1887
  1. Home
  2. e-Journals
  3. Pragmatics
  4. Volume 31, Issue 3
  5. Article
Volume 31, Issue 3
  • ISSN 1018-2101
  • E-ISSN: 2406-4238
PDF

Abstract

Abstract

This paper examines three borrowed pragmatic markers from Nigerian Pidgin into Nigerian English, and , with a view to exploring their meanings, frequencies, spelling adaptability, syntactic positions, collocational patterns and discourse-pragmatic functions in Nigerian English. The data which were extracted from the International Corpus of English-Nigeria and the Nigerian component of the corpus of Global Web-based English were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively, using the theory of pragmatic borrowing. The results indicate that the three pragmatic markers differ distinctly in their frequency across text types, syntactic position, the range of pragmatic meanings, the number of spelling variants and their collocations: is used as a mitigation marker which can also function as an emphasis marker, is an emphasis marker but has additive and dismissive functions, while is used purely as an emphasis pragmatic marker. The study shows the influence of Nigerian Pidgin on Nigerian English.

© International Pragmatics Association
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/prag.19038.unu
2021-03-08
2024-10-16

  • From This Site

    /content/journals/10.1075/prag.19038.unu
    dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
    -contentType:Journal -contentType:Contributor -contentType:Concept -contentType:Institution
    10
    5
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/prag.19038.unu.html?itemId=/content/journals/10.1075/prag.19038.unu&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Adetunji, Akin
    2013 “The Interactional Context of Humor in Nigerian Stand-up Comedy.” Pragmatics23 (1): 1–22. 10.1075/prag.23.1.01ade
     https://doi.org/10.1075/prag.23.1.01ade [Google Scholar]
  2. Akande, Akinmade T.
    2010 “Is Nigerian Pidgin English English?” Dialectologia et Geolinguistica18 (1): 3–22. 10.1515/dig.2010.001
     https://doi.org/10.1515/dig.2010.001 [Google Scholar]
  3. Akande, Akinmade T., and Oladipo L. Salami
    2010 “Use and Attitudes towards Nigerian Pidgin English among Nigerian University Students.” InMarginal Dialects: Scotland, Ireland and Beyond, ed. byRobert McColl Millar, 70–89. Aberdeen: Forum for Research on the Languages of Scotland and Ireland.
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Anchimbe, Eric, and Richard Janney
    2011 “Postcolonial Pragmatics: An Introduction.” Journal of Pragmatics43 (6): 1451–1459. 10.1016/j.pragma.2010.10.027
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2010.10.027 [Google Scholar]
  5. Andersen, Gisle
    2014 “Pragmatic Borrowing.” Journal of Pragmatics67:17–33. 10.1016/j.pragma.2014.03.005
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2014.03.005 [Google Scholar]
  6. Agbo, Ogechi, and Plag Ingo
    2017 “Is there a Nigerian Pidgin: Nigerian English Continuum? An Empirical Study of Copula Constructions in ICE- Nigeria.” Eleventh Creolistics Workshop: Assessing Old Assumptions New Insights on the Dynamics of Contact Languages. University of Gießen, Germany, 23 to 25 March 2017.
     [Google Scholar]
  7. Aijmer, Karin
    2013 Understanding Pragmatic Markers: A Variational Pragmatic Approach. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  8. Anthony, Lawrence
    2015 AntConc (Version 3.4.4) [Computer Software]. Tokyo: Waseda University. www.laurenceanthony.net/. AccessedAugust 10, 2015.
  9. Balteiro, Isabel
    2018 “Oh wait: English Pragmatic Markers in Spanish Football Chatspeak.” Journal of Pragmatics133: 123–133. 10.1016/j.pragma.2018.03.011
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2018.03.011 [Google Scholar]
  10. BBC News Pidgin
    BBC News Pidgin 2019 https://www.bbc.com/pidgin. AccessedAugust 22, 2019.
  11. Biber, Douglas, and Shelley Staples
    2014 “Variation in the Realisation of Stance Adverbials.” InSpoken Corpora and Linguistic Studies, ed. byTommaso Raso, and Heliana Mello, 271–294. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/scl.61.10bib
