LANGUAGE CONTACT AND INFLUENCE: IMPLICATIONS FOR IGALA/BASSA-NGE CONTACT IN DEKINA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KOGI STATE

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LANGUAGE CONTACT AND INFLUENCE: IMPLICATIONS FOR IGALA/BASSA-NGE CONTACT IN DEKINA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KOGI STATE (

ABSTRACT

This study investigates language contact and influence, its implications for Igala and Bassa- Nge contact in Dekina Local Government Area, Kogi State. The study specifically deals with the linguistic, socio-cultural and economic factors that influence that language contact between Igala and Bassa-Nge speech communities. The study uses 200 respondents comprising 100 individuals each from the two speech communities. This study reviews related literature both theoretical and empirical studies on language contact with its attendant positive and negative consequences. The instruments used for data collection are observation and structured questionnaires that contain a four point likert scale type on the phenomenon of language contact. Suggestions and recommendations are made on the possibilities for positive influence on language contact between speech communities if all conditions for favourable contact are taken care of.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      Background of the study

Language contact is a major concept in sociolinguistics through which the study of language, people using the language and the society in general is made possible. According to Agbedo (2007:31), the concept of language contact or languages in contact situation refers to practical sociolinguistic situation whereby people from different enthnolinguistic backgrounds converge at a particular place for whatever reason or reasons to interact, thus providing a veritable ground for contact between languages used by these people. This means that language has since become an essential element not only in human existence but also in establishing functional human relationship because there is simply no way people can exist or do anything without a form of language.

In explaining the results of languages in contact situation, Winford (2003:11) says that the results of languages in contact differ according to several factors, including the length and intensity of contact between the groups; the types of social, economic, religious and political relationship between them, as well as the functions communication between them must serve and above all, the degree of similarity or otherwise between the languages in contact situation. Situations of language contact therefore can assume different dimension with particular reference to historical situation, stable borders between language families, colonial expansion(for political and economic reasons), and migratory movement (Appel & Muysken (1987:5), geographical proximity between different language communities with slow spread of features across languages, thereby creating linguistic areas or sprachbund. A good example is the Balican sprachbund, where speakers of typologically distinct languages like Greek, Albania, Romanian and Bulgarian to mention but a few, have adopted from one another centuries past as a result of these languages in contact situation Winford (2003).

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LANGUAGE CONTACT AND INFLUENCE: IMPLICATIONS FOR IGALA/BASSA-NGE CONTACT IN DEKINA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KOGI STATE (

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