A Phonologically Conditioned Habitual Marker -<i>na</i> in Tɔηu Dialect of Eυe

Abstract

This paper is a response to the claim made by some Eυe scholars during a seminar presentation on "The Orthographic Challenges of -na to Learners of Eυe" that the habitual marker, -na of the Standard Eυe, is basically a prolongation of the last vowel of a lexical verb in Tɔŋu dialect. The paper examines the habitual marker, -na, in Tɔŋu dialect of Eυe. The analysis is performed on data obtained in a face-to-face interview with Tɔŋu speakers randomly selected: a collection of speeches from the speakers in various social settings such as markets, churches, homes and funerals in some selected communities of Tɔŋu. The study has shown that Tɔŋu has four forms: -a, -e, -ε and -ɔ of the habitual marker -na, depending on the kind of sound that ends the lexical verb to which it is affixed. This study revealed four phenomena that bring about these variations; vowel lengthening, labialisation, palatalization and coalition. It is, therefore, evident that Tɔŋu does not mark customary action with vowel lengthening only; the assertion above is a misrepresentation of -na in the Tɔŋu dialect. The impression that vowel harmony does not exist in Eυe must, therefore, be looked at again.