Aspects Of BÀnsÁrÀ Phonology

INTRODUCTION

This study discusses the phonology of Bànsárà language, a language spoken in Ogoja Local Government Area of Cross-River state, Nigeria.

Phonology is that branch of linguistics that studies the organization of speech sounds in human language. It is the component of grammar that accounts for the general pattern or structure of sounds, and the way sounds relate to one another in normal speech.

In human language, sounds (consonants, vowels and suprasegments) enter into different relationships that produce meaning. For instance, some combinations of sounds are acceptable and meaningful while some are regarded as anomalous and meaningless. The various meaning combinations and the way they affect pronunciation are the main focus of phonology, Basic Linguistics (2011:38).

This introductory chapter will discuss some facts on the speakers of the Bànsárà language, majorly looking into their historical background, sociocultural profile, genetic classification, scope and organization of study and brief review of the chosen framework.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page…………..………………………………….i

Certification………...………………………………….ii

Dedication…...………………………………………...iii

Acknowledgements………...………………………….iv

Table of Contents………………………………………vi

1.3.4    Festival……………………..……………………....5-6

1.7     Data Collection........……………………………......12-13

CHAPTER TWO: SOUND INVENTORY

2.2.1  Consonants of Bansara………………………………….17-18

2.2.2  Description and Distribution of Bansara Consonants…...19-27

2.3   The Bansara Vowels……………………………….………27-28

2.3.1 Description and Distribution of Bansara Vowels.........…...28-32

2.4 Distinctive Feature Matrix for Bansara sounds….………….33

2.4.1 Distinctive Feature matrix for Bansara Consonants.….......34

2.4.2 Distinctive Feature Matrix for Bansara Vowels…………..36

2.4.3 Justifications for Feature Used…...………………………36-38

2.5    Bansara Tonal Inventory………………………………….39-40

2.6      The  Syllable structure of Bansara..……………………...40-41

2.6.1  Closed syllable in Bansara Language…..………………...41

2.7.2   Bi syllabic words…………………………………………..43-44

2.7.4    Quadric syllabic words……………………………………..45

CHAPTER THREE: PHONOLOGICAL PROCESSES IN BANSARA

3.1     Introduction……………….……………………………………46

3.3     Palatalization….……….……….……………………………….47-48

3.4     Vowel Harmony……..………………………………………….48-50

3.5      Deletion…………………………………………………………50-51

3.6     Nasalization..……………………………………………………51-53

CHAPTER FOUR: TONAL PROCESSES

4.2    Tone Elision……….……………….……………………………54-55

4.3 Tone Stability…………………………………………………….55-56

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1      Summary…………………………………………………………...57-58

5.2      Conclusion…………………………………………………………58

5.3      Recommendation……………………………………………..........58-59