The effect of language contact on Gbi- Dzigbe dialect of Ewe

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.