Morpho-Syntactic Analysis of Temporal Realities in Esan and English Languages

Authors

  • Oremire Judith EHIBOR

    Department of Languages and General Studies, Covenant University, Ota 112104, Nigeria
  • Goddy Uwa OSIMEN

    Department of Political Science & International Relations, Covenant University, Ota 112104, Nigeria
  • Rebecca Uduakobong ADESIYAN

    College of Management and Social Sciences, Covenant University, Ota 112104, Nigeria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i5.8322
Received: 6 January 2025 | Revised: 25 March 2025 | Accepted: 21 April 2025 | Published Online: 24 April 2025

Abstract

Temporal realities/expressions are crucial in human conversations, and are uniquely different. This study assesses temporal realities in English and Esan languages. It examines how tense and aspect are marked in both languages, uncovering different expressions. Esan language, an indigenous language within the Edo linguistic group in Nigeria, exhibits a different structural system of tense, aspect, and tonal variations from that of the English language. The different representations, usage, and flow of these elements may possibly impinge on usage which could result in limited exploration by Esan-English learners. Theoretical insights are drawn from Chomsky’s Principles and Parameters of the Universal Grammar. The descriptive method of analysis was used to analyse data drawn from English texts, and native speakers of the Esan language. Findings revealed that temporal realities in both languages vary in representation and usage. Identifying the differences would enable effective usage and avoidance of morphosyntactic errors. With the insights the study provides, it recommends teaching strategies including useful resources that would aid correct usage of the Esan and English tense, aspect, and tones. This should be adequately handled to enable improved learning and effective usage, as well as avoid challenging morphosyntactic analysis in tense, aspect and tonal variations. The study concludes that the understanding of varying temporal realities of both languages would enhance effective usage and curb unnecessary generalisations.

Keywords:

Tense; Aspect; Esan and English Languages; Principles and Parameters

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How to Cite

Judith EHIBOR, O., Uwa OSIMEN, G., & Uduakobong ADESIYAN, R. (2025). Morpho-Syntactic Analysis of Temporal Realities in Esan and English Languages. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(5), 181–190. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i5.8322

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 5 (May 2025): In progress

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Article

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Copyright © 2025 Oremire Judith EHIBOR, Goddy Uwa OSIMEN, Rebecca Uduakobong ADESIYAN

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.