ABSTRACT
This study investigates the syllable structure of the Ghòtùò language, aiming to determine whether it exhibits a simple, complex, or modified moderate syllable structure. The concept of the syllable is explored as a fundamental unit of organization for speech sounds, comprising a nucleus, onset, and coda. Syllables play a crucial role in linguistic analysis, influencing phonological prosody, stress patterns, and tonal distinctions. The study adopts the CV phonological theory to analyze the syllable structure of Ghòtùò, considering it as a supra-segmental property with units of prominence. The methodology involves qualitative data collection through primary sources from native speakers and secondary sources from literature. A qualitative method is employed for data analysis to gain a comprehensive understanding of Ghòtùò's syllable structure. Findings reveal that Ghòtùò primarily utilizes an open syllable system, with monosyllabic words mainly consisting of verbs and adverbs, disyllabic words dominated by nouns, verbs, and adjectives, and polysyllabic words featuring nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. The language demonstrates a glide formation process leading to syllable reduction, with vowel clusters transforming into glides, albeit not universally. The study concludes that Ghòtùò predominantly exhibits a simple syllable structure, consistent with observations of the Kwa subgroup language family. This research contributes to linguistic understanding, cultural preservation, language teaching, and documentation, emphasizing the importance of syllable analysis in linguistic research.
