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65 Phonetic Differences Between Esan and Selected Edoid Phonetic Differences between Esan and Selected Edoid Languages Evarista Ofure Ikoyo-Eweto Abstract This study is comparative. It identifies some linguistic features which distinguish Esan, Ẹdo and the dialect cluster of Ẹra-Emai- Iuleha (Ọwan). These three languages constitute a branch of Elugbe’s (1986) Proto North Central Ẹdoid. The impetus for the work is the dearth of micro-comparative studies of the languages that comprise Proto-Ẹdoid. The study is phonetic and examined differences in sound and tonal features of these languages. Primary data comprised lexical items from the languages under focus and were gathered from L1speakers of these languages, while secondary data comprised previous relevant works on the languages under study. Data analysis comprised simple comparative methods by which the sound and tonal features of these languages were examined for relatedness. Results of analysis showed that the major phonetic differences between Esan, Edo and Ọwan lie in their tonetic structure. Specifically, while Edo and Ọwan feature an all High and a final High tonal pattern on lexical items, Esan does not. The Esan language also displays more similarities in phonetic sound inventory with Ọwan than with Ẹdo. Esan and Ọwan feature 28 consonant phones each while Edo features 27 phones. The alveolar trill [ṛ ] and the alveolar approximant [ɹ ] attested in Ẹdo are peculiar to the language. This study gives an insight into micro linguistic relationships that are shown to exist between members of a language group. It would enhance similar such studies within this group and contribute to 65 Journal of Linguistics, Language and Culture Vol. 4 2017 further comparative studies and the documentation of the languages under study. Key words: Edoid, micro-comparative, phonetics, segmental, tonal. Introduction This study is a contribution towards an examination of the internal linguistic relationships that exist between the languages that comprise Elugbe’s (1989) Ẹdoid group. Specifically, this work seeks to identify relatedness in phonetic features between Esan, Ẹdo and the dialect cluster of Ora-Emai-Iuleha hereinafter referred to as Ọwan in this study. Elugbe (1989) identifies Esan, Ẹdo and the dialect cluster of Ora-Emai-Iulehaas members of the Ẹdoid group of languages along with Ukue, Ehuen, Uhami, Okpamheri, Emhale, Oloma, the dialect cluster of Okpe–Akuku–Idesa, Ghotuo, Uneme, Yekhee, Uvbie, Urhobo, Okpe, Isoko, Eruwa, the dialect cluster of Epie– Atisa, Egene and Degema. Esan is grouped with Ẹdo, Ora–Emai– Iuleha, Yekhee, Uneme and Ghotuo as Proto North Central Edoid (PNCE). The Edoid family tree as presented in that work is replicated in figure I. 66 Phonetic Differences between Esan and Selected Edoid Languages - Ikoyo-Eweto PROTO - EDOID PDE PNCE PNWE PSWE PSNWE PO UKUE ẸRỤNA ESAN UNEME GHOTUO ỌKPẸ UVBIE (Somorika) EMHALE OKPAMHERI UHAMI DEGEMA ATISA EPIE YẸKHEE (Engenni) ẸGẸNẸ (Bini) ẸDO ỌLỌMA EHUẸUN IULEHA ORA URHOBO ISOKO OKPẸ - - - EMAI AKUKU - - IDESA Key 67 Journal of Linguistics, Language and Culture Vol. 4 2017 PDE - Proto Delta Edoid PSWE - Proto South Western Edoid PNCE - Proto North Central Edoid PNWE - Proto North Western Edoid PSNWE - Proto Southern North Western Edoid PO - Proto Osse Figure I: The Edoid family tree (Culled from Elugbe, 1989:26) By Elugbe’s Edoid family tree (see figure 1), Esan, Ẹdo and the dialect cluster Ora-Emai-Iuleha are immediate neighbours on the classificatory chart. The focus of this study is on these three languages which Elugbe (1989:22) describes as “… the languages of the Central plains, where there is relative homogeneity.” That languages affect one another when their speakers interact is a known linguistic fact. These interactions and subsequent linguistic changes are made possible by situations referred to socio- linguistically as “contact situations” (Igboanusi and Lorther 2005:1). Esan Esan is spoken by the people commonly known as ‘Ishan’. The speakers call themselves ‘Esan’. The language is the mother tongue in five Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Edo State in the Southern part of Nigeria. These LGAs are Esan West, Esan Central, Esan North East, Esan South-East and Igueben. The total population of native speakers of the language is put at 587,858 out of the 3,218,332 of the entire Edo State (2006 National Population Census, Edo State National Population Commission). Records show that Esan land has an area of about 2,987.52 square kilometers, and is located North-East of Benin City. Earlier 68 Phonetic Differences between Esan and Selected Edoid Languages - Ikoyo-Eweto topographical studies of Esan divides it into two geographical areas identified as Esan A and Esan B. Esan A is said to be made up of a third of the land mass of Esanland and consists of the water-less Plateau with an average elevation of about 1,000 feet. It consists mainly