Tone as trigger to semantic variation in Wapan

Abstract

This study examines tone in Wapan. Wapan is a dialect of the Jukun language spoken in Wukari local government area of Taraba State. The study is aim at providing linguistic information that could be used in avoiding misrepresentation of ideas in communication. The objective of this research is to study tonality in relation to semantic variation of lexical items in Wapan. The methodology adopted for this study is the descriptive method and the data for the study were gathered from some selected Wapan native speakers in Avyi, Assa, Chonku, and Wukari II districts who are well-informed and conversant with the fundamentals of the dialect. Secondary data were elicited from the already existing literature related to the study. The research used the leipzing glossing rules for the organization and coding of data for easy understanding of the meaning of individual words used. The study adopts Chomsky’s Classical phonology theory for its analysis. The investigation reveals that change in utterance can be initiated by a change in tone. The study concludes that the features of words and their analysis in the dialect are very essential in identifying the changes in the pitch level of a speaker’s voice that result to change in the meaning of an utterance. The work has contributed to knowledge by giving insight on how a single word can represent different thoughts. More so, the study will serve as a reference material; give awareness to identical features in other languages. Recommendations were made for further research, campaigns and funding.