Lingua Franca
Is a "new" language a way to unite Nigeria? In a country where more than 400 languages are spoken, how can politics, education, business, or just everyday life function? How about pidgin?Thanks to Jeremy Weate at Naijablog for pointing out this article.
Nigeria harnesses Pidgin English power
Long considered the language of the uneducated, Nigerian Pidgin English, with its oscillating tones and playful imagery, is now spoken by Nigerians of every age, social class and regional origin.
In a country with wide disparity in education provision, Pidgin operates as a de facto lingua franca, a bridge between social classes, ethnicities and educational levels. Public announcements and information campaigns are often made in Pidgin, which has a wider reach than standard English, the official language of this former British colony.
But while Nigerian Pidgin first emerged nearly 600 years ago, when trade with Europe was first established in the Niger Delta, and is now estimated to be used by 50 million people, and with variants spoken in Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the language still has no standard rules for spelling, grammar or an official dictionary.
As a Nigerian linguist once put it, "Na like pikin we no get papa, we no get mama" (It is like a child without a father or mother). Everyone uses Pidgin to serve their purpose, but no one looks out for it.
That is what the Naija Languej Akademi is seeking to change by creating the first reference guide for Pidgin English…
Pidgin is a definition applied to simplistic languages that are prone to die out. If, however, they evolve and acquire native speakers, they are categorised as creole languages…
The interest in Pidgin is not only intellectual but also political. Because similar forms of Pidgin are shared across west Africa's English-speaking countries, many believe it could evolve from a national lingua franca into a regional one…
See also:
- Babawilly's Dictionary of Pidgin English Words and Phrases
- Wazobia 95.1FM (a Lagos radio station broadcasting in pidgin)
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Labels: cleavages, culture, Nigeria, political integration
posted by Ken Wedding @ 8:03 AM
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