Syntactic innovation processes in Nigerian English.(LINGUISTICS)

Publication: Studia Anglica Posnaniensia: international review of English Studies

Publication Date: 01-JAN-06

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COPYRIGHT 2006 Adam Mickiewicz University

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the syntactic features of Nigerian English which have been created through the following processes--the use of subjectless sentences, reduplication, double subjects, Pidgin-influenced structures, discourse particles, verbless sentences, and substitution. It observes that the fact that some features of Nigerian English syntax are shared by other new Englishes is a healthy development for the identity of non-native varieties around the world. It finally recommends the codification of the new norms into variety-specific grammars and a common grammar of new Englishes.

1. Introduction

The documentation of the various features of world Englishes has continued to attract the attention of the linguistic scholar. Like other varieties of non-native Englishes, West African English (WAE) has received considerable attention (see, for example, Spencer 1971; Sey 1973; Bamgbose--Banjo--Thomas 1995; Wolf 2001; Igboanusi 2002a). However, not much has been published on the syntax of WAE in general and that of Nigerian English (NE) in particular. The general belief is that grammatical features of national varieties of WAE are not exclusive, and can also be found in other varieties of New Englishes (cf. Peter--Wolf--Simo Bobda 2003: 44). For example, some scholars (notably Todd 1982; Bamgbose 1992; Bamiro 1995) observe that most of the syntactic patterns in educated WAE are similar to those of other new Englishes. However, Todd identifies the following syntactic variations of WAE: the indiscriminate use of the tag questions isn't it/not so? as in it doesn't matter, not so/isn't it?; differences in the use of some phrasal verbs, e.g. cope up with for 'cope with'; failure to sometimes distinguish between countable and non-countable nouns (e.g. an advice, firewoods, behaviors). Bamiro's (1995) study on the syntactic variation of WAE was a more comprehensive investigation than earlier studies on the subject matter. Using data from creative literature, Bamiro identifies the following variations: subjectless sentences, e.g. Is because she's a street walker for 'It is because ...?'; deletion of-ly morpheme in manner adjuncts, e.g. Send patrol van to pick her up quick (quickly); omission of function words, e.g. You say truth ('... the truth'); reduplication, e.g. Slowly, slowly the canoe moved like the walk of an oM man (gradually); formation of interrogatives without changing the position of subject and auxiliary items, e.g. You've decided finally then? ('Have you finally decided then?'); tag questions, e.g. You are writing a paper about our organization, not so? ('Isn't it?'); the use of the progressive aspect with mental processes, e.g. Do you know what I am hearing? ('Do you know what I hear these days?'); non-distinctive use of reciprocal pronouns, e.g. The captains (seven of them) looked at each other somewhat perplexed ('one another'); substitution of preposition in idiomatic usage, e.g. That is why they have dragged the good name of my father, Joshua, son of Fagbola in the mud ('through'); focus constructions, e.g. You are a funny man, you this man.

With regard to NE, Banjo (1995: 217) observes that "empirical contrastive study of the syntax of Nigerian and British English goes back to the era of error analysis and contrastive linguistics" (e.g. the works of Tomori 1967; Banjo 1969; Odumuh 1981; Kujore 1985). Further works on the syntax of NE are found in Odumuh (1987); Jowitt (1991); Bamgbose (1992); Kujore (1995) and Banjo (1995). For example, Odumuh (1987: 60-65) identifies some "typical variations between British English and Nigerian English as spoken by tertiary educated informants". Some of his examples include:

1) They enjoyed for BE 'They enjoyed themselves' (enjoyed occurs intransitively in NE structure while it is usually transitive in BE);

2) He pregnanted her for BE 'He made her pregnant' (while NE structure uses pregnanted as a verb, the word pregnant occurs in BE as an adjective);

3) You like that, isn't it? for BE 'You like that, don't you?' (in BE, while the negative question tag is always determined by the verb, it is often represented in NE by isn't it?);

4) Give me meat for BE 'Give me some meat' (omission of article in NE structure but not in BE structure);

5) I...

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