LIST OF SYMBOLS, TABLES, DIAGRAMES AND CHARTS
1.2 Locations Of Kofyar’s Offspring
1.3 Kofyar’s Educational Status
1.4 Genetic Tree Classification
1.5 Diagrammatical Representation Of The Theories
1.9.2 Theta Role Assignment
1.9.3 Picture of Case Assignment
2.2 Kofyar Vowel Chart
2.2.2 Kofyar Language Nasal Vowel Chart
2.3 Kofyar Consonant Chart
2.3.1 Description Of Kofyar Consonant Sounds With Examples
Symbols
IP – Inflectional Phrase
VP – Verb Phrase
NP – Noun Phrase
PP – Prepositional Phrase
Adjp – Adjectival Phrase
TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Table, Diagrams, Charts and Symbols
CHAPTER ONE: INSTRUCTION
1.0 Introduction
1.1 General Background
1.2 Historical Background
1.3 Socio-Cultural Profile
1.4 Genetic Classification
1.5 Scope and Organization of study
1.6 Theoretical Framework
1.7 Data Collection
1.8 Data Analysis
1.9 Brief Review of the Government and Binding theory
CHAPTER TWO: BASIC PHONOLOGICAL AND SYNTACTIC CONCEPTS
2.0 Introduction
2.1 Phonological Components of Kofyar
2.2 Kofyar Vowel Syste
2.3 Kofyar Consonant System
2.4 Tone System
2.5 Syllable Structure of Kofyar Language
2.6 Basic Syntactic Concepts
2.7 Lexical Categories
2.8 The Basic Word Order in Kofyar Language
2.9 Sentence Types
CHAPTER THREE: VERB PHRASE IN KOFYAR LANGUAGE
3.0 Introduction
3.1 Verb Phrase and Head parameter
3.2 Structure of the Verb Phrase
3.3 Classes of Verb
3.4 Verbs with Sentential Complements
3.5 Verbs Serialization
CHAPTER FOUR: TRANSFORMATIONAL PROCESSES IN KOFYAR LANGUAGE
4.0 Introduction
4.1 Transformational Component
4.2 Predicate Cleft in Kofyar Language
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
5.0 Introduction
5.1 Summary
5.2 Conclusion
5.3 Recommendation
References
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
This study focuses on the verb phrase of kofyar. Kofyar is a dialect of “sura” that can be found in the northern part of plateau state in a local government called Qua’an pan. The kofyar are a population in the middle belt of Nigeria numbering around 50,000.
They are majorly known as ‘KOFYARA’ among the speakers but in the local government they are known as “PAN”. It is also spoken in a part of Nassarawa State.
1.1 GENERAL BACKGROUND
COLONIAL BACK GROUND
Kofyar population comprises of three different tribes as designated by british colonial officers and the tribes are the Doemark, Merniang and kwalla. The three groups have a common language, economic pattern and origin myth and had formed into a union called the kofyar federation in 1940’s. They have therefore been referred to as a single group by the anthropologist.
When they were first met by early British colonial authorities, they lived in the rugged hills in the south eastern corner of the Jos plateau and in settlements around plateau state. They remained at peace with Britain officers until 1930, when a young assistant district officer named Barlow was killed in the hill village of Latok by a rock thrown on his head. After this the resident were forced out of the hills making them spread themselves in different places in plateau state.
1.2 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Kofyar means the home state of the ancestor has grown. There are two kofyar in Qua’an pan local government area, they are kofyar payar and kofyar doemak, the only difference between these two kofyar is the distance. The name of the originator is Dafyar which means a child has grown. He descended from the eastern part of Nigeria.
When he left for the eastern part of the country he moved with tribes like the Angas, Mahvul, Ankwe, Gwai and the Bokous. When were moving they came straight to Daika in Mangul Local Government, Plateau State. At that point, they had a disagreement, the Bokous and the panchi left and headed towards another direction. The kofyar headed towards Garam, at Garam they had another disagreement on the issue of chieftaincy.
Mean while, Dafyar had a brother named Daram, they both moved from Garam to chip, in chip, Dafyar left Daram, Dafyar left and settled in kofyar payer. He gave birth to so many children among which were a set of twin called Dajan and Dajin, Dajan went to namu and Dajin stayed in Doemak meaning my movement ends here. The offspring of Dafyar comprised his sons and grandsons or even great grand sons and so on. Oral tradition has for long mentioned the fourteen who have been popular due to the settlements that grew in the wake of their earlier locations. These offspring’s whose location have created urban and semi urban settlements are as presented below.
TABLE 1.2LOCATIONS OF KOFYAR OFFSPRING
S/N
NAME
SETTLEMENT
APPROXIMATE ROUTE DISTANCE FROM KOFYAR
1
Chikirpe
Kwang
6km
2
Dajan
Jepjan
23km
3
Dajin
Dummak
3km
4
Dawam
Lardang
5km
5
Jefut
Jaknoeng
11km
6
Jipal
Koeper
8km
7
Koenzuan
Fujing
6km
8
Kopgwai
Muduut
6km
9
Longme
Bogot
5km
10
Nugaan
Miket
2km
11
Rundum
Zukal
8km
12
Soekoetko
Kwa
3km
13
Wadam
Kwanoeng
5km
14
Yimpan
Fungleet, Njak
12km
As a result of civilisation, kofyar speakers can be found in seven districts in Qua’an pan local government area in seven villages which are Doemak, Kwa, Kwang, Kwalla, Bwalla, Namu and Doka.
1.3 SOCIO-CULTURE PROFILE
The kofyar are a population in the middle belt of