MST-Department of English & Linguistics
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Item A Sociolinguistic Account of Lexical Items used in the Fashion and Design Industry among Nairobians(Kenyatta University, 2023-11) Wangari, Kariuki Tabitha; Hilda U. KebeyaAbstractItem Dynamism of The Almoo Sub-Dialect Euphemistic Words(Kenyatta University, 2023-11) JEMUTAL, CHEPTILE EMMA; Kebeya, HildaAbstractItem Dynamism of the Almoo Sub-Dialect Euphemistic words(Kenyatta University, 2023-11) Jemutai, Cheptile Emma; Hilda KebeyaItem Logico-Semantic Relations of Clause Expansion In Lutsotso(Kenyatta University, 2023-11) Shiyukah, Andayi Amukasa Caroline; Ndalenga Henry SimiyuAbstractItem Assessing Students' Linguistics Error in Job Application Letters: A Case of Selected Secondary Schools in Nyeri County, Kenya(Kenyatta University, 2023-11) Miriti, Joseph Mutugi; Purity M. NthigaItem Aspects of the Tone Patterns of the Noun Phrase in the Kikamba Language: an Optimality Approach(Kenyatta University, 2023-10) Mutua, Everlyn Mbinya; Gerry AyiekoItem Aspects of the tone patterns of the noun phrase in the Kikamba language: an optimality approach(Kenyatta university, 2023-10) Mutua, Everlyn Mbinya; Gerry AyiekoThis study was aimed at studying the aspects of the tone patterns of the Kikamba noun phrases using the Optimality Theory. The study attempted to establish the tone processes and patterns in the Kikamba Noun phrases especially the Machakos dialect. Kikamba MDK, just like any other language has dialectical variations and therefore our study focused on Machakos variety. This study also aimed at establishing the functions of the tone processes are in the Kikamba language especially the MDK noun phrase. It further attempted to establish some of the Optimality Theory constraints that govern the tone processes in the MDK noun phrase. The study also tried to analyze the tone processes and present them in tableau using the constraints of Optimality Theory. The motivation of the study stems from the presumption that Optimality Theory is a universal theory that can account for the analysis of tone in any language. The study targeted residents of Mumbuni location, Machakos County. Systemic convenient sampling method was used to select 10 residents from the target population, from which 5 male respondents, 5 female respondents was selected randomly. Tape recorded interview schedules were used to collect data from the selected respondents. Qualitative data analysis technique was used to analyze the data. The study outcome was presented by using textual description, figures and tables. The study revealed that there were different tone processes that occur in the MDK NPs. The different functions of tone in the MDK nouns were also discussed and the various tone processes were evaluated and ranked using OT approach.Item Language Use in “Ngasya” Speech Event in the Akamba Community(Kenyatta University, 2023) Mutunga, Ngina Carolyne; Emily A. OgutuThis study aimed at investigating language use in Ngasya Speech Event in Kibwezi East, Mbooni East and Makueni sub-counties of Makueni County. It is a cultural event in the Kamba community done by a man’s family in honour of a married woman in her maternal home for the purpose of appreciating the woman’s family for gifting the man’s family with a wife. The study focused on uniqueness of selected lexical items and sentence structures collected from speeches, songs and conversations, as data occurring during the Ngasya Speech Event. A sample of two Ngasya Speech Event from each study area was selected and an analysis done on their language use in these events. Data for the study was obtained through tape recordings, observations and the use of questionnaires. The tape recorded spontaneous spoken language was transcribed and the extracts of the transcribed text studied. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to six (6) Ngasya Speech Event participants. The questionnaire was to complement the data collected through the observation method in which selected lexical items and sentence structures were used differently in Ngasya Speech Event compared to other speech events like weddings and funerals. The data collected was correlated with the social variables of age, sex, rural-urban dichotomy in the six Ngasya Speech Events, two at Kibwezi, two at Kathonzweni and two at Makueni sub counties within Makueni County as shown in the study detailed in this document. The findings from these analyses were used to explain language use in Ngasya Speech Event. Through the data, it was necessary to explain the rhetorical structure of Ngasya Speech Event, to describe its typical lexical features and to establish how the Linguistic Relativity theory and Communicative Competence theory account for language use in the discourse in this kind of event. The data was analyzed through both qualitative and quantitative approaches and presented in form of percentages and tables in line with the objectives of this study. Findings indicated Ngasya Speech Event is characterized by a rhetorical structure made up of events and activities that occur in predictable stages. Further, there