CHAPTER ONE
 1.0 INTRODUCTION
This study seeks to examine in detail various aspects areas of lexical semantics in the Urhobo language. We will look in general term at lexical relations i.e. the meaning relationships words have with one another, the semantic features that help to differentiate one from the other and also at how lexical negations are realized i.e. if a morpheme is added to negate it or if an entirely different word is used.
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Semantics is a branch of linguistics studies, and has been defined by different scholars. Okolo and Ezikeojiaku (1999:175) defined semantics as “the study of meaning”. Radford (1997:27)defined semantics as “the linguistics aspect of meaning”. Fitch (2010:120)“semantics is the branch of linguistics studies that is constantly in shoulders with philosophy. This is because the study of meaning raises a host of problems that are the traditional stomping ground of philosophy”. Charles (1955:202) “linguistics semantics is the study of how language organizes and expresses meaning.” Semantics is like a coin with two aspects: lexical and post-lexical semantics. Lexical semantics the subject of this study deals with the meaning of words. It’s a linguistics theory that investigates word meaning. Iloene and Iloene (2013:4) “word meaning in language are atoms that are intricately interconnected in a web-like fashion, in which some concepts have been differentiated into two fundamental types: i) the ones that necessarily involve a relationship with other concept ii) the ones that are just seen to be independent units.” Mowarin (2010:57) “lexical semantics deals with the study of lexis, it focuses on lexical universals. It is observed that the denotation of a word is not studied in isolation”. Saeed (2007:53) reinforces this fact where he states that “…the meaning of a word is defined in part by its relation with other words in language.”
1.1.1  URHOBO PEOPLE AND LANGUAGE
Urhobo is a south western edoid language spoken in Delta State. Ukere (1990) “Urhobo is spoken in Ethiope, Okpe, Ughelli, Sapele and Warri local government areas. Urhobo belongs to the kwa sub-group of the Niger-Congo phylum in Greenberge’s (1963) classification of African languages. Urhobo is found in the south western edoid (SWE) branch of the genetically related languages and dialects referred to as the “Edoid group of language” in Elugbe’s (1989) classification. The diagram below shows Urhobo in the proto-edoid family Fig. 1: The Edoid Family Tree showing the Urhobo and related languages. (Elugbe 1986) Key: PDE: proto -delta edoid (Egene, Degema, Epie-Atisa) PNCE: proto-north central edoid (Glotua, Uweme, Yekhee, Ora-Emai-Iuleha, Esan, Edo). PNWE: proto-north western edoid (PSNWE; Okpomberi, Emahe, Oloma, Okpe-Akuru-Idesa, PO; Ukue, Ehuene, Uhame). PSWE: proto-south western edoid (Uvwie, Isoko, Eruwa, Urhobo, Okpe). As the figures above shows edoid language is divided into four and SWE is further divided into five languages including Urhobo. According to Ukere (1990) there are twenty-two clans within Urhobo speaking community namely; Agbarho, Awrata, Agbarha, Arhavwarien, Agbon, Agbassa, Ephro-oto, Eghwu, Erwreni, Idjerhe, Ogo, Oghara, Okere, Olomu, Okpe, Orogun, Okparebe, Ughievwen, Ughelli, Udu, Uvwie and Uwheru. Based on Rolle (2013) “there are eighteen (18) dialects of Urhobo; Agbarho dialect being its standard form. Although the language is widely spoken, Ojaide (2007:3) reports that many of the urban dwellers in Effurun, Sapele, Ughelli and Warri do not use or speak the language. On the population of speakers, Lewis (2009) suggests that the minimum population is approximately 500 000, while Mowarin (2004) estimates that the maximum population is approximately 1.5 million.