LANGUAGE IN INDIA

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Volume 24:10 October 2024
ISSN 1930-2940

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Light or Heavy: Examining Nasality in Edo CCV/CVV Structure

Evbuomwan, Obed Osaigbovo, B.A., M.A., Ph.D. and
Evbayiro, Violet Osayimwense, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.

Abstract

This paper examines the effect of nasalization in the Edo syllable structure. It employs synchronic data from E?do native speakers in its consideration of the glide formation process in the language and examines the syllable weight of the final realization, with regards to the issues brought about by the presence of nasal vowels. The paper adopts a simple descriptive method in its analysis and discussion that shows the observed realizations by the Edo speakers, and these observations guide the conclusions reached in the paper. The study observes that glide formation is restricted, in E?do, when a syllable ends in a nasal vowel. This gives rise to a CVV syllable structure, instead of the expected CCV structure that should result from the formation of a glide. The paper concludes, therefore, that nasality is in this case responsible for the suspension of glide formation.

Keywords: Edo phonology, syllable weight, nasality, glide formation.

). Introduction

This paper focuses on vowel nasalization in Edo and its overall effect on syllabification strategies in the language. It provides evidence to show that the realization of the CVV as CCV in Edo phonology does not occur in all cases, given that the synchronic evidences in the present paper demonstrates that the presence of a nasal vowel at word final position restricts the formation of glides.

Edo has over one million speakers (Adigun, 2006:111). Its native speakers spread across seven (out of the eighteen) local government areas in Edo state, Nigeria: Oredo, Ikpoba-Okha, Egor, Ovia South-West, Ovia North-East, Orhionmwon and Uhunmwode. Edo native speakers are also found to be permanently resident in Okitipupa, Akotogbo, Idoani and Akure in Ondo State, as well as in Oza N’Ogogo in Delta State (Imasuen, 1998:40). Edo is a Kwa language and is listed as Edo (Bini) under the Proto-North-Central Edoid (PNCE) of the Proto-Edoid family in Elugbe (1989), and under the New Benue Congo in Williamson & Blench (2000).

The data for the study include several lexical items which were extracted from recorded utterances of Edo native speakers across different age groups. The data were selected in such a way that each item has at least one syllable that contains more than one vowel, and in which the final vowel is inherently nasal. This is to ensure a well-informed observation of the directionality of the nasalization process in these forms.

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

Evbuomwan, Obed Osaigbovo, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.
Department of Linguistics Studies, University of Benin
Benin City, Nigeria
osaigbovo.evbuomwan@uniben.edu

Evbayiro, Violet Osayimwense, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.
Department of Linguistics Studies, University of Benin
Benin City, Nigeria
osayimwense.evbayiro@uniben.edu
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