are typical lexical items that are used during the Ngasya Speech Event. These have been grouped according to the various place where these lexical items and sentence structures have been used. These lexical items present in Ngasya Speech Event are selected and rhetorically arranged for the purpose of delivery in either a song or a speech. Arising from the outcome of this study, we suggest that further research be carried out in other events in the Kamba community like beer parties, weddings and funeral ceremonies to investigate how language is used with communicative competence. The study found out that there is a clear rhetorical restructure of Ngasya Speech Event which can be established rhetorically. It was further found out that there are typical lexical features of Ngasya Speech Event which are different in different Kamba contexts. It was also found out that the theory of linguistic relativity accounts for language use and message conveyed in Ngasya Speech Event. Participants of Ngasya Speech Event were found to use words according to the different contexts and their environment in line with Communicative Competence Theory. Finally, the study recommends that this study be integrated in the Kenyan Competence Based Curriculum as it provide some data that may be used for material preparation and design for the implementation of the Competence Based Curriculum in Primary schools.Item The Role of Church of Scotland Mission in the Establishment of Formal Education at Tumutumu Mission Centre, Nyeri County, Kenya: 1908 - 1963(Kenyatta University, 2022) Muthoni, Kabiru Margaret; Daniel Sifuna; Francis Likoye MalenyaBefore the advent of colonialism, Kenyan communities had their systems of education. The African indigenous knowledge was essential in preserving and transmitting culture from one generation to another. In the last quarter of the nineteenth century, Christian missionaries came to the Kenyan coast to convert Africans to Christianity. Christian missionaries laid the foundation of modern education in Kenya to encourage the spread of Christianity. The Christian roots of education in Kenya have never been in doubt. The presence of missionaries in Kenya and Africa had been anchored in the gospel’s spread. This study sought to investigate the role of the CSM in establishing formal education in Tumutumu Mission Center, Nyeri County, Kenya, between 1908 and 1963. Specifically, the study sought to document the missionary activities of the CSM in Kenya between 1908 and 1963. Additionally, the study sought to determine how the establishment of schools by the CSM influenced the educational aspirations of the local community in Tumutumu Mission Center between 1908 and 1963. This study also sought to examine the influence of African teachers and evangelists on the development of formal education in Tumutumu Mission Centre, Nyeri county, between 1908 and 1963. Besides, the study sought to document the challenges the Church of the Scotland Mission (CSM) faced in the contribution to formal education in Tumutumu Mission Centre, Nyeri county, between 1908 and 1963. Using the status inverse, modernization, and cultural lag theories, this study was conducted in Tumutumu Mission Centre in present-day Nyeri County and adopted the historical research method. The target population for this study were members of the local community in Tumutumu. Both primary and secondary data were collected. Interview guides were utilized to collect primary data. Secondary data sources comprised archived documents at the PCEA Saint Andrew’s Church in Nairobi, books, meeting minutes, annual government education and inspection reports, and communication between the CSM in Kikuyu and Tumutumu. A purposive sampling method was used to identify informants. In addition, qualitative content analysis was used to analyse data in line with the research questions. The findings of the study revealed that the CSM contributed immensely to the development of formal education in Tumutumu. Their main activities comprised teaching the locals how to read and write, imparting technical skills such as masonry and carpentry, providing health care services, and ultimately spreading Christianity. The study also found out that the work of the CSM was instrumental to the people of Tumutumu and encouraged many locals to join the schools. The study also found that the CSM African teachers and evangelists played a significant role in furthering the mission agenda of spreading Christianity through education. Nonetheless, the work of the CSM was faced with numerous challenges, which included: initial resistance by the locals, Second World War II, inadequate qualified personnel, delayed and scarce funding, and pressure from the commissioning organizations. The study recommends that the government of Kenya continue partnering with the churches.Item Politeness Techniques in Gîkũyũ: The Case of Chiefs’ Courts in Gatanga Sub-County, Murang’a County(Kenyatta University, 2022) Kamau, Chege Peter; Purity M. NthigaPoliteness refers to the behaviour that is mindful of other individuals' face wants. It is used by people to reduce conflicts in their