ANALYSIS OF GRAMMATICALISED COMPOUND MARKERS IN IGBO

Abstract

The study of grammaticalisation has received attention of scholars across languages but few works have been done in this area of study in the Igbo language. To assist in bridging this gap among other things, this paper examines grammaticalisation of selected compound markers in the Igbo language. Specifically, the paper analysed grammaticalisation processes by which some Igbo lexical verbs grammaticalise as compound markers in v1-v2 structure. Data for the study were sourced from both primary and secondary sources. The theoretical principles of Hopper and Traugott together with Heine and Narrog were adopted as framework for analysis of data. The findings from data analysed show that some Igbo lexical verbs actually grammaticalise as compound markers in v1-v2 structures.