Question Formation in Mijili
Chapter One of Question Formation in Mijili
INTRODUCTION
General Background
This project work focuses on the aspects of question formation in Mijili (Koro) spoken in Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. The Mijili (Koro) people settled down in some parts of the country. Such places include Abuja, Zuba, Kaffin Koro, Kagharko and Panda. Some members even moved to Bauchi where they established themselves around Misua, Butawa, Warji and Shira.
Mijili people are administered by clan heads and they are assisted by their cheives.
This chapter would explain further on the historical background, the socio-cultural profile and the genetic classification of Mijili language. In addition, this chapter would explain the scope and organization of study, theoretical framework, data analysis and basic syntactic concepts of the language.
Finally, the concept of “QUESTION FORMATION” in Mijili language and the application of transformational rules to Mijili’s question formation would be clarified and explained in the subsequent chapters, while conclusion and recommendation would also be discussed.
Historical Background
The Koro who were once the tenth largest tribe in Northern Nigeria are parts and percel of the ancient Kororafa Kingdom which flourished and became the most predominant power in Niger-Benue confluence as well as the greater part of Central Nigeria. Morgan (1976) described the Koro as a “Priestly Caste” which headed the Kororafa power. Infact, the Koro were a principal partner who contributed tremendously in the evolution of the Kororafa kingdom and they played a much greater role in the expansion and sustenance of the kingdom.
The Koro were great warrior and they use their war skills along with other Kororafa groups to develop very efficient military force that enable them to transform their kingdom through systematic war of conquest to Hausa land as well as Borno which was the only state that the Kororafa looked upon as their equal.
In order to fully understand the origin of the Koro, we must know the origin of Kororafa groups of languages. The Korofara claimed that they migrated from Bornu and Lake Chad region through a passage between the Lake Chad and Mandara mountains from where they dispersed and migrated in groups to the Southern Bank of River Benue.
Some version maintained that the Kororafa originated from Yemil, East of Mecca, with one Agudu as their leader who took them to Egypt before they reached Bornu and eventually moved to settle down at south of River Benue.
However, through linguistic studies, it has been discovered that the Chad Basin was originally occupied by only two district linguistic groups; the west was occupied by the Teda Deza speaking people. The Kororafa group who are a Bantu group people. The Kororafa group who are a Bantu group linguistically must have originated from central African Region across the Cameroon highlands from where Bantu languages have its origin.
Socio-Cultural Profile of Koro Mijili
The Koro are generally very high fashionable people. The people are generally light in colour with fine cut features. These are people who still preserve their rich culture and tradition of their ancestors which are jealously guarded to this day.
In the older days, the Koro love of fashion was exhibited in their unique hair styles, dressing and decorations all over their bodies. In that society, both the young girls and men adorned themselves with fascinating decorations to express their beauty and rich culture. Both sex were usually seen wearing beautiful beads, bracelets, bangles, cowries and precious stones.
One of the distinguishing features of the men was the wearing of the “Bante”, a lion-cloth apparel which was richly decorated with fattings, beads and cowries dyed in red garula or purple colour cam wood. This was the mode of dressing in most Koro societies especially among the Koro of Lafia Division (Mijili).
Marriage System
Marriage in Koro society varies from place to place. In Lafia Region, marriage was contracted when a female child was newly born. The father of the boy will approach the mother of the baby girl and seek the hand of the girl in marriage to his son by paying a token amount of money to her parents. This practice was done in the olden days before the coming of Christianity and Islam in to Koro society. Once this has been done, the girl was said to be betrothed. The boy (groom) paid a first installment of her dowry and farms for the father-in-law once annually.
Today, in almost all Koro societies, the girls are free to choose those whom they would marry.Christian weddings are contracted in churches for all christian koro while the Moslem girls marry in accordance with the Islamic injuctions.
Birth and Naming Ceremonies
When the newly married woman became pregnant, it was regarded in Koro society as a good omen that the ancestral spirits has blessed their marriage. When a child is born, his arrival was regarded and greeted all over the village while the husband was expected to fire several volleys of gunshots to celebrate the arrival of a new child birth, the mother who had remain in confinement was asked to bring the child to the christened. The women gathered in the house very early in the morning and the child is circumcised by the traditional birth attendants.
The ritual of the naming ceremony begins as soon as the circumcision had been concluded. But today, the situation is different as Christian parent celebrate the naming ceremonies of their children in churches while the Moslems do their’s according to the Islamic injuctions.
Occupations of the Koro
The Koro are very unique and hardworking people who cherish their traditional occupation which had been handed to them from their great ancestors.
The Koro are today one of the greatest farmers who produce the bulk of food crops which are being transported to all parts of Nigeria to feed other Nigerians.
The Koro are also engaged in other forms of occupation. Some of the Koro were engaged in weaving and leather work. In Abuja region, the Koro were engaged in weaving, smelting of iron work and blacksmiths who produced a lot of agricultural implements such as hoes, knives and cutlasses.
More also, Hunting and Fishing were still carried out by the Koro especially during the dry season period where there was less farm work.
Burial Ceremony in Koro Society
The Koro burial ceremonies are very much unique and are celebrated with group of people so that deceased member is given great honour and respect. Once a member of the society especially an elder pass away, immediately messages are sent to all neighboring villages and towns.
The burial ceremonies of Kings and Cheives are much more elaborate and colourful. In such cases over twenty or more Kukaa Masquerades accompanies the Ogu Masquerades dancers and musical groups from all neighboring towns come to pay respect to the deceased king before he would be buried.
Today burial ceremony is done according to Christianity and Islamic rites. But the traditionalist still observed the age long burial rites and ceremonies.
Educational Background
In Koro society, education is part of the social organization and it is largely the functions of the parents themselves, or it might be of the uncle, aunts or even the grand parents to teach the young boys the art of agriculture and the young girls the fetching of water and firewood. The girls were also taught all the domestic arts and the special parts of farming especially reserved for women.
The child’s education does not end with acquisition of skills of crop production but was taught the weather signs and variation in season application of crops on a varieties of soil types.
The indigenous education of the Koro equipped the boy with all the necessary skills required to exploit the environment for successful living. The young child was taught the art of domestication of animals and hunting skills as well as the art of wrestling and traditional boxing.
Music and Traditional Festivals
The Koro are great lovers of music and dances which they exhibit by their vigorous dancing styles during feast and numerous festivals. Their dances are characterized by heavy musical rhythms which are produced from their varieties of huge drum beats and unique musical instruments such as gongs, flutes and cymbals. The young men and maidens who are stylist dancers and singers display their skills to the great admiration of children and elderly members of the community. The masquerades range from the fascinating Odu masquerade to Kpoku and Kukaa to mention few.