NEGATION IN ADIM LANGUAGE

SOWUNMI, OYINDAMOLA ELIZABETH

07/15CB100

A LONG ESSAY SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARMENT OF LINGUISTICS AND NIGERIAN LANGUAGES, FACULTY OF ARTS, UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, ILORIN, KWARA STATE. IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIRMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF A DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF ARTS, B.A (HONS) IN LINGUISTICS.

JUNE, 2011

TABLE OF CONTENT Title Page Certification Dedication Acknowledgements Table of Contents List of Symbols and Abbreviation CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.6.1 1.7 1.7.1 1.7.2 Introduction Historical Background of the Adim People Socio Cultural Profile Genetic Classification Scope and Organisation Data Collection Data Analysis Review of the Theoretical Frame Work X- Bar Theory The Principle of Head Parameters 1 1 3 5 7 8 8 9 11 12 16 18
vi

i ii iii iv v x

1.7.3 Theta Theory 1.7.4 Case Theory

1.7.5 1.7.6 1.7.7

Binding Theory Control Theory The Bounding Theory

20 21 22

CHAPTER TWO: BASIC SYNTACTIC CONCEPTS 2.1 2.2 2.2.1 2.2.2 2.2.3 2.2.4 2.3 2.3.1 2.3.2 2.3.3 2.3.4 2.3.5 2.3.6 2.3.7 Introduction Phrase Structure Rules Noun phrase [NP] Verb Phrase [VP] Prepositional Phrase Adjectival Phrase [AP] Lexical Categories Noun Pronoun Verbs Adjectives Adverbs Preposition Conjunction 24 24 27 28 30 32 33 35 38 38 40 40 41 41

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2.3.8 2.4 2.5 2.5.1 2.5.2 2.5.3

Interjections Basic Word Order Sentence Types Simple Sentence Compound Sentence Complex Sentence

42 42 45 45 46 47

CHAPTER THREE: NEGATION IN ADIM LANGUAGE 3.1 3.2 3.3.1 3.3.2 3.3.3 3.3.4 Introduction Negation in Adim Language Negation Markers in Adim Language Sentence Negation in Adim Language Interrogative Sentence Negation Imperative Sentence Negation 49 49 50 50 57 64

CHAPTER FOUR: TRANSFORMATIONAL PROCESSES IN ADIM LANGUAGE 4.1 4.2 4.2.1 4.3 Introduction Transformation Transformational Component Negation and Focus Construction 70 70 71 72

viii

4.3.1 4.3.2 4.3.3 4.4

Subject NP Focusing Indirect Object NP Focus Direct Object NP Focus Negation and Relativization

72 79 83 86

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, OBSERVATION, CONCLUSION AND RECCOMENDATION 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Introduction Summary Observation. Conclusion Recommendation Reference 90 90 91 91 92 93

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List of Abbreviation and Symbols NP N C DET S.V.O P.S F.C C.P S.S Prst Pro ( ) V.P AP Noun Phrase Noun Complimentizer Determiner Subject Verb Object Phrase Structure Focus Construction Complementizer phrase Surface Structure Present pronoun Optionality Verb Phrase Verb Phrase

PP Spec IP Conj / t /

Prepositional Phrase Specfier Inflectional Phrase Conjunction phonemic Representation Trace Re- write arrow

Agr V P Adj

agreement Verb Preposition Adjective

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CHAPTER ONE GENERAL BACKGROUND 1.1 Introduction This is a study on the Negation in Adim language, spoken in some parts of Cross river State, Nigeria. The speakers of the language are referred to as The Adim People. The speakers are located in Biase Local Government area. The Adim language is spoken by about 16,000 speakers, the speakers of Adim are administered by clan heads and they are assisted by chief. This chapter would explain further on the historical background, the sociocultural background and the genetic classification of Adim language. It carefully spells out the scope and organisation of study, data analysis, basic syntactic concepts of the language and the concept of Negation in Adim language and application of transformational rules to negation in Adim 1.2 Historical Background of the Adim People There is no cancerous among the people of Adim, as to their historical background or where their ancestors came from. Some people believe that their fore fathers came from Otum Usa, others believed that they had always lived where they found them self, and that they Usa Settlement in the present Abi local Government Area.