interactions. It also allows them to interact in a manner that does not threaten their faces and those of fellow interlocutors. The present study is in the universal field of pragmatics. This study sought to find out the politeness techniques employed in chiefs’ courts in Gatanga Sub-County, to establish how gender and social distance influenced the choice of politeness techniques in chiefs’ courts and how the various politeness techniques helped in conflict resolution in those courts. The motivation for the study was the centrality of polite language use in conflict resolution in chiefs’ courts. It was against this context that the present study was timely. The study used descriptive research design, which was ideal because it would help to establish the politeness techniques employed in chiefs’ courts during conflict resolution. The location of the study was Gatanga sub-county, Murang’a County. The choice was ideal because most of the inhabitants are Gîkũyũ speakers, who value and use politeness. The target population comprised of adult male and female Gîkũyũ speakers involved in conflict resolution in chiefs’ courts. Purposive sampling was used to obtain the sample. Purposive testing is a non-likelihood test that is chosen in view of qualities of a populace and the objective of the study. Data containing utterances with various politeness techniques was collected using video recording and observation. The study was guided by Brown and Levinson’s (1987) politeness theory. The study established that four politeness techniques namely positive politeness techniques, negative politeness techniques, off-record and bald-on record techniques were used by chiefs and disputants in resolving conflicts. It was also established that gender and social distance influenced the choice of politeness techniques employed and that the four politeness techniques employed in chiefs’ courts contributed to conflict resolution in the selected courts. The study recommended that disputants embrace the use of politeness in resolving their conflicts and that males make more effort in using polite language in conflict resolution. It was therefore anticipated that the results of the proposed study may help to encourage the use of chiefs’ courts by the public in resolving their disputesItem Use of Cohesive Devices in Speech by Students of Ichuni Girls and Moi Gesusu Boys in Kisii County(Kenyatta University, 2022) Michael, Gisesa James; Eunice A. Nyamasyo; Purity M. NthigaThis study presents an analysis of the use of cohesive devices in English speeches delivered by Form Four Students in select Extra-County Secondary Schools in Kenya. The objectives of the study were to identify and discuss indicators of cohesion and attainment of objectives of English teaching in Secondary School. This study adopted the Halliday and Hassan (1976) Model of Cohesion which was considered appropriate since it elaborately categorizes cohesive devices making it easy to identify and analyze them in texts. The Halliday and Hassan (1976) Model of Cohesion was used to identify indicators of cohesion (cohesive devices), analyzing their frequency and effect in the speeches in order to evaluate competency of the learners and suitability of English language curriculum and applied pedagogy in the classroom. A descriptive research design was applied to investigate use of cohesive devices by the learners in their speeches as supported by (Kombo and Tromp, 2006) who posit that the method can be applied in the study of selected issues, cases or events in depth and detail. A total of ten speeches were analyzed for this study. The sample population was arrived at through purposive sampling. The data was collected through content analysis of recorded English speeches. The collected data was analyzed using a descriptive research design. A summary of major findings indicated that the learners employed various categories of cohesive devices in their speeches in varying frequencies with a notable observation being that ellipsis and substitution were the least employed of all the categories. It is recommended that the findings be applied by teachers of English in Kenya Secondary Schools in teaching cohesion in spoken text and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development in designing a language curriculum that brings out the most effective mastery of various language skills. The findings can also be applied in classroom practice for control of cohesive texts and development.Item Analysis of Lexical Borrowing as a Euphemistic Strategy for Sex-Related Topics in Selected Kipsigis Songs(Kenyatta University, 2022) Bartilol J, Jackqleline; Joyce WangiaThe study dealt with Kipsigis songs incorporating borrowed linguistic items from English and Kiswahili as the donor languages and using them metaphorically to euphemize sex-related topics. The objectives of this study include identifying and describing borrowed words used in euphemizing sensitive topics; accounting for their extended meanings based on Relevance Theory; establishing Kipsigis speaker’s attitudes towards borrowed words and accounting for these borrowed words as a politeness strategy using