DESCRIPTION OF SOME PHONOLOGICAL PROCESSES IN THE VARIETY OF YORUBA SPOKEN IN OWAN COMMUNITY

ABSTRACT

This research work provides an in-depth classification, analysis and discussion of various phonological processes found in the Yoruba variant spoken in Owan community. The purpose of this research work is to analyze the phonological processes that are overt in the language. These processes which include; nasalization, vowel elision and consonants deletion are found in the Yoruba variant. To achieve the aims of this study, the researcher used the tenet of generative phonology to analyze the lists of words gotten from the speakers of the variant of Yoruba language using the Ibadan four hundred (400) word list, these data were classified and analyzed into three types of phonological processes as observed in the language variant; Consonant deletion, Vowel elision and Nasalization processes. The study revealed that phonological processes found in the Yoruba variant spoken in Owan community like the standard Yoruba language also exhibits assimilation processes which allow a sound inherit the phonological features of its neighbouring sound segment causing a change in the structure of the word. The The researcher recommends that researchers should do a comparative study on variant of Yoruba spoken in Owan language community and the standard Yoruba language.