




































158 

 

A Comparative Analysis of Perfective Aspect in Nanka and 

Ehugbo Igbo 

Okoli, Chukwunonyelum Esther1 Obinna, Nancy Ngozi2 

Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka1  Akanu Ibiam Federal 

Polytechnic, Unwana2 

es.okoli@unizik.edu.ng1 nancyobinna2016@gmail.com2 

 

Abstract 

This research focuses on a comparative study of perfective aspect in 

Nanka and Ehugbo varieties of the Igbo language. It aims at 

analysing how the perfective aspect marker is realized in the two 

Igbo speaking communities as a case study. This study seeks to 

analyse the similarities and the differences among the different 

varieties, and to find out how closely related they are. The elicitation 

method was adopted using an interview technique as well as 

researchers’ knowledge of their dialects. The method of analysing 

the data was purely descriptive. Twenty sentences written in the 

Standard Igbo were used as a guide by the researchers for data 

collection and were translated by informants in their different 

varieties of the language. The sentences were generated by the 

researchers. Having collected and analysed the data, this research 

study shows the different ways the two selected dialects mark 

perfective aspect using the suffixes ‘-na/ne’ and ‘-wo’ respectively. 

It is observed that perfective marker in both dialects bears a high 

tone. The result shows that the selected speech communities are 

varieties of the Igbo language, although there are little differences. 

We conclude, therefore, that different morphemes can be used to 

mark perfective aspect in Igbo, depending on the speech community. 

Keywords: perfective aspect, comparative study, dialects, 

elicitation method, aspect 

mailto:es.okoli@unizik.edu.ng1
mailto:nancyobinna2016@gmail.com


          Awka Journal of Linguistics and Languages, Special Edition 1,  2022 

 

159 

 

 

1. Introduction 

Nigeria as a heterogeneous nation with large number of cultures is 

made up of many languages of which the Igbo language is one of 

the major languages. The Igbo language comprises of numerous 

dialects and numerous speakers. The dialects of Igbo are so large 

that they cannot be estimated, although some of the dialects are not 

mutually intelligible. The Igbo language is spoken in the South East 

(Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Abịa and Ebonyi) and South South (Delta, 

Rivers) regions of Nigeria. The selected speech communities in 

Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State and 

Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, are drawn from 

Inland West Igbo dialect cluster and Waawa Igbo respectively 

(Ikekeọnwụ, 1987). 

Every language has its grammar, that is, the rules of 

language that its speakers must abide with when using the language. 

Aspect as a grammatical category expresses how an action, event or 

state, denoted by a verb, relates to the flow of time. It refers to the 

way an event is viewed internally and can be classified broadly as 

imperfective or perfective. The perfective aspect is used to describe 

an action as a complete event, while the imperfective aspect views 

an event as the process of unfolding or a repeated or habitual event 

(corresponding to the progressive/continuous aspect and habitual 

aspect). The Igbo language marks perfective aspect with the suffix 

‘-la’ attached to verb roots although the perfective marker varies 

according to the different varieties of the language. 

This paper is divided into four sections. The first section 

introduces the paper, while section two reviews some scholarly 

works on aspect. The third section handles the methodology, 



A Comparative Analysis of Perfective Aspect in Nanka and Ehugbo Igbo – Okoli & 

Obinna 

 

160 

 

presentation and analysis of language data. Section four summarizes 

and concludes the work. 

 

2. Literature Review 

2.1 Aspect 

Aspect is a grammatical category that reflects the perspective from 

which an action/situation is seen. It can be seen as complete, in 

progress, having duration, beginning, ending, or being repeated. 

Comrie (1985) in Onovbiona (2016) defines aspect as the different 

ways of viewing the internal temporal constituency of a situation. 

