Towards a molecular orthography in Igbo concept representation

Abstract

The issue of orthography is one which has not been settled for many languages, especially many African languages and particularly for Nigerian languages. This situation could be a serious impediment to effective language development.

The purpose of this paper is to offer a principle that would guide writers on how to represent, in writing, linguistic shapes when such shapes constitute a molecular, semantic unit.

Some scholars of Igbo advocate a sort of ‘atomic orthography’ in which two or more words which denote one concept are written separately. This study, on the contrary, advocates what it terms ‘molecular orthography’ in which a sequence of two or more words which together denote one concept should be written as one word. It adduces some linguistic criteria to support its argument and advocates the adoption of this system of writing because it is more rational and elegant, and possesses obvious productive advantages.