SOURCE:

Faculty: Arts
Department: Igbo, African & Chinese Studies

CONTRIBUTORS:

OGWUDILE, C. E.C;
Mbah, B.M;

ABSTRACT:

This dissertation focuses on the verb ‘gba’ as an additional contribution to the few studies that have already been done on it. The objectives of the study are: to analyse the Igbo verb ‘gba’ using analogical mapping (image schema), to determine the image schemata that underlie the meanings of the Igbo verb ‘gba’, to determine what enables the abstract meanings of the ‘gba’ verbal complexes to map onto the concrete and to contrast the interrelationships among the ‘gba’ verbal complexes. The data for this study constitute of ‘gba’ and elements that it is restricted to, hence they are grouped into the simplex and complex categories.The forms have been elicited from speakers of different dialects of Igbo using a sentence checklist. Also, reference some Igbo dictionaries served as sources of data. So, they have been analysed using the cognitive semantic model of image schema/analogical mapping. The analysis shows that gba has, among other meanings, run, kick, ejaculate, spray, play, etc. The analysis also reveals that the ‘gba’ verbal complexes can conveniently be analysed using analogical mapping/image schema. However, not all the image schemata presented themselves for the analysis of the meaning domains of the Igbo verb complex. The image schemata that underlie the Igbo verb ‘gba’ are the combination of image schemata. They are: path, force, containment, enablement, counterforce and a combination of two or three image schemata like path and force, path and containment, source and path, path, goal and containment, etc. Equally, the study shows that there is mapping of the abstract meanings of the ‘gba’ verbal complexes onto the concrete which stems from the fact that it is from our knowledge of the concrete that the abstract is derived. Another aspect of the discoveries is the interrelationships among both the simple and compound ‘gba’ verbal complexes. Here, we have in the nature of the complement bifurcation, liquefaction, base from where they shoot out etc. In the argument structure, some ‘gba’ verbal complexes subcategorise two nouns while some subcategorise three in their constructions, thereby being a V(NN} and V(NNN}, a second and third degree verbs respectively. This study therefore, recommends that cognitive semantic theory be adopted to study other Igbo verbs especially those in the inherent complement verb category to which ‘gba’ belongs.