Nigerian Pidgin English Research Articles

PIDGINISATION AS LINGUOCULTURAL PHENOMENON (on the example of African linguoculture)

This article identifies the features of such a linguocultural phenomenon as pidginisation and creolisation on the example of African linguoculture. The scientific problem is caused by the influence of globalisation on the state of languages and cultures within the framework of intercultural and interlanguage interaction, on the one hand, and the need to preserve native languages and cultures, on the other hand. The purpose of the article is to identify the key properties of such hybrid languages as Pidgin English and Creole English which operate in the largest country in West Africa – Nigeria. The research work is based on a combination of linguistic and cultural analysis method, which revealed the peculiarities of language and culture in the process of historical development, and comparative analysis method, which is the key to distinguish similar and distinctive features of Nigerian Pidgin English in relation to British English. The research work systematised the key historical, linguistic and cultural factors that influenced the formation and Pidgin English and Creole English development in Africa, and identified its key characteristics. It was proved that English is a universal means of interethnic communication for all social groups, but Pidgin English has simple structure at all language levels – phonetic, grammatical, lexical ones – and suits for everyday communication perfectly. Adapting to local realities, Nigerian Pidgin English at the phonetic level is the subject to assimilation and dissimilation of consonants, quantitative and qualitative reduction of vowels. The grammatical structure of Nigerian Pidgin English is the subject to maximum simplification, this level is characterised by the omission of articles; the use of abstract nouns in the plural form; the formation of adjectives’ comparison degrees and adverbs on the principle of a monosyllabic adjective; the use of simple tense forms of verb. The lexical structure of Nigerian Pidgin English is characterised by the functioning of high-frequency lexemes of autochthonous languages, which is due to the desire to follow the norms of native culture. All deviations from British English are explained by the need to create an accessible form of communication for all social groups using minimal linguistic means.

Pidgin English proverbs as a source of structural nativization in Nigerian English

AbstractIn this paper, we explore the role of Nigerian Pidgin English (NPE) proverbs in language contact settings and their impact on the development of idiomatic phraseology in Nigerian English (NgE). In a set of 100 NPE proverbs, we identified lexical keywords that served as anchors for searches in the large‐scale Nairaland corpus to detect recurrent collocational patterns that in further proximity searches yielded frequent, lexico‐grammatically variable patterns that may be interpreted as innovations at the early stages of idiom formation. The findings suggest that cognitively motivated key lexical items of NPE proverbs may serve as a basis for the formation of variable but also lexico‐grammatically more condensed idiomatic expressions in NgE.

Cultural conceptualisations in Nigerian Pidgin English proverbs

AbstractThis article explores Nigerian Pidgin English proverbs as a source of cultural conceptualisations that reflect traditional wisdom as well as the modern urban setting of West Africa. A total of 173 proverbs sourced from the BBC News Pidgin's Instagram service were analysed for recurrent lexical keywords and themes (e.g. those relating to food, eating and drinking, and animals) that can be interpreted as source domain lexical material that points to the knowledge of nature, common animals, objects and social situations. The findings suggest that Nigerian Pidgin English proverbs contain a rich inventory of variety‐ and culture‐specific lexis that encodes cultural knowledge and practice, for example knowledge of the local flora and fauna, food items, but also objects of material culture such as clothing, as well as references to social culture.

Language Preference and Selection during Nurse-Patient Service Encounter at Adeoyo Teaching Hospital, Yemetu, Ibadan

