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University of Nigeria Research Publications r TORKULA, Veronica Avenda o h t u A PG/MA/86/4222 e tl Language Standardization processes in Tiv i T y t l u Arts c a F t n e m Linguistics and Nigerian Languages t r a p e D e t January, 1991 a D e r u t a n g i S LANGUAGE STANDARDIZATION PROCESSES IN TIV A PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTYSNT OF LIKGUISTICS NIGER1L.K LAXGUAGES UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA I N PARTIAL F U UI LMENT OF THE REQU IREIGFT FOR TEE AWARD OF TEE DEGREE Or"\ IIBSTERS IN LINGUISTICS MRS VERONICA AVZNDA TOFXULA (REG. NO, ~~/MX/86/4222) SUPERVISOB: DR PAT NDUKWE . JANUARY, I9 91 CZRTIFICATIOX f.ir& Veronica Avenda Torkula, a postgraduate student in the departzeni of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages with Reg. KO. l?G/MA/86/4222 has satisfactorily completed the requirements for course and resezrch work for the degree of Masters in Linguistics. The t:ork contained in this thesis is original and has not been submitted, either in part or full for any degree or diplonia in this or any other university. .I Professor 3. 'pldkpe Head of Departmert Supervisor University of Nigeria Nsukka iii DSXCATED TO : Mama Veronica Nginkaa Torkula Amah, my patient, soft spoken and pence-loving mother-in-lati who departed this world on 8th March 1989~ Ymther, all around you was always calm, loving and peaceful as your kind n a t ~ r en ever thought of revenge or wickedness. May your loving soul ever rest in perfect peace with God. ACKNO\L'LEDGEIGNT I wish to express my gratitude to those who saw to the materialization of this ~iork. First is D r Pat Ndukwe, my su~ervisc:, In fact, 1 would have discontinue6 with this programme after my course work, bearing i n mind all the problems I was facing, but with his scholarly advice and all the necessary support one would need in an academic world, I was able to carry out this project work. My sincere thanks also g0e.s to all. the lectu-rers ~LI 1 ; ~ department. Dr (Mrs) Clara Ikekeonl~.v, for one, always had w topic in mind during her library hoars, thus providing me with s all relevat references availzble in the library. Others, like Plr .:1 Iwtrndu and Mr Nwadike generously lent me books I needed for this topic. Ky gratitude also extends to rcy husband, H.R.H. A.A. Torlala The Tor-Ti< I V for the financial and moral support he rendered to me during the course of writing this project. Alco for those who held me in hich esteem during prayers, I also s a ~ thank you. These include Rev. Fr. P'ichael Akure and Rev. Fr. David Aguh who accepted and offered church prayers for a successful coapletion of ray course. My special thanks eq~allyg oes to Mrs Ngunan Anweh, who took the motherly role of providing for my children's needs in my absence a d w ho always assisted me both financially a d morally all through the period of my course. PRZFACE Lansages, Tiv included, arc usually characterised by dihlectal variation mostly markec! by gramctatlc,?l and vsczbul~y chaagcs. But for some obscure resson Tiv speakers generallg believe that there are no dialects in the langusge because of the almost total mutual htelligibility that exist6 mong the various Tiv communities. It would appear then that there would be l i t t l e need for stadardization work in tke language. The ~iixationi s unusual and is the main motivation for this 6tudy, which attem2ts a description and analysis of 1anpe.ge standar.d ization processes n T i . The work, which is as comprehensive as can be achicvocl constrained as it is by the extremely ~cantym aterials on the subjects, i~d ivided into five chapters. , Chaptey 1 c.~ &.n es the tbeoretical considerations underiying laguzge planning and langurge stzndardization in general. Chapter 2 diocusses t k ~ historical backgrouxd to lan~qages tandardization in Tiv. v Chapter 3 examines the linmistic issuecs underlying Tiv crthogr=phy and chapter 4 complements t h i s with a look at the ISociocultural' dinensions (official status, educational functions, role in publishing and broadcasting, etc) of Tiv language standardization, Chapter 5 provides an assessment of what has been done so far and general rccommendationc. As we have already noted, work on Tiv standardization is very scanty and 't is hoped that this study would serve to stimulate further interest in the process. TABLE OF CONTENTS Title page i O O o ODD ODD Certification ii O.O oOO 010 - - . Dedication 0.0..0 o m * a.m 211 Acknowledgements iv o.. (1 . Preface v 0 0 0 .> 0 . Table of Contents v i i O.O OO. CHDTm ONE: LANGUAGE AND LANGUAGX STANDARDIZATION 1.0 Introduction O O . o m * 0 1.1 Language OO. 000 S .2 Lmguage Standardization (LS) ... 1.2.1 Approaches to LS o 0 a 1.2,2 L6 Strategies D O 0 O . r ?.-2=3L tj and Language Plaadng (IP) 1.2.4 I$ Evaluation o.O e P o . 2.2.5 Motivation tor L3 orno O.C 3 Methodology %9 * O D ‘,.a 1.4 Assumptions and Hypotheses of the Study CFa-'sEf 3W! O : BKKGROlTD TO WGUAGE STAXDARE1Z ATION IB TIV # E ... 290 n&! ?cation ODD 0 0 5 2.3, b i g i n and Migration O.. .. o . ~ 2.2 Dialectal Variations in Tiv o r i zt .- 5 5 ~%.onologicalV ariation O.O # # o &9'3.1'l F Segmental Phonemes OD.*. r o e 2e.301 .4%0 ~ Suprasegmental Phonemes ?:. 2 - 5 2 L8xical Variation O.O O.C 2.3.5 Eyntactic Variation OO. o r 5 4 Early Attempts on the Study of Tiv and Tiv -LS .. .,. 2.4.3 Language Planning Agencies , 23 2.'4.1,1 Individual Agents ... 23 O o O a** 24.2 Group (Official) Ageats 26 o.V .. . 2.5 Present State of Affairs o 27 CTWTER THREE: LT.NGUISTIC ISSUES IN TIE STAN DARDIZA- 'PION OP 'PIV 29 ... 3.9 Introduction 75 o ma o.. 3.1 The Tiv Alphabet o o o ..O o...- .. 29 3.1.1 VoweL: .*. orno ... 30 3.1. Consonants .. . -I 3 0.. om. , /C 5.2 Spelling Rules O.O 33 3.3 Tone-Marking 00. 0.. # 0.. 3 4 Q ~ ~ FOEURR: 'PI V LANGUAGE STANDARDIW TION: THE SOCIOCULTURAL DIMENSION ... +.l The Status of Tiv O..o. . 1.1 The National Level . 4 .k2 The State Level ..1. O.. 4.A.2.1 Biucation O.o 4.9.ke12.B2 roadcasting O.. ..O 4 r.le20P3 ublisning om* 000 9 s 45 CFmER FIVE: ASSESSMENT AND CONCLUSION 47 I'XEFEmCES . *- 0.. 0.. 0.6 !. 9 ~CPP~-D?AX a*. O.. cse 5 7 GWER FIG. 2 : THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS UNDER TIV SECTION OF b BENUE STATE.