of Esan towns established early in Esan history – Ekpoma, Ewu, Igueben, Irrua and Uromi. Esan B describes the area rich in water and forests occupied by inhabitants whom Okojie (1994:2) describes as “ less sophisticated and hardworking.” Its topography is hilly with valleys, and consists of the settlements called Amahor, Ebelle, Ewatto, Ewohimi, Ewossa, Ewu, Ohordua, Okhuesan and Ubiaja. Esan has as neighbours, Etsako to the North East, Owan to the North West, Orhionwon and Ika to the South West and Aniocha and Oshimili to the South and South East respectively. The River Niger is on her Eastern boarders. Esan has a proposed orthography (Okojie and Ejele, 1989). The language is taught as a subject from primary up to Junior Secondary School levels in both public and private schools in Esan land. The Esan language used to be taught as a course at the State’s College of Education, Ekiadolor in Benin (now Tayo Akpata University of Education), but that is no longer the case. It is used for the relay of local news and discussion programs on the state owned radio and television stations. The language has received some empirical attention. Ejele (1982, 1986, 1994, 2001b&c) examine the phonology, tense, aspect and tone in Esan respectively. Osiruemu (2010) is a pioneering effort in Esan dialectology. Other efforts by the same author examine the interaction of tone and aspects of Esan grammar. Ikoyo-Eweto (2014) is a review of the proposed Esan Orthography. Ẹdo 69 Journal of Linguistics, Language and Culture Vol. 4 2017 Agheyisi, (1986:iii) states that “…any formal account on any aspect of the Ẹdo language must begin with a clarification of the term ‘Ẹdo’, especially as it has come to be associated with a number of distinct interpretations.” This advice cannot be taken too seriously as a lot of confusion have bedeviled the use of this term both as an umbrella name for referring to a group of languages and as a name for a single language. This confusion is experienced both by native speakers and non- native speakers of the affected languages. Agheyisi explains that the oral tradition account of the origin of the Benin people by Egharevba (1954:8) traces the use of the term “Edo” as “…the indigenous name for Benin City” to a monarch of the Binis in the 15th century. According to her, since this account remains uncontested in the literature, the extension of the name to refer also to the language of the inhabitants of the City was a natural development. However, since the term ‘Bini’ is no longer used to refer to the language in the linguistic circle, the term ‘Ẹdo’ is adopted in this study as has been done in published works on the language spanning more 20 years. Further in this regard Elugbe (1989:3) in his classification of Edoid, draws attention to the ambiguity of the term ‘Edo’ and the need to clarify its use of. He states that this situation has prevented the proper understanding of the linguistic situation in the Edoid areas for ‘…it is frequently assumed that all who claim Edo must of necessity be speaking the same language.’ Records show that the language is spoken natively throughout most of the territory coterminous with the Benin Division of the former Mid-Western State of Nigeria which has now been demarcated into the Oredo, Orhiomwon, Ovia North and Ovia North East Local Government Areas. The estimated area of the main territory of the speech area is put at about 10,372 square kilometers while the 1963 population figure is put at 429,907 (Agheyisi, 1986:v). A small proportion of 70 Phonetic Differences between Esan and Selected Edoid Languages - Ikoyo-Eweto the population is said to constitute the non-Ẹdo immigrants who are either permanently or temporarily resident in the area. Records also show that there are other native speakers of the language resident in Okitikpukpa and Akure areas of Ondo State. Thousands of persons, especially those with Esan and Afemai native language background are estimated as speaking Ẹdo as a second language. The main Ẹdo speech community is said to be generally homogenous even though some speech peculiarities have been observed with inhabitants of boundary communities such as Oza. Agheyisi states that all the different varieties are mutually intelligible. Ọwan The name ‘Ọwan’ refers to the Northern Edo group of people whose speech variety is identified as the dialect cluster of Emai- Ora-Iuleha (Elugbe 1989:26) and whose principal village is Afuze. Beyond this immediate classification, Emai is a member of the Kwa division of the Niger-Cong family of languages. Schaefer and Egbokhare (1999:1) state that the speech variety is spoken by approximately 30,000-40,000 persons of the clan and used across 12 villages including Afuze, Evbiame, Okpokhumi, Ojavun, Uule, Ogute, Ovbionmwun and Uanhumi. The Emai speaking area is said to cover roughly 250 square kilometers on the plateau between Edion and Ọwan rivers of present day Ẹdo State.
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