THE LINGUIST

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    MEET PROF. AZIZA

    Prof. Rose Aziza is a Professor of Linguistics at the Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria. Her area of specialization is Phonology. She has worked extensively on various aspects of Nigerian languages, especially her native language, Urhobo, a relatively little known language of southern Nigeria with over two million native speakers. Rose has described the phonology, morphology and syntax of Urhobo. Since 1990, she has pioneered the study of Urhobo as an academic discipline in the two tertiary institutions in the Urhobo area of Delta State, namely, College of Education, Warri, which produces middle level manpower for the primaryand secondary school levels, and Delta State University where it is an undergraduate degree option. She is a member of a number of national and international professional/ learned societies and has published widely both locally and internationally.

    JOIN THE DREAMOne of the greatest speeches that have changed the world for good was delive

    red by Martin Luther King (Jnr.). This man had the audacity to dream of a betterfuture for America, and though he did not live to see it fulfilled, it eventually became a reality. This single act should awaken in us the need to dream big and have the required drive to see it come true.

    The world has experience so much change as a result of dreams by men who found purpose, by pursuing visions created by inspiration and passion. The nation is

    deeply in need of change which will only come, when concern Nigerians especially Christians wakes to realize that it is our responsibility to illuminate even the darkest part of this nation and the world at large.

    The light given to us (The body of Christ) by God serves as solution to the problem of mankind, Just like Martin Luther King (Jnr.), i also have a dream that

    one day, Nigeria will no longer be known as a corrupt nation; that the basic needs of life such as food, shelter and clothe will not be a luxury to the commonman. I have a dream that Nigeria will become one of the most industrialized anddeveloped nations in Africa producing great inventors and scientist. I have a dream that government body would, as the police and other government parastatals,not have to collect bribe and politicians will not dare to loot public funds. Ihave a dream that Nigeria would have one of the most stable economies in the world. I have a dream that other nations from Europe, Asia, America among others would labour to have their visa to Nigeria granted. It is my greatest dream that Nigeria ones again will take its place as the giant of Africa; setting the trailfor others to follow.

    I believe in this dream, I believe in Nigeria. Let us join hands to make thisdream a reality through collective efforts, rejection of corrupt practices and

    taking giant stride for change and development. It is our responsibility as the

    light of the world to make this vision (dream) a reality.OKEIDESAN, OchukoEx-President, LINSA07038327875

    BECOMING A DAD

    How difficult it is to become a Dad. Oh, you might think it's not. It is in fact a natural thing, a moment when two make one. But I am speaking about the act

    of filling the shoes, playing the part, becoming a "Dad."They had arrived at the beach just minutes after Marianne and I had just sett

    led down. I was under the umbrella, she was already greased up and ready to facethe sun. Off to our right this young couple arrived loaded with all the equipme

    nt necessary to feed and protect their newborn. I learned later that the child w

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    as just 6 months old. Mum carried the child, Dad carried everything else. Bothhad an important role to play, for this was their first time ever at the beach as "family." It is a new beginning, a ritual of sorts, for they are creating memories for a lifetime. Dad is claiming his place today like all the father's before him. In the next few minutes he will either successfully accomplish his assigned task of setting up this family beach site or fail miserably under pressure. It sets the pace for all future attempts at becoming the man both his wife and child hope for. But his wife isn't going to make it easy: "You brought that?" sheasks; "Why in God's name did you bring that stupid cabana thing, you should have

    brought the umbrella". "This will be better for the child, it will keep the wind from her and protect her from the sun," he said. I could almost hear him grunting, you know like a proud manly man. "It will not! The wind is blowing so hard, it will pick her up and take her away," she replies. He whimpers, slightly wounded. "Well, I'll take her down by the water, you set that thing up. You brought

    it," she continues. He growls beneath his breath. I sat watching him, wanting desperately to run over and help him. I wanted to save this young guy from defeat. But this is what life is made of, this moment in time and moments gathered and

    collected for years to come. So I sat watching him. He fought valiantly, looking up periodically to see where wife and daughter was sitting. He was meeting his

    challenge. I looked down at the beach and saw them approaching. "Come on buddy!You can do it!" I cheered in my heart. He did it! Mother and child stared in awe and amazement. He awaited his accolades from his wife but all he got was: "You

    didn't put her blanket in there, that surface will be too hot! In my heart I wasbooing her. I growled. She turned and stared at me sensing my attempt at unifyi

    ng in spirit with him. My upper lip curled defiantly, but I retreated. In my mind he was successful. In her soul she knew she had married the right guy. But itis not in her nature to acknowledge that so early on. Then it all came rushing back to me. I watched as he walked down to the shore line. He turned to look at them several times. He stood there now a father, in earlier times perhaps they walked this beach hand in hand as lovers. Now, as a new family, those precious moments have given way to reality. They have responsibilities for each other and for their child. He walks along looking lonely and lost. She lays nearby the babytorn between what once was and what is now. They take turns as she now heads down to the waters edge alone and longing for what was and what is. Having been there myself, my mind fast forwards seeing them both in future times. The scene asI see it: They have returned to this beautiful resort by the sea every year now.

