QUANTIFIERS IN IGBO SYNTAX

Abstract

This paper agrees that the lexical categories of the parts of speech have given birth to a separate syntactic group known as the nominal modifiers. And it singles out “Quantifiers” out of them to look at its syntax in the Igbo language. The nominal modifiers’ distinct form class members have hardly enjoyed full fledged syntactic behaviour examination. Adopting a descriptive approach, the study gives a definition to quantifiers, assembles the different types that exist in the Igbo language and attempts a classification of quantifiers in Igbo. The investigation identifies the patterned structural characteristics of quantifiers and indicates their limitations. The paper discovers that contrary to speculated claims, the number of quantifiers in Igbo is not limited to three. Many other types are discovered. Also, through the structural manipulation or changing of the quantifiers, the Igbo language will manifest the capability to generate useful communicational meanings; and this is a welcome enrichment of the language in semantics and syntax.