This study examines language preference and selection during nurse-patient service encounters as well as the motivations and effectiveness of such selection by nurses at Adeoyo Teaching Hospital, Ibadan. The study adopted quantitative and descriptive research using a self-designed questionnaire administered to a sample population of fifty (50) nurses selected using stratified random sampling. The data assessing the four phases of nurse-patient service encounters was analyzed using simple percentages and then subjected to a descriptive analysis using Peplau's (1997) Theory of Interpersonal Relations and Giles' (1991) Communication Accommodation Theory. The study finds that language preference at the orientation phase of the nurse-patient service encounters was Yoruba (20%), Yoruba and English Language (56%), while only (24%) opted for the use of the English Language. During the identification and exploitation phases, (86%) adopted the Yoruba language, while (4%) and (10%) adopted English and Nigerian Pidgin English (NPE), respectively. During the resolution phase (80%) adopted the Yoruba Language, while (16%) and (4%) used the English Language and NPE, respectively. Language preference by nurses at the different phases of service encounter, therefore, is Yoruba followed English and then NPE during healthcare provision. Nurses’ motivations for converging or diverging to and from the patients’ preferred language were on the grounds of faster healthcare delivery (96%), emotional stability of the patients (96%), level of education (100%), prestige (64%), ease of communication and comprehension (99%), detailed information (88%), language preference (62%), and patient’s language competence(62%). The Yoruba language was found to be effective during orientation, identification, exploitation, and resolution phases of nurse-patient service encounters as it was considered to depict nurses as emphatic (80%), achieve delivery of patient-centred healthcare (88%), a more coordinated service delivery (84%), effective patient evaluation as well implementation of treatment (98%). Yoruba was also found to keep patients emotionally stable (96%) and ensure effective follow-up of healthcare delivery (100%). The study has shown that linguistic affiliation by the selection of patient’s language preference, which is often the use of the Yoruba language, was found to be effective in ensuring effective health care before, during, and the follow-up care of patient-nurse service encounters at Adeoyo Teaching Hospital. It is suggested that linguistic orientation for better healthcare delivery should be mandated in the healthcare sector. Research on language preference during service encounters among nurses and their patient interaction in the hospital from the viewpoint of the patients is also suggested.

Post-Doctoral Fellow, Programme Manager and

Post-Doctoral Fellow, Programme Manager and

On metonymy-based lexical innovations in Nigerian Pidgin English and Tok Pisin: A cognitive linguistic perspective

Abstract As contact languages, pidgins and creoles arise in mixed linguistic environments. Drawing much of their vocabularies from one, frequently European, language and – to a lesser extent – from a number of indigenous languages, they have lexicons that are reduced in comparison with those of their lexifiers. To compensate for the poor lexification, pidgin and creoles create novel polysemy-based extensions of lexical items or develop periphrastic constructions equivalent of the missing lexical roots. Assuming a cognitive linguistic perspective, which emphasizes the role of conceptualization in the construction of meaning and the figurative character of concepts, the paper deals with the lexicons of Nigerian Pidgin English and Tok Pisin, two contact languages representative for the Atlantic and the Pacific – the two major areas of linguistic contact. The analysis focuses on the first of the above-mentioned compensation strategies. It is argued that (i) the expressions borrowed from English and various indigenous languages acquire senses that are absent in English; (ii) the new senses are frequently based on metonymy, which serves as a major polysemy-based strategy of lexicon extension; (iii) most of the novel lexical extensions fall within the metonymic patterns that are well-established in English.

Word prosody of African versus European-origin words in Afro-European creoles

AbstractThis paper is concerned with word-prosodic systems of Afro-European creole languages that show a correlation between the lexical origin (African vs. European) and prosodic pattern. The discussion is based on the evidence from four languages: Saramaccan, Nigerian Pidgin English, Pichi, and Lung’Ie. I examine how the study of word-prosodic systems of creoles can contribute to phonological typology and to the debate of whether creoles are different from non-creoles. I hypothesize that such systems are the result of extreme language contact and can only be found in creole languages. The existence of these systems further confirms that sociohistorical processes – such as historic contact – can shape phonological systems. Finally, I conclude that the analysis of African-origin words is crucial to further our understanding of creole phonology.

Language and cultural code peculiarities within the framework of cross-cultural communication

The article deals with the peculiarities of linguistic and cultural code-specific features which have a significant impact on the successful communication process within the framework of intercultural interaction. According to the research work, the basic ground of cross-cultural communication operates with definitions and cultural elements, which are of primary importance in the language-mastering process and adaptation procedure to the foreign language environment. The authors of the research work analyze the concepts of code existing processes in modern linguistics, considering the key components of the linguistic and cultural code, stressing the complex nature of intercultural communication procedure due to the subjective application of individual background knowledge of a person while adapting to a foreign country's language and culture environment. Special attention is paid to the process of code-switching, which entails a stage of the new coding system. The analyzed process is a system of subcodes transformation procedure while sub coding information is carried out using an unlimited number of verbal and nonverbal communication signs. The article presents the author's ideas about the strategic influence of Standard British English on the language and cultural conditions of such language variants as Nigerian English. Being used as the official language, Nigerian English presents a hybrid type language variant, adapting British English phonetics, lexis and grammar to the needs of local cultures and languages. The code-switching process from local languages into English in formal communication is a typical process for Nigerians. While analyzing the specific features of the code-switching process in Nigerian English, the authors stress the necessity of paying attention to all language group variants: basilect, mesolect and acrolect, which are equally used in Nigerian society. One must admit code-switching process results in the popularity of Nigerian Pidgin English which has become the most popular unofficial language to nearly all Nigerian social groups thanks to it simplification in all language levels. Nigerian cultures and languages made Standard British English adapt to the local environment due to the needs of speakers. To conclude, the authors stress the specificity of the speaker is revealed in the process of cross-cultural communication and adaptation based on the peculiarities of the peoples' mentality as well as on a communicant's national character specificity.