    It has become a part of the family tradition. Dad has now made his mark and successfully played the role of father for about two decades. This time his daughter is walking on the beach by his side, holding his hand saying: "Daddy, We've been coming here now since I was a baby. You have given me a lifetime of memorieshere,". "I can remember the first time we brought you here," he tells her. "Daddy, when I was away at school I missed being with you a few summers. I want you to know it wasn't easy," she says. "It just wasn't the same without you honey," he says with tears in his eyes. "But I know it is a part of life. You are growing

    up. One day you'll meet a man who will take you from us for good. He will haveto be a special man," Dad says. "Daddy, he is," she says as she stops and holdsboth his hands. "What?" replies Dad. "Daddy, that's why I wanted to be here this

    year for this vacation. You have given me so many wonderful memories. I wantedto give you one," she says. Then bowing her head for a moment and then glancingup to look him directly in his eyes she says, "Daddy, John has asked me to marry

    him. I said yes." He pauses for a moment. Then embracing her, they spin aroundas they hug a hug of joy. Back to today, this moment in time... Who knows. Perhaps years from now this wet-behind-the-ears father I see before me will one walkthis same beach with his grandchild. He's struggling with what he needs to do next and I have already seen his future. How? I walked this beach before with my children. For now I am in limbo between Dad and Grandpa. In the meantime Marianne

    and I cherish these few days together alone, waiting desperately to play the part and walk hand in hand with my grandchild. Perhaps I will be here the day he is walking with his daughter. Should I warn him it all comes too soon? No, that's

    a part of "Becoming Dad," too. Excuse me. The cabana he put together just blew

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    away. He forgot to fasten it down. Grow!!!!!!! "I believe in You!"

    Written by Bob Perksedited by Ichide AghoghoAnatomy(200L)

    THE CONQUERORS ATTITUDEEven the impossible can become possible, because I believe so. The toughest c

    hallenges can be won because I am a fighting man. There is fire burning in my heart because Im after a prize. Anything farfetched can be achieved...yes; it can be done because in truth I believe I am the right one. But thats no surprise because there is fire burning in my heart. Anything unlikely can be overcome in an hour of darkness even though there exist someone who think the situation is hopeless, but my spirit never dies cos of the fire in my heart. My heart is ablaze with

    the flame of triumph; my soul alight with this fire of success. An eternal inferno rages within me and when you peep into my heart, you will see the fire burning within. I must have faith in myself when no one else does; work hard becausethat is the main pinnacle to my success; have confidence in myself no matter the

    obstacles or hardship that comes my way, for I will definitely reach my final destination. In order to prepare for my future as well as succeed in life, I mustlearn to live in the now, any failure or downfall is a stepping stone to a grea

    ter height in life. The past is gone but I will learn by it and cherish its memories, look forward and apply what I have learnt because our everyday life is an

    experience and a lesson.One of the most precious things in life is to feel loved, so I will love peop

    le around me and that will make them feel special, reciprocate people

    s love andlearn to love even those I feel do not love me.

    EGBUCHULEM, Chinedu MosesLinguistics (200 level)07060701894

    GRATITUDEGratitude, thanksgiving, or appreciation is a positive emotion or attitude in

    acknowledgement of a benefit that one has received or will receive. Gratitude is an emotion that occurs after people receive help, depending on how they interpret the situation. Specifically, gratitude is experienced if people perceive the

    help they receive as valuable to them, costly to their benefactor, and given bythe benefactor with benevolent intentions (rather than with ulterior motives).

    Gratitude is not the same as indebtedness. While both emotions occur following help, indebtedness occurs when a person perceives that they are under an obligation to make some repayment of compensation for an aid. The emotions lead to different actions; indebtedness motivates the recipients of the aid to avoid the person who has helped them, whereas gratitude motivates the recipient to seek out

    their benefactor and to improve their relationship with them.Gratitude may also serve to reinforce future prosaic behaviour in benefactors

    . For example, one experiment shows that customers of a jewery store who were called and thanked showed a subsequent 70% increase in purchases. In comparison, customers who were thanked and told about a sale showed only 30% increase in purchases, and customers who were not called at all did not show increase. In another study, regular patrons of a restaurant gave bigger tips when servers wrote Thank you on their cheques.

