Project Abstract

ABSTRACT The Verb Phrase (VP) is a fundamental component of every language, serving as the core element that expresses actions, events, or states. This study delves into the Verb Phrase of the Kahugu language, an endangered language spoken by a small community in a remote region. The research aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the structure, morphology, and syntactic properties of the Verb Phrase in Kahugu. The methodology employed in this research involves a combination of fieldwork, data collection through recordings of naturalistic conversations, and elicitation sessions with native speakers. The data gathered is then analyzed using linguistic tools and frameworks to uncover the intricate details of the Verb Phrase in Kahugu. One of the key findings of this study is the complex morphological structure of the Verb Phrase in Kahugu, which involves a rich array of affixes that encode various grammatical categories such as tense, aspect, mood, and agreement. Additionally, the study reveals the presence of serialization in the Verb Phrase, where multiple verbs can occur in succession to express a single event or action. Furthermore, the research investigates the syntactic properties of the Verb Phrase in Kahugu, exploring the word order patterns, argument structure, and the interaction of the Verb Phrase with other constituents in the sentence. The analysis reveals the flexibility and versatility of the Verb Phrase in accommodating different syntactic configurations while maintaining coherence and meaning. The study also sheds light on the semantic nuances encoded within the Verb Phrase in Kahugu, highlighting how lexical choices, aspectual markers, and syntactic structures contribute to the expression of subtle distinctions in meaning and interpretation. This aspect of the research provides insights into the rich semantic landscape of the Kahugu language and its unique ways of representing events and states. Overall, this research contributes to the documentation and understanding of the Verb Phrase in the Kahugu language, shedding light on its structural properties, morphological complexity, syntactic behavior, and semantic richness. The findings of this study not only enrich the linguistic description of Kahugu but also provide valuable insights into the universal principles of language structure and variation.

Project Overview

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

1.0   Introduction

This is a research on the Verb Phrase of Kahugu Language, also natively known as Aniragu. Kahugu is a Language spoken in Saminaka District of Lere Local Government in Kaduna State. This chapter will provide informations on the historical background, geographical location, population, socio-cultural profiles (occupation, political systems, religion, festivals, mode of dressing and food of the Kahugu people).Also the genetic classification of the language, scope and organization of this study, data collection and analysis and the chosen theoretical framework.

1.1     Historical Background

It was believed that, the Kahugu’s were found around KATANGI “A hill”, in Kahugu area called “Aniragu”, which means “The People of Peace”. Kahugu Language belongs to the people of Piriga Chiefdom of Lere Local Government, which is one of the 774 Local Governments in Nigeria.

1.2   Geographical Location

The Kahugus are located in Lere Local Government, in Kaduna State. Lere Local Government was formerly known as Saminaka Local Government Council. It was split from the former Kachia Local Government in 1976 and got..