Babawillyentertainment.com
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CONTACT: Dr Wilson Orhiunu P O Box 12835 Sutton Coldfield Birmingham B73 9ED
By Dr Wilson Orhiunu
(Babawilly)
This dictionary is aimed at those intending to understand - Pidgin English. It is not meant to be an academic text and the list of references at the end of the book is a good beginning for those interested in linguistic studies.
In resent times, with the growth of the Nigerian diaspora world wide, there has been an amount of soul searching as to what being Nigerian is all about, especially for those born outside Nigeria. This has lead to a growing appetite for cultural exports from the motherland.
Music (Lagbaja, Femi Kuti, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Tu Face), Nollywood films, Comedy shows (Nite of a thousand laughs), Nigerian Web sites and literary works, all in some way help reveal aspects of ‘Naija’ culture.
And of course there is the ‘home sick exile’ who wants to escape into the Nigeria in his mind.
Most of the media mentioned above have references to pidgin English, impossible to understand without a dictionary for none Nigerians.
This book will also be useful to foreigners contemplating trips to Nigeria, teachers of Nigerian students, embassies and various government and private organizations wanting a grasp of Nigerian culture.
Entries have been selected based on frequency of usage in daily speech and in written forms, such as in newspaper articles, literary works, song lyrics and internet write ups.
Definition
A pidgin language is one made up of elements of two or more languages. In Nigeria, due to the great diversity in languages spoken, the pidgin in turn varies in different parts of the country.
This book is most representative of ‘Lagos pidgin English’.
History of Pidgin English in Nigeria
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to make contact with Africans in the Niger Delta around mid fifteenth century . They traded in slaves and one could assume a form of pidgin developed to aid their business transactions.
From the beginning of the 17th century onwards the British became the main business partners of coastal peoples also dealing in slaves.
By 1807 when Slavery was abolished the trade in palm oil was encouraged with aim of supplying Britain with raw materials for her growing industries.The discovery of the mouth of the River Niger by the Richard brothers in 1830 opened up the interior for European traders.
With time the level of trade increased and merchants began to venture inland as far as Lokoja.
British Christian missionaries began to appear around 1842. They had as helpers freed slaves from Sierra Leone who acted as assistants and interpreters. The missionaries built churches, schools and hospitals starting on the coast and moving inland.
(Babawilly)
This dictionary is aimed at those intending to understand - Pidgin English. It is not meant to be an academic text and the list of references at the end of the book is a good beginning for those interested in linguistic studies.
In resent times, with the growth of the Nigerian diaspora world wide, there has been an amount of soul searching as to what being Nigerian is all about, especially for those born outside Nigeria. This has lead to a growing appetite for cultural exports from the motherland.
Music (Lagbaja, Femi Kuti, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Tu Face), Nollywood films, Comedy shows (Nite of a thousand laughs), Nigerian Web sites and literary works, all in some way help reveal aspects of ‘Naija’ culture.
And of course there is the ‘home sick exile’ who wants to escape into the Nigeria in his mind.
Most of the media mentioned above have references to pidgin English, impossible to understand without a dictionary for none Nigerians.
This book will also be useful to foreigners contemplating trips to Nigeria, teachers of Nigerian students, embassies and various government and private organizations wanting a grasp of Nigerian culture.
Entries have been selected based on frequency of usage in daily speech and in written forms, such as in newspaper articles, literary works, song lyrics and internet write ups.
Definition
A pidgin language is one made up of elements of two or more languages. In Nigeria, due to the great diversity in languages spoken, the pidgin in turn varies in different parts of the country.
This book is most representative of ‘Lagos pidgin English’.
History of Pidgin English in Nigeria
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to make contact with Africans in the Niger Delta around mid fifteenth century . They traded in slaves and one could assume a form of pidgin developed to aid their business transactions.
From the beginning of the 17th century onwards the British became the main business partners of coastal peoples also dealing in slaves.
By 1807 when Slavery was abolished the trade in palm oil was encouraged with aim of supplying Britain with raw materials for her growing industries.The discovery of the mouth of the River Niger by the Richard brothers in 1830 opened up the interior for European traders.
With time the level of trade increased and merchants began to venture inland as far as Lokoja.
British Christian missionaries began to appear around 1842. They had as helpers freed slaves from Sierra Leone who acted as assistants and interpreters. The missionaries built churches, schools and hospitals starting on the coast and moving inland.
Introduction
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