    The link between spirituality and gratitude has recently become a popular subject of study. While these two characteristics are certainly not dependent on each other, studies have found that spirituality is capable of enhancing a personsability to be grateful and therefore, those who regularly attend religious services or engage in religious activities are more likely to have a greater sense of

    gratitude in all areas of life. Gratitude is viewed as a prized human propensity in the Christian, Buddhist, Islamic, Jewish and Hindu traditions. Worship with

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    gratitude to God is a common theme in such religions and therefore, the conceptof gratitude permeates religious texts, teachings and traditions. For this reas

    on, it is one of the most common emotions that religious aim to provoke and maintain in followers and as a universal religious sentiment.

    Gratitude has been said to mould and shape the entire Christian life. The Christian Reformist, Martin Luther (of Germany), referred to gratitude as The basicChristian attitude, and today it is still referred to as the heart of the gospel. As each Christian believes they were created by a personal God, they are strongly

    encouraged to praise and give gratitude to their creator. In Christian gratitude, God is seen as the selfless giver of all good things and because of this, there is a great sense of indebtedness that enables Christians to share a common bond, shaping all aspects of a followers life. Gratitude in Christianity is an acknowledgement of Gods generosity that inspires Christian to shape their own thoughts and actions around such ideals. Instead of simply a sentimental feeling, Christian gratitude is regarded as a virtue that shapes not only emotions and thought

    but actions and deeds as well.Finally, gratitude unlocks the door to greatness. In life, theres so much to b

    e grateful for- be grateful for the life that you have, the food on your table,the clothes you have to wear, the roof thats over your head because a lot of peop

    le desire to have all these but to no avail. In whatever situation you find yourself, be grateful.

    UWAGWU, Obiageli FionaLinguistics (200 level)08063807212

    WORKING WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLEEvery day of our lives, we interact with people, some with difficult backgrou

    nd and culture but the certainty is that there must be a cordial relationship existing, for us to achieve our individual goals. The question that comes to mindthen is: How do we cope with those difficult people especially those that attack, envy or snoop us?THE ATTACKERSTheir Character: They attack your personality while arguing on issues; twist everything you say; loose out your ideas etc.How they make you feel: You feel as if you are hurt or as someone who lost his or her credibility.Your thought: Deep down in your heart, you think that maybe, its your fault, youdont understand him/her, Nobody wants to think always with you etcAttacker

    s thought: Ill make sure that the whole group see how incompetent he is and bring him downStrategies to work with an Attacker: To handle an attacker, you must maintain ahigh level of professionalism, Develop a game plan to guard yourself, Question the attacker without snooping to his/her level, Direct discussions by moving emphasis away from individuals to issues, Talk to the attacker privately and ask how

    s/he wants to solve your/a problem, Handle the conflict with direct-clear-faceto face solution.

    THE ENVIERSCharacter: They are resentful, jealous, want your praises, dont like your opinion

    on any matter, feel pompous & arrogant towards you etc.Your thought:I have done my best, everyone said so except him/her, S/he is kind ofself centred, I can feel his /her hostility and envy. These are some of the thought

    you will have.Enviers thought: Some of the stuffs in an enviers thought are: Why do they all like him?, If I was given the assignment, I would have done it better, Its because s/he has friends or someone who give him/her opportunity and support etc.Strategies to work with an Envier: In order to work effectively with an envier,you must protect yourself (& if possible, help your colleague/envier think morepositively, Encourage the envier, Help him/her to define personal goal and devel

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    op his own special skills and enterprise- This will raise his sense of self worth, Keep your talks on a high and friendly level- Never get into arguments especially with others present, Disarm him/her with an honest compliment, Express admiration for whatever he does well, Talk about his/her interest etc.

    THE SNOOPSCharacter: They are unduly inquisitive- prying where its none of their business,s/he seldom realizes that their actions are offensive- Their curiosity must be satisfied.Strategies to work with a Snooper: Give them the benefit of doubt, be politely rude, you dont have to answer everyones question-pass them off with a smile.

    Conclusion: Always realize that you are dealing with people that have differentreaction/opinion to different situation/issue. Dealing with each person as situation demands means that you must learn to be humble (for two wrong cannot make a

    right), never attack anyone in public (you may loose) and above all, have a winning attitude.

    OMODON, Jessica .B

    Linguistics (Graduate)08064558890

    ...ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION

    A language disappears somewhere in the world every two weeks (Linda 1991:20)Out of the about 512 indigenous languages spoken in Nigeria, about 75% are presently grappling with survival, they are currently at the very edge (brink) of going into extinction. Egbokhare (2004:13) quoting Bradley .D and Bradley .M (2002:xi) said: There is a grin prediction that in the next fifty to one hundred years,

    Ninety percent of the languages of Africa will be extinct. This if allowed to happen will be a tragedy given the huge information base and folk wisdom that will perish. It touches on our identity and our continued existence as a people. The

    question that comes to mind then is what can led to this and what it can lead to.