According to Hornby (2010:72), aspect (grammar) is defined as the 

form of a verb that shows, for example, whether the action happens 

once or repeatedly, is completed or still continuing. He explains that 

aspect expresses action or being (or state) in respect of its inception, 

duration or completion. Eyisi (2004:47) indicates that aspect is the 

form or category of the verb which shows inception, duration, 

continuity or completion. In other words, it is the form of a verb that 

indicates whether an action happened in the past but is still 

continuing or whether it has completely ended. Hence, it involves 

an event that started in the past, continues till the completion of such 

an event. Carter and McCarthy (2006:411) define aspect as the 

writer’s/speaker’s perspective on the time of an event. For Biber et 

al (1999), aspect relates to considerations such as the completion or 

lack of completion of events or states described by a verb. 

The above definitions on aspect are related and they agree 

on the concept that aspect refers to how an event or action is to be 

viewed with respect to time, rather than to its actual location in time. 

In other words, aspect can be used to indicate whether the action is 

going on, has been completed or whether it is continuous and it is 

concerned with the time contained within a situation. 



          Awka Journal of Linguistics and Languages, Special Edition 1,  2022 

 

161 

 

2.1.1 Perfective Aspect 

According to Carter and McCarthy (2006:415), perfective aspect is 

concerned with the speaker’s perspective on the relationship 

between one time frame and an event that takes place in another time 

frame. For Greenbaum (1996) cited in Adrina and Salgado (2019), 

the perfect aspect is primarily used to place the time of one situation 

relative to the time of another situation. Richards (2000:337) defines 

perfective aspect as (in grammar) “is a kind of aspect that indicates 

the relationship between a state or an event. The perfective aspect is 

used to refer to a state or an action which has taken place before the 

time of speaking, as well as to a state or an action (or series of 

actions) occurring in a period of time we imagine as continuing until 

the present or until a certain moment in the past (until now or until 

then), or that has just ended. The events and situations referred to by 

the perfective aspect have some relevance to the time of speaking 

(the present in the case of the present perfective, the past for past 

perfective and the future for the future perfective). In other words, 

the perfective aspect is used to indicate the completeness of an 

action, to see events as a whole. 

Examples: 

1)  I have tidied my room. 

2)  She had just found a solution to the problem. 

The present perfective is formed by have/has + past participle, the 

past perfective is formed by had + past participle as can be seen in 

the examples above, while the future perfective is formed by will 

have + past participle. 

Example: 

3) We will have been together for ten years next month. 

Among the three perfective aspects, the present perfective is 

frequently used and in this research study, the present perfective will 



A Comparative Analysis of Perfective Aspect in Nanka and Ehugbo Igbo – Okoli & 

Obinna 

 

162 

 

be used. It can be used to express the association between actions 

that happened in the past and the present.  

Examples:  

4) Professor Wang has left for Beijing for a conference.  

5) I’ve closed the window.  

 

In example (4) above, has left expresses the action happened in the 

past, and the result is that Professor Wang now is not at the place 

where the utterance was made. It can be shown that present 

perfective is an aspect which is concerned with two time periods, of 

which one refers to sometime in the past, and the other refers to 

present time. 

Aspect is often confused with the closely related concept of 

tense because they both convey information about time. While tense 

relates the time of referent to some other time, commonly the speech 

event, aspect conveys other temporal information, such as duration, 

completion, or frequency, as it relates to the time of action. 

Emenanjo (1978) reveals that in Igbo language, aspect is the 

appropriate grammatical category for referring to the Igbo verbal 

system and not tense. He further states that the verb in the Igbo 

language always has the perfective marker = (V)le/=(V)la in the 

underlying structure and the suffix is always high tone, irrespective 

of the tone class of the verb. For example: 

 

6) Ha ēriele yā.   

‘They have eaten it’ 

 

7)  Chikē azụọla ụlọ ahụ. 

 ‘Chike has bought that house’ 



          Awka Journal of Linguistics and Languages, Special Edition 1,  2022 

 

163 

 

According to Obiamalu (2013), the perfective verb form in Standard 

Igbo has the following morphemic structure: E + CV + A + La. 

