Interlingual Malapropism in a Bilingual Context: Insights from Icheoku and Masquerade

Diri I Teilanyo

doi:10.7176/jlll/65-04

Abstract

This paper investigates the linguistic defect of malapropism in two Nigerian media comedies, Icheoku and Masquerade . Using mainly qualitative content/textual analysis, the paper demonstrates that malapropism in a second-language bilingual context is a consequence not only of inadequate mastery of the vocabulary in a language (as in a monolingual’s malapropism) but also of interference from the subordinate bilingual’s first language or mother tongue with the target second language (and vice versa). In contrast with the classical pattern where lexical items in the same language are confused, in interlingual malapropism the confusion is between lexical items in two (and possibly more) languages which share some phonological affinity. The artistic element in this linguistic phenomenon as exemplified by the two series is also examined. Thus, it is demonstrated that malapropism is a (socio-)linguistic problem that is satirized in fictional terms in the two works. The findings here complement and expand the classical notion of malapropism by taking cognisance of the incompetent bilingual in a multilingual setting. Keywords: malapropism, interlingual malapropism, perceptive malapropism, art, parody, Icheoku, Masquerade DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/65-04 Publication date: February 29 th 2020

Highlights

A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian Spring: There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, And drinking largely sobers us again. (Alexander Pope 1973, lines 195-199)The traditional notion of “malapropism”
For Icheoku the analysis in this paper is taken largely from the English sub-titles provided in the videotapes as much of the dialogue is in Igbo, one of the major languages in Nigeria whose environment constitutes the ethno-linguistic setting for the drama
The above pages have discussed the concept of malapropism and the burlesque of this malaise in a second language context

Summary

Introduction

A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian Spring: There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, And drinking largely sobers us again. (Alexander Pope 1973, lines 195-199)The traditional notion of “malapropism” The idea of malapropism has been that it is the way in which words and expressions (with some phonological similarity but different semantic features) within a specific language are confused as they are spoken or written This concept is obvious in different definitions and/or examples given of the term. (b) “verbal blunder in which one word is replaced by another similar in sound but different in meaning” (The Online Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2007) (c) “a humorous confusion of words that sound vaguely similar, as in “We have just ended our physical year” instead of “We have just ended our fiscal year” (American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy (2005) (d) “ludicrous misuse of a word, especially by confusion with one of similar sound An example of such misuse.” American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language.(2009) (e) “a mistaken substitution of one word for another that sounds similar, generally with humorous effect, as in "arduous romance" for "ardent romance." Literary Dictionary (2007) (f) “unintentional use of wrong word: the misuse of a word through confusion with another word that sounds similar, especially when the word is ridiculous.” Encarta Dictionary Online (2007). (g) “the usually unintentionally humorous misuse or distortion of a word or phrase; especially the use of a word sounding somewhat like the one intended but ludicrously wrong in the context” Marriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary (2007)

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion