ASPECTS OF KORO MORPHOLOGY

posted on December 6, 2019

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

General Background

This research work is based on the aspects of morphology of Koro language.

By Morphology we mean the study of words formation rules in languages, Bushman (1976:314), says it is “the study of forms”, and also the study of word structures and description of the minimal, meaningful forms in a language. Yule (1997: 73)

The central of the core of morphology is morpheme. hence, morphemic analysis together with the types of morpheme shall be extensively discussed. Much attention shall be placed on bound morphemes and morphological processes like, affixation, compounding, reduplication, borrowing, clipping etc. in Koro language. These and many more morphological concepts shall be discussed in the subsequent chapters.

Also in this chapter, we shall examine the historical background of Koro language, socio linguistics profile under which we shall discuss the origin, religion, festivals, occupation, marriage, culture and belief, burial rites, educational, language status, the genetic classification of the language.

Historical Background of the Koros.

There are many version of the origins of the Koro. Some primary and secondary sources of oral tradition, assumed monolithic origin for the Koros. However, all these contradictory versions reflect migrations and inter relations.

Origin

According to the story of the origin of Koros narrated to us by Sariki Muhammed Yawa, the present village head and 14thchief of Ija-Koro village, he said a group of Koro left Zaria area on a hunting expedition to old Abuja emirate, years before the Hausa Zazzau came to Abuja (Suleja) under the leadership of ‘Shiwoyi’ who later became the first chief of Ija-Koro.

They later discovered that the land was blessed with thick foliage and more game, the Koros decided to settle very close to the Gbagyi people who they met there and who also welcome them without any bitterness or rancour.

After living with the Gbagyi for many decades they left their former abode to where they presently occupy in Tafa local government area of Niger state. They later divided into two villages, Gbaraku and Ija-Koro with Ija-koro as the senior of the two. Today Ija-koro is made up of ten wards which include, Kacha, Kachago, Kachadato, Kugawa, Kugu, Adidipu, Gbaraku, Adiotolafu, Adesa and Tungan and Ladan. Ija-Koro is one of the ten villages under Bwarri district until the creation of federal capital territory Abuja.

Also according to Na’ibi and Hassan in their book ‘a chronicle of Abuja’ the Koro of Ija came from Jaban-Kogo in southern Zaria under the leadership of Idrisu who left Jaban-Kogo because of chieftaincy dispute. He traveled with his people through Jere and Garam and then settled on.

Another popular legend of the Koros claimed that they were evidently influenced by the attempt to link their origin to the universal perspective and centers of old civilization. This legend claimed that one koro and his younger brother ‘Jukun’ were born east of Mecca and settled in “Apa” which became the capital of Kwararafa Kingdom. He was blessed with four children named Igala, Nupe and two daughters. Igala in turn begot Alago and Idoma. One of the daughter of Jukun begot Bachama, while the second daughter begot Ankwe (Gojeh, Jatau and Mamman, 1998:9) from linguistic evidence, the legend of Koro and his brother Jukun were not from Mecca. Infact, some Koro, Kanuri, Jukun and Arab do not belong to the same linguistic group as evidenced in the recent linguistic classification of Gordon (2005).

The above legend contradicts the oral accounts narrated by Sarki Muhammed Yawa.

Linguistic consideration strongly point to the fact that all Koros couldn’t have one origin nor came together into central Nigeria, as they do not speak same language. Infact the difference in dialect from one Koro group to another further points to the fact that they have different origin.

Meek quoted by Goje, Jatau and Mammah (1998:18) classified it simply as “Nigerian semi-Bantu with no further refinement” Godon’s (2005) linguistic family tree traces Koro to have originated from among the Niger-Congo group of languages through the Atlantic Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Plateau Western to North-Western Koro. They are known with the dialects, Koro-Ija, Ashe, Gbegbe-Ejar, Koro Panda, Koro Ache, Koro Tandili, Koro Adong, Koro-Ujiji or mijiji. Koro is a cover term for the several dialectical groups while some of them have other names like Koro-Eger, Koro-Makama, Koro myamya, Koro miamiya, Koro-lafiya, Koro gbegbere and Koro Ala.