LOANWORD MORPHOLOGY IN ETSAKO LANGUAGE

ABSTRACT

This project is Loanword Morphology in Etsako language. The aim of this study was to account for the morphological changes the loanwords have adopted and their modification in the language of study.

The sources of data were both primary and secondary. The primary data was collected from six participants aged 20-68 years, who were interviewed in the process of data collection. The process used in data collection was an individual discussion with the participants. The secondary data was compiled from published and unpublished materials including Etsako Language Research and Development Centre (ELRDC).

The theoretical framework adopted for this study is The Borrowing Transfer Theory and Generative Morphological Theory. The Borrowing Transfer Theory was developed in the mid-1970 by Terence Odlin. Odlin (1989) states that language contact situation generates borrowing and it begins at the lexical level. Generative Morphological Theory was developed by Harry Bochner. Bochner (1992) posit that a speaker has unvoiced rules that make it possible to distinguish ill-formed words in language.

It was established from this study that the Etsako language borrow words from different languages. These loanwords were adopted as a result of language contact situations with the source languages. The words are morphologically integrated and follow the morphological rules of the language of study.

These are some of the abbreviations used in this study.