LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 13:4 April 2013
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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Orthography Theories and the Standard Igbo Orthography

Maduabuchi Sennen Agbo

Abstract

The attempt to produce a good orthography assumes the five basic principles of accuracy, consistency, convenience, harmonization and familiarity (Williamson, 1984:7). These five principles are encoded in a number of orthographic theories.

In this paper we investigate the contribution of a number of orthographic theories to the standardization of Igbo orthography. The aim is to highlight the consistency or otherwise of Igbo orthography with these theories, and also, to make suggestions, if any, for reforms.

Key words: orthography theories, standard Igbo, spelling rules.

1.0. Introduction

There are two approaches to the study of orthographies. The first is the a priori approach while the second is the a posteriori viewpoint. In the a priori study of orthographies, the concern is about written orthographies, while the a posteriori aspect deals with a language that has a long written tradition. The objectives of an a posteriori orthography study are to discuss the merits and demerits of an established orthography. In other words, the researchers interested in a posteriori orthographies investigate the consistency/inconsistency and accuracy of the written language and make recommendations for the updating of such orthographies, if the need arises. This means that a posteriori orthography research is aimed at drawing the attention of the users of the language to the need for correct spelling and writing rules.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Maduabuchi Sennen Agbo
Department of Linguistics and African Languages
University of Benin
Benin City
Nigeria
maduagbo@gmail.com
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