Ifẹ̀ Question Markers which Are Nouns

Kí? (What?)

An example of the kí question is (1):

(1) Kí rèé nì?   (Kí nìyẹn) ‘What is that?’

In (1), rèé is used in Ifẹ̀ instead of ni used in standard Yorùbá and nì  is used instead of yẹn. For the following standard Yorùbá sentences used by Bamgboṣe (1990: 184), we can also have the following sentences in Ifẹ̀:

(2) (a) Standard: Kí ni wọ́n jẹ?                       (Ifẹ̀: (i) Kí nighán jẹ (ii) Kí ighán jẹ?)

‘What did they eat?’

(b) Standard: Kí ni ó ń dún?               (Ifẹ̀: (i) Kí lọ́ mí dún? (ii) Kọ́ mí dún?)

‘What is producing a sound?’

(d) Standard: Kí ni ọ́?                         (Ifẹ̀: Kí ni ọ?)

‘Who are you?/What are you?’

(e) Standard: Kí ni ọmọ náà?              (Ifẹ: Kí lọmọ ọ̀ún? (ii) Kí ọmọ ọ̀ún?)

‘Who is that child/What is that child?’

All the Ifẹ̀ interrogative sentences in (2) have ni in the underlying structure. Deletion, vowel harmony, assimilation or contraction applies before the production of the surface structures in (2). Their derivations are explained in (3).

(3) (a) (i) Kí ni ighán jẹ? à (ii)*Kí n’ ighán jẹ?[1] à (iii) Kí nighán jẹ?[2] à Kí ighán jẹ?[3]

‘What did they eat?’

(b) (i) Kí ni ọ́ mí dún? à (ii) *Kí n’ ọ́ mí dún?[4] à (iii) Kí lọ́ mí dún?[5] à (iv) *Kí ‘ọ́ mí dún?[6] à (v) Kọ́ mí dún?[7] à (vi) Kọ́ m dún?[8]

‘What is producing a sound?’

(d) (i) Kí ni ọmọ ọ̀ún à (ii) *Kí n’ ọmọ ọ̀ún?[9] à Kí lọmọ ọ̀ún?[10]

‘Who is that child/What is that child?’

In (3a), the I of ni is deleted in (ii) and it remains n. Contraction follows and n’ighán becomes nighán. In (iii), n is deleted; nighán becomes ighán in (iv). In (3b), vowel harmony changes the ó of the standard Yorùbá  to ọ́ in Ifẹ̀ dialect[11]. Later, the i of ni is deleted in (ii). In (iii), contraction occurs and n changes to l. All the sentences without stars are acceptable. It is possible to delete the n of ni in Ifẹ̀ leaving the i. An example taken from Abraham (1958: 372) is shown in (4).

(4) Ọ̀yọ́: Irú ọgbọ́n kín ni tirẹ?                       (Ifẹ̀: Irú ọgbọ́n kí i tìẹ?[12])

‘Which type of wisdom is yours?’

Ta? (Who?)

Yè sí is used in Ifẹ̀ instead of ta ni. See the following standard Yorùbá examples taken from Bamgboṣe (1990: 184) and Abraham (1958: 626-627). Bamgboṣe’s (1990) examples are in (5) while Abraham’s (1958) examples are in (6)

 (5) Standard: (a) Ta ni o rí?                (Ifẹ̀: Yè só o rí?)

‘Who did you see?’

(b) Standard: Ta ni ó ń sọ̀rọ̀                (Ifẹ̀: Yè sọ́ m sọ̀rọ̀?)

‘Who is speaking?’

(d) Standard: Ọmọ ta ní wọ́n mú        (Ifẹ̀: Ọmọ yè sí ighán mú?)

‘Whose child was taken/arrested?’

(6) (a) Standard: Ta ni o?                    (Ifẹ̀: Yè sí rèé nì o?)

‘Who is that?’

(b) Standard: Ta ni ọ́                           (Ẹka-èdè Ifẹ̀: Yè sí ni ọ́?)

‘Who are you?’

(d) Ọ̀yọ́: Àwọn ta nù-un?                   (Ifẹ̀: Ìghàn yè sí rèé nì?)

‘Who are those?’

(e) Standard: Ta ni kò mọ̀ pé …         (Ifẹ̀: Yè sí mọ̀ ghíi?/Yè sẹ́ mọ̀ ghíi?)

‘Who doesn’t know that?’