Where E = a/e harmonic prefix, CV = verb root,  

A = Open Vowel Suffix (OVS) and La = perfective suffix. Example: 

8)  Ibè à-zụ-ọ-la                 akwà ọhụrụ  

     Ibe AGR-buy-OVS-PF cloth new  

    ‘Ibe has bought a new cloth’ 

Obiamalu (2013) further argues that the open vowel suffix (OVS) in 

Igbo which occurs in a variety of constructions such as imperative, 

perfective, conditional and subjunctive is an empty morpheme since 

it lacks semantic content but serves as a stem extender. His argument 

is based on three pieces of evidence which include that: 

a. The OVS does not occur in perfective constructions where the 

verb root has a CVV syllable structure. Example:  

9) Ọ       bịa-la  

    3SG  come-PF  

  ‘He has come’  

 

b. The OVS does not occur where the verb root is a complex one (a 

verb with more than one root). Example: 

10) Ike e-gbū-dà-la nkwụ ahụ  

    Ike AGR-cut-fall-PF palm tree that  

  ‘Ike has cut down that palm tree’ 

 

c. In some dialects where the perfective is marked by the suffix -go 

and other phonologically related variants: -gwo, -wo, -gwe, the OVS 

does not occur. Examples from Ọnịcha dialect:  

 

11) O     gbū-gō      ekē  

    3SG kill-Perf python  

   ‘S/He has killed a python’  



A Comparative Analysis of Perfective Aspect in Nanka and Ehugbo Igbo – Okoli & 

Obinna 

 

164 

 

 

12) O       gō-gō      ụnọ   n’ Ọnịcha  

     3SG buy-Perf house at Onicha  

     ‘S/He has bought a house at Onicha’  

2.1.2 Perfective Aspect in Igbo 

Perfective aspect indicates completion or termination of an event 

before a reference time. As has been mentioned above that the 

perfective aspect is marked in the Standard Igbo using the suffix ‘-

la’ though there are lots of variations in the varieties of the language, 

it is a verbal suffix that marks the end of a situation which indicates 

the completion of an event. Examples of perfective aspect in the 

Standard Igbo: 

13) Ànyị à-rụcha-a-la                         ọrụ   ahụ. 

 1Pl  Pref-work-finish-OVS-Perf work Det 

‘We have finished the work’ 

 

14) Ha   à-ga-a-la                 ahịā. 

 3Pl  Pref-go-OVS-Perf   market 

‘They have gone to the market’ 

 

15) A-zà-a-la                         m    èzi. 

 Pref sweep-OVS-Perf   1sg  compound 

‘I have swept the compound’ 

 

16) Ndị nkuzi  à-kụ-ọ-la                     ụmụakwụkwọ ahụ        ihe. 

 Teachers   Pref-flog-OVS-Perf     students           Det 

something 

‘The teachers have flogged the students’ 

 



          Awka Journal of Linguistics and Languages, Special Edition 1,  2022 

 

165 

 

17) Onyeisi ụlọ akwụkwọ     à-chụ-ọ-la                   nwaakwụkwọ 

ahụ. 

 Head     school            Pref-expel-OVS-Perf      student            

Det 

‘The headmaster has expelled the student’ 

 

18) Nwokē ahụ   à-lụ-ọ-la                      nwaagbọghọ  ahụ. 

 Man     Det Pref-marry-OVS-Perf     lady              Det 

‘The man has married the lady’ 

 

19) Ànyị è-nye-la                 ha     ego       hā. 

 1Pl    Pref-give-Perf     them money  POSS 

‘We have given them their money’ 

 

20) A hụ-la             m     agadī nwokē  ahụ. 

 Pref see-Perf   1sg     old    man     Det 

‘I have seen the old man’ 

21) Ha   à-kwụ-ọ-la                 ụgwọ akwụkwọ  hā. 