    One major cause of this is language shift. Vic Webb and Kembo Sure (2001:40)defines language shift as a Process in which speakers of one language begins to use a second language for more and more functions until they eventually use onlythe second language. The multilingual/multicultural nature of Nigeria led to theintroduction of pidgin as a lingua franca. Though the Nigeria pidgin is supposed

    to be a language of inter-ethnic communication, it is now being used for both inter-ethnic and intra-ethnic communication such that it has even acquired a number of native speakers: Nigeria pidgin may soon become the most widely spoken language in Nigeria (Faraclas 1996:1)

    Because of the multi-lingua nature of Nigeria, languages have contact with neighbouring language, As a result, such language is bound to experience some sort

    of changes which may cause it to go into extinction with the passage of time.Inter Marriage is also a cause of this. There is the tendency for spouses fro

    m different ethnic background to resort to the English Language (Which is the major threat to Nigeria languages) or Nigeria pidgin as a medium of communicatingwith their children.

    Nigeria Language Policy divides Nigeria into two classes of citizens whom Egbokhare (2001:15) quoting Bamghose (1990), calls the class of the advantaged and therefore included, and the class of the disadvantage and therefore excluded. This

    policy of dividing the languages into major (advantaged) minor (disadvantaged)makes speakers of the minority to look at their language with disdain since it is not socio-politically and economically viable.

    In addition, the stagnate nature of our indigenous language is also a major cause, the speech repertoire of our language need changes and improvement in other to account for the rapid changes and development that characterises this age.

    Other possible cause includes: Living in Diaspora, Higher Education etc.

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    The effect of language extinction includes the disintegration of the unity of itsusers (The language of a people is the main symbol of the people as an ethnic n

    ationality. Once the language which binds a people dies, the basics of their unity and group identity will be undermined), destruction of the precious practices

    of the people and their traditional practices, such as the knowledge of traditional medicinal plants which is essential to health, folktales/folklore which promote unity among families and beyond etc.CONCLUSION

    We can actually avoid the pathetic effects of language extinction if and onlyif the language users take a bold step to save their language. According to Bam

    ghose (1992:29): When all is said and done, the fate of an endangered language may well be in the hands of the owners of the language themselves and in their will to make it survive.

    EKIUGBO, O. PhilipLinguistics (400 Level)07062851103

    THE POWER OF CHOICE

    I want to begin by saying to you that success is achievable, it does not matter how many times you have failed or was rejected, abandoned, forsaken, despised

    or whatever, You can rise from the ashes of mediocrity and self degradation today!

    It is a matter of choice, decide today that you will make the right choices in life, decide that you will do the right thing that will help you to succeed in

    your academics, finances, family, relationship etc.With the power of right choice, you can turn around the outcome of a bad sit

    uation to result in a positive conclusion. The choices you make everyday will determine the outcome of your life and future. I sincerely believe that no problem

    is impossible to be solved. No question is too difficult to be answered. Thereis an answer to every question in life.

    Can man fly a bird? The Wright brothers answered that question by giving us the aeroplane.

    Can man move at extra-ordinary speed and cover distances in a few minutes? Ithas been answered when Henry Ford began producing his ford cars

    Can Siamese twins be separated? That used to be a very tough medical questionbut it has been answered since Dr, Ben Carson and his team of determined doctor

    s carried out the first successful operation of separating Siamese twins since the 70s.

    So many impossible questions that has been given possible answers in life! What is your own question? There is an answer you can proffer if only you can believe in yourself and believe also in your creator, dont allow the world to push you around.

    Dear, never bend your heads but raise it high. Les Brown once said: Shoot forthe moon; even if you miss, you will land among stars. There is never an excuse for failing, its your choice.

    MARIS MLinguistics (200 level)

    THERE IS A GIANT IN YOU

    There is a giant in the inside of you, waiting to be unleashed to the world,waiting to conquer territories, waiting to achieve great strides that generation

    to come would not forget in a haste.There is more to you than meets the eye, there is more to you than you reali

    ze. You carry on the inside of you a landmine that could revolutionalize DELSU,Nigeria, Africa and the world at large.

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    Do not let the limitation of your circumstances, skin, age, background etc cripple the giant that is in you. Do away with limitation in your mind, be the light in the darkness, be the agent of change in your sphere of influence.

    Never forget who you are- the workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus, achosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar person, calledout to show forth the glory of God. Never forget who lives on the inside of you,

    walk in the consciousness of who you are in Christ Jesus. There is a giant in you

    Egom OnyinyeLinguistics (200 Level)

    SERMON: PARTAKER OF HIS DIVINE NATUREHis divine power has given us everything that required for life and godliness,

    through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires (II Peter 1:3-4. HCSB)

    The powers of the all-sufficient God has given EVERYTHING required to live fu

    lfilled life Spiritually, Academically, Financially and otherwise, to all Christians. One thing that however comes to my mind whenever I take a time-out to ponder on the above scripture above scriptural passage, is the fact that some Christians will be partakers of this everything while others will be Observers.

