Abstract:
This work seeks to find out the causes of language contact in the Gbi Dzigbe community.
It is also to identify the languages that are in contact with Gbi Dzigbe Dialect of Eʋe
(GDDE), and whether those languages have had any effect on the GDDE, if they have,
what effects have they had the on the GDDE. Data was collected through observation
and interview. The indigenous people of Gbi Dzigbe (GD) were used. The study showed
that Gbi Dzi Traditional Area (GDTA) is a multilingual environment, and people with
different language backgrounds have settled there for economic, social, and religious
reasons. Languages in contact with GDDE have some effects on the GDDE. Among the
effects are lexical and structural changes. Interestingly, the dominant language in GD is
being influenced by the non-Eʋe languages spoken in GD. Moreover, when indigenous
people speak their language variety in a multilingual environment, they would be able to
maintain their language and pass it on to the younger generations. Traditional rulers
should encourage their subjects to perform the necessary traditional rites when the need
arises. This will help the younger generation to acquire and use appropriate vocabulary
items and expressions. Besides, this work has other linguistic researches that are related
to language contact.
Description:
A THESIS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS, FACULTY OF
LANGUAGES EDUCATION, SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE
STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA, IN PARTIAL
FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR AWARD OF THE MASTER OF
PHILOSOPHY (APPLIED LINGUISTIC) DEGREE
December, 2015