Politeness Theory (PT). The current study was triggered by little literature on the use of borrowed words as sex euphemisms by Kenyan indigenous languages such as Kipsigis. RT was chosen because of the concepts of context, relevance-theoretic comprehension procedure and ad hoc concept of broadening which helped in explaining meaning extension of borrowed words used figuratively to mask sex-related topics. PT was used in the current study due to the aspect of Face Saving Act (FSA) that dealt with sex euphemisms as a politeness strategy. Qualitative-descriptive design and quantitative design were used in data analysis. Purposive sampling was used to select the eight Kipsigis sex-related songs and the 20 Kipsigis native speakers aged 25-35 from Siongiroi ward so as provide the required data for analysis. Interviewing through questionnaire and non participant observation were used as tools for collecting data. The 8 songs were downloaded from the internet through Google search and saved in memory cards and flash discs then transcribed and translated to English for analysis. A total of 28 English and Kiswahili loanwords used in reference to sex-related topics were identified, categorized to sex categories and their morphological and phonological structures was given. In addition the study found out that ad hoc concept, lexical broadening and context in RT play a key role in the interpretation of extended meanings of loanwords used metaphorically as sex-related euphemisms. It was observed that Kipsigis respondents have a positive attitude towards the use of loanwords from English and Kiswahili in euphemising sensitive topics. Also the findings of the study revealed that the artists in the selected Kipsigis songs resorted to lexical borrowing as a politeness strategy serving a euphemistic function and this was fully accounted for by PT. Finally, a general summary of the study’s findings, conclusion and recommendations for further research was given.Item Textual Graffiti Arts as a Method of Communication in Public Service Vehicles in Buruburu, Nairobi County(Kenyatta University, 2022) Mbolonzi Jeniffer Nduku; Emily A. OgutuThe use of graffiti in public service vehicles in Kenya has been evolving. Though the practice has existed for many years, it has recently been hyped in the advent of the millennial generation. Various studies discussed in this research paper have shown that graffiti in public service vehicles have majorly targeted the youth. However, the studies further show that people of different socio-demographics use public service vehicles; hence the way they receive graffiti messages is different. It is therefore, essential to examine textual graffiti art as a method of communication. The general objective of this study was to explore the textual graffiti arts as a method of communication in public service vehicles in Buruburu, Nairobi County. Specifically, the study sought to determine the various discourse, in the different graffiti messages in Buruburu, Nairobi County, to evaluate inter-textuality in graffiti texts in public service vehicles in Buruburu, Nairobi County, to examine the forms (language and language variation) used in discourse domains in public service vehicles in Buruburu, Nairobi County and to analyze the socio-demographic differences in interpretation of textual graffiti among public service vehicles in Buruburu, Nairobi County. A descriptive research approach was used in this study, which included both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. This study‘s target population comprised of matatu crew, graffiti artists, and passengers of matatu route numbers 58 and 23. A total of 87 respondents (21 matatu crew, 6 graffiti artist and 60 passengers) were involved. This study used purposive sampling to select 21 matatus and matatu crew. On the other hand, 60 passengers were selected, representing 10% of the target group and 7 graffiti artists. Data from observations and interviews were directly keyed in to a computer and evaluated using a statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS), analytic software. A contingency table of facts and recurrence rate was done, and then the statistics were presented using tables, percentages, and graphs. The study concluded that almost all the matatus in the Buruburu route have textual graffiti on them. In addition, the study findings revealed that the Matatu crew prefers Matatus with textual graffiti since they have more demand than the ones without textual graffiti. In addition, the Matatu crew showed that Matatus with textual graffiti make more money as compared to those without. In addition, the study concludes that the majority of the passengers frequently read the textual graffiti in the matatus that they board. Further, the study concluded that the most commonly used languages include English, Kiswahili, sheng, and vernaculars. However, English is the most favoured of the three languages. It is associated with a prestigious status compared to Swahili and Sheng, but this only happens in places associated with such situations. The study also concluded that the passengers are okay with graffiti being