    A Partaker is somebody or something that takes part, participate or have a first-hand taste/experience of something, activity, event etc while an Observer is

    somebody who though witnessed (hear or see) something, activity, event etc butdoes not have a taste of it (see II Kings 7)

    It is Gods desire for us to witness and partake in all the goodies and packages He has for His children. The big question now is how can I be a Partaker? Your level of intimacy with the owner of what you want to partake of. It is notssible to partake of something when you dont have a personal rapport/intimate relationship with the owner, hence you must work on, and improve daily on your relationship with God (the owner). Having a basic knowledge of what you want to partake in: The level of your understanding of what you desire to partake in is a key quality that determines the level to which you will partake in such a thing. You must therefore seek to knowand understand, in full measure, what is the breadth and length and depth and the height of His divine nature (i.e. the living expression of what God is and how

    He functions. Heb. 11:3). Make appriopriate moves: Nothing on earth moves until you make move. Though youknow the owner as well as have a knowledge of what you want to partake in, you must however make moves/carry out appropriate Acts (Actions that Command Testimonies and Surprises) either through prayers (backed up with fasting), Praising God, Reading/Study, Giving/Tithing etc. Know this: that which you do first will determines what God will do next in your life.

    CONCLUSION:Scripture speaking in Romans 8:32 says: He did not even spare His son own son

    , but offered Him up for us all; how will He not also with Him grant us everything (HCSB). The same God that delivered His own son up for us while we were yet sinners, has also given us everything we need to live a fulfilled life, apply theabove principle and you will testify of the goodness of God. See ya at the top.

    EKIUGBO, Oghenesuowho PhilipEx-President, Baptist Student FellowshipDELSU-Abraka. (07062851103)

    POEMSTHE MANS DEATH

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    It is a fact that the man had diedBut what could actually cause it?Could it be an Accident?Was it rather an attack?Of what nature?

    People said it was witchcraftSome said it was a robbery attackOthers said it was an ailmentStill some believed it was Gods handiwork

    Poor him! If death was a sleepWe would wake him to tell us the causeBut since it is a deeper sleepAnd though the good and the bad will also dieThe truth remains: the creator remembers him!

    GBEGBAJE, Esere MercyLinguistics (100 level)

    LETS BE THE CHANGEEveryone desires a changeIn all of lifes facetOur forefathers have toiled for itSowing seeds and now has goneOur parents have done their partsNow, we must be the CHANGE!

    Rising all day, each of usLets be the change we desireWith humility, kindness and sinceritySaying NO to wrong thingsEven YES to right onesBrooding over ideas that will bring progressThen we can be the Change we need

    Lets learn to LOVE!cos it performs miracles, hatred doesntAbove all, lets trust the Almighty GodWhose thought towards us are goodAnd who can enable us be the CHANGE!

    OKOGHA, PeaceLinguistics (200 level)

    LIFE IMPACTSometimes in life, you meet peopleSome create meaning for livingSome bring out the spark in youSome want to affect your life for goodSome want to eat you alive!

    Someone stretches out His handsFor you to hold and have your confidence backAnd this someone is Jesus Christ

    You may not know Christ value for youBut He is still the everlasting messiah

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    He will always rescue His own fro death.

    YOUNG, OghenekevweLinguistics (200 level)

    THE REAL EVEREST

    Have you ever head of Evarest? Do you remember insurmountable everest that no one could climb for years until a man who learnt never to put the word impossible in his life

    s guilding principles. Edmund Hilary they call him...yes, he wasthe first man to climb insurmountable everest. The funny thing is that when thi

    s man was asked it feels like setting a world record and what gave him such faith that the mountain could be conquered, his answer was It is not the mountain we

    conquer but ourselves.Dear, think about this, you are the real everest. What is that which seems in

    surmountable in your life? -your ability of making it in all facet of your life,it is possible. Believe in yourself, shun fear, work on yourself, coquer your f

    ears, conquer yourself; then you can do it...yes, it is achievable.

    EGBUCHULEM, Chinedu MosesLinguistics (200 level)07060701894

    LANGUAGES OF THE WORLD/LANGUAGE CLASSIFICATION(Encarta 2009)

    Estimates of the number of languages spoken in the world today vary depending onwhere the dividing line between language and dialect is drawn. For instance, li

    nguists disagree over whether Chinese should be considered a single language because of its speakers

    shared cultural and literary tradition, or whether it should be considered several different languages because of the mutual unintelligibility of, for example, the Mandarin spoken in Beijing and the Cantonese spoken in

