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Igbo endearment terms

In-group identity construction in selected novels by Achebe and Adichie

Bibliographic Data

ID21490911
AuthorsR Aboh (0000-0002-4804-9968, University of Calabar), Esther Igwanyi (University of Uyo)
Year2021
Volume41
Issue2
Pages123-130
Publication date2021-05-04
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueSouth African Journal of African Languages (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0257-2117 • E-ISSN: 2305-1159
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/02572117.2021.1948211
OpenAlexW3204968131
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited12

The continuing and increasing interest in the study of identities in the humanities and the social sciences since the turn of the twenty-first century points to the significance of the subject matter in human evolution. Against such a significant backdrop, we scrutinise the symbolic parallel between the use of endearment terms and the construction of identities in the works of two prominent Nigerian novelists – Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Despite studies on their respective novels, extensive studies on how these Nigerian novelists deploy linguistic resources to enunciate in-group identity are still inadequate. Using social constructionism and literary pragmatics as our theoretical point of reference, we contend that these novelists’ use of Igbo endearment terms function as a linguistic means by which in-group identities are constructed, drawing our data from four of the authors’ novels: Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Anthills of the Savannah and Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus and Half of a Yellow Sun. Our critical and textual analysis reveals that the use of Igbo endearment terms are strategies for illuminating how literary characters use language in socio-discursive encounters to enact and re-enact as well as maintain their belonging to or membership of a group

Aesthetics · Art · Igbo · Linguistics · Literature · Sociology · Anthropology · Computer Science · Discourse Analysis in Language Studies · Gender Studies · History · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Multilingual Education and Policy · Philosophy

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Unique citing works6
Citations per year0,67
Citation span2017 - 2025 (9)
Citation velocityrecent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 4
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