I seem to get confused when Nigerians refer to the word "sigh" as being one or two different oral/nasal activities. I really am.

The Merridien Webster refers to it as
" sigh/sī/Verb: Emit a long, deep, audible breath expressing sadness, relief, or tiredness

Noun:A long, deep, audible exhalation expressing sadness, relief, tiredness, or a similar feeling"

But oftentimes Nigerians especially on NL refer to the traditional salivery sucking sound made by the lips, teeth and tongue as sighing I.e. the sound recently represented as " mtchew" on social fora. Some even refer to it as "hissing".

However, I know the movies etc I'v watched tend to agree with the dictionary meaning above. Or do we have our own African pattern of sighing or even signing as some prefer to call it?

It'd be appreciated if someone'd help to throw more light on this issue which I think most Nigerians esp. on NL have fallen into a painful albeit ignorant misaprehension of!

Lol. It's true. Many persons mistake a sigh for a hiss. Writers especially should take note of the difference.