    Hong Kong (see Chinese Language). If mutual intelligibility is the basic criterion, current estimates indicate that there are about 6,000 languages spoken in the world today. However, many languages with a smaller number of speakers are in

    danger of being replaced by languages with large numbers of speakers. In fact,some scholars believe that perhaps 90 percent of the languages spoken in the 1990s will be extinct or doomed to extinction by the end of the 21st century. The 10 most widely spoken languages, with approximate numbers of native speakers, are

    as follows: Chinese, 1.2 billion; Arabic, 422 million; Hindi, 366 million; English, 341 million; Spanish, 322 to 358 million; Bengali, 207 million; Portuguese,

    176 million; Russian, 167 million; Japanese, 125 million; German, 100 million.If second-language speakers are included in these figures, English is the second

    most widely spoken language, with 508 million speakers.Linguists classify languages using two main classification systems: typo

    logical and genetic. A typological classification system organizes languages according to the similarities and differences in their structures. Languages that share the same structure belong to the same type, while languages with differentstructures belong to different types. For example, despite the great differences

    between the two languages in other respects, Mandarin Chinese and English belong to the same type, grouped by word-order typology. Both languages have a basicword order of subject-verb-object.A genetic classification of languages divides them into families on the basis of

    their historical development: A group of languages that descend historically from the same common ancestor form a language family. For example, the Romance languages form a language family because they all descended from the Latin language. Latin, in turn, belongs to a larger language family, Indo-European, the ancestor language of which is called Proto-Indo-European. Some genetic groupings are u

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    niversally accepted. However, because documents attesting to the form of most ancestor languages, including Proto-Indo-European, have not survived, much controversy surrounds the more wide-ranging genetic groupings. A conservative survey of

    the world

    s language families are as follows:

    AFRICA: Africa language families are: Afro-Asiatic, Nilo-Saharan, Niger-Congo, and Khoisan, although the genetic unity of Nilo-Saharan and Khoisan is still disputed. Afro-Asiatic languages occupy most of North Africa and also large parts of

    southwestern Asia. The Niger-Congo family covers most of sub-Saharan Africa andincludes such widely spoken West African languages as Yoruba and Fulfulde, as w

    ell as the Bantu languages of eastern and southern Africa, which include Swahiliand Zulu. The Nilo-Saharan languages are spoken mainly in eastern Africa, in anarea between those covered by the Afro-Asiatic and the Niger-Congo languages. T

    he best-known Nilo-Saharan language is Masai, spoken by the Masai people in Kenya and Tanzania. The Khoisan languages are spoken in the southwestern corner of Africa and include the Nama language (formerly called Hottentot).

    EUROPE: Europe language families are: Indo-European, Uralic etc. Indo-European Languages, the most widely spoken family of languages in the world, contains the

    following sUbfamilies: Albanian, Armenian, Baltic, Celtic, Germanic, Greek, Indo-Iranian, Italic (includinf the Romance languages), Slavic, and tw/ extinct subfamilies Anatolian (including Hittite) and Tochapian. About 1.6 billion people speak Indo-European languages today. Uralic languages sub-familis includes Samoyedic, Finno-Ugric etc. Europe also has one language isolate (a language not known to be related to any other language): Basque, which is spoken in the Pyrenees.

    ASIA: Asia language families includes the Indo-Aryan sub-branch of Indo-European, Dravidian, Austro-Asiatic, Afro-Asiatic etc

    AMERICA: North America has such language families as Inuit (Eskimalent), Na-Den,Algonquian, Iroquorian, Siouan, Uto-Aztecan, Mayan etc while South Americas major

    families are Carib, Arawak, Macro-G and Tupian.

    RECONSTRUCTING LANGUAGESLinguistic reconstruction is the recovery of the stages of a language that existed prior to those found in written documents. Using a number of languages that are genetically related, linguists try to reconstruct at least certain aspects of

    the languages

    common ancestor, called the protolanguage. Linguists theorize that those features that are the same among the protolanguage

    s descendant languages, or those features that differ but can be traced to a common origin, can be considered features of the ancestor language. Nineteenth-century linguistic science made significant progress in reconstructing the Proto-Indo-European language.

    While many details of this reconstruction remain controversial, in general linguists have gained a good conception of Proto-Indo-European

    s phonology, morphology, and vocabulary. However, due to the range of syntactic variation among Proto-Indo-European

    s descendant languages, linguists have found syntactic reconstruction more problematic.

    NIGERIA LANGUAGES

    The number of languages currently estimated and catalogued in Nigeria is 521. This number includes 510 living languages, two second languages without native speakers and 9 extinct languages. In some areas of Nigeria, ethnic groups speak more than one language. The official language of Nigeria, English, the former colonial language, was chosen to facilitate the cultural and linguistic unity of thecountry. Even though most ethnic groups prefer to communicate in their own languages, English, being the official language, is widely used for education, business transactions and for official purposes. Here is a complete list of 528 languages spoken Nigeria, including some that have no native speaker. Ethnologue docum

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    ented 528 languages including the number of speakers, where the language is spoken, and the linguistic classification among other information. You can visit www.ethnologue.com/ to see the information.

