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Author: Chukwuma Okeke Ph.D, Univeristy of Nigeria, Nsukka, Department of Linguists, Igbo and Other Nigerian Languages
Igbo is wide and diverse language that is said to have at least 30 dialectal variations. This document’s main focus is to provide a clear list and breakdown for how Nkọwa okwu identifies and labels dialects to ensure linguistic consistency within our work.
➢ Hartmann and Stork (1973) define a dialect as a regional or social variety that differs in pronunciation, lexical items, and/or grammar from the standard form.
➢ Bowen (2011) views dialect as a sub-categorization of a language. Its difference can be seen in the areas of grammar, vocabulary, and speech.
➢ Nwaozuzu (2017) remarks that dialects are not often subject to neat classification, However, she defines dialect as “a non-standard form of a language” (pg.1).
➢ Therefore, the operational definition of dialect here is the non-standard form of a language that differs in pronunciation, grammar, and lexical items.
When a lexicostatical comparison between a dialect and its corresponding central form scores as high as 80%, it does not portray the two forms as being different languages, rather the two varieties are one and the same language taking into consideration the linguistic contact between the border areas and their non-Igbo-speaking Igbo neighbors.
Variety in speech pattern may not always involve geographical location as there are other physical boundaries that are just as effective in restricting communication but are of less linguistic significance.
Dialects within a language center are more readily mutually intelligible with one another than each of them is with those dialects in the borders.
There has to be a systemic difference in the pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary between the standard and the non-standard forms (dialects)
Nwaozuzu classified the Igbo dialects into eight (8) intelligible groups using some of the already existing linguistic criteria such as: