Journal of Languages, Linguistics and Literary Studies (JOLLS) Http://www.jolls.com.ng Vol 6. September 2018 ISSN : 2636-7149-6300 (online & print) A STUDY OF ETHYMOLOGY, ETHNOLOGY AND LEXICAL HYBRID IN OGU LANGUAGE Koko, Oluwapelumi Joseph Department of French Kaduna State University, Kaduna, Nigeria Abstract This study treats the etymology, ethnology and lexical hybrid of Ogu language by first excavating into the genealogical history of Egun people who are the speakers of this language. It also cut across the origin of Ogu language examining the lexis and where it originated from. All this knowledge intimates us with the culture and tradition of Egun people. The study equally examines lexis of Ogu language which originated from Ewe, Fon, and Yoruba with evident, adequate and detailed analysis. The study simply aims at appreciating the language and its speakers knowing their origin and understanding why Egun people‟s culture and tradition are such. Finally it will make know that virtually all languages of Edè /Gbè continuum have a lot of linguistics elements in common and how they are interwoven lexically. Keywords: Language, Egun people, etymology, linguistics elements. Introduction research is to examine the etymology of Ogu African communities historically from time language verifying where the language migrated from one location to the other for emanated from and the lexical hybrid of the various reasons. Among such reasons are: the language. Our prerogative interest is not quest for a better settlement, escape from actually on genealogical study but historical some strict and wicked rulers, communal excavation to discover the metamorphosis of crises which led to hostility and segregation lexis of Ogu language, as it is today. This against some specific families or sets of will help us to unravel the source of Ogu people. Some other reasons could be the fall lexical and they are hybrid to what they are of some prominent empires and kingdoms today. that existed in certain dispensations in the past and some people ran away for fear of Definition of some basic terms being captured as slaves to other Lexis: This simply means the total or the communities of the conquering kings. For entire stock of words or vocabularies in a instance Yoruba are said to migrate from language. Saudi Arabia in the Middle East to settle in Etymology: Etymology simply signifies the southwestern Nigeria where they live till origin of words or parts of words and how date. The Ewe of Ghana and Togo and Benin they have arrived at the present form and republic were immigrants who settled all meaning according to Encarta (2008). This over the West African coastal region due to means it deals with the history concerning the the problems encountered by Old Oyo origin of words or of a statement of this, how Empire between the 16th and 17th centuries. it has arrived at the current form and There are also the Egun people whose meaning. Often, it shows the various forms of ancestors migrated from Dahomey Kingdom, the words has taken before in passing from Ghana, Togo and others. Our focus in this one language to another and at times shows 220 Koko Joseph O. CC BY-NC-ND Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs Journal of Languages, Linguistics and Literary Studies (JOLLS) Http://www.jolls.com.ng Vol 6. September 2018 ISSN : 2636-7149-6300 (online & print) related words in other languages. unchanged and uninterruptable fusing Ex. Through ancient French language in the together in form of a continuous mixed. In 14th century Greek “etumoloia” „„etumon‟‟ linguistics this term refers to languages is derived from Latin in 16th century and it is related closely such that their linguistics true sense of word in from which “etymos” is elements are blended and connected such that being its true origin. it would be difficult to differentiate them. Ethnology: Ethnology is a word derived One may regard such languages as parented. from ethnic. Ethnic is the sharing of We need to be very careful not to bring in distinctive cultural traits as a group in a what could be considered as dialect because society. It deals with a particular origin or there are distinctions among these continuum culture relating to a person or a group of languages despite the similarities. people who share a national, racial linguistic Egun people as a community or religion heritage whether or not they reside Egun people actually are descendants of in their country of origin. This shows the immigrants from Ghana, Togo, and Benin. members belonging to a particular ethnic Historically, it is believed that some groupin a society. Therefore ethnology is the descendants of the people were returnees of study the linguistic examination of words those Yoruba who immigrated to those areas which has to do with the comparison of mentioned as above due to the fall of Old cultures of different