used in public places. From the findings, this study, therefore, recommends that the matatu owners in Buruburu route should ensure better graffiti in their matatus since they have a more substantial influence as far as boarding a matatu is concerned. In addition, the SACCO members should consider up-taking textual graffiti in their Matatus. Further, the Graffiti artists should ensure the message also use textual graffiti that is meaningful and of essence to the passengers. Graffiti artists should also be employed in public vehicles to pass important information to the target populationItem Use of Time and Paralanguage in Work Place Interaction: A Case of Narok Teachers’ Training College(Kenyatta University, 2022) Okemba, Lore Catherine; Purity Nthiga; James NjiriThe importance of nonverbal communication cannot be underestimated. A significant part of human communication does not rely on words, but nonverbal signs such as time, tone of voice, body movements and touch among others. Nonverbal communication is a powerful part of all social and professional discourse. The objectives of the study were to establish the awareness at Narok Teachers’ Training College that time and paralanguage are nonverbal cues, ascertain gender and age differences in nonverbal behaviour, and determine how nonverbal cues enhance communicative competence in work place interaction. The researcher uses The Semiotics Theory which is the study of signs in relation to their mode of transmission, as well as the Tubbs Model of Communication which stipulates that communication is a non-static process of a sender/receiver attempting to stimulate meaning in the mind of another. The study was carried out in Narok Teachers’ Training College in Lower Melili location, Narok County. Respondents were purposively sampled while data collection was carried out using questionnaires augmented with participant observation. The data was analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. In as much as absolute mastery of the use of time and paralanguage is not an absolute guarantee, improved consciousness in what one intends to communicate using these non-verbal cues is important in the workplace. The research outcomes were consolidated through coding, tabulation and use of frequency histograms. Further clarification of data was made in narrative form. Some of the findings showed that, professional competence is not marked by being loud. In addition, both male and female gender can be authoritative without necessarily being loud, since loudness is not a sign of dominance or self-confidence, but could actually be a face-saving effect for aggression and insecurity. On the other hand, use and perception of time revealed that belated or real-time responses were majorly based relationships rather than the tasks to be performed.Item A Pragmatic Analysis of the Language of Romance Used by Kipsigis Youth in Bomet Sub-County(Kenyatta University, 2022) Chirchir, Chelangat Faith; Gatitu KiguruThis study is a pragmatic analysis of the language of romance among the Kipsigis youth. The study is based on the observation by the researcher that Kipsigis youth tend to be indirect when communicating at the courtship stage. This study, therefore, sought to, first, identify the forms of indirect speech acts evident in the language of romance among the Kipsigis youth. Second, analyze semantic shifts involved in the indirect speech acts in the language of romance among the Kipsigis youth and third, account for the indirect speech acts in the language of romance using the Cooperative Principle. The study was guided by the Lexical Pragmatic Theory and the Cooperative Principle. A descriptive research design was adopted. Purposive sampling was used to arrive at the respondents to participate in the study. Focused group discussions were used to elicit data. The discussions were audio recorded coupled with note taking. The data was then transcribed, and, thereafter, presented in tables and the emerging patterns were discussed thematically. This study reports that first, the language of romance as used by the Kipsigis youth uses indirect speech acts such as metaphors, euphemisms, proverbs and hedges. Second, there occur semantic shifts in the form of lexical pragmatic processes and lastly the different forms of indirect speech acts can be accounted for using the Gricean Cooperative Principle.Item Frame Analysis of Selected Kenyan Newspaper Headlines on Kenyan Cases at the International Criminal Court (2011-2016)(Kenyatta University, 2021) Chepkwony, Philip Kipkoech; Orwenjo Daniel; Gatitu KiguruThis study undertook a frame analysis of selected Kenyan newspaper headlines on Kenyan cases at the International Criminal Court. Specifically, the study investigated lexical strategies syntactic strategies that were employed to construct these cases in the headlines of The Daily Nation and The Standard newspapers. In addition, this study also looked at the linguistic frames used to give portrayal of the event and the subject groups. To study these objectives, the study adopted a descriptive design. Therefore, qualitative methods were used in sampling and data