Abstract
This study examines lexical innovation in Nigerian English usage. The study is hinged on the theory of generative lexicon propounded by Pusejovsky (1995) which argues that language cannot simply be characterised as a list of items with only syntactic and minimal semantic information, but that words assume new senses in new contexts that can be used creatively. Data for analysis are got from secondary school students in Uyo metropolis of varied linguistic and socio-economic backgrounds selected by a random sampling technique and are grouped under coinages, semantic extension and shift, euphemism, clipping, idiom and slang. Data were collected through oral interviews. Ten students from each school were interviewed from June to November 2024 and their responses recorded through writing. The reason for the choice of secondary school students is that they creatively use expressions to converse when they want to exclude adults or other people from their conversation. The study adopts a qualitative context analysis; a process designed to condense raw data into categories or themes based on valid inference and interpretation. It reveals the preponderance of lexical innovation in Nigerian English as used by its speakers to address concepts, situations and events. The study concludes that innovations observed in Nigerian English show that it is an authentic communication tool which undergo changes in a bid to serve the need of the users.
Introduction
The documentation of the various features of world Englishes has continued to attract the attention of the linguists. Like other varieties of non-native Englishes, West African English (WAE) has received considerable attention. Researches into the creative linguistic features of Nigerian (NE), which is a part of WAE, have established the variety (NE) as one cited within the Braj Kachru's outer circle of Englishes (Braj Kachru, 1992) which is most often described in the literature by the term ‘New Englishes’. Hybridised innovations constitute systematic divergences in the vocabularies of educated Nigerians in their day-to-day use of English. This further attests to the fact that English in Nigeria has taken a new shape and, therefore, its unique ways of usage must continually be described up to the point where a self-contained linguistic system of NE is visible. It is only at this point of visibility that standard NE might become apparent and can be recognised as a valid model for teaching and learning in classroom. Beyond British English and American English, there are a number of standard Englishes, for there are several English speaking countries in each of which there is a Standard English peculiar to that country.
Content
The Nigerian variety of English, like other non-native Englishes, serves the communicative and communal needs of its users, thereby allowing users to express themselves in creative ways that reflect their own unique socio-cultural norms. This social reality is attested to by David Crystal in his observation that “English in Nigeria is fostering an internal standard of educated usage which has a status and dynamic of its own” (Crystal 2003, p. 359).
West African countries, including Nigeria, were colonised by Britain and France. It is that interaction of West African countries with their colonial masters that gave rise to West African English. The use of the term West African English does not imply that all these countries speak exactly the same way; rather they show very similar features and exhibit a predominantly hegemonic variety identifiable with it. Language is indisputably dynamic even within a socio-cultural environment.
English Language in Nigeria, in particular, and West Africa, at large, has undergone several changes that can be traced to what Eric Anchimbe (2006, p.26) calls “local taste of the people and the contact of English with native African languages” . Users of English in Nigeria from all walks of life and different educational levels and backgrounds endeavour to communicate through different varieties determined by formal and informal situations and occasions.
Innovation explains how language is used to break away from the norm as well as from what is recognised as correct. It is an intelligent ability to represent tasks or concepts in a relevant way. It refers to renewing, changing or creating more effective processes, products or ways of doing things. Innovation and improvement differ. While innovation is the notion of doing something different, improvement refers to doing the same thing better. The creation of certain terms to reflect certain concepts, processes or situations by Nigerians accounts for innovation in Nigerian English usage.
West African countries, including Nigeria, were colonised by Britain and France. It is that interaction of West African countries with their colonial masters that gave rise to West African English. The use of the term West African English does not imply that all these countries speak exactly the same way; rather they show very similar features and exhibit a predominantly hegemonic variety identifiable with it. Language is indisputably dynamic even within a socio-cultural environment.
English Language in Nigeria, in particular, and West Africa, at large, has undergone several changes that can be traced to what Eric Anchimbe (2006, p.26) calls “local taste of the people and the contact of English with native African languages” . Users of English in Nigeria from all walks of life and different educational levels and backgrounds endeavour to communicate through different varieties determined by formal and informal situations and occasions.
