A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF WH-QUESTION IN MÀRGi

This study examines Wh-questions in Màrg?. Màrg? belongs to Afro-Asiatic under the sub-familyof the Chadic language and it is spoken in Nigeria and Cameroon. The study which is a syntactic analysis of the Màrg?wh-questions is essential in view of the role that questions play in the language. The data for this study were collected using interview, checklist and Màr? language books such as the Màrg?Bible, Hoffman (1963), Dlibugunaya (1989, 1999, 2004) and Tranel (1992/94). The descriptive method of analysis was adopted in analyzing the collected data. The analysis of the data shows that, there are two types of wh-questions in Màrg? language which are the simple and the complex whquestions. It has been revealed that wh-questions are formed in this language through the use of wh-question markers such as wà 'who', m?'what', úmár?'where', látúmàr? 'when', àbár? 'how', màr? 'which' and wàn 'whom'. In the formation of the simple wh-question, the question markers can be moved from the object position in anonecho question to the spec position or before the auxiliary verb. In the formation of the complex wh- question, the Màrg?language exhibits pied-piping as its features as the wh-operator always move with the head of the phrase. This kind of movement is only permitted in the language within the embedded clause but not outside the clause. The study has uncovered the idiosyncrasy of Margi question formation processes and has also made its contribution to the on-going research on endangered languages in Nigeria, and the linguistic literature.