“This word no get concrete meaning oo”: Pragmatic markers in Nigerian online communication

This paper deals with Nigerians’ use of pragmatic markers in their computer-mediated communication. The investigated items originate from various languages but now seem to be used across ethnic boundaries in online interactions that take place in Nigerian Pidgin and Nigerian English. Relying on a large corpus from a Nigerian web forum, the study focuses on a set of common interjections and other textual and interpersonal pragmatic markers and their discourse-pragmatic functions. Their semantic flexibility allows these items to perform different functions depending on the context. I argue that they are vital in indicating emotional involvement and response and in contextualizing (Gumperz, 1982) the forum contributions. Furthermore, the particularities of employing, interpreting, and researching such items in text-based online communication are addressed. This paper contributes to a description of “pragmatic borrowing” (Andersen, 2014) in Nigeria, as well as to the rising field of pragmatics of computer-mediated communication.

Is the Nigerian Pidgin Bread Being Buttered or Battered in Linguistics, Teaching and Use Worldwide?

(Nigerian) Pidgin is the number one lingua franca in Nigeria and West Africa, but determining its status and family is not straightforward, often controversial. This paper sets out to establish the status and descriptive labels of Nigerian Pidgin in use, teaching and linguistics to show that the real identity and status of the language is yet beclouded by nebulous typology and terminology of Nigerian English and world Englishes. The paper critically examines the sociolinguistic factors that constrain some linguists and laypeople worldwide to treat Naija as a nonstandard variety of Nigerian English, hence Nigerian Pidgin English (NPE) or Pidgin English (PE), and why it should be treated as a language different from English though English is its major lexifier. The paper used observation, usage/use examples and data from secondary sources and concluded that the language is not a variety of Nigerian English or world Englishes, thus proposing a new typology of Afro-Anglo or Afro-Euro-Asian Family of languages for world Pidgins and Creoles. The paper recommends that (i) users and teachers of the language should treat it as a language of its own and avoid using labels such as Pidgin English, Broken English, etc., which are derogatory, (ii) spell the word “Pidgin” or “Creole” always beginning with a capital letter, as is the rule for spelling the name of any language, (iii) universities in Nigeria as a matter of urgency should establish the department of Nigerian Pidgin and Literature to give full attention to its study, as in the case of Department of English and Literature in Nigerian Universities and (iv) it should be used in teaching.

Wetin una dey yan: Variation in the use of copula dey in Nigerian Pidgin English

The present study shows variability in Nigerian Pidgin English (NPE) through its frequently used copula dey. Previous works on copulas in NPE have rarely shown the extent to which the copula varies, the extent to which attested variation is complex, or the extent to which the simple or complex variation found is related to processing both the verb phrase in which the copula operates and the overall sentential context it scans. Contributing to this question, the study shows that copula dey exhibits complex variability, which is strongly related to the difficulty in processing the meaning and interpretation of both the verb phrase and that of the overall sentence. The article also shows that variants of dey (i.e. deh and de) are unrelated to the exhibition of this complex variability, though their choice of use is related to formality or text type. Framed within a construction grammar theoretical framework, the article identifies and classifies five contextual scenarios showing creative movement and placement of the copula, including how structural variability (or lack thereof) distinguishes between copula dey, verbal dey and metaphoric dey.

Noun phrase in Nigerian Pidgin English

Works showing the extent to which structural complexity characterizes syntactic structures in contemporary Nigerian Pidgin English are underrepresented in the main literature. For instance no works have shown the extent to which noun phrase (NP), an important syntactic measure of variability and complexity, exhibits variability and complexity, and the extent to which pattern found converges with /diverges from similar linguistic varieties. The present study provides the basic corpus-driven contemporary nature of simple-complex NP structures in NPE, including how factors such as syntactic function and weight explain context where we might find simple or complex NPs. Our results, though tentative, show that NPs in NPE exhibit considerable complexity, which is against simplification hypothesis exemplified in standard Nigerian English.

