ANAPHORIC RELATIONS IN UKWUANI

ABSTRACT

The study is a morpho-syntactic analysis of the anaphoric relations in Ukwuani. It examined the nature of anaphors in Ukwuani. It also accounted for the morphological structure (affixaton); the syntactic features and distribution in Ukwuani. Data for this study were gathered from variety of source including interviewing competent native speakers, as well as published and unpublished works in anaphoric relations. Statements that contains anaphoric expressions where extracted from the data collected. The frame work for the study was based on the binding theory of Chomsky (1981). At the morphological level, the data were examined to determine morphological processes and derivational patterns; at the syntactic level, it examined the features and distribution of anaphors in the Ukwuani language. The study found   that it is completely ambiguous between reciprocal and reflexives when the reflexive is plural; that at the morphological level the processes involved is that of suffixation and substitution; at the syntactic level the study reveal that anaphors occur at the subject position and there is agreement between the anaphor and its antecedents in term of number and person in the language.