Contrastive analysis of the basic clause patterns and structural based sentences in English and Rigwe: implications for second language learning and teaching (2024)

The structure of ideophones in African and Asian languages: The case of Dagaare and Cantonese

Selected Proceedings of the 35th Annual Conference …, 2006

Ideophones in the Kru language family

Language in Africa

In many grammatical descriptions, ideophones are often ignored. In this paper, I attempt to do a preliminary study of ideophones in the Kru language family (Niger Congo). Though data is limited, I give an overview of various phonological, morphophonological, syntactic and semantic features of this word class, as well as make some initial observations of ideophone use in discourse. Primarily a descriptive study, I try to interact with some major claims in the literature (Blench 2010a; 2010b; Bodomo 2006; Childs 1996; 2001; 2003; 2019; Dingemanse 2012; 2019; Welmers 1973), especially in regard to African languages.

(with M. Karani) Ideophones in Arusa Maasai: Syntax, morphology, and phonetics. Open Linguistics 8 (2022): 440–458

The present article is dedicated to the syntax, morphology, and phonetics of ideophones in Arusa Maasai. After examining the compliance of 69 ideophonic lexemes with the typologically driven prototype of an ideophone, the authors conclude that Arusa ideophones may range from canonical to non-canonical even within a single language module. When syntax, morphology, and phonetics are considered jointly, holophrastic and asyntagmatic ideophones are more canonical than ideophones used as verbal modifiers and parts of complex predicates, which are, in turn, more canonical than predicative ideophones. The extent of canonicity is inversely correlated with the systematicity and integration of ideophones in sentence grammar and their diffusion into other lexical classes: predicative ideophones have been fully incorporated into the category of verbs; for ideophones employed as verbal modifiers, a comparable incorporation into the category of adverbs has not been completed; for all the other types, especially holophrastic and asyntagmatic, ideophones still maintain their categorical individuality. Overall, ideophones constitute an "old" category in Arusa, one that is well advanced on its grammaticalization cline.

On Etulo Ideophones

On the basis of the initial definition of ideophone as vivid representation of an idea in sound which may be described as predicate, qualificative or adverbial in respect to manner, colour, smell, action, state or intensity (Doke, 1935:118), the paper is aimed at exploring some of these features in Etulo language which is an endangered minority language spoken in Benue State, Nigeria. Primary data were collected from native speakers of Etulo language resident in Adi, Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State through the use of digital recorders. The paper examines the identified ideophones along the line of the features of ideophones that have been identified cross-linguistically in the literature. The following findings could be confirmed for ideophones in Etulo. First, ideophones perform both adverbial and adjectival functions in the language. Secondly, tonally, there is preponderance of low tone than high tone. Thirdly, in terms of their syllabic structure, Etulo ideophones adhere to the syllable structure of the language, and partial and full reduplication can also be confirmed.

Ideophones in Arusa Maasai: Syntax, morphology, and phonetics

Open Linguistics, 2022

The present article is dedicated to the syntax, morphology, and phonetics of ideophones in Arusa Maasai. After examining the compliance of 69 ideophonic lexemes with the typologically driven prototype of an ideophone, the authors conclude that Arusa ideophones may range from canonical to non-canonical even within a single language module. When syntax, morphology, and phonetics are considered jointly, holophrastic and asyntagmatic ideophones are more canonical than ideophones used as verbal modifiers and parts of complex predicates, which are, in turn, more canonical than predicative ideophones. The extent of canonicity is inversely correlated with the systematicity and integration of ideophones in sentence grammar and their diffusion into other lexical classes: predicative ideophones have been fully incorporated into the category of verbs; for ideophones employed as verbal modifiers, a comparable incorporation into the category of adverbs has not been completed; for all the other types, especially holophrastic and asyntagmatic, ideophones still maintain their categorical individuality. Overall, ideophones constitute an "old" category in Arusa, one that is well advanced on its grammaticalization cline.

Intensifying ideophones in three Luhya languages

We investigate ideophones in Llogoori, and propose that they are simple intensifiers of degree predicates. We situate out findings within the broader study of ideophones cross-linguistically.

IDEOPHONES AS LINGUISTIC "REBELS": THE EXTRA-SYSTEMATICITY OF IDEOPHONES IN XHOSA -Part II. Asian and African Studies 30/1 (2021): 1-30.

This paper contributes to the study of the structural distinctiveness of the category of ideophony. The author analyzes the extent to which Xhosa ideophones exhibit the so-called extra-systematic properties, which cross-linguistically tend to distinguish ideophones from other lexical classes. The analysis demonstrates that ideophones are relatively extra-systematic in Xhosa, although their extra-systematicity is not unitary. It is the largest in morphology, slightly less visible in phonology, and only residual in syntax. It is proposed that the distinct degrees of extrasystematicity are related to differences in grammaticalization and a gradual integration of ideophones into the Xhosa grammarwith the adjustment in syntax occurring faster than the morphological adaptation. In this paperthe second in a series of two articlesthe author introduces evidence related to syntax, answers the research question, and explains the contributions of this research to the general theory of ideophony.

An analysis of the morphosyntactic behaviour of ideophone and Ideophonic constructions in Shona

International journal of humanities and arts, 2024

The Morphology of Amharic Ideophones

Zena Lissan

Amharic ideophones are marginalized word classes in most descriptive grammar studies. However, this paper aims to describe and classify ideophones of the language. In addition to this, ideophones are universally considered to have little morphology. Nevertheless, this study identifies several morphological processes which ideophones of the language undergo. Amharic ideophones mainly undergo compounding, derivation, reduplication, and sometimes inflectional morphology. Moreover, in the language, ideophonic verb stems undergo total and partial reduplications. These reduplicated verb stems are further compounded with auxiliaries al-'say' and adərrəɡ-'do/make' to show verbal and adverbial functions. Besides, the study classifies ideophones mainly into verbal and nominal (noun) ideophones. Non-reduplicated ideophone-based verbs function as a verb and the reduplicated ideophone-based verbs have an adverbial function. Furthermore, ideophonic verbs collocate with the dummy verb al-'say' form intransitive verb, and ideophonic verbs which collocate with the dummy verb adərrəɡ-'do/make' form transitive verbs. As the finding shows, some simple nouns reduplicate and compound with auxiliaries to express taste, smells, and some internal feelings. Lastly, derived nominal ideophones also undergo inflections for nominative and accusative cases and number and gender like the regular nouns of the language.

Word Categories in African Languages the Case of Ideophones in Swahili

Despite the fact that ideophones represent a group of words with distinct features which have specific sensory-oriented functions, previous classification of ideophones in Bantu languages had not treated this group of lexical entries equally thus creating a linguistic gap in the various grammars. This work discusses representations and usages of ideophones in Swahili with focus on the manifestations of spoken texts in written texts, ideophonic representation of reality and not just imitation of sounds, and orthographic representations of ideophones. The intention is to establish ideophone as an independent word category in the language. I argued from findings that ideophones, as an independent open word category in Swahili, is not strictly distinct from other word categories phonologically but typically on morphological and syntactical parameters. Also, I showed that the ideophones in the language are both onomatopoeic and lexical (symbolic). Syntactically, they function to modify adjectives, verbs and adverbs. Pragmatically, they involve final vowel lengthening as well as extended reduplications to signal the magnitude of the features they describe or modify.