Language Contact in Togo: A Case Study of Connectors and Discourse Markers Borrowed from French into Kabiyɛ

Abstract

Abstract: The current research work seeks to identify the borrowed French connectors and discourse markers in the Kabiyɛ language as well as their original counterparts and their semantic value, and how these borrowings have been integrated into the borrowing language. It is based on functional approach. Analysis of the data collected enabled us to identify eleven (11) connectors and six (06) discourse markers borrowed from French into Kabiyɛ language, with their semantic values. These borrowings have been integrated into the Kabiyɛ language through phonetic adaptation processes, such as vowel change, vowel deletion, vewel denasalization, vowel lengthening, vowel insertion, consonant insertion and consonant change, and morphological modification, namely the transformation of sequences of words into single words. Keywords: Kabiyɛ, borrowings, connectors, discourse markers, integration, French