THE STUDY OF NEGATION IN OWÉ DIALECT OF YORÙBÁ LANGUAGE
Abstract
This study investigates the syntactic and morphological patterns of negation in the Owé dialect of Yorùbá, a relatively under-documented variety spoken primarily in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria. Using the Government and Binding Theory as its theoretical framework, the research identifies and analyses the major negative markers and strategies employed in Owé, including sentential negation, lexical negation, and the negation of imperatives, progressives, perfectives, and demonstratives. Data were collected through direct elicitation and recorded natural speech from native speakers and analysed descriptively within the principles and sub-theories of GB. Findings reveal that Owé exhibits both pre-verbal and post-verbal negative markers, tone-driven negation in certain constructions, and distinct strategies for prohibiting commands. The study contributes to Yorùbá dialectology, African linguistics, and syntactic theory while highlighting the need for further documentation of minority Nigerian languages.
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