     https://doi.org/10.1075/scl.61.10bib [Google Scholar]
  12. Blakemore, Diane
    2002 Relevance and Linguistic Meaning: The Semantics and Pragmatics of Discourse Markers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511486456
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511486456 [Google Scholar]
  13. Boas, Hans C., and Hunter Weilbacher
    2007 “How Universal Is the Pragmatic Detachability Scale? Evidence from Texas German Discourse Markers.” InThe Proceedings of the Texas Linguistic Society IX Conference: The Morphosyntax of Underrepresented Languages, ed. byFrederic Hoyt, Nikki Seifert, Alexandra Teodorescu, and Jessica White, 33–58. Stanford: CSLI Publications.
     [Google Scholar]
  14. Brinton, Laurel
    1996 Pragmatic Markers in English: Grammaticalisation and Discourse Functions. New York: Mouto de Gruyter. 10.1515/9783110907582
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110907582 [Google Scholar]
  15. Buysse, Lieven
    2012 “‘So’ as a Multifunctional Discourse Marker in Native and Learner Speech.” Journal of Pragmatics44 (13): 1764–1782. 10.1016/j.pragma.2012.08.012
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2012.08.012 [Google Scholar]
  16. Chiluwa, Innocent
    2013 “West African English in Digital Discourse.” Covenant Journal of Language Studies1(1): 42–61.
     [Google Scholar]
  17. Davies, Mark, and Robert Fuchs
    2015 “Expanding Horizons in the Study of World Englishes with the 1.9 billion Word Global Web-based English Corpus (GloWbE).” English World-Wide36 (1): 1–28. 10.1075/eww.36.1.01dav
     https://doi.org/10.1075/eww.36.1.01dav [Google Scholar]
  18. de Klerk, Vivian
    2005 “Expressing Levels of Intensity in Xhosa English”. English World-Wide26: 77–95. 10.1075/eww.26.1.04dek
     https://doi.org/10.1075/eww.26.1.04dek [Google Scholar]
  19. Deuber, Dagmar
    2005 Nigerian Pidgin in Lagos: Language Contact, Variation and Change in an African Urban Setting. London: Battlebridge.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Eberhard, David M., Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig
    (eds.) 2019 Ethnologue: Languages of the World (22nd edn). Texas: SIL International. www.ethnologue.com. AccessedJune 21, 2019.
     [Google Scholar]
  21. Elugbe, Ben O., and Augusta P. Omamor
    1991 Nigerian Pidgin: Background and Prospects. Ibadan: Heinemann Educational Books (Nigeria) PLC.
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Faraclas, Nicholas
    1996 Nigerian Pidgin. London: Routledge.
     [Google Scholar]
  23. 2008 “Nigerian Pidgin English: Morphology and Syntax.” InVarieties of English: Africa, South and Southeast Asia (vol4) ed. byRajend Mesthrie, 340–367. London: Mouton de Gruyter.
     [Google Scholar]
  24. 2013 “Nigerian Pidgin.” InThe Survey of Pidgin and Creole Languages (vol1), ed. byMichaelis, Susanne Maria, Philippe Maurer, Martin Haspelmath and Magnus Huber, 176–184. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  25. Ferrara, Kathleen W.
    1997 “Form and Function of the Discourse Marker Anyway: Implications for Discourse Analysis.” Linguistics35: 343–378. 10.1515/ling.1997.35.2.343
     https://doi.org/10.1515/ling.1997.35.2.343 [Google Scholar]
  26. Fraser, Bruce
    1996 “Pragmatic Markers.” Pragmatics6: 167–190. 10.1075/prag.6.2.03fra
     https://doi.org/10.1075/prag.6.2.03fra [Google Scholar]
  27. 2009 An Account of Discourse Markers. International Review of Pragmatics1 (2):293–320. 10.1163/187730909X12538045489818
     https://doi.org/10.1163/187730909X12538045489818 [Google Scholar]
  28. Fuchs, Robert, Ulrike Gut, and Taiwo Soneye
    2013 “‘We Just Don’t Even Know’: The Usage of the Pragmatic Focus Particles Even and Still in Nigerian English”. English World-Wide34: 123–145. 10.1075/eww.34.2.01fuc
     https://doi.org/10.1075/eww.34.2.01fuc [Google Scholar]
  29. Gilquin, Gaetanelle
    2015 “At the Interface of Contact Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition Research: New Englishes and Learner Englishes Compared.” English World-Wide36 (1): 91–124. 10.1075/eww.36.1.05gil
