CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

The verb phrase is an important aspect of the clause and it has received

linguists’ attention cross-linguistically. Different approaches and theoretical

frameworks have been adopted over the years for the analysis of the verb

phrase, but no specific approach or theoretical framework is without its

shortcomings (Ilori, 2005).

A verb phrase is a syntactic unit that consists of a main verb and its

associated elements, which can include auxiliary verbs (also known as helping

verbs), objects, adverbs, and other modifiers. It serves as the core of a sentence,

expressing the action, state, or occurrence described in the sentence. The

structure of a verb phrase allows for a more nuanced and comprehensive

representation of actions or conditions within a sentence (Raymond, 2016).

Daja (Èṣùkù) in Ondo State, Nigeria, is a unique linguistic variant that holds

cultural and historical significance within the region. The Ondo State, located in

the southwestern part of Nigeria, is known for its rich cultural diversity and

heritage. Within this diversity, various dialects and languages are spoken,

reflecting the unique identity of different communities. Daja encompasses not

only its linguistic features but also the cultural and social context in which it has

evolved. Dialects often carry unique expressions, idioms, and cultural nuances

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that reflect the experiences and traditions of the community. Understanding the

background involves exploring the historical development of the dialect and its

role in shaping the identity of the people in Ondo State.

Daja is a speech form spoken in a linguistic environment where it is

mutually unintelligible with other speech forms. Ogbeifun and Taiwo (2019)

establish Daja as a South Eastern dialect of Yoruba, spoken in Ondo South West

Local Government Area of Ondo State, and far away from other communities

speaking Yoruba language and its dialects. Thus, it has received minimal

attention from scholars working on Yoruba language and its dialects, resulting

in Daja dialect being understudied. Examining the verb phrase of Daja becomes

imperative as it will contribute to the understanding of the Daja clause structure.

Daja is a major city in Akoko and one of the centerpiece of commercial

and trade in Ondo state. It is situated at Akoko North-West local government

area of Ondo State, Nigeria. Erús̩ ú Akoko is one of the border villages as the

local government shares boundaries with Kogi, Edo and Ekiti.Erús̩ ú-Akoko is

also surrounded by neighbouring town as OkeAgbe on the North, Iboropa on

the South, Ibaramu on the East and Arigidi on the west respectively (Johnson,

2015).

The city is a trading point for the production of Cocoa in the surrounding

area. The paramount traditional ruler of Ikare is the Olukare of Ikare-Akoko

while the Owa-Ale of Ikare-Akoko controls Iyometa namely Okorun,Okegbe

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and Iku quarters. The Olukare have several other chiefs administering the

various Quarters. The Quarters in Ikare include Okela, Okorun, Eshe, Odo,

Ilepa, Okoja, Iku, Odeyare, Odoruwa, Okeruwa, Iyame, Igbede, Oyinmo,

Ishakunmi and Ekan. Ikare-Akoko is famous throughout West Africa for its

decorative pottery. Educationally, Ikare is home to several educational

institutions in Ondo State. Notable among which are; Federal Technical College

Daja, Ikare; Victory College Ikare; Citadel International College, Ikare;

Comprehensive high School,Ikare; Greater Tomorrow Primary school and so

many government and private-owned Primary and Secondary Schools. Ikare

sons and daughters are well educated and are presently holding national and

international positions (Akeredolu, 2018).

Economically, Daja is a chief commercial city in Ondo state with several

industrial base and markets which include; Oja-Oba Market, Okore Market,

Osele Market, Jubilee Market, and several other markets in adjoining Villages.

It is a super city for successful transportation business especially by private

individuals (Akinyemi, 2013).

Daja has a rich cultural heritage with exciting festivals every

year[clarification needed]. The popular new yam festival is the chief festival in

Ikare which is celebrated every June 20. On this day, Ikare sons and daughters

both home and abroad come together to celebrate what is usually termed the

starting point of a new year for Ikare land. The festival also features

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Masquerade parade, such as Oke, Seeru, GainGain among others. There is also

the Aringiya Festival (Maiden Festival) where virgin will paint themselves with

Osun (Camwood) and go around the town nude, before converging at a

designated point. Islamic festivals such as EidMaulud, EidFitr, EidKabir as well

as Christian festivals such as Christmas, Easter and also the New Year Festival

every January 1 are celebrated with funfair in Daja. All these point to the fact

that Daja is a very religious city (Dada, 2015).

1.3 Statement of the Problem

The Daja people see themselves as Edo people who speak Edo language,

and Daja which they say is a dialect of Yoruba. However, the geographical

locationn of Daja has made it a bit difficult for scholars working on Yoruba

language and its dialects to take notice of it. This has limited the scholarly

attention that Daja has enjoyed, and those who have worked on it have focused

on its phonetics, phonology, as well as its linguistic classification, with little

attention paid to its syntax, especially the verb phrase, which is germane to

understanding the clause structure of Daja. Although Edigin (2016) worked on

the Daja verb,the study was limited to the descriptive aspect of lexical verbs. It

is given that verbs hold an important place in the grammatical analysis of the

clause of any language, and the VP revolves around the head verb, hence there

is a need to go beyond the lexical aspect of the verb and examine the phrasal

aspects of the verb phrases. This study therefore takes interest in the verb phrase

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of Daja and examines the structure of the various types of verb phrases in Daja,

the features of the verb, constituents of the VP, and the derivation of the verb

phrase in Phase syntax.