 3Pl   Pref-pay-OVS-Perf   fee     school      POSS 

‘They have paid their school fees’ 

 

22) Ọ    kpọ-ọ-la            nwokē ahụ. 

 3sg call-OVS-Perf   man     Det 

‘S/he has called the man’ 

 

23) Nwaànyị ahụ   à-ga-a-la                ọrụ. 

 Woman   Det Pref-go-OVS-Perf  work 

‘The woman has gone to work’ 

 

24) A-zụta-la          m   ùde. 

 Pref-buy-Perf  1sg cream 



A Comparative Analysis of Perfective Aspect in Nanka and Ehugbo Igbo – Okoli & 

Obinna 

 

166 

 

‘I have bought the cream’ 

 

25) Ha      à-sa-a-la                      àkpà   ha. 

 3Pl   Pref-wash-OVS-Perf    bag   POSS 

‘They have washed their bags’ 

 

26) O    hicha-a-la            oche   ahụ. 

 3sg clean-OVS-Perf   chair  Det 

‘S/he has cleaned the chair’ 

 

27) Ànyị  e-wète-la           akwụkwọ  ahụ. 

 1Pl    Pref-bring-Perf    book        Det 

‘We have brought the book’ 

 

28) Nwokē  ahụ    è-gosi-la            ya           ụlọ     ha. 

 Man      Det  Pref-show-Perf   her/him house POSS 

‘The man has shown her/him their house’ 

 

29) E-si-e-la                       m    àgwà. 

 Pref-cook-OVS-Perf  1sg   beans 

‘I have cooked beans’ 

 

30) Ọ    rịgō-ō-la                n’elu     osisi. 

 3sg climb-OVS-Perf   on top   tree 

‘S/he has climbed the tree’ 

 

31) Nnà     m   à-ga-a-la                      n’ubì.  

            Father 1sg Pref-go-OVS-Perf   Prep farm 

‘My father has gone to the farm’ 

 

32) Òbi   a-mụ-ọ-la                     akwụkwọ   ya. 



          Awka Journal of Linguistics and Languages, Special Edition 1,  2022 

 

167 

 

 Obi  Pref-study-OVS-Perf    book         POSS 

  ‘Obi has studied his book’  

The above examples of perfective constructions show how the 

Standard Igbo marks perfective aspect. In this study, the equivalents 

of the above perfective constructions are obtained from the speech 

varieties of three selected Igbo communities to ascertain the points 

of similarities and differences in perfective marking. 

3. Research Methodology, Data Presentation and Analysis 

This section focuses on the areas where the research work was 

conducted, the method of data collection, the instrument/tool used 

in collecting data, and the data presentation and analysis as was 

introduced earlier in section two. 

3.1 Method of Data Collection 

The research method adopted in this research study is data elicitation 

method. The technique used was interview where the informants 

translated the twenty (20) sentences written in standard Igbo into 

their varieties. After audio recording, the researcher analysed the 

recorded data and identified the markers of perfective aspect in 

Nanka and Ehugbo Igbo. In this research study, one native speaker 

was selected from each speech community to represent the research 

population. The informants who are adept speakers of their dialects 

were carefully chosen because they have spent greater part of their 

lives in their towns and are very familiar with their varieties. Also, 

researchers’ knowledge of their dialects was applied. 

3.1.1 Tone and Tone Marking Convention 

Tone is the use of pitch levels to indicate semantic differences in 

lexical items and pitch patterns of grammatical constructions. Igbo 

as a tone language, has two distinctive basic tones: high and low, as 

well as the tonal phenomenon known as downstep. The tone 

marking convention adopted in this research study is Green and 



A Comparative Analysis of Perfective Aspect in Nanka and Ehugbo Igbo – Okoli & 

Obinna 

 

168 

 

Igwe’s (1963) tone marking system. Here, the high tones are left 

unmarked, while the low tones (ˋ ) and downstep tones (-) are fully 

marked. Example: 

a) isi ‘head’ 

b) ìsì ‘blindness’ 

c) isì ‘smell’ 

d) isī ‘to cook’ 

3.2 Data Presentation and Analysis 

The data collected from the three informants are presented in this 

section using the earlier stated twenty sentences. The method of data 

analysis is purely descriptive. 

