Serial Verb Construction in Ijebu Dialect of Yoruba

ABSTRACT

Serial verb construction (SVC) is a notable feature of many West African languages. Let it, however, be mentioned that these constructions are by no means restricted to languages of Africa, as they are also reported to occur in some languages of Asia such as Mandarin Chinese. The study focuses on the analysis of serial verb constructions (SVCs) in  Ijebu dialect of Yoruba, a type of construction where two or more verbs are connected without a clear connective morpheme. The purpose of this study was to investigate the degree to which the surface meaning of the role of the agent is comparable across the two constructions of serial verb benefactive construction and double complements benefactive construction found in the Ijebu dialect of Yoruba. The literature review provides an overview of the current research on SVCs in the Ijebu dialect of Yoruba, including their formation, meanings, and functions, and identifies gaps in the existing body of research. The research design involves collecting naturalistic data through audio recordings and eliciting data through interviews with native speakers, and data analysis involve both qualitative and quantitative methods. This research aims to deepen the understanding of their structure and use in Ijebu dialect of Yoruba. The findings of the study showed that both Yoruba and Ijebu constructions have similar surface meanings in terms of the role of the agent, which is to cause a benefit to be received by the recipient. This was determined by conducting a thorough investigation into the linguistic properties of the constructions.

Keywords: Serial Verb Construction, Language, Ijebu Dialect, Yoruba, Linguistic

Word Counts: 269

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE: PRELIMINARIES

1.0       Introduction                                                                                                               

1.1       Background to the Study                                                                                          

1.2       History of Ijebu People                                                                                              

1.3       Statement of the Problem                                                                                          

1.4       Aims and Objectives                                                                                                  

1.5       Research Questions                                                                                                    

1.6       Significance of  the Study                                                                                         

1.7       Scope of the Study                                                                                                    

1.8       Limitation of the Study                                                                                             

1.9       Theoretical Framework                                                                                              

1.10     Definitions of Terms                                                                                                  

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW                                                                                   

Introduction                                                                                                                           

2.1       Serial Verb Constructions                                                                                          

2.2       Argument structure of SVCs                                                                                     

2.3       Theoretical Framework                                                                                              

2.3.1    The Behaviourist Approach                                                                                       

2.3.2    The Cognitive Approach                                                                                            

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY                                                      

3.1       Introduction                                                                                                               

3.2       Research Design                                                                                                        

3.3       Participants                                                                                                                

3.4       Data Collection                                                                                                          

3.5       Method of Data Analysis                                                                                          

CHAPTER FOUR                                                                                                                 

4.0       Introduction                                                                                                               

4.1       Data Analysis                                                                                                             

4.2       Defining Properties of SVCs in Ijebu                                                                        

4.3       Basic Clause Structure in Ijebu Dialect                                                                     

4.4       Structural Patterns and Functional Types of SVCs in Ijebu Dialect                         

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION                                                      

5.1       Summary                                                                                                                    

5.2       Conclusion                                                                                                                 

5.3       Recommendation                                                                                                       

5.4       Contribution of Knowledge                                                                                      

            References