    I HAVE A DREAMMartin Luther King, Jr.

    Standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on August 28,1963, Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered what is regarded today as one of the g

    reatest speeches in American history..

    I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. Five score years ago,a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice

    . It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregationand the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on alonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of Americansociety and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we

    ve come here todayto dramatize a shameful condition. In a sense we

    ve come to our nation

    s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing apromissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the

    unalienable Rights

    of

    Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

    It is obvioustoday that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citize

    ns of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked

    insufficient funds.

    But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this

    nation. And so, we

    ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time

    to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time

    to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path ofracial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice areality for all of God

    s children. It would be fatal for the nation to overlookthe urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro

    s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that

    the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights.The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges. But there is something that I must say to

    my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high

    plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to dege

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    nerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And theyhave come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We

    cannot walk alone.And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights,

    When will you be satisfied?

    We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is thevictim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied

    as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging inthe motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfiedas long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes

    he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will notbe satisfied until

    justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

    I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your questquest for freedom left you battere

    d by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faiththat unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alaba

    ma, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go backto the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situ

    ation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I sayto you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today

    and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the Americandream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed:

    We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.

    I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, thesons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation wherethey will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of

    interposition

    and

    nullification

    one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today! I have a dream that one

    day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight;

    and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.

    This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we willbe able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jailtogether, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. And this will be the daythis will be the day when all of God

    s children will beable to sing with new meaning: My country

    tis of thee, sweet land of liberty,of thee I sing.Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim

    s pride, From every mountainside, let freedom ring! And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceo

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    us slopes of California. But not only that: Let freedom ring from Stone Mountainof Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ri

    ng from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring. And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we willbe able to speed up that day when all of God

    s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last! free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

    CORONATION OF ELIZABETH IIThe coronation ceremony of Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was held on June 2, 1953, in Westminster Abbey. Elizabeth II succeeded to the throne after the death of her father, King George VI.Traditionally, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the highest official of the Churchof England, presides over the coronation ceremony. The ceremony is divided intofive parts: the entry, recognition, and royal oath; the consecration of the monarch; the investiture with the royal robes and crown; the enthronement; and, finally, the service of Holy Communion.

    EDITORIAL CREWEJIRO EsiriDAPHNE OmonemuEMUOBOSA OnorioseRHODA Chokor

    STAFF

    Prof. (Mrs) R. AzizaProf. Jeff MokobiahDr. BiakolorDr. E.E OginiDr. Njosi J.Mr. E.U Tonukari (Ph.d in-view)Dr. (Mrs) R. MebiteghanMr. Don Utulu (Ph.d in-view)Mr Emeka Ifieseh (Ph.d in-view)Mrs Obikudo (Ph.d in-view)Mrs M. ObadanMr. Godwin IvworinMrs. E. AllehChief. AkanighaMr. ArierierenMr. Moses DarahMr. Lucky Ejobee

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTORY

    OFFICE NAME LEVEL PHONEPresident PHILIP Ekiugbo 400 07062851103Vice-President MARY Chukwuka 400 08066716748Secretary MAVIS Izomo 300 07063047492Financial Sec. JOSEPH Imeba 300 08066690551Asst. Fin. Sec. CALEB Ivworin 200 08135115831Treasurer BRIDGET Egwuli 300 07039047361Social Director WEALTH Igoru 400 07068494557

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    Asst. Soc. Dir. EMMA Ifaka 300 08030740059Librarian EMUOBOR Kafene 400 08162929884Asst. Lib. ESTHER Obuwoma 300 07034669585PRO MARTHA Akawe 400 07067137799

    BEHOLD, OUR FINALIST

    S/N NAME PHONE BIRTHDAY1 ABADA, Odezi 08060874337 June 212 AJAMAJA, Efe Jenifer 080633191333 AKAWE, Ifeanyi Martha 07067137799 June 214 AKPOTU, Isabella 08062118728 Oct. 265 AKPOVESO, Leroy 080634706216 AKUMABOR, Nneka 08161333138 April 77 ANTHONY Christopher 081370574298 BAGBE, Yetunde 08069095205 Nov. 229 BALOGUN, Wasiu 0806462264610 BOZI, Sophia 08067868609 April 23

