SEMANTICS OF KINSHIP TERMS OF THE E̥DO LANGUAGE

ABSTRACT

This study examines the semantics of kinship terms of the E̥do language. It aims to explore what constitutes kinship terms in the E̥do language, identify and explain some kinship terms in E̥do, and determine the super-ordinate and hyponyms of kinship terms in E̥do. Data collection was carried out through structured oral interviews, direct observation, and participatory observation by the researcher. The secondary data were elicited from an E̥do-English Lexicon Dictionary and other texts written in E̥do. The study adopted hyponymy (a semantic sense relation), as it’s theoretical framework. The investigation reveals that È̥gbé̥ 'family', Érhá 'father', Íyé 'mother', Èvbá ní biè ò̥mó̥ níkhuà 'grandparent', and Òrruáé̥n 'in- law', are general super-ordinate terms for kinship terms that house other co-hyponyms in E̥do. The result further shows that the terms half brother and sister on the paternal side are called Òvbié érhá né Òkpiá kévbé òkhuó while maternal side Òvbié Íyé né Òkpiá kévbé òkhuó, while Ò̥ míwú (son/daughter) refers to one's biological child, and by extension nephew and niece.