1.4 Aims and Objectives of the Study

The aim of the study is to examine the verb phrase in Daja land. The

objectives are to:

1. Determine what a verb is in Daja,

2. Distinguish the classes of verbs and their features in Daja,

3. Identify the internal constituents of the verb phrase

4. Explore the syntactic structures associated with verb phrase.

1.5 Scope of the Study

The study examines verb phrase in Daja. This study will be delimited to

citizens of Ondo State.

Chapter one of this study which is the introductory part include the background

of the study, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, research

questions, significance of the study, scope of the study. Chapter two consists the

literature review. Chapter three consists of sound system. Chapter four presents

of data and analysis. Chapter five is the summary, conclusion and

recommendation

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 CHAPTER TWO

VERB PHRASE AND DAJA DIALECT

2.1 Introduction

Verb phrase is the field of linguistics that studies the internal structure of

words with the sole aim of explaning the rules that guide the formation of new

words. In this chapter, the focus shall be on the internal structure of words in

Daja, and the rules that guide the formation of words in the speech form

(Radford, 2011).

Verb phrase is a branch of linguistics that involves the study of the

grammatical structure of words and how words are formed and varied within the

lexicon of any given language. Verb phrase studies the relationship between

verb and phrase, referring to the smallest meaningful unit in a word, and how

these units can be arranged to create new words or new forms of the same word.

Within the study of Verb phrase, a phrase is further distinguished from a

lexeme, the latter being the minimal word unit that has content meaning in

itself. To put it simply, lexemes are the basis of dictionary entries. A verb

phrase is, more broadly speaking, a language unit, which can be a word unit,

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and therefore a lexeme. It can also be an affix or a word part that has no content

meaning in itself but has functional meaning (Carnie, 2012).

2.2 Verb Phrase

A verb phrase (VP) is a grammatical construct within the field of

linguistics that functions as a unit based on a noun, which is a person, place,

thing, or idea. In English and many other languages, a verb phrase typically

consists of a verb as its core element along with other words that modify or

complement it, creating a syntactic unit that can function as a subject, object, or

other grammatical roles within a sentence (Biber, 2015).

A verb phrase is a syntactic unit that consists of a main verb and its

accompanying auxiliary (helping) verbs, modifiers, complements, and other

elements that work together to convey the complete meaning of a verb in a

sentence. It is a crucial component of sentence structure, playing a central role

in expressing actions, states, or occurrences for examples She runs. He is

reading a book (Smith, 2016).

The main verb within a verb phrase carries the primary meaning,

indicating the action or state, while auxiliary verbs contribute additional

information such as tense, aspect, mood, or voice. Modifiers and complements

further enhance the verb phrase, providing details about the action or adding

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necessary information to make the sentence grammatically complete (Baker,

2003).

Verb phrases fulfill a range of syntactic functions within sentences,

including subjects, objects, and complements. The syntactic role of a verb

phrase often depends on its position in the sentence and its relationship with

other constituents. Verb phrases can also undergo various syntactic

transformations, contributing to sentence formation and diversity (Huddleston

& Pullum, 2011). Beyond their syntactic functions, verb phrases play crucial

semantic roles in conveying meaning. Verb phrases carry referential

information and contribute to the overall interpretation of a sentence. The study

of semantic roles involves examining how different verb phrases contribute to

the participants and circumstances in an event or situation (Fillmore, 2008).

Examples
Simple Verb Phrase:

She runs.

They laughed.

Verb Phrase with Auxiliary Verbs:

He is studying.

We have completed the assignment.

Modal Auxiliary Verb Phrases:

She can sing beautifully.

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They will arrive on time.

Perfect Tense Verb Phrases:

I have finished my homework.

They had already left when I arrived.

Continuous (Progressive) Tense Verb Phrases:

He is playing the guitar.

We were waiting for the bus.

Passive Voice Verb Phrases:

The cake was baked by Mary.

The report will be submitted tomorrow.

Infinitive Verb Phrases:

She likes to swim in the ocean.

We plan to visit the museum.

Gerund Verb Phrases:

Swimming is her favorite activity.

I enjoy reading books

2.3 Verb Phrase Types

Verb phrases typically consist of a main verb along with its associated

constituents, such as auxiliary verbs, complements, and modifiers. The

composition of a VP can vary widely, leading to different types of verb phrases

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based on the syntactic and semantic properties of the elements involved (Ritter,

2017).

