A STUDY OF TONALITY IN THE IDOMA LANGUAGE
Abstract
This study, titled "A Study of Tonality in Idoma Language," explores the tonal system of the Idoma
language,focusing on its phonological structure,tonal features, and the role of tone in
meaning.sentence structure, and grammatical functions. Adopting a qualitative research design,
the study employed in-depth interviews and participant observation to gather data from native
Idoma speakers. The research is framed within the theoretical framework of Autosegmental
Phonology.which treats tone as an independent phonological unit that interacts with segmental
features. The study reveals that Idoma employs a three-tone system (high,mid, and low),where
tonal variation influences word meaning.grammatical structures, and sentence types. The
findings also highlight the impact of language contact and modernization on tonal simplification
among younger speakers. Based on these findings, the study recommends increased efforts for
language documentation, preservation oftonal complexity, and the integration oftone education
in literacy programs to safeguard the language's phonological integrity
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