A SOCIOLINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF EDO FOLKSONGS

ABSTRACT

This project is a sociolinguistics analysis of Edo folksongs. The song is sang by the people of Edo, in Edo State. The primary aim of the study was to examine analyze the numerous folksongs. Data for this study were drawn from several discourses, such as, naming ceremonies, funeral and marriage ceremonies, age grade gatherings, etc. to get a fair account of how each songs are being sang and how they are being performed. The Sociolinguistic analysis of folksongs in Edo is carried out in thus study; sociolinguistics being one of the aspects of language (linguistic studies). The sociolinguistics analysis done in Edo folksongs is aimed at analyzing the various uses of these folksongs and to highlight the mythical beliefs behind them (folksongs) in Edo language. The data used for this analysis were gathered from different sources via recordings from different settings where folksongs where performed, more so, some scholarly works on folksongs were cited to aid proper analysis of the collected data. Dell Hymes model called “Ethnography Of SPEAK” was adopted in the study. The model helps to ascertain the settings of the data as used in various content, participants involved, the goal, linguistic choice of each data in relation to the ceremonies it is used in, the key or tone of the data as it portrays the feelings of the participants, the medium of conveying the data, the various societal norms depicted in the data as well as the genre of the data collected. It was discovered at the end of the research study that folksongs are rarely no much in use in our modern or contemporary society where ceremonies are carried out on daily basis. The study recommends that folksongs should be integrated into our modern day life, and should be used in our ceremonies as a means of moral incitement in our society.