SEMANTIC ANALYSIS OF AREA NAMES IN NNEWI METROPOLIS

Abstract

This research examines the semantic analysis of area names in Nnewi Metropolis. It aims to identify the semantic meanings of these area names as understood by Nnewi native speakers, as well as the intended meanings within the framework of referential semantics. The data were obtained from interviews with native speakers from the four major villages in Nnewi: Umudim, Otolo, Uruagu, and Nnewichi. The theoretical framework adopted for the study is the referential theory of meaning. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the area names. Twenty participants who are natives of Nnewi Metropolis and who have spent the greater part of their lives in Nnewi were interviewed to represent the research population. The results of the study show that area names in Nnewi Metropolis characteristically derive most of their names from an eponymous ancestor (ancestral links) rather than from directional features. It can be concluded that the historical narratives behind some of these area names helped the researcher determine their accurate morphological and syntactic structures as found within Nnewi Metropolis.