IBIBIO LOAN-WORDS IN ENGLISH LEXICON: HISTORICAL ORIGIN AND COMPARATIVE LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS (1)
Main Article Content
Abstract
There are words which are of Ibibio origin found in contemporary English lexicon. These words are probably loan-words or derivatives from Ibibio vocabulary. Thus, the crux of this paper is to ascertain their roots and trace their probable routes to the English lexicon, and also embark on a comparative analysis between them and the Ibibio equivalents. To ascertain the Ibibioness or not of the words, the paper will compare and contrasts them and also examine their phonological, morphological, syntactic, semantic and etymological meanings in a bid to commenting on the nexus and open a floodgate for further researches. Historical analytical methodology has been adopted for this study. The findings and conclusion have shown that the English language borrows from the Ibibio language in the last 600 years.
Downloads
Article Details
Section
How to Cite
References
Endnotes
¹ Okon Essien, A Grammar of the Ibibio Language (Ibadan: University Press Plc. 2008), P. ix.
² Ibid, p.5
³ Ibid, p.5
⁴ David Eka, From Changes to Divergences: Reflections on Global Englishes. 13th Inaugural Lectures of the University of Uyo. September 29, 2005. P. 1
⁵ Otoabasi Akpan, An Introduction to the Modern Gulf of Guinea: History, People, Political Economy and Strategic Future (Calabar: Triple Star Printing Press Ltd. 2010), P. 24. See also Thomas Thomas, "Ibibio Etymology I" (A researched paper accepted for publication in a Festschrift in honour of Okuku (Prof.) Jonathan Udoeyop. History of Slave Trade in Ibibioland. Uyo: National Museum. 2005. P. 15.
⁶ Ibid.
⁷ Offiong Ani Offiong, "Languages in Contact: The Case of Efik and English", In Language and Culture in Nigeria: Festschrift for Professor Okon Essien (Aba: National Institute for Nigerian Languages 2004) P.98.
⁸ Eka, From Changes to Divergences, P. 1-2.
⁹ Ibid
¹⁰ Ibid. p.26
¹¹ Ibid p. 26
¹² Cited by Eka, David in the above referenced work p. 26
¹³ Trask's Historical Linguistics (2nd edition) Revised and edited
¹⁴ Robert McColl Miller. London: Hodder Arnold. 2007 p.22.
¹⁵ Ibid, p.22.
¹⁶ Ibid, p.22
¹⁷ Eka, From Changes to Divergences P. 26
¹⁸ Ibid. p.27
Ibid. p. 30
¹⁹ Sonny Samson – Akpan. “Writing and Teaching in Ibibio: A survey”. A paper presented at the First Workshop on the teaching of the Ibibio Language at the University of Cross River State, Uyo, 11th May, 1988
²⁰ Interview with Chief J. B. Ituen, Retired Principal of Secondary Schools in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Chief Ituen studied in Texas Southern University, USA for his BA and MA degrees in Geography and History respectively. As at the time of the interview he was 87 years old.
²¹ Offiong, "Languages in Contact", P. 98.
²² History of Slave Trade in Ibibioland. A publication of National Museum, Uyo, Nigeria. Sponsored by West African Museum Programme, Dakar, Senegal, 2005 . 15.
²³ John W. Blassingame, The Slave Community – Plantation Life in the Antebellum South. (Oxford University Press, Inc. 1979), P.5.
²⁴ Jerome R. Reich, Colonial America (Prentice-Hall. 2001) p. 123.
²⁵ Monday E. Noah, Ibibio Pioneers in Modern Nigeria History. (Uyo: Scholars Press, 1980), p.3.
²⁶ Blassingame, The slave Community, p. 25.
²⁷ Ibid. p. 25
²⁸ Ibid. p. 26
²⁹ Okon E. Uya, African Diaspora and the Black Experience in the New World Slavery (Calabar: Clear Lines Publications. 2005) P. 81.
³⁰ C. G. A. Olderdorps, Geschichte der evangelischen Bruder auf den carabischen Inselin. Barby. 1 777. Pp. 345-347
³¹ David, Northrup, “New Light form Old Sources: Pre-colonial References to the Anang Ibibio”, Ikenga, Vol. 2 No.1 January, 1973. P. 5
³² Memoirs of the Late Captain Hugh Crow. London. 1830. Pp. 270-286.