     https://doi.org/10.1075/eww.36.1.05gil [Google Scholar]
  30. Greenbaum, Sidney
    1991 “ICE: The International Corpus of English.” English Today7: 3–7. 10.1017/S0266078400005836
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266078400005836 [Google Scholar]
  31. Gupta, Anthea F.
    2006 “Epistemic Modalities and the Discourse Particles of Singapore.” InApproaches to Discourse Particles, ed. byKerstin Fischer, 243–264. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
     [Google Scholar]
  32. Gut, Ulrike and Foluke O. Unuabonah
    2019 “The Use of Stance Markers in West African Englishes.” InCorpus Linguistics and African Englishes, ed. byAlexandra U. Esimaje, Ulrike Gut & Bassey E. Antia, 206–229. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/scl.88.10gut
     https://doi.org/10.1075/scl.88.10gut [Google Scholar]
  33. Heyd, Theresa
    2014 “Doing Race and Ethnicity in a Digital Community: Lexical Labels and Narratives of Belonging in a Nigerian Web Forum.” Discourse, Context and Media4 (5): 38–47. 10.1016/j.dcm.2013.11.002
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcm.2013.11.002 [Google Scholar]
  34. Ihemere, Kelechukwu
    2006 “A Basic Description and Analytic Treatment of Noun Clauses in Nigerian Pidgin.” Nordic Journal of African Studies15 (30): 296–313.
     [Google Scholar]
  35. Isingoma, Bebwa
    2016 “Lexical Borrowings and Calques in Ugandan English.” InUgandan English: Its Sociolinguistics, Structure and Uses in a Globalising Post-protectorate, ed. byChristiane Meierkord, Bebwa Isingoma, and Saudah Namyalo, 149–172. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/veaw.g59.07isi
     https://doi.org/10.1075/veaw.g59.07isi [Google Scholar]
  36. Jibril, Munzali
    1995 “The Elaboration of the Functions of Nigerian Pidgin.” InNew Englishes: A West African Perspective, ed. byAyo Bamgbose, Ayo Banjo, and Andrew Thomas, 232–247. Ibadan: Mosuro Publishers and Booksellers.
     [Google Scholar]
  37. Jowitt, David
    2019 Nigerian English. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
     [Google Scholar]
  38. Kemmer, Suzanne
    2008 “Abeg.” The Rice University Neologisms Database. https://neologisms.rice.edu/index.php?a=term&d=1&t=2840. AccessedSeptember 17, 2019.
     [Google Scholar]
  39. Kperogi, Farooq A.
    2015 Glocal English: The Changing Face and Forms of Nigerian English in a Global World. New York: Peter Lang. 10.3726/978‑1‑4539‑1494‑6
     https://doi.org/10.3726/978-1-4539-1494-6 [Google Scholar]
  40. Lange, Claudia
    2009 “‘Where’s the party yaar!’ Discourse Particles in Indian English.” InWorld Englishes Problems, Properties and Prospects, ed. byThomas Hoffmann, and Lucia Siebers, 207–226. Benjamins: Amsterdam. 10.1075/veaw.g40.14lan
     https://doi.org/10.1075/veaw.g40.14lan [Google Scholar]
  41. Leimgruber, Jakob R. E.
    2016 “Bah in Singapore English.” World Englishes35 (1): 78–97. 10.1111/weng.12175
     https://doi.org/10.1111/weng.12175 [Google Scholar]
  42. Lenk, Uta
    1998 “Discourse Markers and Global Coherence in Conversation.” Journal of Pragmatics30 (2): 245–257. 10.1016/S0378‑2166(98)00027‑7
     https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-2166(98)00027-7 [Google Scholar]
  43. Loureiro-Porto, L.
    2017 “ICE vs GloWbE: Big Data and Corpus Compilation.” World Englishes36 (3): 448–470. 10.1111/weng.12281
     https://doi.org/10.1111/weng.12281 [Google Scholar]
  44. Mair, Christian
    2015 “Response to Davies and Fuchs.” English World-Wide36 (1): 29–33. 10.1075/eww.36.1.02mai
     https://doi.org/10.1075/eww.36.1.02mai [Google Scholar]
  45. Mensah, Eyo O.
    2011 “Lexicalization in Nigerian Pidgin.” Concentric: Studies in Linguistics37(2): 209–240.
     [Google Scholar]
  46. Mukherjee, Joybrato
    2015 “Response to Davies and Fuchs.” English World-Wide36 (1): 34–37. 10.1075/eww.36.1.02muk
     https://doi.org/10.1075/eww.36.1.02muk [Google Scholar]
  47. Nelson, Gerald
    2015 “Response to Davies and Fuchs.” English World-Wide36 (1): 38–40. 10.1075/eww.36.1.02nel
     https://doi.org/10.1075/eww.36.1.02nel [Google Scholar]
