Do they speak pidgin in Nigeria?
Nigerian Pidgin is commonly used throughout the country, but it has not been granted official status. Pidgin breaks the communication barrier between different ethnic groups and it is widely spoken throughout Nigeria.
Why do Nigerians speak pidgin English?
Nigerian Pidgin English (NPE), originated as a lingua franca for trade purposes amongst the Nigerians and the Portuguese merchants during the 17th century. It is broken English like Patois and Creole, spoken along the coast of West Africa and it has extended to the diaspora, due to Nigerian migrants.
Who brought pidgin language to Nigeria?
The origins of Nigerian Pidgin English lie historically in trade contact between the British and local people in the seventeenth century. It is part of a continuum of English Pidgins and Creoles spoken other West-African countries such as Cameroon, Sierra Leone and Ghana.
How is Nigerian Pidgin different from English?
English is the official language and serves prestigious functions as the language of the government, education, media etc in Nigeria. Nigerian Pidgin, on the other hand, is a contact Language that originated in Nigeria as a result of European contact with local languages, mostly through trade transactions.
How do you say yes in Nigerian pidgin?
”No wahala” is the pidgin expression used for confirmation or approval. When someone says “No wahala”, it could mean “Yes” or “No problem”.
Which country owns pidgin English?
Pidgin English is the lingua franca in Nigeria, where more than 300 languages are spoken, according to Francesco Goglia, a researcher at the University of Manchester. A hybrid of English and local languages, it traces its roots to the Atlantic slave trade in the 17th century.
Is pidgin easy to learn?
Pidgin and Creole are relatively easy languages to learn. These are created by adults who already have a first language, in a situation where there is no common language already available and no opportunity for formal learning. They have relatively small vocabularies and a minimum of grammatical rules.
What does Na so mean in pidgin?
It is so
Na so/Na so? This means ‘It is so’ or ‘I concur/ is that so? ‘No be so’ means ‘It is not so.
How popular is Nigerian Pidgin?
Even though Pidgin hasn’t got the official status of a recognised language anywhere, it’s widely spoken across West Africa. Between three and five million Nigerians use it as their first language, while a further 75 million have it as their second language.
Who owns Pidgin English?
It originated as a language of commerce between British and African slave traders during the period of the transatlantic slave trade. As of 2017, about 75 million people in Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana and Equatorial Guinea used the language….
| West African Pidgin English | |
|---|---|
| Glottolog | west2851 |
| IETF | cpe-011 |
What does Abi mean in Nigerian?
Abi, shey or ba are slang that act sort of like punctuation. They are mostly used for confirmation after a statement, thereby turning it into a question. They are like the English “right?” E.g. “You are coming for my party, abi/shey/ba?”