buliaminuodunayo12-eng/Relativization-in-standard-Yoruba-A-government-and-binding-Approach-

Final year project analysing Relativization in standard Yoruba using Government and Binding theory of the principles and parameters # Relativization-in-standard-Yoruba-A-government-and-binding-Approach- This study investigates the phenomenon of relativisation in Standard Yorùbá, focusing on speakers from Oyo State in South-Western Nigeria. Using the Government and Binding (GB) framework within the Principles and Parameters approach, the research provides a comprehensive account of how relative constructions are derived in the language—an area that has received limited scholarly attention. Drawing on X-bar Theory, Theta Theory, and NP-movement (Move-α), the study examines the NP positions accessible to relativisation and the types of relative clauses found in Standard Yorùbá. Data were elicited from adult native speakers (ages 20–50), supplemented by researcher intuition. The analysis reveals that Subject, Direct Object, Indirect Object, Genitive, and Oblique NP positions in simple sentences can all be relativised. Subject relativisation involves movement from Spec-IP to Spec-RelIP, with the extraction site filled by the resumptive pronoun ó. Genitive relativisation similarly involves movement of the possessor, with the pronoun rẹ̀ occupying the extraction site. In contrast, Direct Object, Indirect Object, and Oblique relativisation leave empty extraction sites with no pronominal replacive. The study further shows that Standard Yorùbá restrictive relative clauses function as modifiers, whereas non-restrictive clauses do not modify the antecedent and bear no syntactic relation to their host. Despite the transformational processes involved, assigned theta roles remain unchanged. Overall, the research demonstrates that relativisation in Standard Yorùbá can be systematically analyzed within the GB theoretical model. Keywords: Relativisation, Relative Clauses, NP Movement, Government and Binding Theory, Yorùbá Syntax.