ABSTRACT
Wh-movement is a transformational process which causes the
displacement of a wh-element from its base generated position to string initial
position. This movement process is used to structurally change a wh-question.
This study investigated the movement of wh-elements in question formation in
Kọring. Kọring is a minority language spoken in parts of Ebonyi and Benue
states. The data used in the analysis were collected from a series of fieldwork
undertaken by the researcher. The data were analysed, using the minimalist framework
of Chomsky (1993, 1995). It is found that both the LF wh-movement and the
syntactic wh-movement are existing in question formation in Kọring. It is also
found that the application of syntactic wh-movement in Kọring has its own
parameter of insertion and movement of constituents.
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background of the Study
Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and
multi-lingual nation. It is estimated that there are over four hundred
different ethnic groups in the country. Each group has its own language.
However, only three languages – Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo- are regarded as the
major languages in Nigeria. Consequently, the other remaining languages,
including Kọring are classified as minor languages.
The Kọring
language is spoken in some parts of Ebonyi and Benue states of Nigeria. It is
said that Kọring is an endangered language (Anagbogu 2005:132). There are four
Kọring speaking communities in Ebonyi State. These are made up of Okpoto,
Effium, and Ntezi in Ishielu Local Government Area: and Amuda in Ohaukwu Local
Government Area of the state. In Benue State, the language is spoken in Ọffịa
and Ụtọnkọn, which are in Okpokwu Local Government Area (Ejiofor 2006; Anagbogu
2003). Ejiofor (2006) traces the origin of the Kọring to the Ukelle proto –
language. Kọring belongs to the Upper-Cross group of the Delta-Cross sub-branch
of the Cross River language family (Anagbogu 2005:132; cf Williamson and Blench
2003; Crozier and Blench 1992:118). Hence, this research is inspired by the
need to subject the language to the modern form of syntactic analyses.
1.2
Area of Study
The Okpoto dialect of the
Kọring language is chosen for the analysis of this research because it is the
variety spoken by the researcher’s informants. Okpoto is a community in Ishielu
Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. It is bounded to the north by Eziulo, to
the east by Ntezi and Ezza, to the west by the Ebonyi River and to the south by
Ohafia Agbo in Ezzakumoru. Okpoto is about fifteen kilometers from Abakaliki,
occupying an area of about 259 square kilometers, and it has a population of
about 28,000 (Anagbogu 2005:132).
1.3
Objectives
i. Kọring
is a minority language which has not been adequately studied. This prompted
the researcher to investigate an aspect of Kọring grammar within the framework
of the minimalist programme. This is to determine the extent the grammatical
framework can account for the data used in this study.
ii.
As a contribution to academic
research in linguistics, the study is intended to show to what extent the data
can be accommodated within the grammatical framework.
iii.
It will help to create
awareness on the existence of the language and consequently promote its use by
the native speakers.
iv.
The adult native speakers, who
have been finding it difficult to make the language attractive to their
children, will find this research as a helping tool. This is because the
children, having read the work, will be inspired to embrace and embark on more
researches on the language.
1.4
Scope of the Study
The study is limited to the
Okpoto variety of Kọring. Okpoto is more easily accessible to the researcher
because it is the variety spoken by the informants. The study is also
restricted to simple wh-questions in Kọring. This is to enhance easy understanding
of the analyzed data.
1.5
. Research Methodology
1.5.1
Data Collection
Many native speakers of the
Okpoto variety of the Kọring language were consulted. They were given some
simple sentences where wh-expressions are placed in-situ and where they
(wh-expressions) are moved to Spec, Cp to translate and provide their
glosses.
The
informants were contacted several times. While some contacts were made in order
to collect fresh data from them, others were made in order to verify already
collected data. I met my principal informant, Mr. John Agbo in 2006 at Awka.
One of my informants in the 2006 research on the genetic relation of the
Kukelle language and the Kọring language, Mr. Pius Nnaka, told me that there
are many Kọring families in the Awka metropolis. Hence, I found Mr. Agbo in my
search for any native speaker of Kọring in Awka. He helped me then by making
available, as many as necessary, his kinsmen. So, I found it easier to reach
him and his kinsmen for this research. Virtually all my informants are adults
who claim to have not been out of Kọring speaking areas for more than four
consecutive months. Moreover, I tried to verify how reliable are the collected
data by using them on different days, while they (my informants) rightly
interpreted and glossed them as recorded, though with some difficulties as a
result of my poor pronunciations of some of the data.
1.5.2
Data Analysis
Data comprising wh-in-situ and
wh-movement in Kọring were collected by me from my informants and glossed by
them (my informants). The versions of the data where wh-words or expressions
are placed in-situ and where they are moved were compared. That was done in
order to observe their differences, especially the movements of the
wh-expressions. The data were then analyzed using the theory of the minimalist
programme.
Since the 1980s and the 1990s,
the GB Theory has been the major framework of the syntactic principles.
Minimalism has arisen in the modern time to succeed the GB Theory (Napoli
1996:389). According to Napoli, “the source of the name for this theory is the
theory’s goal: minimizing the syntactic apparatus needed to generate
sentences”.
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