Innovation explains how language is used to break away from the norm as well as from what is recognised as correct. It is an intelligent ability to represent tasks or concepts in a relevant way. It refers to renewing, changing or creating more effective processes, products or ways of doing things. Innovation and improvement differ. While innovation is the notion of doing something different, improvement refers to doing the same thing better. The creation of certain terms to reflect certain concepts, processes or situations by Nigerians accounts for innovation in Nigerian English usage.
Conclusion
This study has revealed lexical innovations in the usage of Nigerian English by secondary school students. The spread of innovation depends on communicability of these linguistic innovations which can only be achieved if the lexical items are standardised. One way of standardisation is the printing of dictionaries by language planners to inform the public. The study reveals that the complexity of these innovations impede acceptance especially where lexical cohesion has not been scientifically determined. The study asserts that the innovations, though not universally accepted, are understood by many Nigerian English users. Today, English language in Nigeria has been able to “roll along” with the culture, thus becoming domesticated and nativised. The study concludes that the innovations in NE vocabularies and usage show that this variety of English (NE), is an authentic vibrant communicative tool, which undergo variations and changes in the bid to serve the needs of the users. Further researches should be carried out to substantiate or dispel the claims.
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Perspective. A Bamgbose, A. Banyo and A. Andrews (Eds). Ibadan: Mosuro Publishers
and Booksellers, 9-26.
Bamiro, E. (1994). ‘Syntactic Variation in West African English”. World Englishes. 17 (1), 189
204.
Bemigho, D. and Olateju, M (2006). “The lexico-semantic Features of Nigerian English in
Kegites’ Discourse: The OAU Example.” Olateju, M. Taiwo, R; and Fakoya, A. (Eds)
Towards the Understanding of Discourse Strategies. Ago-Iwoye: Olabisi Onabanjo
University Press, 159-170.
Bouillon, P. (1997). “Polymorphie et semantique lexicale : le cas adjectifs’’, Ph.D.,VIII ,
Université de Montreal, 18-24.
Busa, F. (1996). Compositionality and the Semantics of Nominals, Ph.D Dessertation, Brandeis
University, 206-209.
Crystal, D. (2003). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. 2nd ed. Cambridge
University.
Jega, A. (2020). “A Pragmatic Analysis of Lexical Creativity in the Use of Nigerian English”.
Annals of Language and Literature. Vol. 4. Issue 3, 2020, 27-34.
Jowitt, D. (1991). Nigerian English Usage: An introduction. Nigeria: Longman Nigeria.
Mckay, S. and Hornberger, N.H. (1996). Sociolinguistic and Language Teaching. New York: Cambridge.
Mgbemena, J. (2015). “Language Variations or Language Change? Lexical Innovation Processes
in Nigerian English.” International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature
(IJSELL). Vol. 3 Issue 8, 2015, 37-50.
Mowarin, M (2010). “Some Lexico-semantic Processes in Nigeria. Proceedings of the
“Conference on Nigerian Pidgin”. University of Ibadan, Nigeria 8-9 July, 2009.
Odebunmi, A. (2006). Meaning in English: An Introduction. Ogbomoso: Critical sphere.
Planeyo Journal of Arts and Humanities (PLANJAH). Maiden Edition. Volume 1, Number 1, 2024.
131
Pusejovsky, J. and Boguraev, B. (1993). Lexical Knowledge Representation and Natural
Languages Processing in Artificial Intelligence, Volume 63, Issues 1-2, October 1993.
193–223.
Pusejovsky, J. (1995). The Generative Lexicon. Cambridge: The MIT Press.
Redmond, W. (2005). “Slang.” Microsoft Encarta 2006. (CD) Redmond, W. A Microsoft
Corporation, 2005.
Robert, E. (2017). “Lexical Creativity in Ghanaian and Nigerian Englishes”. Eyoh, L. and Udoudom, J. (Eds). West African Varieties of English, Literature, Pidgin and Creoles: A Festschrift for Professor Inyang Udofot. Development Universal Consortia, 411-425. Udom, M. (2007). “Lexical Innovation in Nigerian English Usage.” Ph.D Dissertation, University
of Uyo, Uyo. Pp28-36.