A Study of the Igbo Noun-Noun Compound: A Conceptual Blending Approach
Benjamin I. Mmadike, Davidson U Mbagwu, Cecilia A. Eme · 2018
Studies on noun+noun (N+N) compounds in Igbo have largely relied on the processes of concatenation as a means of accounting for the creation of noun compounds. The present study adopts a different approach which is based on the theory of conceptual integration (blending) network to account for the derivation of N+N compounds in Igbo. This involves the recruitment of conceptual structures provided by the input spaces. These structures or elements are selectively projected into a blended space where they are integrated to form an emergent structure realized as a noun compound. The study has been able to show that a noun compound is formed in the blended space through the integration of selectively projected concepts drawn from the input spaces, rather than by mere juxtaposition of two nouns. This study confirms that N+N compounds in the Igbo language could better be analyzed using the conceptual blending theory.