Sociolinguistic Study of Fulɓe Marriage Rituals

Abstract

This study investigates both language and material rites involved in the entire process of Fulɓe marriage in the study area. The problem is the gradual adaptation of the culture of the dominant environment leading to substitutions of both internal and external culture of the endangered marriage traditions in favour of the dominant culture. Two sampling techniques were used in this study - Stratified and Snowball Purposive sampling techniques. Stratified sampling was used to sample six local government out of the twenty-three local governments in the state. While Snowball purposive sampling was employed to sample the participants from each of the selected local governments. The study has 120 participants as a sample size. Ethnographic research method was employed for the study. Two research questions were asked based on the objectives of the study. An open-ended Structured Questionnaire tagged Fulɓe Marriage Rituals Inventory was used to interview each of the 120 respondents individually. Descriptive data analysis was employed to answer the research questions both quantitatively and qualitatively. The study finds out that Imen giɗi bi wane hokke wance ɗum hautaɓe Kougal (we’re here to seek the hand of your daughter in marriage) emerged as the most favoured linguistic rituals in contracting Kougal Fulɓe and Chede kougal, (money for marriage) and Kolte (cloth) emerged the favoured material rites of Fulɓe marriage in the study area. In view of these findings, the study recommends that there is need for proper and much broader study to document the sociolinguistic rites involved in both endogamous and arranged marriage in Fulɓe tradition; and that money and cloth should not be restricted as the only material marriage rites in the study area considering the plight of less privileged.