I see Español words like "se una" which means " I know a..."
I see weird words like "na wa o"

I also see people say things like "am fine" instead of "I am fine". I see all kinds of words spelled in retarded ways here.
Are you native English speakers?

Since you get the meaning of what they said, what is all the fuss about?

Jean Macqou: I see Español words like "se una" which means " I know a..."
I see weird words like "na wa o"

I also see people say things like "am fine" instead of "I am fine". I see all kinds of words spelled in retarded ways here.
Are you native English speakers?

Dude, get a life.

Jean Macqou: I see Español words like "se una" which means " I know a..."
I see weird words like "na wa o"

I also see people say things like "am fine" instead of "I am fine". I see all kinds of words spelled in retarded ways here.
Are you native English speakers?

Google up: "pidgin english"

www.nairaland.com/1638

what does "na wo o" mean?

Sorry for the angry attitude, I had to get your attention.

Now what intrigues me is that the grammar mistakes I see are one that spanish and french speaker would make.
Did Nigeria use to speak spanish or french?


For example. A spanish person would say estoy bien literally (am fine). There is no need to say I am fine (Yo estoy bien)
Here I see some post that just say "am fine"

Jean Macqou: what does "na wo o" mean?

means "what a wonder" or Wonderful, Stupendous, etc.

Did you check up Google and the url i dropped up there?

Jean Macqou, why does it matter? If you understand what's being said, who cares how someone spells a word? Get out of here with the "proper English" nonsense. Who are you anyway?

@OP,na wao means 'e get as e be' or 'e get k-leg'.all join.

What does 'na wao' mean where u come from?English is not our mother/native tongue so excuse our typos.

@OP,are you a 'Ninglish' speaker yourself or are you a really sloooow learner like us all,as you pointed out?

Mgbo,what in English's name is this "Are you guys native English speakers,i dont know what "your" saying" !
Your,Yourer,Yourest!!!

@OP,are you a 'Ninglish' speaker yourself or are you a really sloooow learner like us all,as you pointed out?

Mgbo,what in English's name is this "Are you guys native English speakers,i dont know what "your" saying"
Your,Yourer,Yourest!!!

^^ LMAO

Those expressions you observed are not the standard English spoken/written in formal setting. It's a 'loosed' form of English called pidgin English like one poster rightly pointed out. I found out a couple of years while studying french that it was pretty much modeled in structure like french(most likely from the influence of Nigeria's francophone neighbours. For instance, I pondered why 'je ne sais pas'(french) and ' i no sabi'(pidgin English) were so similar in structure. My instructor once warned me that if I want to learn french, I should stay away from using the English language to study it. But on the contrary, I found it so easy learning french using pidgin English as a guide.

If i become 9ja presido, i go legalize pidgin engrish... I no knw why we go dey leave our mama language come go carry person own.

Those expressions you observed are not the standard English spoken/written in formal setting. It's a 'loosed' form of English called pidgin English like one poster rightly pointed out. I found out a couple of years while studying french that it was pretty much modeled in structure like french(most likely from the influence of Nigeria's francophone neighbours. For instance, I pondered why 'je ne sais pas'(french) and ' i no sabi'(pidgin English) were so similar in structure. My instructor once warned me that if I want to learn french, I should stay away from using the English language to study it. But on the contrary, I found it so easy learning french using pidgin English as a guide.

More likely influence from Portuguese. Portuguese and French are both Romance/Neo-Latin languages while English is a Germanic language.

@ OP

"se una" is actually "see una". See is proper English while "una" is "you." So it means "see you" or "see you (all)."


"Am fine" instead of "I'm fine" is just terrible grammar.

No African countries are native European Language speakers except maybe Angola, Cape Verde and Mozambique. Other than that, French and English are mainly colonial languages used in African countries. We have our own ethnic languages which we are very proud of like Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Fulfulde, etc. etc.

Fulaman198: No African countries are native European Language speakers except maybe Angola, Cape Verde and Mozambique. Other than that, French and English are mainly colonial languages used in African countries. We have our own ethnic languages which we are very proud of like Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Fulfulde, etc. etc.

But those languages don't even have an alphabet and they are not written. You people use letters from the latin alphabet in phrases like "na wa O"
Why do people use a language doesn't have its own written form?

But those languages don't even have an alphabet and they are not written. You people use letters from the latin alphabet in phrases like "na wa O"
Why do people use a language doesn't have its own written form?

