A LEXICOSTATISTIC STUDY OF SOME EXTINCT AND NEAR EXTINCT WORDS IN YORUBA
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Date
2014-07-20
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Department of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages, University of Ilorin, Ilorin
Abstract
Sudden disappearance of languages is rare; nevertheless, it occurs through natural disasters, extermination through wars, among others. What is common is gradual erosion of languages through some linguistic disservice practices which prone languages to death. Among such are excessive or large scale borrowing, simplification of complex features and preponderant mixing and switching which could result to inter-language situation. This study surveys Yoruba language (Benue-Congo) from lexical loss which has made the future of the language a suspect by close watchers. Lexicostatistics has been used to measure the amount of lexical loss in Yoruba. Data for the study were collected from adult (elderly) speakers of Yoruba and tested on young native speakers. A total of 92 items were gathered. Findings reveal that the younger generation of Yoruba speakers is not proficient in the language. This practice is worsened by the early exposure to English, especially by the elite class. The study concludes that majority of words that are lost are not replaced with native words rather they are replaced with English words for items that are still in use.
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extinction, lexicostatistics,, endangerment, revitalization