A Preliminary Linguistic Analysis of Plant Names in Ikpaná (Logba), an Endangered Ghana Togo Mountain Language

Authors

Lydia Jewl Green, SIT Study Abroad

Home Institution

University of Southern California

Publication Date

Fall 2009

Program Name

Ghana: Social Transformation and Cultural Expression

Abstract

Methodology: I spent 12 days living in three of the towns in the Logba traditional area (Alakpeti, Klikpo, and Tota) during which time I elicited approximately three hours of footage spread over four miniDV tapes of native speakers of Ikpaná describing the names and uses of the plants in the surrounding area in the Ikpaná language.

Findings: I analyzed some of the linguistic properties of the plant names as they relate to the endangered language status of the language.

Conclusion: Ikpaná is being pressured by Ewe and by globalization. This can be demonstrated through an analysis of the plant names, which in addition to including Ikpaná names also include borrowed names. These names can be shown to be from Ewe and from the influences of agriculture. Further documentation and study is needed.

Disciplines

Anthropological Linguistics and Sociolinguistics

Recommended Citation

Green, Lydia Jewl, "A Preliminary Linguistic Analysis of Plant Names in Ikpaná (Logba), an Endangered Ghana Togo Mountain Language" (2009). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 751.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/751