1. Those languages have alphabets that have been developed. For Igbo and Yoruba, alphabets were developed following colonization, although Yoruba has been once or twice written in an ajami script prior to colonization. Hausa and Fulfulde have been written in an ajami script prior to colonization as well.

2. For the record, the "Latin alphabet" is just a modified version/reproduction/alteration of the Phoenician alphabet, which derives from the Proto-Sinaitic script, which itself originates from Egyptian hieroglyphs. So the "Western world", the "Islamic world", the "African world" and South Asia (India, Pakistan, etc.) are all really writing in different forms of corrupted Egyptian symbols.

3. Why are you using English when English doesn't have its own written form and instead relies on the script of a dead civilization (Phoenicia via ancient Egypt) for its symbols? This comment of yours is not a valid objection/criticism.

what does "ooo" mean?

what is "yansh"

what is "walhala"

TisaBone: what does "ooo" mean?

= Used to stress or lay emphasis on a sentence, especially when warning

what is "yansh"

= bum bum, or to copu late

what is "wahala"

= trouble

thot u were Nigerian?

lol no sir. i've made it quite clear on several occasions that im AA

TisaBone: lol no sir. i've made it quite clear on several occasions that im AA

lol, ok then, issorait!

If i may ask, why the interest in Nigeria and Nigerians?

Same goes to Jean.

yamakuza:

lol, ok then, issorait!

If i may ask, why the interest in Nigeria and Nigerians?

Same goes to Jean.

not too long ago, I had a conversation with a very nice man from Zimbabwe. I was curious about him, and wanted to talk to him, so I started up a conversation. We talked about a lot of things, and of his home, and he showed me pictures of his family, etc. He wanted to know whether all AA's thought that Africans swung from banana trees. I laughed because I was ashamed to admit that far too many thought that. I asked him was it true that Africans hated AA's and thought we were all welfare queens and thugs. It occurred to e that we were both absolutely clueless about the other. Our only common bond was the color of our skin.

But this is not our fault. Divide and Conquer is the ploy that white people have been using to separate the black race, sowing seeds of contention and confusion, dividing and conquering all of us. If knew just how great we were, BLACKS would once again rule this beautiful earth, as is really the natural order. But all blacks must unite for this to happen. No matter the language or cultural barriers put into place.

I love my AA roots, and acknowledge that to be an African and an African American is not the same thing. But I feel there is much to be learned from one another, and we all stand to benefit by using this forum as a cultural exchange. Whenever NL'ers have questions about AA's I am more than happy to oblige, and answer them to the best of my ability. The white man's lies have kept up apart for far too long.

^ Hmmn, thanks for the exposé. Guess u've traced your roots to Badagry and not Zim, huh?

Lol@ swinging from trees. Never knew AAs thought that too. Thot twas only the whites.

yamakuza: ^ Hmmn, thanks for the exposé. Guess u've traced your roots to[b] Badagry and not Zim, huh?[/b]

Lol@ swinging from trees. Never knew AAs thought that too. Thot twas only the whites.

what do you mean. explain this to me please.

TisaBone:


what do you mean. explain this to me please.

u spoke to a Zimbabwean, and then joined a Nigerian forum?

I assumed you chose Nigeria over Zimbabwe because you've managed to trace your roots here.

Badagry is the Nigerian port where "Kunta Kinte left Africa" from.

lol it has only been a couple of weeks since i met my new Zimbabwean friend. i have been on nairaland for about 5 mos.

Jean Macqou:

But those languages don't even have an alphabet and they are not written. You people use letters from the latin alphabet in phrases like "na wa O"
Why do people use a language doesn't have its own written form?

What are you saying? Yes they do, who told you that? Tamasheq language for example Tiffnagh alphabet, Fulfulde and Hausa use Ajami, Igbo from what I hear has Ndebe script, Yoruba has a script, I forget what it is called. Are you European or something?

Like my good friend PhysicsQED has said a lot of Nigerian languages (African languages in general) in countries in the Western Sahel use a form of hieroglyphics like in Ancient Egypt. Igbo language from what I heard has A LOT of similarities to Ancient Egyptian language, like Tamasheq language (language of the Touaregs) using Tiffnagh, Hausa/Fulfulde using Ajami, or the Vai script of Liberia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vai_syllabary) Vai looks VERY similar to hieroglyphics in Ancient Egypt.

So many people are so clueless about Africa it's so funny.