analysis. Purposeful sampling was used to select the headlines that were included in the sample. The research used a purposively sampled corpus of 24 newspaper headlines produced in two periods: the pre-confirmation of charges period of June to September 2011and post-confirmation of charges period covering the pre-election period of December 2012 to February 2013. The data was collected by retrieving the newspapers sampled from the archives and culling the headlines that qualified for inclusion in the sample. The newspaper headlines selected were close-read and coded. The coded headlines were analyzed for the various lexical and strategies, and the possible frames used. The results formed the basis of the discussion in the analysis chapters. The study adopted an eclectic theoretical framework in which Frame Analysis (FA) and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) informed the analysis of data. FA holds that we make sense of our experience by actively classifying, organizing and interpreting. This theory holds that news texts constitute organized symbolic devices that vital in meaning construction. CDA views discourse as a social practice that constitutes the social world and is constituted by other social practices. According to this theory, studying lexical choices and syntactic forms in any context leads to an understanding of the discourse social structures like ideology. The analysis shows that the two dailies favored the use of active verbs. This, in turn, had the effect of sensationalizing the cases. The study reveals three dominant frames; political propaganda, justice and credibility of evidence. It recommends that the media operators should be more conscious in their linguistic choices in framing sensitive issues to avoid polarization through sensationalizing issues.Item A morphophonological adaptation of English loanwords to Ng’aturukana(2021-03) Tioko, Celestine Nkieny; Nandelenga Henry Simiyu; Itumo Joshua MulingeThis study is a morphophonological investigation of English loanwords adaptation in Ng’aturukana of northwestern Kenya. English and Ng’aturukana are two distinct languages that present dissimilarities at the phonemic, syllabic and structural levels. For this reason, the study set out to, first, identify English nouns in the selected semantic fields in Ng’aturukana, secondly, investigate whether English loanwords in Ng’aturukana acquire distinct genders and inflect for number within the constraints of Ng’aturukana and thirdly, describe the morphophonological changes undergone by the borrowed English nouns when incorporated into Ng’aturukana system. The study employed Optimality Theory (OT) whose main claim is that any language grammar can independently handle any form of borrowed lexemes through the faithfulness and markedness constraints. The primary data was collected in four semantic fields of education, trade, health and technology using semi-structured interviews, observation and researcher’s intuition. Secondary data was gathered from documents and the latest Ng’aturukana biblical translations. Some of the key findings of this study are; one, Ng’aturukana has borrowed native English words into its system for items/objects that are non-native to the Turkana world and two, Ng’aturukana marks grammatical gender in all the loanwords. Three, the borrowed English loanwords are morphophonologically adapted to fit to be Ng’aturukana through satisfaction of constraints in Ng’aturukana. The study is expected to contribute to the understanding of Ng’aturukana morphophonemics, especially on grammatical gender and number, hence, any Ng’aturukana language learners and researchers can benefit from it. The study can also be useful in comparative loanwords adaptation studies within the Nilotic and different languages families cross-linguistically.Item Funerary Symbols in Oe Kenzaburo’s The Silent Cry (1967) and Masuji Ibuse’s Black Rain (1970)(International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature (IJSELL), 2019) Nderitu, James; Makokha, J. K. S.; Mugubi, JohnThis research paper is based on the study of the primary texts; Masuji Ibuse’s Black Rain (1970) and Oe Kenzaburo’s The Silent Cry (1967). It seeks to identify and examine the significance of funerary symbols in the two selected novels. The paper also looks at the influence that funerary symbols have on plot, characterization and themes in the texts. A writer uses one form of communication over another in his or her work for a reason. An interrogation of available scholarship on Japanese writers indicates that the area covered by this research has not been exhausted. This study and its findings address this research paucity and invoke further research. The research design is descriptive. Since this is a library based research, the primary texts were read alongside other critical works deemed relevant for the findings of the research. The results from the primary data were then analyzed before the final findings. This study was conducted within the guidelines of two theoretical frameworks: Semiotics Literary theory and Psychoanalytic literary theory. Semiotics literary approach is instrumental