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- Language Family: Other Benue-Congo
- Topic #1: Dialectology
- Topic #2: Sociolinguistics
On the so-called mutual intelligibility among Etsako dialects
In their work entitled Orthographies of Nigerian Languages, Okwudishu and Salami (2000) claim that with the possible exception of Ibie and Uweppawano (Wano) all dialects of Etsako share a high level of mutual intelligibility. Our investigations, however, suggest that they are only partly correct as they failed to point out that there are actually two Ibies: North Ibie and South Ibie and that Wano is only potentially mutually intelligible with South Ibie. We found out that there is little or no mutual intelligibility between Wano and North Ibie. Relying on lexico-statistic method, the present paper provides evidence to support this last claim and to argue that in fact contrary to Okwudishu and Salami’s claim, mutual intelligibility among the other dialects of Etsako is a matter of degree, depending on distance between one and the other as well as other external influences.
Dans leur oeuvre intitulée Orthographies des Langues Nigérianes, Okwudishu et Salami (2000) prétendent qu’avec l’exception possible des langues Ibie et Uweppawano (Wano) tous les dialectes d’Etsako partagent un niveau élevé d’intelligibilité mutuelle. Nos investigations, cependant, suggèrent qu’ ils n’ont raison qu’en partie puisqu’ ils manquent de montrer qu’ il y a en vérité deux Ibies : l’Ibie du Nord et l’Ibie du Sud et que Wano n’est que potentiellement et mutuellement intelligible avec l’Ibie du Sud. Nous remarquons qu’il y a peu ou point d’intelligibilité mutuelle entre Wano et l’Ibie du Nord. En nous fondant sur la méthode lexico statique, cette communication fournit des preuves pour soutenir la prétention et l’argument qu’en fait contrairement à la prétention d’Okwudishu et Salami, l’intelligibilité mutuelle entre les autres dialectes d’Etsako est une question de degré, qui