MORPHO-SYNTACTIC COMPOSITIONS OF THE PERSONAL NAMES AMONG THE PEOPLE OF ILÉ-IFE

Abstract

Findings revealed that many Yorùbá linguists have discussed extensively on the basic morpho-linguistic structure and cultural characteristics of personal names among the Yorùbá in general perspectives. The influence of lexical verbs in the derivation of personal names in Ilé-Ifẹ̀ has not received attention. Some varieties of lexical words were collected from four quarter heads. The four quarter heads are Obàlo̩ràn, Obaláayè, Obaj́io, and Ako̩gun. Also, the Os̩ògún of Ifè̩ and Lówá were interviewed independently to verify some items of information as regards the personal names which are strictly restricted to Ifè̩ indigenes. Such names as; Awóminúrẹ̀, Ọ̀ráṣakin, Ẹgbẹ́wọlé, Omítińdè. Moreso, another ten language informants were incorporated into our research findings. Asides, the authors of the paper are indigenes of Ifẹ̀. This provides deep and nuanced insights that an outsider would likely miss. The data were duly expanded upon with the descriptive pattern of generative theories of Chomskyan Theory. Our findings revealed that some lexical verbs are restrictedly used in Ifẹ̀ dialect. These sets of lexical varieties vividly reflected the restricted use of verbs which are peculiar to Ifẹ̀ dialect suhc as ‘Awó-mi-nú-rẹ̀’, ‘Omi-ti-ń-dè’, ‘Ọmọ-rè-mí’. The study recommends that researchers may look inwardly into the same syntactic composition of personal names that are locally restricted to certain geographical areas in Yoruba land.