Abstract
Metathesis, the transposition of letters and syllables, is a minor phonological process that is found in both English and Tiv languages. This phonological process has not received much attention it deserves because most scholars considered it as a figure of misspelling which is not worthy of researching. This paper investigates the nature of English and Tiv metatheses. The objectives of this paper are to classify English and Tiv metatheses, discuss the formation of metatheses in English and Tiv and state the functions of metatheses in English and Tiv languages. This paper used comparative linguistic theory which compares the nature of English and Tiv metatheses. The researcher used participant observation tool for elicitation of data for this study. Secondary materials such as journal articles, textbooks, dictionaries and encyclopaedias and Internet sources were used. This study links phonology, historical linguistics, onomastics and language pathology (speech disorder). The study has established that metathesis has phonological, orthographic, metrical and onomastic relevance. This paper provides an in-depth material for teaching and learning of English and Tiv languages. It has been recommended that lecturers in the National Institute for Nigerian Languages, Departments of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages should write books and critical works on Nigerian or African languages.
Highlights
Phonology, the study of the sound system of individual languages, has certain processes that govern it
It has been recommended that lecturers in the National Institute for Nigerian Languages, Departments of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages should write books and critical works on Nigerian or African languages
Metathesis, dissimilation, labialisation, palatalisation, spoonerism, malaproism are some of the minor processes that are used in English and Tiv languages
Summary
The study of the sound system of individual languages, has certain processes that govern it. All human languages utilise these processes to bring about utterances that are grammatically acceptable. An intonational and stress-timed Indo-European language, and Tiv, a tonal and syllable-timed language spoken in the orth-central geo-political zone of Nigeria, have both major and minor phonological processes. The major processes are assimilation, elision, epenthesis, substitution and nasalisation. Metathesis, dissimilation, labialisation, palatalisation, spoonerism, malaproism are some of the minor processes that are used in English and Tiv languages. As a linguist-grammarian, the author has not stumbled on a carelessly written essay on the Tiv metathesis. Metathesis has been considered to be a minor figure of deviation or misspelling in historical linguistics and diachronic phonology, in particular
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