In (5a), in Ifẹ̀ dialect, n is first deleted and then i. Assimilation then occurs between í and ó:

 (5ai) Yè sí ni ó rí? à *Yè sí ‘i o rí? à Yè sí o rí? à Yè só o rí?

‘Who did you see?’

In (5b), ó changes to ọ́ through vowel harmony; n is then deleted followed by the deletion of i. The í of  sí is deleted and contraction takes place between s and ọ́. Finally, the í of mí is deleted.

(5bi) *Yè sí ni ó mí sọ̀rọ̀? à *Yè sí ni ọ́ mí sọ̀rọ̀? à *Yè sí ‘i ọ́ mí sọ̀rọ̀? à Yè sí ọ́ mí sọ̀rọ̀? à Yè sọ́ mí sọ̀rọ̀? à Yè sọ́ m sọ̀rọ̀?

‘Who is speaking?’

No phonological processes take place in (5d), (6a, b & d). As for (6e), the following phonological processes take place in Ifẹ̀ dialect. The k of kò is deleted and the stranded ò is also deleted. The i of ni is deleted; the stranded i is also deleted and vowel harmony changes the í of sí to sẹ́.

(6ei)*Yè sí ni kò mọ̀ ghíi à *Yè sí ni ò mọ̀ ghíi? à *Yè sí ‘i mọ̀ ghíi? à Yè sí mọ̀ ghíi? à Yè sẹ́ mọ̀ ghíi?

‘Who doesn’t know that?’

Èwo? (Which?)

Yèé sí is used in Ifẹ̀ dialect in place of the standard Yorùbá èwo. In the standard Yorùbá examples in Bamgboṣe (1990: 184) and Abraham (1958: 168), the Ifẹ̀’s  yèé sí can replace the standard Yorùbá èwo but there is one standard Yorùbá example in Abraham (1958: 168) which shows that Ifẹ̀ still uses èwo. The standard Yorùbá examples taken from Bamgboṣe (1990: 184) are in (7) while those taken from Abraham (1958: 168) are in (8).

(7) (a) Standard Yorùbá: Èwo ni wọ́n gbà?               (Ifẹ̀: Yèé sí ighán gbà?)

‘Which one did they get?’

(b) Standard Yorùbá: Èwo ni ó lọ?                             (Ifẹ̀: Yèé sọ́ lọ?)

‘Which (of them) went?’

(8) (a) Èwo nínúnwọn?[13]                     (Ifẹ̀: Yèé sí ńnú rian?)

‘Which of them?’

(b) Standard Yorùbá: Èwo lo wí?                               (Ifẹ̀: Yèé só o wí?)

‘What did you say?’

It is only in (7a) that there are no phonological processes. In (7b), we have the following:

Yèé sí ó lọ? à Yèé sí ọ́ lọ?[14] à *Yèé s’ ọ́ lọ?[15] à Yèé sọ́ lọ?[16]

In (8b), Yèé sí o wí? changes to Yèé só o wí? through assimilation. Instead of Èwo lèwo? (How go your affairs?) used by Abraham (1958: 168), the Ifẹ̀ dialect speakers will say Kàí bí ǹkan ṣe ń lọ?

Èló? (How much?)

Ifẹ̀ also uses èló in standard Yorùbá. See the following examples. The standard Yorùbá examples in (9) are taken from Bamgboṣe (1990: 184) while those in (10) are taken from Abraham (1958: 159).

(9) Èló ni wọ́n gbà?                            (Ẹ̀ka-èdè Ifẹ̀: Èló nighán gbà?)

‘How much did they get?’

(10) (a) Èló ló óò fún mi?                    (Ẹ̀ka-èdè Ifẹ̀: Èló lọ máa mú kò mí?)

‘How much are you going to give to me?’

(b) Èló ló tó?                                      (Ẹ̀ka-èdè Ifẹ̀: Èló ló tó?)

‘How much is it worth?’

(d) Èló lo fẹ́ẹ́ gbà lóṣooṣù?                 (Ẹ̀ka-èdè Ifẹ̀: Èló lọ fẹ́ẹ́ gbà lóṣooṣù?)

‘How much do you want to be paid monthly?’

(e) Èló ni ká tà á?                                (Ẹ̀ka-èdè Ifẹ̀: Èló n ká tà á?)

‘How much shall we see it?’

In (9), ni ighán becomes nighán through deletion. In (10a), ló becomes lọ through vowel harmony. In (10e), the i of ni is deleted.

