STRUCTURES AND FUNCTIONS OF REDUPLICATES IN ENGLISH AND EDUMỌGA DIALECT OF IDỌMA
Keywords:
Structure, function, English, Edumọga, reduplicatesAbstract
Morphological reduplicates are a feature of most languages. As a word formation process, they enrich the word stock of languages and spice up conversations. Available empirical evidence has shown that the reduplicates of English and Idọma have been studied separately, though not from a comparative viewpoint. This study looked at reduplicates in English and Edumọga dialect of Idọma with the aim of identifying reduplicative forms and their grammatical classes, describing the structures of the identified reduplicates in the two languages, and explaining the functions of reduplicates in the languages. The data consists of reduplicates taken from English and Edumọga dialect. Samples of English reduplicates were obtained from English language text books and other secondary materials. The researcher used the participatory observation method to collect data from different speakers at age-group meetings, drinking joints, markets, public works, as well as in interpersonal conversations in the studied areas. The data were analysed and discussed using onomasiological theory of morphological processes. The results showed different structural patterns of reduplicates in the two languages, with those of Edumọga dialect showing more complex forms and pointed out that in terms of process of formation, structures and functions, reduplicates in the two languages are different from each other. It also revealed that though many of the reduplicates studied function as individual parts of speech, some reduplicates in Edumọga are sentences.
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