3.2.1 Perfective Aspect in the Nanka Variety of Igbo 

Examples: 

 33) Àyị    à-rụ-cha-a-na                       ọrụ   ụhụ. 

 1Pl  Pref-work-finish-OVS-Perf  work Det 

 ‘We have finished the work’ 

 34) Phe è-jewe-ne               aphịā 

 3Pl  Pref-go-Perf           market 

 ‘They have gone to the market’ 

 35) A-zà-a-na                       m    mbala. 

 Pref sweep-OVS-Perf   1sg  compound 

 ‘I have swept the compound’ 

36) Ndị nkuzi    à-pịa-na             ụmụ akwụkwọ     ọhụ iphe. 

 Teachers   Pref-flog-Perf          students           Det something 

 ‘The teachers have flogged the students’ 

37) Onyeishi ụnọ akwụkwọ      à-chụ-ọ-na                  nwa 

akwụkwọ  ọhụ 

Head         school            Pref-expel-OVS-Perf       student            

Det 

 ‘The headmaster has expelled the student’ 

38) Nwokē èhu    à-nụ-ọ-na                    nwaàgbọhọ   ọhụ. 



          Awka Journal of Linguistics and Languages, Special Edition 1,  2022 

 

169 

 

 Man     Det   Pref-marry-OVS-Perf     lady            Det 

 ‘The man has married the lady’ 

39) Àyị     è-nye-ne             phe   ego       phe. 

 1Pl    Pref-give-Perf     them money  POSS 

 ‘We have given them their money’ 

40) A-phụ-na          m   agadī nwokē èhu. 

 Pref see-Perf   1sg   old    man     Det 

 ‘I have seen the old man’ 

41) Pha     à-kwụ-ọ-na             ụgwọ akwụkwọ  pha. 

 3Pl   Pref-pay-OVS-Perf    fee     school      POSS 

 ‘They have paid their school fees’ 

42) Ọ    kpọ-ọ-na           nwokē  èhu. 

 3sg call-OVS-Perf    man     Det 

 ‘S/he has called the man’ 

43) Nwaànyị   ịhụ      è-je-e-ne                 ọrụ. 

 Woman    Det   Pref-go-OVS-Perf   work 

 ‘The woman has gone to work’ 

44) E-gōte-ne         m   ùde. 

 Pref-buy-Perf  1sg cream 

 ‘I have bought the cream’ 

45) Pha   à-sa-a-na                     àkpà   pha. 

 3Pl   Pref-wash-OVS-Perf   bag   POSS 

 ‘They have washed their bags’ 

46) O    phīcha-a-na        oche èhụ. 

 3sg clean-OVS-Perf chair Det 

 ‘S/he has cleaned the chair’ 

 

47) Àyị   e-wè-te-ne         akwụkwọ ọhụ. 

 1Pl    Pref-bring-Perf  book        Det 

 ‘We have brought the book’ 

48) Nwokē èhu   è-goshi-ne           yē         ụnọ    pha. 



A Comparative Analysis of Perfective Aspect in Nanka and Ehugbo Igbo – Okoli & 

Obinna 

 

170 

 

 Man     Det Pref-show-Perf   her/him house POSS 

 ‘The man has shown him/her their house’ 

49) E-shi-e-ne                   m    àgwà. 

 Pref-cook-OVS-Perf  1sg  beans 

 ‘I have cooked beans’ 

50) O       ri-gbe-e-ne           n’enu oshishi. 

 3sg climb-OVS-Perf     on top tree 

 ‘S/he has climbed the tree’ 

51) Nnà     m   è-je-e-ne                  n’     ubì. 

