Abstract
This paper discusses critical questions on the processing of non-native surrogate languages of the Dagbamba (Dagomba) of Ghana. The Dagbamba use the fiddle, talking drum and double bell to encode speech in Hausa, Akan and other languages they do not speak. Fiddling and talking drums are integral to their festivals, funerals, the installation of chiefs and other cultural events. These instruments are used to entertain, praise, and send messages ranging from daybreak notifications to mobilizing people for war. The surrogate language they produce is a specialized language, interpreted mainly by people deeply rooted in their culture. It indicates nobility and statesmanship. While the performers and their patrons do not understand Akan or Hausa, they process and communicate with Akan and Hausa surrogate languages. The maintenance of the languages of performance is part of the practitioners’ desire to preserve the cultural heritage of Dagbamba. This raises questions about the acquisition of these surrogate languages, the level of accuracy of production and comprehension, the role of music in the processing and the implications of these for linguistic theory. These questions are discussed on the basis of data from recorded interviews of talking drummers and fiddlers. The overarching goal is to highlight the gaps in our understanding of language processing that surface in the study of surrogate language, when processing takes place with a poverty of grammatical content.
Highlights
This brief research report concerns the processing of non-native surrogate language among the Dagbamba (Dagomba) of Ghana
Meaning is important in the use of surrogate speech in Dagbon
The encoding of meaning and other aspects of the grammar is secondary to the preservation of cultural heritage, the definition of nobility and statesmanship and, to a lesser extent, entertainment
Summary
This brief research report concerns the processing of non-native surrogate language among the Dagbamba (Dagomba) of Ghana. From my experience, which was confirmed by the Akarimanima interviewed, it is common for an Akarima to drum the praises of someone of royal lineage and not get any response from them because they do not understand the meaning and do not even know that it is their father or grandfather who is being praised For this reason, the Akarima doubles as a teacher of praise names of notable people in Dagbon, as they would call such a person and teach them the praise name and the ancestor who bears it. The Dagbamba compensate for the lack of understanding of the literal meaning of the message of Goonje by dwelling on the beauty of the lyrics, which could move them to dance For those with interest in the message but lack enough competence in the foreign language, an alternative, noted by DjeDje, is to link the songs with a symbol or proverb that identifies the individual. The processing of these praise songs is primarily for the significance it holds within their culture and tradition
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