Introduction to the
History of Gùngáwá People and Language.
Gùngáwá is an adopted
name for the Bàrèshe people by their Hausa neighbors which means Island
dwellers because of their nearest to rivers and lakes.
The people call
themselves Bàrèshe, Tsureja or Yáúráwa but officially called Gùngáwá. The names
of the language are Gùngáwá, Gùngácí.
The Gùngáwá people
are mostly found in Northern part of Kebbi State, and around Islands in extreme
Sokoto State few of them were also in Niger State especially Kontangora area
and Borgu Local Government Area and a recent funding in Kaiama Local Government
Area of Kwara State.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgement iv
Table of
Contents vi-viii
CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 General
Background 1
1.3 Historical
Background 1
1.4 Sociocultural
profile of the Gunganwa People 4
1.5 Genetic
Classification of Gunganci Language 9
1.6 Scope and
Organistions of Study 11
1.7 Theoretical
Framework 11
1.8 Data Collection
and Data Analysis 12
1.9 Brief Review of
the Choosen Framework 13
CHAPTER TWO
BASIC PHONOLOGICAL
AND MORPHOLOGICAL CONCEPTS
2.1 Introduction 14
2.2. Aspects of
Gunganci Phonology 14
2.2.1. Sound
Inventory in Gunganci Language 14
2.2.2. Consonant
Sounds 15
2.2.3. Gunganci
Consonant Chart 15
2.2.4. Vowel
Sounds 23
2.2.5. Gunganci Vowel
Chart 24
2.2.6. Gunbganci
Nasal Vowels 25
2.3 Tone Inventory of
Gunganci Language 29
2.4. Syllable
Structure of Gunganci Lanaguage 30
2.5. Basic
Morphological Concepts 30
2.5.1 Morpheme 31
2.5.2 Types of
Morphem 32
2.5.3. Tree
Morpheme 32
2.5.4. Lexical
Morpheme 33
2.5.5. Functional
Morpheme 34
2.5.5.1.
Conjunction 34
2.5.5.2.
Preposition 34
2.5.5.3.
Pronouns 34
2.5.6 Bound
Morpheme 35
2.5.7. Derivational
Morpheme 35
2.5.8. Inflectional
Morpheme 36
2.5.8.1 Noun 36
2.5.8.2
Adjective 36
2.5.8.3 Base
Forms 37
2.5.8.4. Comparative
Forms 37
2.5.8.5. Superlative
Forms 37
2.6. Structural
Position of Morpheme 37
2.7 Allomorphs 38
2.8. Language
Typology 39
2.8.1. Isolating
Language 39
2.8.2. Agglutinating
Language 39
2.8.3. Fusional or
Inflecting Language 40
2.9. Sentencial
Classification of Morphemes in Gunganci Language 40
CHAPTER THREE
THE MORPHOLOGY OF
GUNGANCI LANGUAGE
3.1 Introduction 42
3.2 Lexical
Category 42
3.2.1. Noun 42
3.2.2. Bisyllabic
Nouns 43
3.2.3
Trisyllabic 43
3.2.4. Polysyllabic
Nouns 43
3.2.4. Nouns in
Gunganci Language 43
3.2.5 Animate
Nouns 43
3.2.6. Inanimate
Nouns 44
3.2.7. Proper
Nouns 44
3.2.8. Common
Nouns 44
3.3.9. Abstract
Noun 45
3.2.10 Countable Noun 45
3.2.11 Uncountable
Nouns 45
3.2.12 Function of
Nouns in Gunganci Language 46
3.2.13. Nouns as a Subject 46
3.2.14. Noun as an
Object. 46
3.3 Pronouns 47
3.4. Adjective 48
3.4.1. Function of
Adjective in Gunganci Language 48
3.5. Preposition 48
3.5.1. Function of
Adjective in Gunganci Lanaguage 49
3.6. Verb 49
3.6.1. Transitive
Verb 49
3.6.2 Intransitive
Verb 50
3.7. Adverb 51
3.8 Conjunction 51
3.9.
Interjection 52
CHAPTER FOUR
MORPHOLOGICAL
PROCESSES IN GUNGANCI LANGUAGE
4.1 Introduction 53
4.2 Morphological
Processes 53
4.3. Lexical
Borrowing 53
4.4. Compounding 55
4.5.
Reduplication 55
4.6.
Refashioning 56
4.7. Clipping 57
4.8. Affixation 57
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY AND
CONCLUSION
5.1 Introduction 58
5.2. Summary 58
5.3. Conclusion 59
References 60
Historical Background
The tribe Gùngáwá or
Bàrèshe can be found in the Northern part of Nigeria in Southern Kebbi State
(Yàúrí Local Government) few of them are also in Borgu Local Government Area
and North of Borgu in Niger State.
The Gùngáwá are
mostly concentrated in Kebbi State in Yàúrí Local Government. The Gùngáwá
people are the original inhabitants of Yàúrí according to Muazu Bagudu a native
of the town.
A source had that the
Gùngáwá were decendents of 17th century
warrior called Kisira or Kachin who allied himself with the Hausa Soldiers to
gain territory in the extreme North who eventually settled with his co-fighters
in present Yàúrí town.
Another source told
us of their trace to a songay warrior who came from Mali to seek territorial
control and their eventual settlement (with his supporters) in Yàúrí and parts
of Lopa and Laru (Gùngáwá neighboring areas).
According to Apollos
Aagamalafiya, a native of Gùngáwá from Rèkúbọlọ
area in Yàúrí belief that the Gùngáwá people came from Kabuwa that they are
hunters from Katsina State.
He (Apollos)
explained further that some say they are from Shagana, Kambari, Kabbawa or
Sarkawa. These are mixed up tribes that constitute the Yàúrí emirate.
As regard this
histories, the actual place of origin is not clear, and it remain debatable
among Gùngáwá people. Although, the Gùnganci language is closely related with
that of the Lopa and Laru people in term of lexical items and Noun Affixes. No
matter how related these people might be with the Gùngáwá tribe; however, they
(Gùngáwá) still remain divergent in historical root.