 Father 1sg Pref-go-OVS-Perf   Prep farm 

 ‘My father has gone to the farm’ 

52) Òbi a-mụ-ọ-na                    akwụkwọ yā. 

 Obi Pref-study-OVS-Perf   book         POSS 

 ‘Obi has studied his book’ 

From the above data, it is observed that the perfective aspect is 

marked using the suffix ‘-na/-ne’. In the vowel system of the Igbo 

language, there are two sets of vowels which can be described in 

terms of advanced tongue root. They include: +ATR (e, i, u, o) and 

–ATR (a, ị, ụ, ọ). For the + ATR vowels, the tongue root is advanced 

for the articulation of the affected vowels, while the –ATR vowels 

involve the retraction of the tongue root in their articulation. Vowels 

within a given word harmonize with respect to the feature, 

Advanced Tongue Root. It is also observed that if the vowels in the 

verb roots belong to the +ATR group, the perfective marker ‘-ne’ 

will be suffixed whereas when the vowels belong to the –ATR 

group, the perfective marker ‘-na’ will be attached to the verb root. 

The perfective markers ‘-na’/‘-ne’ express that the event has 

happened in the past. For example, in number ‘52’above, it means 

that ‘Obi’ is not studying his book at the time the speech was made. 

Also from the data, it is observed that the open vowel suffix does 

not occur where the verb root of the perfective constructions has a 



          Awka Journal of Linguistics and Languages, Special Edition 1,  2022 

 

171 

 

CVV syllable structure (as in number 36) and where there is 

complex verb root (as in numbers 34, 39, 47 and 48), following 

Obiamalu’s (2013) argument. There are some unconditional 

exceptions in the use of OVS in Nanka dialect of the Igbo language. 

For instance, there is absence of OVS in ‘39’ and ‘40’ which have 

neither a complex verb root nor CVV syllable structure. The tone of 

the perfective marker (na/ne) suffixed to the verb root does not 

change the tone of the main verb.  

 

3.2.2 Perfective Aspect in the Ehugbo Variety of Igbo 

53)  Ayị     a-rụdu-wo        yaa   ọrụ    m̀ 

      1Pl    pref-work-perf   Det work Det 

‘We have finished the work’ 

 

54) Wo  e-jege-wo        ahịà 

3PL pref- go- Perf market 

‘They have gone to the market’ 

 

55) A zà-wo               m̀   ọgbọdọ ezi 

Pref-sweep-perf  Isg  compound 

‘I have swept the compound’ 

 

56) Nde nkuzi       e-ti-wo            ụmụrụma ụlọekwụkwọ m      ihe 

Det  Teachers pref-flog-perf         students                 Det 

something 

‘The teachers have flogged the students’ 

 

57) Onyeisi ụlọekwụkwọ à-chụlaga-wo   nwatakịrị  ụlọekwụkwọ  

m 

Head     school           pref-expel-pref  child         school           

Det 



A Comparative Analysis of Perfective Aspect in Nanka and Ehugbo Igbo – Okoli & 

Obinna 

 

172 

 

‘The head teacher has expelled the student’ 

 

58) Nwoke ̄ m ̀         a-lụ-wo             nwaàgbọọgọ   m 

Man     Det  pref-marry-perf         lady           Det 

‘The man has married the lady’ 

 

59) Ayị a-nio-wo           wo           ego      wo 

1Pl pref-give-perf 3PL:OBJ  money POSS 

‘We have given them their money’ 

 

60) A-hụ-wo        m   ezenze nwoke  m 

Pref-see-perf 1sg old       man     Det 

‘I have seen the old man’ 

 

61) Wo  a-kwụ-wo       okpogo ụlọekwụkwọ    wo 

3PL pref-pay-perf    fee        school            POSS 

‘They have paid their school fees’ 

 

