Abstract
This study is largely syntactic and descriptive, and it explores the structure of the Mo/Deg adjective phrase. It, thus, provides answers to the question, What is the nature of the Mo/Deg adjective phrase? Data was gathered from thirty-five (35) literate native Mo/Deg speakers who were also very skilful in English language using purposive sampling as the ability to speak and write well in both English and Mo/Deg was crucial. Short simple English sentences which have the structure of the adjective were designed and given to the respondents to rewrite in Mo/Deg.This was done to observe the nature of the adjective structure in the language. Some of the sentences were also given to some staff of the Mo/Deg project of the Ghana Institute of Linguistics, Literacy and Bible Translation (GILLBT) to translate into Mo/Deg because they are ones considered to have deeper formal knowledge of the language. This was to make sure that the correct and acceptable order of the linguistic items in the adjective phrase in the Mo/Deg language was obtained. The translations comprised the data which were analysed using the Systemic Grammar concept of the adjectival group (phrase). The results showed that the Mo/Deg adjective phrase has place for the headword (H) and the qualifier (Q) but does not have a modifier (M). It further found out that the qualifier function in the adjective phrase in the language may be realised by the adverb, the prepositional phrase, and the finite clause. The paper, thus, concluded that the adjective phrase in Mo/Deg language is quite a complex one though without a modifier.
Highlights
Osei (2006: 4) and Naden (1988) intimate that the Mo/Deg language belongs to the Gur language family
The two regions are divided by the Black Volta River which separates the two major Mo/Dega towns, New-Longoro (Mantukwa) in Brong-Ahafo and Bamboi in Northern Region
The Mangom dialect is spoken in the south-south western part of the Northern Region of Ghana in places such as Bamboi, Jama, Jugboi, Nepui (Kapinta), Tasilima, and a few other places, while the Longoro dialect is spoken in the northern portion of the Brong-Ahafo Region in places like: Busuama, Kintampo, Old Longoro, Manchala, Fignyoa (Ahenakom), Kandige, Yaara, Tarbang, Soronuasi, Babatokuma, and other places
Summary
Osei (2006: 4) and Naden (1988) intimate that the Mo/Deg language belongs to the Gur language family. Within the Longoro dialect is another brand of the Mangom dialect different from the northern Mangom, and spoken in Mansie (Nyamboi) Another slightly different form of the Mo/Deg language which is between Mangom and Longoro is spoken in places like Adadiem, Dokachina and Bonakire in the Jaman North District of the Brong-Ahafo region. This study is syntactic in form and investigates the structure of the adjective phrase with the primary aim or reason of identifying the grammatical elements which constitute the structure of the Mo/Deg adjective, and in doing so, it interprets the meanings of the structures in English It does not examine the functions of the adjective phrase in the language.
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