Ibo? (Where?)

Ifẹ̀ uses Kabi or ibi sí instead of ibo used in standard Yorùbá. The standard Yorùbá examples in (11) are taken from Bamgboṣe (1990: 185) while examples in (12) are taken from Abraham (1958: 269).

(11) (a) Ibo ni wọ́n wà?                     (Ẹ̀ka-èdè Ifẹ̀: Kabi ighán ghà?/Ibi sí ighán ghà?)

‘Where are they?’

(b) Ilú ibo ni wọ́n wà?                         (Ẹ̀ka-èdè Ifẹ̀: Ìlúu kabi ighán ghà?/Ìlú ibi sí nighán ghà?)

‘Which town are they/They are in which town?’

(
d) Ní ibo ni wọ́n ti rà á?                     (Ẹ̀ka-èdè Ifẹ̀: Ní kabi ighán ti rà á?/Níbi sí ighán ti rà á?)

‘Where did they but it?’

(12) (a) Apá ibo?                                 (Ẹ̀ka-èdè Ifẹ̀: Apá kabi ibẹ̀?/Apá kaabẹ̀?/Apáabi sí?)

‘Which side?’

(b) Ní ibo ló dà?                                  (Ẹ̀ka-èdè Ifẹ̀: Ní kabí dà?/Kabi o ń rè?/Ibi sọ́ dà?)

‘Where are you going?’

(d) Níbo lo ti wá/Ibo lo ti wá/Látibo lo ti wá?            (Ẹ̀ka-èdè Ifẹ̀: Ní kabi ọ ti ghá?/Kabi ọ ti ghá?/Ibi sọ́ ọ ti ghá?)

‘Where did you come from?’

(e) Níbo nìjà yìí ti wá?            (Ẹ̀ka-èdè Ifẹ̀: Ní kabi ìjà ghìn-ín ti ghá?/Ibi sí ìjà ghìn-ín ti ghá?)

‘How has this quarrel arisen?’

(ẹ) Níbo lo lọ?                         (Ẹ̀ka-èdè Ifẹ̀: Kabi o rè?/Ibi só o rè?)

‘Where did you go?’

As shown in (12a), (12b), (12d) àti (12ẹ), the phonological process of deletion, assimilation and vowel harmony take place in the derivation of  where? questions in Ifẹ̀.

Àwọn Ìwé Atọ́kasí

Abraham, R.C. (1958), Dictionary of Modern Yoruba. London: Hodder and Stoughton.

Adewole, L.O. (1996), ‘Ifè Pronouns in Polylectal Grammar’, Journal of Nigerian Languages and Literatures  2: 56-63

Alaba, Olugboyega Isaac (1985), ‘A Socio-Stylistic Analysis of Orin Agbè: A Multimodal Genre of Yorùbá Oral Poetry.’, PhD Dissertation, University of Lagos.

Awobuluyi, Ọladele (2008), Ẹ̀kọ́ Ìṣẹ̀dá-Ọ̀rọ̀ Yorùbá.Akurẹ: Moutem paperbacks

Awobuluyi, Ọladele (2013), Ẹ̀kọ́ Gírámà Èdè Yorùbá. Oṣogbo: Atman Limited.

Bamgboṣe, Ayọ (1990), Fonọ́lójì àti Gírámà Yorùbá. Ibadan: University Press PLC.

Owolabi, Kọla (1989), Ìjìnlẹ̀ Ìtúpalẹ̀ Èdè (1): Fònẹ́tíìkì àti Fonọ́lójì. Ibadan: Onibọnoje Press and Book Industries (Nig.) Ltd.

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[1] Deletion of i of ni.

[2] Contraction between n’  and ighán.

[3] Deletion n of nighán.

[4] Deletion of i of ni.

[5] i, the alternant of n, is now used and there is contraction between l and ọ.

[6] l is deleted.

[7] í of kí is deleted and there is a contraction between the stranded ọ́ and k.

[8] The í of mí is deleted.

[9] The i of ni is deleted.

[10] There is a contraction between the alternant of the stranded n and ọmọ.

[11] See Adewọle (1996) for an explanation of this type of vowel harmony.

[12] Kín is denasalized and the n of ni is deleted.

[13] This is how Abraham (1958: 168) writes the sentence.

[14] Vowel harmony occurs between ó and ọ́.

[15] Deletion of í.

[16] Contraction occurs between s and ọ́