62) O     ku-wo     nwokè  m 

3sg  call-perf  man    Det 

‘He /She has called the man’ 

 

63) Nwaanyị   m    e-jege-wo     ọrụ 

Woman   Det  pref-go-perf  work 

‘That woman has gone to work’ 

 

64) A-zụta-wo         m   manụ    isì 

Pref-buy-perf   1sg   oil      head 

‘I have bought cream’ 

 

65) Wo   a-sụ-wo            ekpà  wo  



          Awka Journal of Linguistics and Languages, Special Edition 1,  2022 

 

173 

 

3PL pref-wash-perf  bag   POSS 

‘They have washed their bags’ 

 

66) O     husi-o (o husiwo) yaa oche   m 

2sg  clean-perf             Det chair Det 

‘He/She has cleaned the chair’ 

 

67) Ayị   e-wete-wo        yaa ekwụkwọ   m 

1pl  pref-bring-perf   ?      book        Det 

‘We have bought the book’ 

 

68) Nwoke   m      e-gosio-wo         ụlọ      wo 

Man      Det   pref-show-perf  house   POSS 

‘The man has shown him/her their house’ 

 

69) E-wu-wo            m   àgwà 

Pref-cook-perf  1sg  beans 

‘I have cooked beans’ 

 

70) O    nyikooru-wo     n’   elu osisi  

3sg  climb-perf       on   top tree 

‘He/She has climbed a tree’ 

 

71) Nnà       m   e-jego-wo      n’    ubi 

Father  1sg  pref-go-perf  prep farm 

‘My father has gone to farm’ 

 

72) Obi  a-mụ-wo             ekwụkwọ    a 

Obi pref-study-perf    book         POSS 

‘Obi has studied his book’ 

 



A Comparative Analysis of Perfective Aspect in Nanka and Ehugbo Igbo – Okoli & 

Obinna 

 

174 

 

It is observed that the perfective aspect in the Ehugbo dialect of the 

Igbo language is marked using the suffix ‘-wo’. When the perfective 

marker ‘-wo’ is used in a rapid speech, ‘w’ is deleted as in number 

66. “Wo” can also be used as a pronoun (3rd person plural pronoun 

or a possessive pronoun) as in numbers: 54, 61 and 65. It is observed 

that there is absence of Open Vowel Suffix (OVS) in Ehugbo dialect 

of the Igbo language in line with Obiamalu’s (2013:109) view that 

OVS does not occur in the varieties of Igbo that mark the perfective 

aspect by the suffix -go and other phonologically related variants: -

gwo, -wo, -gwe. From the above data, it is also observed that ‘m’ can 

also serve as a determiner (53, 56, 57 58) as well as a pronoun (55, 

60, 64, 69, 71). 

3.2.3 The Comparative Analysis of the Three Varieties of Igbo 

The two collected data will be compared using the following 

research questions. 

3.2.3.1 Research question 1 

How does perfective aspect marked in Nanka and Ehugbo varieties 

of the Igbo language? 

The table below shows how perfective aspect is marked in Orumba 

North Local Government Area with regard to the three selected 

towns. 

Table 1: Perfective markers 

The two selected dialects Perfective markers 

Nanka speech community ‘-na/-ne’ 

Ehugbo speech community ‘-wo’ 

The above table shows that Nanka speech community uses the 

suffixes ‘-na/ne’ to mark perfective aspect while Ehugbo makes use 

of the suffix ‘-wo’. 

 



          Awka Journal of Linguistics and Languages, Special Edition 1,  2022 

 

175 

 

3.2.3.2 Research question 2 

What are the similarities in the two selected varieties? 

From the data above, it is observed that the markers of perfective 

aspect from the two selected speech communities express the same 

meaning, and it can also be used to show completed action. 

Like in the standard Igbo language, it is observed that the 

perfective aspect is marked in the two speech communities by 

suffixation. The suffixes which are attached to the verb roots 

comprise of the consonants: “n and w” and the vowels: “a, e and o”. 