Verb phrases (VPs) play a central role in the structure of sentences, serving as

the core elements that convey the action or state of being. In linguistics, the

study of verb phrases is essential for understanding how language expresses

actions, events, and relationships within sentences. A verb phrase typically

consists of a main verb along with its accompanying elements, such as auxiliary

verbs, complements, and modifiers. This complexity allows for a diverse range

of structures and functions within the realm of verb phrases.

Simple Verb Phrases:

Simple verb phrases consist of a single main verb, representing the core action

or state in a sentence. For example, in the sentence "She sings," the verb phrase

is "sings."

Complex Verb Phrases:

Complex verb phrases involve the use of auxiliary verbs (also known as helping

verbs) in conjunction with the main verb. These auxiliary verbs add nuance to

the meaning of the main verb, indicating aspects like tense, mood, or voice. For

instance, in the sentence "He is writing a letter," the verb phrase is "is writing,"

where "is" is the auxiliary verb.

Transitive and Intransitive Verb Phrases:

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Verb phrases can be classified based on the transitivity of the main verb.

Transitive verbs require a direct object to complete their meaning, while

intransitive verbs do not. For example, in the sentence "She eats an apple," the

verb phrase is "eats an apple," where "eats" is transitive. In contrast, in the

sentence "He sleeps," the verb phrase is "sleeps," and it is intransitive.

Phrasal Verbs:

Phrasal verbs involve a main verb combined with one or more particles, such as

prepositions or adverbs. These particles can significantly alter the meaning of

the main verb. For instance, in the sentence "They look after the children," the

verb phrase is "look after," where "look" is the main verb and "after" is the

particle.

Modal Verb Phrases:

Modal verbs, like "can," "must," or "should," are auxiliary verbs that express the

speaker's attitude towards the action or state of the main verb. Modal verb

phrases are crucial for indicating possibility, necessity, permission, and other

modalities. For example, in the sentence "You must finish your homework," the

verb phrase is "must finish."

2.4 Types of Verb Phrases in Daja dialect:

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Simple Verb Phrases:

Consist of a single verb without any additional markers.

Example: "Jẹ" (to eat)

Compound Verb Phrases:

Involve the combination of two or more verbs to convey a more complex action

or event.

Example: "Máa rí" (will see)

Serial Verb Constructions:

Feature a sequence of verbs working together to express a single event or

action.

Example: "Wá fi ń gbà" (come and collect)

Tense and Aspect Marked Verb Phrases:

Include markers indicating the tense and aspect of the verb.

Example: "Èdá" (past tense marker), "ń" (present tense marker)

Negative Verb Phrases:

Utilize negative markers to convey negation.

Example: "Kò jẹ" (not eat) (Ademola, 2013)

2.5Verb Phrase in Daja

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 Verb phrase movement in Daja dialect, a West African language spoken

primarily in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo, is a linguistic phenomenon that involves

the reordering or displacement of elements within a noun phrase for various

syntactic and pragmatic reasons. Daja dialect is a tonal language with a rich

agglutinative morphology, and its syntax exhibits interesting features, including

the movement of noun phrases to achieve specific communicative goals

(Bamgbose, 2011).

The effects of verb phrase movement in Daja dialect are multifaceted

and contribute to the overall flexibility and expressiveness of the language. This

movement can occur for various reasons, such as to mark emphasis, focus, or to

convey specific grammatical or pragmatic information. It is crucial to

understand how these movements operate within the Yoruba grammatical

framework to comprehend the nuanced meanings conveyed in different contexts

(Aliu, 2014).

Verb phrase refers to the displacement of a noun phrase from its base

position to another position within a sentence. In Daja dialect, this syntactic

phenomenon has been investigated for its impacts on sentence structure,

information packaging, and discourse organization. Scholars and linguists have

explored various aspects of noun phrase movement in Daja dialect, shedding

light on how it influences the syntax and semantics of sentences (Adeyemo,

2015). The Daja dialect language, with its rich linguistic heritage, provides a

unique context for studying noun phrase movement. The examination of this

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phenomenon in Daja dialect contributes not only to our understanding of the

language itself but also to broader linguistic theories regarding movement

operations in natural languages.

Examples

Examples:

Simple Verb Phrase:

"Bẹ̀rẹ̀" (to run)

Compound Verb Phrase:

"Pè" (to call) + "Wọlé" (to enter) = "Pè wọlé" (to invite)

Serial Verb Constructions:

"Bá" (to give) + "Jẹ" (to eat) = "Bá jẹ" (to feed)

Tense and Aspect Marked Verb Phrase:

"Ní" (to have) + "Èdá" (past tense marker) = "Ní èdá" (had)

Negative Verb Phrase:

"Rí" (to see) + "Kò" (not) = "Kò rí" (not see) (Akinlabi, 2015)

These examples demonstrate how the verb phrase moves from its base position

within the sentence to a different position, affecting the overall word order. This

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syntactic flexibility in Daja allows for variations in emphasis, information

structure, and discourse organization. Studying such examples helps linguists

and researchers analyze the impacts of verb phrase movement on the

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