1.1 Introduction
Bura language is a Chadic language spoken in North-eastern Nigeria by the Babur/Bura people. Dialects are Pela, Bura Pela, Hill Bura, Hyil Hawul, Bura Hyilhawul, and Plain Bura. The language is closely related to Kilba, Chibok, Margi and a few order North-eastern Nigerian Languages (Bura, 2015). Morphology is the branch of linguistics that studies the compatibility of such combinations and proposes the rules for their formation. Morphology deals with the structure of words. Look at the words: knowing, knowingly, unknowingly. The last two words can be subdivided as knowing and –ly, and unknowing and –ly. Here un-, knowing, and –ly are called morphemes. A morpheme can be defined as the minimal meaningful unit that cannot be further subdivided. The study of morphemes is called Morphology. The structuralized were interested in defining a unit of language that did bear meaning; so they proposed the concept of a morpheme. In the metal compartment where all possible, meaningful and acceptable words are formed, there are certain rules that must be followed or certain conditions met before any word can be viewed as acceptable in any language.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Bura people which are the second largest ethnic group in Borno state inhabit Biu emirate, which is in the southern part of the state. They are known as Bura or Pabir. The language is called Bura or Pabir by the native speakers. The Bura people are found in the Lower Benue Basin of the Borno Maidguri. The area stretches from Imusika in the north to Lake Adau in the South; from Sambisa Gome Reserve in the east. The language is spoken in Borno state in Hawul, Bia, Damaltura, Shafa and Shani local government areas and also in Garkida Local government in Adamawa state. It is spoken in four villages, which are Imusika, Parakusa, Garu and Pabur.
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