WEYand the structure of relative clauses in Nigerian Pidgin English

AbstractA comprehensive corpus-driven account of the internal structure, meaning and interpretation of relative clauses in Nigerian Pidgin English (NPE) is missing in the literature. Relativisation, including its process, strategies, constraints, structural patterning, meaning and interpretation, is an important syntactic structure in any language, and therefore is crucial to our understanding of the extent to which syntactic and semantic structures in NPE differ from standard varieties of English. Relying on corpus material extracted from a popular web media outlet BBC News Pidgin, the study shows that user/speakers of NPE are cognitively enabled and creative in varying relative clauses along simple and complex choices and that structural and semantic complexities operative in the relativisation process in NPE are not too different from standard Englishes. Unlike in standard English where relativiserswhoandwhichclearly relate to the animacy of the relativised NP, relativiser representingwey, which can be classified as a prototype for relativisersweh,wen, andwia, does not clearly make such distinction. Also, it is shown thatweyembodies the syntactic and semantic properties of these other relativisers, a phenomenon classified asrelativiser reduction.

Review of Current Trends in Nigerian Pidgin English. A Sociolinguistic Perspective

Review of Current Trends in Nigerian Pidgin English. A Sociolinguistic Perspective

Pidgin and Creole in Advertising and Marketing

The title of this paper is ‘Pidgin and Creole in advertising and marketing’ in Nigeria. The data for analyses was elicited through recording, transcribing, and translating. The focus of this study is the inconsistencies in spellings and choice of words, which leads to frustration and ambiguities as observed by the target audience in the adverts. Considering the serious nature of the messages they intend to pass across and the cost incurred in designing and airing the adverts, one is worried why a little bit of imagination, creativity and seriousness is not applied in the crafting of the advertisements. We are aware that standard pidgin orthography exists which conforms to the principle of good orthography; organizations and individuals seeking to develop adverts or broadcast in pidgin should consult this document for consistency. Nigerian Pidgin English is already an unauthorized lingua franca; therefore, all efforts should be on the deck to standardize it. We have presented some adverts done in pidgin, analysed them to evince their inadequacies, ambiguities, conflicting messages, poor effects, and argue that although many people are often easily carried along with adverts in pidgin, the message is essentially lost ab initio. Pidgin and creole can only be used nationally, meaning they cannot communicate internationally, or even with neighbouring countries. For this reason, adverts cannot be done in pidgin and creole with the intention of getting international patronage. They are often viewed as low class, grammatically incorrect, and with no well-structured syntax or phonology, so adverts done in pidgin and creole are often selective. Hence, if the customers are those from the upper class, an advert in pidgin or creole is a wrong move.

Íhé Ńkètá and Òkè: concepts and practice of indigenous cultural heritage management in the Igbo cultural area of south-eastern Nigeria

PurposeThis study explored an alternative understanding of heritage through the lens of the Igbo cultural group in Nigeria. It used the Igbo concept of “Ihe Nketa” or “Oke” to examine the complex relationship between indigeneity, attachment and sustainability in the context of heritage management and conservation.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach was used, and ethnographic methods of data collection that include interviews and focus-group discussions (FGD) applied. The interview participants included village chiefs and the elderly (men and women), and the FGD comprised village elders (men and women) and youths. The interview guide contained demographic questions to determine age and occupation, followed by interactive open-ended questions stemming from the study's objectives. The interviews were conducted in the language most preferred by the respondents such as the Igbo language, Nigerian Pidgin English and the English language. The evidence generated was thematically analysed in a descriptive and interpretive manner.FindingsThe study found that while the Igbo understanding of heritage have related meaning with the definitions offered by the United Nations, their approach to heritage conservation takes a different turn through the concepts of “Ihe Nketa” or “Oke,” which recognises the ephemerality of tangible heritage resources with particular focus on the preservation of intangible heritage–knowledge over objects. The Igbo approach describes the framework for the acquisition, use and transfer of heritage resources in the Igbo society.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the understanding of the concept of heritage through the lens of the Igbo of Nigeria. Against the centralised national management approach to heritage, this paper argues that achieving sustainable heritage management in a multi-ethnic country like Nigeria requires the recognition of the principles that conserve(d) and manage(d) heritage among the indigenous/local peoples.

