Lilian Ochieng - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Lilian Ochieng

Research paper thumbnail of The Olusuba Noun Class System

International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 2014

Noun classification is one of the prime markings of any Bantu language. It is characterized by th... more Noun classification is one of the prime markings of any Bantu language. It is characterized by the categorization of nouns into noun classes which often pair into singular and plural pairings. These classes are often marked with a numbering system. Suba language being a Bantu language has a noun class system typical of the other Bantu languages and because the language has hardly any evidence of a description of any aspect of its grammar this study seeks to describe this significant aspect of it, laying emphasis on the role of syntax in the morphological structure of the noun. The study took a qualitative approach with the descriptive research design. It was guided by the theory of distributed morphology introduced in 1993 by Morris Halle and Alec Marantz. The theory demonstrates the inter-relatedness between the various components of grammar (phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics). Data was collected in Mfangano Island, which is a homogeneous set up of Suba indigenous people. A sample of forty elders was purposively selected to provide the data. Focus group discussion and elicitation methods were used to collect a corpus of the Suba language which was recorded through audio taping and field notes. The recorded data was then analyzed using the item-and-arrangement approach of morphological structure analysis. This revealed that the classification of the Olusuba noun into a class is motivated by both the morpholosyntactic realization of the noun and the semantics of the noun.

Research paper thumbnail of The Internal structure of the Olusuba determiner Phrase (DP)

This paper investigates the syntax of the Determiner Phrase (DP) as it pertains to Universal Gram... more This paper investigates the syntax of the Determiner Phrase (DP) as it pertains to Universal Grammar as well as to characterization of Olusuba, a Bantu language spoken by the Suba people living on the Eastern shores and islands of Lake Victoria in Kenya and Tanzania. The study sought to examine the internal structure of the Olusuba DP by looking into the larger syntax of the noun and its dependents. It proposed an account of the different elements within the DP by arguing that Olusuba exhibits a head first structure and the surface order of the elements therein is a mirror image of their merged order (derivation). The study was done within the framework of the Principles and Parameters approach that postulates that although languages are certainly not identical, they seem to choose their syntactic structures from a limited set of options that are universally available.

Research paper thumbnail of The Olusuba Noun Class System

International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 2014

Noun classification is one of the prime markings of any Bantu language. It is characterized by th... more Noun classification is one of the prime markings of any Bantu language. It is characterized by the categorization of nouns into noun classes which often pair into singular and plural pairings. These classes are often marked with a numbering system. Suba language being a Bantu language has a noun class system typical of the other Bantu languages and because the language has hardly any evidence of a description of any aspect of its grammar this study seeks to describe this significant aspect of it, laying emphasis on the role of syntax in the morphological structure of the noun. The study took a qualitative approach with the descriptive research design. It was guided by the theory of distributed morphology introduced in 1993 by Morris Halle and Alec Marantz. The theory demonstrates the inter-relatedness between the various components of grammar (phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics). Data was collected in Mfangano Island, which is a homogeneous set up of Suba indigenous people. A sample of forty elders was purposively selected to provide the data. Focus group discussion and elicitation methods were used to collect a corpus of the Suba language which was recorded through audio taping and field notes. The recorded data was then analyzed using the item-and-arrangement approach of morphological structure analysis. This revealed that the classification of the Olusuba noun into a class is motivated by both the morpholosyntactic realization of the noun and the semantics of the noun.

Research paper thumbnail of A Description of the Morphosyntactic Structure of the Suba Language

Open Science Repository Language and Linguistics, Jul 25, 2013

A systematic description of a language empowers a language for public use, gives it a utilitarian... more A systematic description of a language empowers a language for public use, gives it a utilitarian value and also preserves it for future generations. This paper presents a description of the morphosyntactic structure of the Suba language of Kenya. The study is guided by the theory of Distributed Morphology: An approach which highlights the fact that the machinery of what traditionally has been called morphology is not a single component of grammar but rather is distributed among several different components. Data was collected in Mfangano Island because the Island is a homogeneous set up of Suba indigenous people. Focus group discussion was used to collect a corpus of the Suba language. Elicitation was employed as backup methods of data collection. This study contributes immensely to linguistic scholarship; it is an addition to the repertoire of knowledge on linguistic description. To the Suba, the study is expected to confer a certain status on their language that was previously considered to be of little importance; it will give them a sense of equality and worth.

