August 2017 Vol.5 No.8

Search Pubmed for articles by:
 

Wayar B

Other links:
PubMed Citation
Related articles in PubMed










































































 

Original Research Article

Language Shift among the Babur/Bura speakers of Northern Nigeria

Bulus Wayar

Department of English Gombe State University – Nigeria

E-mail: buluswayar@yahoo.com

Accepted August 14, 2017

Abstract

Several of the world languages are threatened since they are at risk of fading out or out of use as their speakers die out, or abandon their languages. At a glance however, it seems illogical to assume that Babur/Bura – a language spoken by the second majority of people in southern Borno – Nigeria is considered threatened considering it status as one of the major native languages in the far north east State of Nigeria, coupled with its size. However, there are a lot of factors which are visible that language is at risk. This paper examines the extent and manner in which Babur/ Bura is being threatened. The paper employed what is referred to as random vocabulary and questionnaire test as well as interview. The paper indicated that some Babur/Bura rarely used their language in all situations even when all interlocutors were Bura speakers. Additionally, the paper discovered that religion, economy and social values were some of the causes of the people’s linguistic shift to the wider language – Hausa.

Keywords: Language, Shift, Threatened, Communities, Multilingualism