Addis Ababa University School of Graduate Studies College of Social Sciences and Humanities Faculty of Humanities Department of Linguistics and Philology
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES FACULTY OF HUMANITIES DEPARTMENT OF LINGUISTICS AND PHILOLOGY COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TWO DIALECTS OF BENCH: BENCHNON AND SHENON TIZAZU ATIMO SEPTEMBER 2010 ADDIS ABABA COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TWO DIALECTS OF BENCH: BENCHNON AND SHENON BY TIZAZU ATIMO A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LINGUISTICS AND PHILOLOGY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN LINGUISTICS SEPTEMBER 2010 ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSTY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES FACULTY OF HUMANITIES DEPARTMENT OF LINGUISTICS AND PHILOLOGY COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TWO DIALECTS OF BENCH: BENCHNON AND SHENON BY TIZAZU ATIMO APPROVED BY SIGNATURE -------------------------- ----------------------------- ADVISER ------------------------ ----------------------------- EXAMINER ------------------------ ---------------------------- EXAMINER ------------------------- --------------------------- Declaration I, the undersigned, declare that this is my original work and that all sources of the materials used for the thesis have been duly acknowledged. Name--------------------------- Signature------------------------ Place----------------------------- Date------------------------------ This thesis has been submitted for examination with my approval as thesis advisor. Name_______________________________ Signature____________________________ Acknowledgements First, I would like to thank God for giving me the strength to bear all the challenges I encountered through my study. I would like to express my heartfelt thank to Dr. Zelealm Leyew, my advisor and instructor, who spent his precious time by commenting on my thesis from the very beginning to its end. I never forget his patience to read and comment on each aspect of my study. He has supervised this thesis with care and I have benefited much from his constructive comments and suggestions. Again, I would like to thank the following organizations: Bench Maji Zone and Addis Ababa University, for offering me this scholarship to attend graduate study and for covering the cost of this research. I thank Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL Ethiopia) for finance and material support. I would like to extend thanks to my Shenon dialect informants, Ato Habtamu Komtikes and Ato Getachew Koyka. I want to address my thanks to the following friends and genuine individuals: Admasu Ango, Alemayehu Aybera, Ayana Abeto, Asrat Assefa, Asrat G/maryam, Deneke Mamo, Habtamu Teka, Gidion Kostab, Kassahun Kebede, Mery Breeze, Tefera Endallew, Aija Katrina, Zelealm Abebe, and Wondwosen Bogale. Last but not least, I would like to thank my family members for their love, advice and constructive ideas. i Table of Contents Content pages Acknowledgements……………………...………………………………………………………i Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………………….ii Figures and Tables.......................................................................................................................iv List of Abbreviations and Symbols……………………………………………………………..v Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………...vii Chapter One Introduction 1.1. The People and the Language………………………………………………………………1 1.2. Statement of the Problem…………………...........................................................................4 1.3. Objective of the Study…………………………………………………...…………………5 1.4. Significance of the Study……………………………………………..…………………….5 1.5. Scope of the Study………………………………………….…….………………………...6 1.6. Review of Related Studies..............................................................................................…...6 1.7. Methodology of the Study………………………………………………………..…………9 Chapter Two Conceptual Framework 2.1. What of Dialect…………………………………................................................................10 2.2. Dialectology………………………………………………………….................................11 2.3. The Relation between Dialect and Language……………………………………………...12 2.4. Dialect and Accent………………………………………………………………………...14 2.5. Isoglosses and Dialect Continuum………………...............................................................15 Chapter Three Phonological Features 3.1. Segmental Phonemes………………………………………………………………………17 3.2. Phonology difference in verb...……………………………………………………………20 3.3.Suprasegmental feature(Tone)...…...……………………………………….………………22 ii 3.3.1. Tone variation and its effect……………………………………………………………..23 3.3.2. Meaning variation due to tone change.....…………….………………………………….25 Chapter Four Morphological Features 4.1. Noun Inflections……………………………………...........................................................27 4.1.1. Numbers……………………………………………………….