  48. Norrick, Neal
    2015 “Interjections.” InCorpus Pragmatics: A Handbook, ed. byKarin Aijmer & Christoph Rühlemann, 249–273. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9781139057493.013
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139057493.013 [Google Scholar]
  49. Oladipupo, Rotimi O., and Foluke O. Unuabonah
    2020 “Extended Discourse-pragmatic Usage of Now in Nigerian English.” World Englishes, 1–19. doi:  10.1111/weng.12492
     https://doi.org/10.1111/weng.12492 [Google Scholar]
  50. Oyebola, Folajimi, and Ifeoluwa Abidoye
    2018 “Number Marking in BBC Pidgin”. EKSU Journal of Linguistics3(1): 34–45.
     [Google Scholar]
  51. Peters, Pam
    2015 “Response to Davies and Fuchs.” English World-Wide36 (1): 41–44. 10.1075/eww.36.1.02pet
     https://doi.org/10.1075/eww.36.1.02pet [Google Scholar]
  52. Rühlemann, Christoph, and Karin Aijmer
    2015 “Corpus Pragmatics: Laying the Foundations.” InCorpus Pragmatics: A Handbook, ed. byKarin Aijmer, and Christoph Rühlemann, 1–28. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9781139057493.001
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139057493.001 [Google Scholar]
  53. Schiffrin, Deborah
    1987 Discourse Markers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511611841
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511611841 [Google Scholar]
  54. Tay, Li Cha, Yuit Chan Mei, Thai Yap Ngee, Eng Wong Bee
    2016 “Discourse Particles in Malaysian English: What do they Mean?” Bijdragen tot Taal-, Land-Volkenkunde172: 479–509. 10.1163/22134379‑17204002
     https://doi.org/10.1163/22134379-17204002 [Google Scholar]
  55. The Guardian
    The Guardian. “AFCON 2019 Match Commentary to be Broadcast in Pidgin on DStv, GOtv.” The Guardian. June19 2019 https://guardian.ng/sport/afcon-2019-match-commentary-to-be-broadcast-in-pidgin-on-dstv-gotv/. AccessedAugust 22, 2019.
  56. Traugott, Elizabeth C.
    2010 “(Inter)subjectivity and (Inter)subjectification: A Reassessment.” InSubjectification, intersubjectification and grammaticalisation, ed. byK. Davidse, L. Vandelanotte, and H. Cuyckens, 29–75. Berlin: de Gruyter. 10.1515/9783110226102.1.29
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110226102.1.29 [Google Scholar]
  57. United Nations
    United Nations 2019 Population of Nigeria. Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. New York: United Nations.
     [Google Scholar]
  58. Unuabonah, Foluke O., and Ulrike Gut
    2018 “Commentary Pragmatic Markers in Nigerian English.” English World-Wide39 (2): 193–213. 10.1075/eww.00010.unu
     https://doi.org/10.1075/eww.00010.unu [Google Scholar]
  59. Unuabonah, Foluke O., and Rotimi O. Oladipupo
    2018 ““You’re Not Staying in Island Sha O”: O, Sha and Abi as Pragmatic Markers in Nigerian English.” Journal of Pragmatics135: 8–23. 10.1016/j.pragma.2018.07.007
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2018.07.007 [Google Scholar]
  60. 2020 “Bilingual Pragmatic Markers in Nigerian English.” World Englishes: 1–17. doi:  10.1111/weng.12453
     https://doi.org/10.1111/weng.12453 [Google Scholar]
  61. Unuabonah, Foluke O., and Florence O. Daniel
    2020 “Haba! Bilingual Interjections in Nigerian English.” Journal of Pragmatics163: 66–77. 10.1016/j.pragma.2020.04.004
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2020.04.004 [Google Scholar]
  62. Wunder, Eva-Maria, Holger Voormann, and Ulrike Gut
    2010 “The ICE Nigeria Corpus Project: Creating an Open, Rich and Accurate Corpus.” ICAME Journal34: 78–88.
     [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1075/prag.19038.unu
Loading
“Abeg na! we write so our comments can be posted!”
Pragmatics 31, 455 (2021); https://doi.org/10.1075/prag.19038.unu
/content/journals/10.1075/prag.19038.unu
/content/journals/10.1075/prag.19038.unu
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): corpus pragmatics; global web-based English; international corpus of English; Nigerian English; Nigerian Pidgin; postcolonial pragmatics; pragmatic borrowing

Most Cited

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error