    11 CHUKWUKA, Mary 08066716748 Feb. 312 EDU, Oghenetega Pleasure 08067663305 Aug. 1413 EIGBULUESE, Joy 08067283969 Dec. 514 EKIUGBO, Osuowho Philip 07062851103 April 2215 ESIRI, Ejiro Emmanuel 08067532244 Nov. 2016 IGORU, Ebruphiyor Wealth 07068494557 Aug. 2117 IKANONE, Endurance 07038119899 July 1818 ITODI, Abigail July 1819 KAFENE, Zelia Emuobor 08162929884 April 2020 OBAROAKPO, Shirley 07035388442 March 2321 ODOMETA, Onome 0706597852022 OJUMOR, Ogheneyome 07030410933 Nov. 2723 OKOCHA, Philomena 08067589749 March 724 OKOH, Isioma Gift 08067869240 Aug. 625 OMOKRI, Jane 07034722078 July 2326 OMONI, Avwerosuo Evans 07039806823 Sept. 1927 OMOSEVWERHA, Erhi Collins 08135811155 April 1228 OTASOWIE, Osareniye 0803425207529 TONBRAPADE, Preye Clifford 0813717279730 VUEVU, Oghenetega 07063047469 July 25

    WHY SHOULD HE CHOOSE ME

    It is common place knowledge that ladies will generally get worried if guys arenot attracted to them.

    1. KNOWYOUR HEART AND MIND: Take time to develop positive personality traits, to make your mind over on important matters, and to reach some of your goals.

    Guys like it when ladies seems to have the inner conviction that she is a person on her own right; guys like it when you have reached some of your goals as a lady; guys like it when you dont agree with everything they say. i.e. have your own opinion.2. DEVELOP RESPECT FOR OTHERS: Survey shows that 70% of men value respect more than love. Just as you have a need to be loved, the guys have a deep desireto be respected; they think that their opinion matters so much especially to the

    girls they like: To them, the most important thing at the start of a relationship, love might develop later; and that if a girl can show them respect, that girl can definitely love them.3. DRESS MODESTLY/MAINTAIN GOOD HYGIENE: The way you dress is like a loudspeaker that broadcast your inner thoughts and attitudes hence people address youthe way you dress. No guy will be attracted to a girl who is sloppily dressed an

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    Investors, shareholder, backer, sponsor, participant, patron, interested partyWhether a company is high tech or low tech, operating in an age-old industry orone of the newer service or knowledge ones...its success will depend, more thananything else, on the satisfaction of the needs and desires of each unique stakeholder.

    WE GO CALABAR LAST YEAR!!!

    PRESIDENT

    S DESK

    It is with mixed feelings that I put pen to paper to write this thought provoking address. Special thanks to God Almighty, for the privilege to serve in this capacity and for His grace that saw us through in this journey.

    WHAT WE HAD IN MINDOne source of joy in my six opportunities of being a leader, is working with great minds, who, in their constructive criticism, logical reasoning, critical analysis and philosophical reasoning has made us birth wonderful visions. Our 11-man

    team, despite our individual busy schedule (yesbusy schedule), and constraining

    ourselves to the finance at our disposal, birthed the following vision: A welcome party, A 4-days excursion to Abuja for Academic and Social purpose, Productionof a magazine as an incentive, a 3-day LINSA week (day 1 is novelty football ma

    tch, day 2 is a seminar on After DELSU: What Next? and a debate between the guysand girls in 100 level, while day three is a prom) among others. But lo! Our vision was but a day dream. At the edge of bringing it to reality our, the powers that be struck; well, no qualmsyeahno cause for alarm

    HURRAY!!! HOD, NOW PROFThe Governing Council of the University at its 79th Regular meeting held on October 1, 2011 approved the promotion of two associate professors to the rank of aprofessor and four senior lecturers the rank of reader. We say a big congratulation to our amiable HOD for this well-deserved promotion.

    THE STAKEHOLDERS AND THE STAKE THEY HOLDThe Supreme Student Senate placed a suspension on the leadership of the Association for collecting seven hundred naira as dues:

    AFTER DELSU, WHAT NEXT?

    APPRECIATIONSpecial thanks to our HOD, Prof. Jiff Mokobiah for his innovation and good works

    in the department, Our staff adviser, Mr E. Ifieseh- you are a gift to LINSA, My Predecessor, Linguist Okeidesan Ochuko, All lecturers, Non-Academic staff and

    all cheerful LINSALITES, not forgetting those who betrayed us (Excos, Members and non-members- we owe you no grudge, to be frank with you, Ive been praying to God almost on a daily basis not to pay you back in the future when I have the opportunity to do so).

    WHAT I LEARNTMy dad (Capt. A.U. Ekiugbo) made me to appreciate the fact that it will be foolish of me if I dont learn from the mistakes of others and more foolish of me if Idont learn from my own mistakes. It is on this template that I sat down to ponder

    on my experiences to learn some moral lessons, some of which includes: I must be watchful so my enemies do not outwit me, I must test and try all friends to know the once that are trustworthy because some of them are traitors and spy, I must not undermine the powers of my opponent, I must learn to punish all forms ofmisdeeds, etc

    It is common place knowledge that life does not end within the four walls of DELSU emyes, there is life after DELSU.

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    EDITORIAL NOTEPUZZLEHUMOUR

    THE GREEK ALPHABET

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    ) % ass. In a

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