A sociolinguistic analysis of slangy expressions in Nigerian pidgin

Abstract

This paper undertakes a sociolinguistic analysis of slangy expressions in Nigerian Pidgin. The corpus for this study was gotten systematically through participant observation of conversational discourses in everyday contexts amongst Nigerians living in the Warri-Ughelli-Sapele axes of Delta State. These linguistic data were then recorded and transcribed to aid analysis. The study adopted the Referential theory of Richards and Ogden (1923) in the analysis of data using the descriptive research methodology. These set of data were from conversations in football viewing centres, bukas (roadside food vendors), motor-parks, university campuses, and the market. Slangy expressions as used by presenters on private radio stations and lyrics of popular Nigerian songs were also analysed descriptively. A total of forty-nine (49) slangy expressions were analysed contextually and referentially. The paper ended on the note that every speaker poses a variety of slangy expressions and tends to choose among them in accordance with the social situation that calls for their use and that these expressions are fully intelligible to the speakers. Nigerian pidgin slangy expressions are a product of social force and the creative use of language by Nigerians in order to satisfy their communication needs.