PHONOLOGICAL SIMPLIFICATION THROUGH CONSONANT SUBSTITUTION AND DELETION IN IBIBIO CHILD LANGUAGE

Abstract

Ibibio is a Lower Cross language spoken predominantly in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. This study investigates consonant substitution and deletion processes in the speech of Ibibio speaking children aged two to six years. The study demonstrates that children‘s speech reflects systematic phonological simplification strategies that contribute to developmental variation within the language. Using a descriptive method of data analysis, naturally occurring speech data were collected from five typically developing Ibibio speaking children and compared with adult target forms. The analysis reveals recurrent consonant substitution processes—such as fronting, backing, labialization, nasalization, denasalization, gliding, devoicing, and voicing as well as consonant deletion processes involving initial, medial, and final consonants. The findings further show that not all of Ingram‘s substitution processes are attested in the children‘s productions. Substitution and deletion processes are most frequent among children aged two to four years, while a marked reduction is observed in children aged five to six years, indicating a strong correlation between phonological maturation and chronological age. While some of the identified processes mirror patterns in adult Ibibio phonology, others are developmentally specific and peculiar to child speech. The study establishes that consonant substitution and deletion are normal features of phonological development in Ibibio speaking children and provides a baseline for distinguishing typical developmental patterns from potential speech disorders. Although consonant substitution is evident across all age groups, some of the observed processes reflect patterns found in adult Ibibio phonology, while others are uniquely characteristic of child speech. The study highlights the role of age-related phonological development in shaping the speech patterns of Ibibio speaking children and contributes to the documentation of child phonology in an understudied African language.