when it comes to analyzing the communication modes embraced by the two authors. Psychoanalysis is useful in analyzing the funerary symbols employed by the selected authorsItem Interpretations of English Nominal Elements by Form One Students in Selected Schools, Kitui County, Kenya(Kenyatta University, 2021) Kilonzo, Nicholas; Gerry AyiekoThe English language is, by far, recognized as one of the most invaluable language and the most used language in the world both spoken and written. The overall strength of this fact can be seen in Kenya. As an official language, English serves all intranational purposes: it is the major language used in the Education system, administration and judicial system, science and technology, business and commerce and creative work. This makes English an important language for study and the need for competence in this language cannot be overemphasized. Notwithstanding, a number of reviewed second language based research in this study has cited below average knowledge among the learners. Guided by the tenets of UG, we carried out a study to test knowledge/competence of form one students in nominal elements given the inherent UG principles and the professional teaching and learning of the nominal elements since early primary school and form one level. The first objective of the study was to describe the knowledge of nominal elements by the form one students; second, we examined knowledge in interpretation of nominal elements and the last objective was to evaluate how form one students use nominal elements. This follows the need to shade more light from the inconclusive results in interpretation of nominal elements by both native and non-native children as discussed in the literature review and the gap to describe the competence in interpretation of nominal elements by L2 students who have been exposed to professional teaching of nominal elements as the external data. Our sample population was sixty students systematically selected; this was done purposely from two schools out of thirty two schools in Kitui-West Sub County. We used Mixed method design due to our qualitative and quantitative nature of our data with both judgment test and essay writing used as data elicitation tools while inferential statistics were used to analyze the data majorly one –way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) because the study goes beyond the immediate descriptive data and makes inferential conclusion beyond the sampled population. We found that there was evidence of UG among the form one students but the comprehension skills made the students performance vary from their competence in comprehension and interpretation of the nominal elements. The evidence of the abstract linguistic principles by form one students was judged by the ability to use nominal elements in their spontaneous essay writing. The study falls in the list of the researchers calling for emphasis in acquisition of lexical information as the external data among the L2 learners to enhance the resetting of innate core linguistic endowment majorly by the teachers and curriculum developers. This is in addition to change in mode of testing that reflects competence in natural way in the classroom as opposed to comprehensional tests which prove to be ambiguous to learners. This may help change the findings by L2 researchers who find performance of L2 on lexical items below chance level despite the existence of UG.Item Semantic Analysis of Lunyore Nouns(kenyatta University, 2021) Akeng’o, Mercy; Henry S. Nandelenga.The study attempted to analyze Lunyore nouns semantically. It had three objectives. First, to identify the various noun classes of the Lunyore. Secondly, to find out whether morphological information influences class allocation of these nouns and lastly, to examine the efficacy of CA in the analysis of Lunyore nouns. We sought to answer the following questions; What are the various noun classes of Lunyore? How does morphological information influence class allocation of Lunyore nouns? To what extent can CA account for the analysis of Lunyore nouns? This study was borne out of the important role played by nouns as part of grammar in any language. The research was guided by the theory of Componential Analysis. Using qualitative design, data for this study was obtained through face to face interviews, group discussions, written material in the language gathered through library research and the researcher’s intuitive knowledge of the Lunyore language. Respondents were selected from Bunyore West, Emuhaya Sub-County of Vihiga County, through purposive sampling and the sample size included 20 respondents who were fluent native speakers. The data for this study was in form of Lunyore nouns in words, phrases and sentences. The data revealed that Lunyore has nineteen noun classes which rely heavily on its morphology and that in a sentence other syntactic elements must grammatically agree with the noun subject. Findings from this study are expected to add to the existing research knowledge on Lunyore linguistics in general and assist future linguists interested in Lunyore semantics as a reference.