Frequency and Stylistic Variability of Discourse Markers in Nigerian English

Abstract

This paper examines the choice, frequency and stylistic variability of discourse markers in Nigerian English, using the International Corpus of English-Nigeria. Three types of discourse markers: elaborative, contrastive and inferential discourse markers were examined in the Nigerian corpus and these were compared with the International Corpus of English-Great Britain, from a variational pragmatic approach. The results were subjected to loglikelihood test and paired sample t test. The results indicate that there was both a significant difference in the overall frequency of discourse markers in Nigerian English and British English, and in the stylistic variability of these markers in the two corpora. Nigerian English speakers use elaborative and contrastive discourse markers less frequently than British English speakers, but utilise inferential discourse markers more frequently than British English speakers. Moreover, speakers of Nigerian English use a reduced inventory of discourse markers compared to British English speakers and exhibit distinct preference patterns for a few individual discourse markers. The paper also identifies the rise of a new discourse marker moreso/more so in Nigerian English which is used differently from its adverbial form. There were also differences and similarities in the stylistic variability of the discourse markers across the two varieties, which may be dependent on the status of Nigerian English as a second language and the influence of British English on Nigerian English.