societies. Oyo Empire. They were finding their ways Hybrid: This means words derived back to Oyo but finally decided to settle morphologically from two languages. down in territory occupied by the Egun in the Sometimes there is loss of some letters for present Nigeria day and some parts of Benin other letters. This can be at times as a result republic. Let not forget that there were of the fusion of word components from colonial international boundaries then. different languages to from words. The wonderful people of Egun communities Continuum: According to Encarta (2005), are rich in culture and tradition which are the word originated from a Latin word particular to them, though similar to their “continuus” in the mid-17th century. The source as mentioned above. This heritage of word continuum is the link between two theirs remains undiluted even up till this new things. It also means the continuous or a millennium. The similarities of their culture continuous series of things that blend into and tradition as observed are intact till today each other so gradually and seamlessly that it just as they were inherited from the Fon of is impossible to say where one becomes the Dahomey, the Ewe of Ghana, Togo and the next. Le grand Larousse Encyclopedia environs. Their activities also reflect vividly www.larousse.fr 2007 explains the word the life styles of the Ouatchi, and Mina. continuum as the word of Latin origin which Tonuewa (2015) gives some expository and signifies the continuous combination of vital information about the people of Gunuvi elements such that is passed from one to the community; telling of their territory which other in a continuous form. According to spread across the south western part of https:/fr.wikidia.org/wiki/zone linguistics Nigeria that is predominantly Badagry, continuum as different languages belonging Makoko of Lagos State, Yewa, Ipokia, Jofin, the same linguistics zone which at times Agosso, Imeko all in Ogun State, then in refers to them as languages of the same some communities in Oyo and Kwara States family Things are interwoven and are 221 Koko Joseph O. CC BY-NC-ND Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs Journal of Languages, Linguistics and Literary Studies (JOLLS) Http://www.jolls.com.ng Vol 6. September 2018 ISSN : 2636-7149-6300 (online & print) and such are referred to as anàgó. What explanation further shows Ogu language is marvels one at time, is when indigenes of found in Togo, Ghana, Côte d‟Ivoire, Benin these Gunuvi communities are regarded as republic. Though the reality is not perfectly non-Nigerians by people who are not clear but we are of the opinion that Ogu conversant with the Egun people. This issue language has some sister languages like; is another topic on its own. Ewe, Ouatchi, Fon, Mina and Yoruba which belong to the same continuum of Edè or Gbè. Ogu language as an ethnic One truth is that Yoruba language and culture Ogu language according to Tonuewa (2015) have a very strong influence on these originated from the people of Dahomey languages along the West African coastal kingdom and the question is what distinction regional communities. We in this research exits between Fon and Ogu. For we know for have some additional information regarding sure that they are two different languages Tonuewa‟s opinion and this will be detailed belonging to a continuum of Edè or Gbè. in the subsequent part. These two languages are parented languages and share several things in common. His Etymology of Ogu language Having examined the languages along the West African coast sub region communities and the speakers right from Badagry to Côte d‟Ivoire, we are of the opinion that Ogu is a language which comprises of lexis from multiple communities because its vocabularies reflect this fact. The diversity of Ogu lexis consists of words from Ewe, Ouatchi, Fon, Mina and Yoruba. It is certain that the integration of these different languages lexis gave Ogu its new nature among the speakers within a space of time. Considering the genealogical history of Badagry, this reveals some set of people who migrated from Ghana, Togo, Benin and the environs and met some dwellers who settled in the riverine area called Gberefu in the early period of 13th century, precisely in 1425. They settled with the existing people and the languages of these new immigrants were integrated into their language with the interfusion of the new languages‟ lexis even down to the other Gunvi communities in Ogun, Oyo and Kwara. 222 Koko Joseph O. CC BY-NC-ND Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs Journal of Languages, Linguistics and Literary Studies (JOLLS) Http://www.jolls.com.ng Vol 6. September 2018 ISSN : 2636-7149-6300 (online & print) GHANA TOGO BENIN REP. NIGERIA Fon Yoruba Ipokia Ogu Ewe Badagry Gen Cartography of continuum of Edè /Gbè languages of Capo (1991) adopted from Ayele Atchivon (2014).