Authors
Eyakndue, I. I., Nwogu, A. O.
Abstract
This study sets out to investigate the sensational meaning of ideophones in Anaang south-southern Nigeria. It identifies the types of ideophones, examines the functions of ideophones in the Anaan̄ language, and further investigates the structure of ideophone in the language. Data for this study were sourced through participant observations, interviews and meta-linguistic conversations. The study is rooted in the metrical theory which is basically concerned with organizing segments into groups of relative prominence, syllables and metrical feet. The study found out that ideophones are linguistic components in which meaning are derived from the sound. The study also revealed that lengthening and reduplication constitute the major structural frame through which the sensational meaning of ideophones is established in Anaang. The study further discovered that ideophones are language specific, culturally bound, contextual, and morphologically conditioned. It is therefore recommended that other researchers should consider investigations on the syntactic aspect of ideophone.
Keywords
Ideophone, sensational, Anaang, linguistic, contextual, Language
Introduction
The Anaang people are the second largest ethnic group in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria, after the Ibibios. The language is named after the speakers, and is spoken in eight Local Government Areas of Akwa- Ibom State as first language (mother tongue), Abak, Etim Ekpo, Essien Udim, Ika, Ikot Ekpene, Obot Akara, Oruk Annam and Ukanafun. Genetically, Anaang is a member of the Lower Cross Language family, a sub- family of the new Benue-Congo which is traceable to the Niger Congo phylum (Faraclass 1983; Connell 1994 and Urua 2007).
Content
Every language has its peculiar linguistic component which makes the day-to-day interaction at different levels meaningful, interesting, and culturally insightful. Hence, man and language are inseparable, and language makes every human society viable (Eyakndue & Iwuchukwu 2016), because human society must be interactive, and cannot operate in a vacuum. Ideophone is one of the socio-linguistic nuances that bring the phonological forms conspicuously to feature the regular phoneme of a language to be felt sensationally. In Anaang, idiophones are used for emphatic expressions to sustain interaction in discourse and also used in describing shape, size, colour, form, situations, state of being and attitude. The structure of ideophone is dependent on the word structure of the language. However, the humorous effect of ideophone can occur as a result of the phonological environment. Ideophones cannot be adequately discuss without the names and the culture of the people, because it contains an iconicity center on human activities and cultural believes, which involve laws, customs and morals that govern the behaviours and practices of the members of the society (Eyakndue & Ogar 2023). Hence, the contextual and functional use of ideophone to appeal to the five senses of human compels people's attention, buttress a fact and intensify contextual incidents directly connected to human activities within the social space.
Conclusion
As a descriptive study, the concept of sensational meaning of ideophones in Anaang has been examined. The background of the study covers the genetic classification of Anaang language and the speakers. Literature on ideophone and other related areas were reviewed, and this led to the definitions of ideophones by different scholars as well as the researcher's view. The analysis was descriptive in nature. Based on this, we discovered that ideophone in Anaang belongs to certain grammatical classes like adverb, verb, noun and adjective with vivid sound representation. The study also discovered that lengthening, reduplication and diphthongization are the basic linguistic elements that trigger ideophones basically for emphasis, humour, intensity, and clarity. Besides, ideophones differ from culture to culture and is dominant in oral literature which is based on human social activities. However, the field work for this study reveals that much work has not been done on ideophones in Anaang, hence it is recommended that other researchers should consider it a fertile ground for analysis at any level of linguistics.
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