Patterns of Negation in Ọrọ: A Morphosyntactic Analysis

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyse ‘one-word’ sentence negation patterns as well as sentential negation in Ọrọ, spoken in Akwa-Ibom state of Nigeria, within the principle and parameters framework. Negation which is a phenomenon in every language occurs when an affirmative sentence is reversed or negated. Cross linguistically, reversing the truth-value of a proposition requires the presence of a negative marker in the form of an affix or full word. For example, while English uses not to negate, negation in Ọrọ is achieved when negative morphemes are simultaneously prefixed and suffixed to the root verb predicate just like the French ‘Ne… pas’. However, the suffixed enclitics in the form of /ọu/, /ou/, /oo/, and /au/ are a necessary part of the negation process and they are movement sensitive and depend on preceding vowel sound which at times are copied and suffixed through the processes of circumfixation. Interestingly, the subject is left out before negation begins. Fourteen negative operators observed during this research are described. Data for the study were collected from primary and secondary sources in addition to the researcher’s intuitive knowledge of the language. Data analysed involves the present, past, future and imperative sentence forms. The study briefly compares patterns of negation of two other related languages, namely - Efik and Ibibio.