Introduction to the History of Gùngáwá People and Language.
Gùngáwá is an adopted name for the Bàrèshe people by their Hausa neighbors which means Island dwellers because of their nearest to rivers and lakes.
The people call themselves Bàrèshe, Tsureja or Yáúráwa but officially called Gùngáwá. The names of the language are Gùngáwá, Gùngácí.
The Gùngáwá people are mostly found in Northern part of Kebbi State, and around Islands in extreme Sokoto State few of them were also in Niger State especially Kontangora area and Borgu Local Government Area and a recent funding in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgement iv
Table of Contents vi-viii
CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 General Background 1
1.3 Historical Background 1
1.4 Sociocultural profile of the Gunganwa People 4
1.5 Genetic Classification of Gunganci Language 9
1.6 Scope and Organistions of Study 11
1.7 Theoretical Framework 11
1.8 Data Collection and Data Analysis 12
1.9 Brief Review of the Choosen Framework 13
CHAPTER TWO
BASIC PHONOLOGICAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL CONCEPTS
2.1 Introduction 14
2.2. Aspects of Gunganci Phonology 14
2.2.1. Sound Inventory in Gunganci Language 14
2.2.2. Consonant Sounds 15
2.2.3. Gunganci Consonant Chart 15
2.2.4. Vowel Sounds 23
2.2.5. Gunganci Vowel Chart 24
2.2.6. Gunbganci Nasal Vowels 25
2.3 Tone Inventory of Gunganci Language 29
2.4. Syllable Structure of Gunganci Lanaguage 30
2.5. Basic Morphological Concepts 30
2.5.1 Morpheme 31
2.5.2 Types of Morphem 32
2.5.3. Tree Morpheme 32
2.5.4. Lexical Morpheme 33
2.5.5. Functional Morpheme 34
2.5.5.1. Conjunction 34
2.5.5.2. Preposition 34
2.5.5.3. Pronouns 34
2.5.6 Bound Morpheme 35
2.5.7. Derivational Morpheme 35
2.5.8. Inflectional Morpheme 36
2.5.8.1 Noun 36
2.5.8.2 Adjective 36
2.5.8.3 Base Forms 37
2.5.8.4. Comparative Forms 37
2.5.8.5. Superlative Forms 37
2.6. Structural Position of Morpheme 37
2.7 Allomorphs 38
2.8. Language Typology 39
2.8.1. Isolating Language 39
2.8.2. Agglutinating Language 39
2.8.3. Fusional or Inflecting Language 40
2.9. Sentencial Classification of Morphemes in Gunganci Language 40
CHAPTER THREE
THE MORPHOLOGY OF GUNGANCI LANGUAGE
3.1 Introduction 42
3.2 Lexical Category 42
3.2.1. Noun 42
3.2.2. Bisyllabic Nouns 43
3.2.3 Trisyllabic 43
3.2.4. Polysyllabic Nouns 43
3.2.4. Nouns in Gunganci Language 43
3.2.5 Animate Nouns 43
3.2.6. Inanimate Nouns 44
3.2.7. Proper Nouns 44
3.2.8. Common Nouns 44
3.3.9. Abstract Noun 45
3.2.10 Countable Noun 45
3.2.11 Uncountable Nouns 45
3.2.12 Function of Nouns in Gunganci Language 46
3.2.13. Nouns as a Subject 46
3.2.14. Noun as an Object. 46
3.3 Pronouns 47
3.4. Adjective 48
3.4.1. Function of Adjective in Gunganci Language 48
3.5. Preposition 48
3.5.1. Function of Adjective in Gunganci Lanaguage 49
3.6. Verb 49
3.6.1. Transitive Verb 49
3.6.2 Intransitive Verb 50
3.7. Adverb 51
3.8 Conjunction 51
3.9. Interjection 52
CHAPTER FOUR
MORPHOLOGICAL PROCESSES IN GUNGANCI LANGUAGE
4.1 Introduction 53
4.2 Morphological Processes 53
4.3. Lexical Borrowing 53
4.4. Compounding 55
4.5. Reduplication 55
4.6. Refashioning 56
4.7. Clipping 57
4.8. Affixation 57
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
5.1 Introduction 58
5.2. Summary 58
5.3. Conclusion 59
References 60
Historical Background
The tribe Gùngáwá or Bàrèshe can be found in the Northern part of Nigeria in Southern Kebbi State (Yàúrí Local Government) few of them are also in Borgu Local Government Area and North of Borgu in Niger State.
The Gùngáwá are mostly concentrated in Kebbi State in Yàúrí Local Government. The Gùngáwá people are the original inhabitants of Yàúrí according to Muazu Bagudu a native of the town.
A source had that the Gùngáwá were decendents of 17th century warrior called Kisira or Kachin who allied himself with the Hausa Soldiers to gain territory in the extreme North who eventually settled with his co-fighters in present Yàúrí town.
Another source told us of their trace to a songay warrior who came from Mali to seek territorial control and their eventual settlement (with his supporters) in Yàúrí and parts of Lopa and Laru (Gùngáwá neighboring areas).
According to Apollos Aagamalafiya, a native of Gùngáwá from Rèkúbọlọ area in Yàúrí belief that the Gùngáwá people came from Kabuwa that they are hunters from Katsina State.
He (Apollos) explained further that some say they are from Shagana, Kambari, Kabbawa or Sarkawa. These are mixed up tribes that constitute the Yàúrí emirate.
As regard this histories, the actual place of origin is not clear, and it remain debatable among Gùngáwá people. Although, the Gùnganci language is closely related with that of the Lopa and Laru people in term of lexical items and Noun Affixes. No matter how related these people might be with the Gùngáwá tribe; however, they (Gùngáwá) still remain divergent in historical root.
