A CONSTRAINT-BASED ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH LOANWORDS ADAPTATION IN IGALA

Abstract

There is no language in the whole world that is free from borrowing. Languages have contact with one another through trade, civilization, marriage, migration and lots more which lead to incorporation of new words. Igala as one of the Kwa Languages (new Benue Congo) has different English loanwords that incorporate new ideas which were not present in the language. It is observed that there is constant insertion of vowel phoneme at word initial of loanwords in Igala version of English Loanwords. There is alternation of some consonants and vowel sounds in Igala version of English loanwords. This study is to analyses the English loanwords adaptation in Igala using optimality theory. Specifically, this study identifies the English loanwords in Igala; ascertains the phonological and morphological assertion that English loanwords have to conform to Igala phonotatics and reveals the ranking hierarchy of Optimality constraints in Igala. Respondents (3 males and 3 females Igala native speakers) were selected from living in Igala communities of Idah, Ayingba and Dekina in Kogi State through random sampling technique. Data were collected through structured interview. Igala inserts vowel sounds to separate clusters, to avoid word initial onset and also to open the closed syllable of the source language. This paper concludes that there is no direct borrowing in Igala because all the loanwords must undergo the phonotatics of Igala based on the phonology and morphology of the language.