In other words, the perfective markers in the above varieties of the 

Igbo language are semantically the same. 

Another similarity observed in the above data is that the 

perfective markers (na/ne and wo) from the two selected varieties 

have high tones irrespective of the tonal classes of the verbs and the 

tones of the perfective markers suffixed to the verb root do not 

change the tone of the main verb.  

 

3.2.3.3 Research question 3 

What are the differences in the two selected speech communities? 

The difference between the varieties of the Igbo language is that the 

“–na/-ne” suffix that marks perfective aspect in Nanka variety is 

realised as “–wo” in Ehugbo variety. 

 

4. Summary and Conclusion 

This research study focuses on the comparative study of perfective 

aspect in Nanka and Ehugbo speech communities. In other words, 

this research aims at identifying the markers of perfective aspect in 

the two selected varieties of the Igbo language. This study also 

reviews some scholarly works that have been done on aspect and its 

types. From the data analysis, it is observed that Nanka variety uses 

either of the suffixes “-na” or “-ne” to mark perfective aspect, while 



A Comparative Analysis of Perfective Aspect in Nanka and Ehugbo Igbo – Okoli & 

Obinna 

 

176 

 

Ehugbo variety marks perfective aspect using the suffix “-wo”. It is 

also observed that “-wo” is a third personal pronoun in the Ehugbo 

dialect. It was also found out that the ‘w’ in ‘-wo” can be elided or 

assimilated into ‘o’ when used in a rapid speech as in the case of 

example 66 and other instances. Finally, we conclude that the two 

dialects used in this study are varieties of the Igbo language and the 

perfective aspect in the above dialects is marked by suffixation. This 

study will contribute to the study of perfective aspect in Igbo and 

serves as a base for further research on the perfective aspect. 

 

References 

Adrina L. and Salgado, M. 2019. Aspect in the English language: a  

comparative analysis of  form and meaning in 

traditional descriptive grammars. 

http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1678-460X2019350401.  

Biber, D. 1999. Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English.  

Harlow: Pearson  Education. 

Carter, R. and McCarthy, M. 2006. Cambridge Grammar of  

English: a comprehensive guide.  Cambridge: 

Cambridge University Press. 

Emenanjo, E.N. 1978. Element of Modern Igbo Grammar. Ibadan:  

Oxford University Press. 

Eyisi, J. 2004. A Grammar of English: the Student Companion.  

Awka, Anambra: Anthony  publishers. 

Green, M. M. and Igwe, G. E. 1963. A Descriptive Grammar of  

Igbo. Berlin: Akademie- Verlage. 

Hornby, A. S. 2010. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 8th  

edition. New York: Oxford  University Press. 

Ikekeọnwụ, C. I. 1987. Igbo dialect cluster: A classification. A paper  

presented at the  Department of Linguistics and 

Nigerian Languages, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. 

http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1678-460X2019350401


          Awka Journal of Linguistics and Languages, Special Edition 1,  2022 

 

177 

 

 

Onovbiona, I. B. 2016. Tense and Aspect in Urhobo: A Descriptive  

Analysis. Unpublished  M.A Thesis University of 

Benin 

Obiamalu, G. O. 2013. Aspects of the Mophosyntax of Igbo  

Functional Categories: A  Minimalist Approach. PhD 

Dissertation. 

Hornby, A. S. 2010. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 8th  

edition. New York: Oxford  University Press. 

Richards, J.C. et al. 2000. Longman Dictionary of Language  

Teaching and Applied  Linguistics (trans by Guan 

Yanhong). Beijing Foreign Language Teaching and 

Research Press.  

 

List of Abbreviations 

Pref: Prefix 

OVS: Open Vowel Suffix 

Perf: Perfective aspect 

Poss: Possession 

Prep: Preposition 

3sg: Third Person Singular 

1pl: First Person Plural 

3pl: Third Person Plural 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

  


