Ghotuo language
Ghotuo | |
---|---|
Native to | Edo State |
Native speakers | (9,000 cited 1994)[1] |
?
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | aaa |
Glottolog | ghot1243 |
Ghotuo (also Otwa, Otuo) is a North Central
Grammar
Noun morphology
Ghotuo nouns are composed of a prefix and a stem. Stems usually consist of the structures "-V," "-CV," "-CVV," and "-CVCV." Prefixes typically consist of the structures "V-," "VV-," and "CV-." Across both types of morpheme, "V-" and "CV" are the most common structures. Nouns with the "u-" prefix in the singular, have a plural "i-" prefix. Similarly, nouns with a singular "o-" prefix have a plural "i-" prefix if the stem vowel is close. If the vowel is not close, then these nouns have a singular "-e" prefix. The prefix "-e" is also used as a plural prefix if the singular prefix of the noun is "-ɔ" and the stem vowel is not close.[3]
Singular | Plural | Example | Definition |
---|---|---|---|
u- | i- | ù-kì | moon |
o- | i- | ò-fì | footpath |
o- | e- | ō-tíé | a cherry like fruit |
ɔ- | e- | ɔ-bè | enemy, evil |
ɛ- | e- | ɛ-rùɛ | deer, duiker |
ɛɛ- | io- | ɛɛ-wè | kola nut |
ɛɛ- | ee- | ɛɛ-kɛ ēē | egg |
Prefixes in Ghotuo are not exclusively determined by phonology, they are also defined by the grammatical class of the noun.[3]
Singular | Plural | Function | Example | Definition |
---|---|---|---|---|
ɛɛ- | a- | Body parts | ɛɛ- ò (à-) | eye |
a- | i- | Primarily man-made objects | à-bì | a kind of mat |
a- | io- | à-mɛ | water | |
gha- | i- | Insects and small birds found in homes | ɡhā-hìhì | ant |
gha- | -io | Utensils and animals | ɡhā-wà | a dog |
gho- | -i | ɡhò-kì | market | |
gho- | -e | ɡhō-bè | leaf, book |
There are numerous examples of Ghotou nouns with unpaired prefixes.[3]
Prefix | Example | Definition |
---|---|---|
i- | ì-lhè | insult |
e- | ē-nhù | pounded yam |
ɛ- | ɛ-khɔ | shame, shyness |
a- | à-fɛ | home, house |
o- | ō-fà | stinginess |
u- | ū-sɔ | head |
ghi- | ɡhì-kpō | forehead |
ɡha- | ɡhà-kpā | Bald head |
gho- | ɡhō-ɛ | path, road |
The phrase "ɔnhī" can sometimes be used to indicate the origins of a married woman. For instance, the phrase "ɔnhī ɣɔnhíɣõ," means "a Yoruba woman." The phrase "ōnyẽ" is used to indicate that an individual is from a certain region For instance, "ōnyẽ ìɡbò" means "an Igbo person." "ɔnhī" and "onhi" may also be used to indicate time. The word " àmɛ," meaning "water," when transformed to "ɔnhīɣèmɛ" means "rain season." Placing the form "omhi" before a noun can transform it into a diminutive. If applied to "ɛ-wè," meaning "goat," it becomes "omhi ɛwè," meaning "little goat." Literally, the word "omhi" means child. It may be used in phrases such as "ōmhī mhɛ," meaning "my child." The words "vbāí," "kpɛɛkpɛ," and "ɡbei" can be applied to nouns to express a sense of totality. For example, the phrase "ìtīsá ɡbēī" means "all teachers."[3]
Tonal reflexes are sometimes utilized to convey gerunds, verbal nouns, and agent nouns. For example, by applying a low tone to the phrase "ɔ dɛɡhōbè," meaning "he buys a book," it transforms into "one who buys a book." This rule only applies to simple clauses with one verb. In clauses with multiple verbs, the letter "m" is added to the end of the noun. Prefixes can also be applied to express the plurality of a phrase. For instance, the prefix "i-." when applied to the phrase "ɔwìƞʷàhɛkūhɛdā," transforms it into "ì wìƞʷàhɛkūhɛdā." This transforms the meaning from "one who throws clothes into the river," to "those who throw clothes into the river." Proper nouns in Ghotuo are often whole clauses or statements, typically they refer to circumstances of birth, philosophical statements, or the events in the subject's life.[3]
Tone
Ghotuo is a terraced three-
Sample text
Word[3] | Meaning[3] |
---|---|
ɔ-kà | maize |
ūù-ghì | dogs |
ù-ɡì | basket |
ɛɛ-kɛ | egg |
ì-bia | children |
ɔ-kàkà | grasshopper |
ghī-lhɛlhɛ | tongue |
References
- ^ Ghotuo at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)
- ISBN 978-981-19-2932-8, retrieved 2024-02-14
- ^ a b c d e f g h Bankale, Oyetayo; Elugbe, Ben (2019). "Ghotuọ Noun Morphology". Journal of the Linguistic Association of Nigeria. 22 (2): 264–280. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 14, 2024 – via ResearchGate.
- ^ Adeniyi, Kolawe (2012). "The role of Discourse in the typology of downsteps: Evidence from Ebira and Ghotuo" (PDF). International Society of Experimental Linguistics: 1–5. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 16, 2023.
- ISBN 978-3-11-086629-2.