………………………27 4.1.2. Pronouns…………………………………………………….…………………………28 4.2. Variations in Case markers….……………………….……………..………...……………30 4.2.1. Comitative Case Markers…………………………………………...………………....30 4.2.2. Instrumental Case Markers…………………………………….....................................31 4.2.3. Spatial expression of location …………………….…………………..………………32 4.3. Tense and Aspect………….………………………………………………..……………..33 4.4. Negation Markers……….……………………………………………………...………….35 4.4.1. Negation Markers of Past Tense……….………………………………………………36 4.4.2. Negation Markers of Future Tense.................................................................................37 4.5. Ordinal Number Marker.......................................................................................................39 Chapter Five Lexical and Semantic Variations 5.1. Lexical variations ………………………………………………........................................42 5.1.1. Some lexical items from different word classes………………………………………42 5.1.2. Cardinal numbers…………………………………………………………….……......45 5.1.3. Days of the Week………….……..……………………….……………….……….…46 5.2. Semantic variation……………………………………………………………………...….47 Chapter six Conclusion…...........................................................................................................................50 References iii Figures and Tables Figure/Table pages Figure-1 Map of Bench Maji Zone……………………………………………………………..1 Figure-2 Omotic language family tree…………………………………………………………3 Table-1 Consonant phonemes………………………………………………………………..18 Table-2 Possessive pronouns ………………………………………………………………...29 Table-3 Vocative Pronouns……………...…………………………………………………...30 Table-4 Progressive aspect (continuous tense) marker ...……………………………………34 Table-5 Past tense negation marker…………………………………………………………..36 Table-6 Future tense negation marker ……………………………………………………….38 Table-7 Semantic variation……………………………………………………………..…….47 iv List of Abbreviations and Symbols - Morpheme boundary, rising tone from 2 to 3 indicator _______ Absence of meaning due to tone changes ( ) optional use / / phoneme boundary /ø/ zero morpheme 1+2 first person plural exclusive 1+3 first person plural inclusive 1SG first person singular 2PL second person plural 2SG second person singular 2SGfv second person singular female vocative pronoun 2SGmv second person singular male vocative pronoun 3PL third person plural 3refi third person reflexive 3SGm third person singular masculine 70N Seven Degree North Com Comitative case marker Cont Continuous tense dm Definite marker f Feminine gender Fut Future tense Gen Genitive case marker Inst Instrumental case marker Loc Locative Case m Masculine gender N Noun Neg Negation marker Nom Nominative Case v Past Past tense SIL Summer Institute of Linguistics SNNP South Nation Nationalities and Peoples SOV Subject Object Verb V Verb v1 Lowest tone v2 Low tone v2-3 Rising tone from 2 to 3 v3 Level tone v4 High tone v5 Highest tone (Where ‘v’ represents vowels or syllabic nasal sounds) vi Abstract This study is designed to deal with some linguistic features of Benchnon and Shenon dialects in a comparative way. The objective of the study is to show variations in some phonological, morphological, lexical items and semantic differences in the two dialects. The methods implemented in the study are through eliciting forms from the speech of native speakers of the two dialects, and through using published literatures as a secondary source. Both descriptive and comparative approaches are used to find out the dialectal variation in the two dialects. The findings of the study indicate that there are variations in phonological, morphological lexical items and semantic differences between the two dialects. Chapter one of the study deals with the people and language. Chapter two of the study deals with the conceptual framework of study. Chapter three of the study deals with phonological features of the two dialects. Under phonology variation in the two dialects is attested in the syllabic nasal, tonal distribution, meaning change and phonological differences in some words. Chapter four of the study deals with morphological features, and under this, the two dialects show variations in some noun inflections, pronouns, case, verb inflections, aspect and tense, negation and ordinal numbers. Chapter five of the study deals with lexical variations and semantic differences. Under lexical items variation is attested in some word classes, cardinal numbers and days of the week. Under semantic, variation is attested in some words in Benchnon and Shenon. The language has some unique natures, such as tone and uncommon sounds when it is compared with other Omotic languages in Ethiopia. The language is unwritten language until the resent year and it is now on the process to be written language. This process should consider the nature of the language, the relation and difference between the two dialects to have