Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Nigeria. The language is spoken by about 18,000 speakers.
History has it that different tribes such as Migili, Alago and Eggon settled at Kororofa kingdom in Taraba State. It was said that a man named Akuka was denied the right to the throne and as a result had to leave Kororofa together with some other members of the Migili tribe to a place called Ukari and later to Lafia region. Some of them moved to Abuja (FCT), Minna in Niger State and Kubacha in Kaduna state.
The Eggon tribe is a close neighbour of the Migili with some of them having the knowledge of Migili language. Today, Migili language has various alternate names like; Ligili, Jijili, Koro of Lafia, among others.
1.3 Socio-Cultural Profile
Like most communities around them, the socio-cultural background of the people of Migili include: Occupation, Religion, Festival, Mode of dressing, Marriage etc.
1.3.1 Occupation
The Migilis are predominantly farmers. Yam is the major cash crop that is being produced in the area. Some other agricultural produce include: guinea corn, maize, millet, groundnut and beans. However, they also engage in weaving and artistic works.
1.3.2 Religion
The Migili people are predominantly Christians. Before the coming of the missionaries, the Migilis were traditionally religion worshippers who has beliefs in ancestral gods. By the coming of Christianity, a lot of people who were traditional worshippers became converts and embraced Christianity.
1.3.3 Festival
One major festival in Migili land is the Odu masquerade festival. The Odu masquerade is dressed in colourful masks and displays spectacular dancing skills and beautiful dance steps. According to the people, Odu was the god of war and it is believed that he helped the people win battles equipping them with magical and spiritual powers.
1.3.4 Mode of Dressing
The people of Migili are fashionable people. There are people who still preserve the tradition of their ancestors and their rich culture. In the olden days, both male and female were usually seen wearing bracelets, cowries, beads. Another distinguishing feature of the Migili’s was the plaiting of head by both men and women.
Nowadays, civilization has played a significant role in the mode of dressing of the people as most of them especially the younger ones now dress in western fashion.
1.3.5 Marriage
Before the coming of the missionaries into the Migili society, marriage was done by the father of the boy approaching the mother of the girl (from birth) and paying a token amount of money to her parents. Once this has been done the girl was said to be betrothed and will continue to live with her parents until she gets about fifteen (15) years of age. The boy pays his first installment of her dowry and farms for the father-in-law once every year.
Today, wedding are done in churches and unlike before women are free to choose their groom and are not mandated to marry from their society alone.
1.4 Genetic Classification
According to Greeberg (1966:8), African languages belong to various families, and there are four main groups.
These groups are: Niger Kordofanian, Nilo-Sahara, Afro-Asiatic and Khoisan.
NIGER KORDOFANIAN
NIGER CONGO KORDOFANIAN
Mande Atlantic Congo
Atlantic Ijoid Volta Congo
Kru Kwa North Volta Congo Benue Congo
Akpe Platoid Defoid Edoid Nupoid Idomoid ukumoid Igboid Cross river Bantoid
Tarokoid
Beremic Southern Adunic Alumic Ninzic West East North
Yeskwa Gyongic Koro Hyamic Jiju Tyap Irigwe
Koro Zuba Koro Ija Jijilic Koro-Makamei Koro Mijili koro Lafiya
Adapted from Roger Blench (2006)
1.5 Scope and Organization of Study
This research is aimed at discussing the general overview of Noun Phrase in Migili language. This research work is divided into five chapters.
Chapter one which is the introductory part include: the historical background, socio-cultural profile, the scope and organization of study as well as the theoretical framework, the data collection method and data analysis and lastly , a brief review of the chosen framework.
Chapter two shall focus on the basic syntactic concept such as phrase structure rule, lexical categories, basic word order and the sentence types.
Chapter three contains the main aspect of study which is the Noun Phrase. In this chapter, the nature of Noun phrase in Migili language and the processes that are attested will be discussed.
Chapter four will examine the transformational processes such as focusing, relativization, reflexivization and question formation.
Chapter five which is the last chapter will present a brief summary of the whole research and also the conclusion and recommendation based on the findings.
1.6 Theoretical Framework
The theory to be adopted in this research is the government and binding theory in the analysis of Noun Phrase in Migili language.
1.7 Data Collection
This research is made possible through the bi-lingual language helpers. However, the Ibadan four hundred words list and some sentence constructions are used to extract necessary information from the language helpers (informants). The method of collection was through direct translation from English to Migili language. The language helpers speak Migili, English, Hausa and Eggon.
Reverend Albert a man of God in Agyaragu is one of the informants that made this research work possible. Also, Mr Ayuba Osibi Haruna, a typist in the Local Government played a major role in the collection of the necessary data used in this research work.
1.7.1 Data Analysis
In order to have accurate analysis for this research, the Ibadan four hundred word list with an equivalent meaning of the items in Migili language was used.
Also, the frame technique used in this research is by framing of sentences in English language and the translation of these sentences into Migili language by the informant. This enables the researcher to determine the actual underlying form of a word, constituent and possible syntactic classes to which each word belongs in Migili language.
1.8 Review of the Chosen Framework
The theory to be used in the analysis of Noun Phrase in Migili language is the Government and Binding Theory (GB). This theory is a modular deductive theory of universal grammar which posits multiple levels of representation related by the transformational rule. However, it is a more advanced theory of universal grammar. Sanusi (1996:19-21).
Again, Sanusi (1996:21) explains that government and binding theory greatly eliminates proliferation of transformational rules like: passive, affix-hopping, verb-number agreement, question formation, equi-Np deletion, raising, permutation, insertion e.t.c.
Haegeman (1991:13) defines government and binding theory as a theory of universal grammar which is the system of all the principles that are common to all human languages. Government and binding theory is otherwise known as principles and parameters theory. In government and binding theory, the grammar is a continuous interaction between components and sub-theories embodying different principles and parameters.
Government and binding theory operates through the modules of grammar like government, case, theta, control, binding, bounding and X-bar theories.
1.9 Sub- theories of Government and Binding
Horrocks (1987:29) states that the core grammar of a given language is derived from the interaction of sub – theories of universal grammar. These sub – theories are interrelated that each of them can account for grammaticality or ungrammaticality of any sentence.
These sub-theories are X-bar theory, case theory, Government theory, Control theory, Binding theory, Bounding theory and Theta theory.
The above listed sub-theories are diagrammatically represented below to show the inter-relationship among them.
X- bar Theory The Projection Lexicon
Principle
D – Structure
Case Theory Movement Sounding Φ-Theory
Theory Φ-Criterion
Can't find what you are looking for? Hire A Researchproject Writer To Work On Your Topic or Call 0806-703-7559.
Proceed to Hire a Writer »