SERIAL VERB CONSTRUCTION IN ỌRỌ

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SERIAL VERB CONSTRUCTION IN ỌRỌ

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1       Introduction

A serial verb construction (SVC) is a sequence of verbs which act together as a single predicate, without any overt marker of coordination, subordination, or syntactic dependency of any other sort. Serial verb constructions describe what is conceptualized as a single event. They are monoclausal; their intonational properties are the same as those of a monoverbal clause, and they have just one tense, aspect, and polarity value.

SVCs may also share core argument and also other arguments. Each component of an SVC must be able to occur on its own. Within an SVC, the individual verbs may have same or different transitivity values.

Serial verb construction is a topic in syntax that has to do with the combination of verbs, verbs in series, and stringing of verbs. SVCs largely conform to both the cross linguistic prototype and narrower definitions. SVCs are syntactic constructions where multiple verbs occur in a single clause with no coordination or subordination.

There is considerable cross linguistic variation in the properties of constructions referred to as SVCs. Serial verb construction can also be said to be a sequence of verbs acting together as a single predicate without any conjunction or an overt marker of coordination, subordinate, or syntactic dependency. Verb as the core of SVC can be referred to as a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence, and forming the main part of the predicate of a sentence, such as hear, become, happen.

A verb also expresses an agreement with the subject, tense, mood and aspect. Evaluations of whether SVCs refer to single events have relied on five methods: intuition, translation, intonation, cultural restrictions, and the scope of temporal modifiers.  Serial verb constructions are common in many languages in west Africa, Southeast Asia, Amazonia, Oceania, Papua, and New Guinea. The verbs in SVC share a common factor and sometimes a common object and they occur in juxtaposition with no intervening conjunctions. In the cause of this study, efforts will be made to show the types of serial verb constructions in Oro language with relevant data.

1.2       Background Information

Oro was in existence in the pre-colonial period in Nigeria and was formerly a part of the province called the South-Eastern state. The Oro are the third largest ethnic group in Akwa Ibom State. The five Local Government Areas that make up the Oro nations are Mbo, Udung Uko, Urue-Ofong Uruko, Okobo and Oron. Natives of this area speak the dialect also known as Oro. Most Oro people also speak and understand the Efik language fluently. The Oro also have some dialectical similarities with the Ibibio and Annang people; Hence, their communication in Ibibio and Annang languages is very proficient.

History has it that by 2370 BC, Oro also known as {Oro Nation} had already been settled down in the present location known as Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria on the West Coast of African Sub Region, Akwa Ibom Gulf Line to Gulf of Guinea Atlantic Ocean South, after the Great flood (Noah’s deluge). The Community as at then and up until this moment is embedded with their dialect Language originated by them as far back as 2370 BC.

1.3       Language Classification

Oron language falls into place the lower cross language family of the Benue-Congo sub-family of the Niger Congo families of language. Oron group of languages can be classified under Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid. Oron is an ethnically and geographically distinct groups but reportedly linguistically similar. The below is a Genetic classification of Oro language adopted from Urua, (1996:62):

SERIAL VERB CONSTRUCTION IN ỌRỌ

SERIAL VERB CONSTRUCTION IN ỌRỌ