Social Reality and Cultural Propagation in Funke Akindele-Bello’s Jenifa’s Diary

Apart from originating contemporary norms and cultures among its viewers, Nigerian television series portray new and emerging constructions and practices that the populace is able to identify with. Recently, one television series that has become popular in Nigeria is Jenifa’s Diary. Its popularity stems from its incorporation of the Nigerian English, the British English and the indigenous Yoruba language, as well as the antics and codification(s) of the eponymous character, Jennifer. Her utility of a distinctive English language which deviates from the Nigerian Pidgin and the British English, has made this series popular among viewers. This has created a new linguistic culture and also appropriated what I term the Jenifanlingua franca. It is not a rarity to see children, teenagers and adults communicate in the same manner as Jennifer. Against this backdrop, this paper examines Funke Akindele-Bello’s television series Jenifa’s Diary as Nigerian social reality and a medium for cultural propagation. This study examines socio-cultural nuances in Jenifas Diary. The research is qualitative as it utilises the literary and content analysis methods. The study reveals that Jenifa’s Diary captures the plight of the African been to in the Western world and that the television serial is rich with its incorporation of the Nigerian Pidgin English, the British English and some indigenous Nigerian languages such as the Yoruba language, as well as the antics and codification(s) of the eponymous character, Jennifer. While Jenifa’s Diary and other Nigerian television series are products of social realities, they also create spaces for new socio-cultural landscapes. The study has been able to explain the imperative of television series on the Nigerian socio-cultural space. Cineastes should produce television serials that will educate and stimulate the populace towards becoming better people in the society.

Nigerian Pidgin English: A Cultural Universal for National Communication and Policy Enactment

Recurrent ethnic conflicts and political strife are threats to national unity and pride. Some argue, this phenomenon is related to the impact of prior Western dominance, globalisation and neo-colonialism. As panacea, this paper leans on Kwasi Wiredu’s proposition of Language, a Cultural Universal, as essential for intercultural and national communication. The paper, using discourse analysis argues that the Nigeria Pidgin English Language has a unifying potential for Nigeria. Nigerian Pidgin speaking is currently more popular compared to the 3 regional languages, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, and English language. This proposition further explored Spolsky’s National Language Policy Theory. It concludes that Nigeria’s multi-ethnic reality and antecedents’ challenges be resolved by the pragmatic positivist approach of language unification. Recommendations include a review of the National communication policy, creation of language policy, declaration that Nigerian Pidgin be officially added to the list of languages for National Communication, in the interest of National Unity. Keywords: Spolsky’s Theory, National Communication Policy, Cultural Universal, Nigerian Pidgin English DOI: 10.7176/JPCR/50-09 Publication date: November 30 th 2020

The Influence of the Nigerian Pidgin English on Eha-Amufu Secondary School Students’ Usage of the Standard English

The use of Pidgin English in the Nigerian context has gone beyond verbal communication to become more of a mode of behaviour as its expression has moved from informal conversation to formal situations. The above scenario necessitated this study which investigates Eha-Amufu secondary school students’ usage of the Standard English in view of the use of the Nigerian Pidgin English (NPE). The study sets to find out what informs the usage and the extent the Nigerian Pidgin English has affected the use of the Standard English of these students using the affective filter hypothesis from Stephen Krashen’s 2003 Second Language Acquisition (SLA) theory. Using the questionnaire and essay writing as research instruments, data were collected from a sample of 200 students and willing teachers from four selected secondary schools in Eha-Amufu. Findings reveal that the use of the Nigerian Pidgin English is traceable to homes and peer group influence and has grossly affected the students’ Standard English usage. The finding that students do not use Nigerian Pidgin English in their written essays was largely contradicted by the avalanche of the Nigerian Pidgin English expressions found in the written essays of the students which also reveal its adverse effect on the Standard English both in spelling and contextual usage. This research, therefore, concludes that a deliberate and conscious effort at instilling in the minds of Eha-Amufu students the knowledge of the adverse effect of NPE usage on their academic performance and the danger of its persistent use will go a long way in mitigating the adverse effects of Nigerian Pidgin English usage on the Standard English usage among them.

Nigerian Pidgin English in Nation-Building

Nigerian Pidgin English in Nation-Building