Research paper thumbnail of The Olusuba Noun Class System

International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 2014

Noun classification is one of the prime markings of any Bantu language. It is characterized by th... more Noun classification is one of the prime markings of any Bantu language. It is characterized by the categorization of nouns into noun classes which often pair into singular and plural pairings. These classes are often marked with a numbering system. Suba language being a Bantu language has a noun class system typical of the other Bantu languages and because the language has hardly any evidence of a description of any aspect of its grammar this study seeks to describe this significant aspect of it, laying emphasis on the role of syntax in the morphological structure of the noun. The study took a qualitative approach with the descriptive research design. It was guided by the theory of distributed morphology introduced in 1993 by Morris Halle and Alec Marantz. The theory demonstrates the inter-relatedness between the various components of grammar (phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics). Data was collected in Mfangano Island, which is a homogeneous set up of Suba indigenous people. A sample of forty elders was purposively selected to provide the data. Focus group discussion and elicitation methods were used to collect a corpus of the Suba language which was recorded through audio taping and field notes. The recorded data was then analyzed using the item-and-arrangement approach of morphological structure analysis. This revealed that the classification of the Olusuba noun into a class is motivated by both the morpholosyntactic realization of the noun and the semantics of the noun.

Research paper thumbnail of The Internal structure of the Olusuba determiner Phrase (DP)

This paper investigates the syntax of the Determiner Phrase (DP) as it pertains to Universal Gram... more This paper investigates the syntax of the Determiner Phrase (DP) as it pertains to Universal Grammar as well as to characterization of Olusuba, a Bantu language spoken by the Suba people living on the Eastern shores and islands of Lake Victoria in Kenya and Tanzania. The study sought to examine the internal structure of the Olusuba DP by looking into the larger syntax of the noun and its dependents. It proposed an account of the different elements within the DP by arguing that Olusuba exhibits a head first structure and the surface order of the elements therein is a mirror image of their merged order (derivation). The study was done within the framework of the Principles and Parameters approach that postulates that although languages are certainly not identical, they seem to choose their syntactic structures from a limited set of options that are universally available.

Research paper thumbnail of The Olusuba Noun Class System

International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 2014

Noun classification is one of the prime markings of any Bantu language. It is characterized by th... more Noun classification is one of the prime markings of any Bantu language. It is characterized by the categorization of nouns into noun classes which often pair into singular and plural pairings. These classes are often marked with a numbering system. Suba language being a Bantu language has a noun class system typical of the other Bantu languages and because the language has hardly any evidence of a description of any aspect of its grammar this study seeks to describe this significant aspect of it, laying emphasis on the role of syntax in the morphological structure of the noun. The study took a qualitative approach with the descriptive research design. It was guided by the theory of distributed morphology introduced in 1993 by Morris Halle and Alec Marantz. The theory demonstrates the inter-relatedness between the various components of grammar (phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics). Data was collected in Mfangano Island, which is a homogeneous set up of Suba indigenous people. A sample of forty elders was purposively selected to provide the data. Focus group discussion and elicitation methods were used to collect a corpus of the Suba language which was recorded through audio taping and field notes. The recorded data was then analyzed using the item-and-arrangement approach of morphological structure analysis. This revealed that the classification of the Olusuba noun into a class is motivated by both the morpholosyntactic realization of the noun and the semantics of the noun.

Research paper thumbnail of A Description of the Morphosyntactic Structure of the Suba Language

Open Science Repository Language and Linguistics, Jul 25, 2013

A systematic description of a language empowers a language for public use, gives it a utilitarian... more A systematic description of a language empowers a language for public use, gives it a utilitarian value and also preserves it for future generations. This paper presents a description of the morphosyntactic structure of the Suba language of Kenya. The study is guided by the theory of Distributed Morphology: An approach which highlights the fact that the machinery of what traditionally has been called morphology is not a single component of grammar but rather is distributed among several different components. Data was collected in Mfangano Island because the Island is a homogeneous set up of Suba indigenous people. Focus group discussion was used to collect a corpus of the Suba language. Elicitation was employed as backup methods of data collection. This study contributes immensely to linguistic scholarship; it is an addition to the repertoire of knowledge on linguistic description. To the Suba, the study is expected to confer a certain status on their language that was previously considered to be of little importance; it will give them a sense of equality and worth.