Demonstrative Paradigms in English and Ibibio: Some Contrastive Observations

Authors

  • Maria-Helen Ekah Department of English University of Uyo

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18533/journal.v7i5.1347

Keywords:

Deictic Markers, Demonstrative, Head, Specifier.

Abstract

This paper describes demonstrative paradigms in English and Ibibio based on their syntactic and semantic behaviours, especially with English as the language of education in Nigeria. This study is anchored on Chomsky (1986) generative grammar paradigm to explain the structures of demonstratives in the two languages and argues that the structures resemble and differ from each other in some respects and gives possible linguistic implications for Ibibio speakers of English. While data for English were extracted from English grammar texts, those of Ibibio were extracted by the researcher’s native speaker’s knowledge of the language. From the analyses, it is discovered that while demonstrative paradigm in English is a two-way opposition, Ibibio has a three-way opposition. It explains that all demonstratives in English inflect for person and number whereas of the two classes of demonstratives in Ibibio one class inflects for number while the other does not. It establishes that this grammatical unit functions as subject and determiner in the two languages while in Ibibio it further functions as an article and a verb.

References

Aarts, B. (2008). English Syntax: An Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Aboh, R. &Uduk, H. (2017). Discourse and Meaning. Ibadan: Craft Books.

Adger, D. (2003). Core Syntax: A Minimalist Approach. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Agbedo, C. U. (2015). General Linguistics. Nsukka: KUMCEE-Ntaeshe Press.

Anyanwu, O. (2010). Specifier – Noun Relations in Ngwa Igbo. In Udo, I. (Ed.) Usem: Journal of Languages,

Linguistics and Literature, Supplement1, Pp. 51-63.

Chomsky, N. (1986). Knowledge of Language: Its Nature, Origin and Use. New York: Praeger.

Eka, D. (1994). Elements of Grammar and Mechanics of the English Language.Uyo: SAMUF.

Essien, O. E. (1990). A Grammar of the Ibibio Language. Ibadan: University Press.

Etim, A. F. (2016). Deictic Categories in Ibibio. Multidisciplinary Journal of Academic Excellence. Vol. 16, No. 1,

Dec, 2016, pp. 1-12.

Josiah, U. (2013). Pronominal Inflections in English and Ibibio: Some Contrastive and Pedagogical

Observations.Journal of Nigerian English and Literature. Vol.10, pp. 157-172.

Leech, G. & Svartvik, A. S. (2013). A Communicative Grammar of English. New York: Routledge.

Ndimele, O. (1996). An Advanced English Grammar & Usage. Aba: NINLAN Books.

Ndimele, O. (1999). Morphology and Syntax. Port Harcourt: M & J Grand Orbit Communications.

Quirk, R. &Greenbaum, S. (1973). A University Grammar of English. Harlow: Longman.

Radford, A. (1997). Syntax: A Minimalist Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Radford, A. (2004). English Syntax: An Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Tomori, O. (1997). Morphology and Syntax of Present-Day English. Ibadan: University Press.

Trask, R. L. (1993). A Dictionary of Grammatical Terms in Linguistics. London: Routledge.

Downloads

Published

2018-05-20

Issue

Section

Article

Similar Articles

11-20 of 32

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.