Phonological strategies for the adaptation of English names by Ósósọ̀ speakers

Abstract

This paper identifies and describes the different adaptation strategies employed to modify acquired English names by Ósósọ̀ indigenes where these names do not originally conform with the permissible syllable structure of proper nouns in the language. Data for the study are drawn from both primary and secondary sources. The primary data are from 20 female and 10 male speakers, specifically those over fifty years of age. In all, 40 common English names were examined. Secondary data is from the New Testament of the Holy Bible recently produced through the concerted efforts of the Christians in Ósósọ̀ community. The work is purely descriptive. The study discovers that onsetless nominals like ‘Mary’, ‘Francis’, are assigned the default high front vowel /i/ with low tone to become ‘imèrí’, L-L-H, ìfìrànsísì L-L-L-H-L and consonant clusters are interspersed with the same vowel /í/. The paper also finds out that Ósósọ̀, as a tone language, assigns tonal melody to all the English names studied even though English is stress timed. As a major contribution, the paper shows modifications that apply in the onomastics of two different systems when borrowing occurs.