³³ Blassingame, The Slave Community, p.5
³⁴ Ibid. p. 25
³⁵ Ibid. p.30
³⁶ Ibid, p.30
³⁷ Ibid , p.31
³⁸ Ibid , p.30
³⁹ Ibid , p.30
⁴⁰ Ibid , p.30
⁴¹ Ibid, p.30
⁴² Thomas Thomas, "Ibibio Etymology 1”. (This paper has been accepted for publication in a Festschrift in Honour of Okuku (Prof.) Jonathan Udoeyop).
⁴³ Ibid
⁴⁴ Ibid
⁴⁵ Eka, From Changes to Divergences, p.30.
⁴⁶ Ozo-Mekuri Ndimele, Morphology and Syntax. Port Harcourt. M & J Grand Orbit Communications Ltd. 1999. P. 22
⁴⁷ Although the English claim that the word “emanate” is derived from Greek; but a deeper study of the verb “man” shows that the word is Ibibio in origin because viewing through the Ibibio perspective gives the word more weight and meaning than viewing from the Greek perspective.
⁴⁸ See Webster's New Universal unabridged Dictionary 1994.
⁴⁹ Trask's Historical Linguistics (2nd Edition) revised and edited by Robert McColl Millar. London: Hodder Arnold 2007. P.54 ⁵⁰ Thomas Thomas, Ibibio Warelores and Legends (An unpublished Manuscripts). p. 300
⁵¹ Ibid p. 301
⁵² E. U. Aye, The Efik People (Calabar: Glad Tidings Press limited. 2000), P. 147
⁵³ https://en.m.wikipedia.org .
⁵⁴ Ndimele, Morphology and Syntax, P. 69
⁵⁵ Ibid p. 69
⁵⁶ Ibid p. 69.
Bibliography
Akpan, Otoabasi, An Introduction to the Modern Gulf of Guinea: History, People, Political Economy and Strategic Future. Calabar: Triple Star Printing Press Ltd. 2010.
Akpan, Sonny Samson, “Writing and Teaching in Ibibio: A survey”. A paper presented at the First Workshop on the teaching of the Ibibio Language at the University of Cross River State, Uyo, 11th May, 1988
Aye, E. U. The Efik People. Calabar: Glad Tidings Press limited. 2000.
Blassingame, John W, The Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South. Oxford University Press, Inc. 1979
Ekah, David, From Changes to Divergences: Reflections on Global Englishes. 13th Inaugural lectures of the University of Uyo. September 29, 2005.
Essien, Okon E., A Grammar of the Ibibio Language. Ibadan: University Press Plc. 2008.
Interview with Chief J. B. Ituen Retired Principal of Secondary Schools in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Chief Ituen studied in Texas Southern University, USA for his BA and MA degrees in Geography and History respectively. As at the time of the interview he was 87 years old.
Memoirs of the Late Captain Hugh Crow. London. 1830. Pp. 270-286.
Ndimele, Ozo-mekuri, Morphology and Syntax. Port Harcourt: M. & J. Grand Orbit Communications Limited. 1999.
Noah, M. E., Ibibio Pioneers in Modern Nigerian History. Uyo: Scholars Press, 1980
Northrup, David, “New Light form Old Sources: Pre-colonial References to the Anang Ibibio”. Ikenga, Vol. 2 No.1 January, 1973.
Offiong, O. Ani, "Languages in Contact: The Case of Efik and English", in Language and Culture in Nigeria: A Festschrift for Professor Okon Essien, Aba: National Institute for Nigerian Languages, 2004.
Olderdorps, C. G. A., Geschichte der evangelischen Bruder auf den carabischen Inselin: Barby. 1 777.
Reich, Jerome R., Colonial America. Prentice-Hall. 2001
Trask's Historical Linguistics (2nd Edition) revised and edited by Robert McColl Millar. London: Hodder Arnold 2007.
Uya, Okon E., African Diaspora and the Black Experience in the New World Slavery, Calabar: Clear Lines Publications. 2005.