Linguistic and Social Aspects of the ʔAʃo (Azmari) Argot in Tigray
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Date
2011-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This research focused on the linguistic features and social aspects of the ʔaʃo argot. The
objectives of this research are to describe the linguistic features of the ʔaʃo argot and the social
aspects of the ʔaʃo argot and its speakers in order to explain why the ʔaʃo people use it as secret
language. To achieve these objectives, the researcher used purposive method sampling to select
the informants. Elicitation, interview and participatory observation method were used to collect
the data. The data have been recorded by using audio-tape recorder and video-camera.
Qualitative as well as quantitative methods are employed to analyze the collected data.
The findings of this research are the following. There is underestimation between the ʔaʃo and
non-ʔaʃo groups. This underestimation is a reason for the ʔaʃo group to be self-designated and to
have secret language or argot. Second, the ʔaʃo argot is derived from Tigrinya and Amharic
words through form, semantic, form and semantic changes, using different semantic aspects and
direct used terms of Tigrinya. In form change, the ʔaʃo argot uses phonological deformations
such as addition, metathesis, reduplication, substitution, deletion, vowel deformation and
degemination as well as free variation and depalatalization of the sounds. In addition, suffixes
and some prefixes of Tigrinya and Amharic, onomatopoeic words and changed terms from
compound verbs to single words have been used in the formation of the argot. The ʔaʃo argot
also uses semantic load, instrumental nouns, paraphrastic descriptions, connotative and
denotative meanings and naming whole and parts in the same word to solve inadequate of
expressions. ʔaʃo argot uses the phonological and syntactic structure as well as morphological
expressions of Tigrinya.
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Keywords
linguistic features, and social aspects of the ʔaʃo argot