-
Aspects Of Yukuben Morphology
CHAPTER ONE -- [Total Page(s) 3]
Page 3 of 3
-
-
-
Some minorities among the speakers are also involved in some
other occupation, apart from farming, such as trading either within
their immediate community or outside their community, but it is common
among the women.
Others are found in blacksmithing, carpentry,
hunting, bricklaying and weaving which is dominated by women. As western
education gained prominence, the language speakers also found
themselves in teaching, engineering works, and other professions.
Equally,
the Yukuben language speaking society is known for certain social
lives. They are known to be good Christians, but there are still groups
of people who are still deeply rooted in paganism in the form of
masquerades. Kukyib is the major masquerade they worship. This festival
is performed annually in remembrance of the dead relatives who are said
to come from heaven to visit the earth and bestow blessings on the
living. They also believe the masquerade protects and blesses them.
Before
the introduction of Christianity in the early 20th century, the
masquerade festival also came with circumcision (Kamang). This
circumcision festival is called Kukyib-Kamang. From ages 10 – 15 years,
they believe they should be circumcised. The introduction Christianity
did some abolition to these practices. We are also told some Yukuben
speaking communities are still circumcising their female children.
Today,
Christianity is said to be the second religion after idols and paganism
to the native speakers of Yukuben language. They believe in idols like
Oogun for protection against witchcrafts, Klumia protects them against
thieves and his also known as their god of thunder.
Some of the
peculiar native meals of the Yukuben are boiled maize, guinea-corn,
boiled cassava, yam, plantain and rice. Their major meal is made from
rice. They enjoy eating over-boiled rice which all refer to it as
Banana. Beasen; this is the only known wine to all Yukuben. This wine is
a local wine, made from guinea-corn and it is also called Burukutu.
1.4.1 DRESSING
In
the olden days, the Yukuben people wear leaves, and the back of trees.
They cover their nakedness with this. The women fashion leaves to cover
their nudity and the men uses the back of tree which must have been
beaten to soften and make it tender. They tie it round their waist. It
is called Isang.
The British colonial masters had a great influence
on these people and Nigeria at large. They brought real wears to Nigeria
and the Yukuben. They were shown how to get cotton and weave. Now,
weaving is one of the major occupations done by women in any Yukuben
speaking community. Ukya, this is the name given to any weaved cloth
(Ofi).
1.4.2 FUNERALS
The Yukuben also have their own custom of
burial and funerals at various kinds. Like the Hausa speaking
communities, they do their funerals in the Islamic manner while the
Yukuben people have their own according to the Christians.
1.4.3 MARRIAGE
Marriage
is another ceremony observed traditionally by the Yukuben. For the
introductory part of the wedding ceremony, the mate family will provide
palm-oil in a calabash and a cock to the in-laws. Later, bush meats like
grass-cutter will be taken to the family. After the approval, a date
will be chosen for the main wedding. The male family will make wine,
Beasan, and put honey in it and drink as they celebrate.
1.5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The
data used for analysis in this long essay are collected through
competent bilingual informant of Yukuben language. Major parts of the
information were gotten through a personal contact. The informants are
not only from one district of the language division, so as to give room
for adequate analysis.
Since this work is aimed at the study of
Yukuben morphology, all data collected either through personal contact
or questionnaire is morphologically analyzed. The analysis was made in
the direction of description purely, some of which are derivational
analysis, word formation processes; especially the processes that are
attested in the formation of words in Yukuben language.
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This
study essentially corners the aspects of morphology of Yukuben language
alone. For further explanation of the word structure of the language
some syntactic analysis are made. It equally includes a brief
phonological analysis as the case demands; take for instance, a
consideration of the segmental and supra-segmental phonemic relationship
in the arrangement of morpheme, especially the tonal system as it
relates to the language.
1.7 ORGANIZATION OF STUDY
This long essay is divided into five different chapters. Each chapter treats different aspect of the essay.
Chapter
one centers on the introductory part. It treats the general background
of the study. The language and it’s speakers. Within this chapter, we
have the historical background of the language and its speakers. Their
socio-linguistic profiles, genetic classification, population and
geographical location. It also shows how the data was collected and
analyzed.
Chapter two deals with basic morphological and phonological
concepts. These concepts include the meaning of morphology itself,
types of morphemes, the structural function and position of morphemes.
Chapter
three gives an explicit explanation of the two major types of morphemes
in relation to the language of study. Chapter four is referred to as
the main body of the essay. It is this chapter we will be able to
analyze the collected data comprehensively. It gives the basic
morphological processes relating them to the language of study.
The
last chapter, which is chapter five, will cover the concluding part of
the essay. A brief summary of this essay will be done in this chapter.
CHAPTER ONE -- [Total Page(s) 3]
Page 3 of 3
-
