Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / New
Stats: 3,157,927 members, 7,835,091 topics. Date: Tuesday, 21 May 2024 at 03:49 AM

Should Nigerians Be Proud Of Speaking Pidgin English? - Culture (5) - Nairaland

Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Culture / Should Nigerians Be Proud Of Speaking Pidgin English? (14159 Views)

15 Reasons You Should Be Proud To Be A Nigerian(pics) / Nigerian Pidgin English And Their Meanings / Igbo Kwenu ! Kwenu Kwezo Nu ! Join Us If You Proud To Be An Igbo Guy/lady (2) (3) (4)

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (Reply) (Go Down)

Re: Should Nigerians Be Proud Of Speaking Pidgin English? by MrWhy1(m): 1:24am On Sep 22, 2011
is that your best come back line? Huh

show me where i made igbo supremacist remarks? U will be forever daft i swear.

na u com go school abi? When u no sabi simple history, Daftington u are

Then here u are using the "n" word to sound cool? Undecided Read a book negroid


You are the one who need to read a book. Because you do not know the word negroid carries a negative connotation. It was coined by Racist theorists.

According to a Medical journal , "Even in a medical context, some scholars have recommended that the term Negroid be avoided in scientific writings because of its association with racism and race science".

You think you are smart. But you are nothing but a Chump.
Re: Should Nigerians Be Proud Of Speaking Pidgin English? by Nobody: 1:35am On Sep 22, 2011
omo_to_dun:
Ogugua, Americans speak English. There is no language called American. There are no words like "gooder" and "stupider". You cannot generalize street terms to all of America. I live in Pasadena, in California, and no one speaks like that. Maybe, it's because I live around educated folks. Even when I am on break and I go back to the hood, I have never heard "gooder" nor "stupider". Yes, I have heard the phrase, "you got beat", but it is grammatically incorrect and no educated American would use that phrase in his or her sentences. Each country that speaks English has her own distinct phrases and terms that the indigenes have added to the language; however, the base language is still English and it is sometimes prefixed---British English, American English, Canadian English---to distinguish it from others simply because of spelling discrepancies. Have you ever heard anyone speaking Canadian or British? No. Neither have I.

blakmonsta:
Omo to dun, you are sweet like honey. I gbadun you with igbadun to gbona felifeli, you are the true daughter of your mother, a lone princess in a sea of cuccarachas!

<monstaApproval> the MONSTA approves </monstaApproval>

Go tell that to my Cultural Anthropology professor, who played for us, the documentary about the "American" language, which was compiled by other anthropologists, linguists, and historians. You live in Pasadena, I was raised in Sacramento and lived in Riverside. There's no difference. People in Pasadena say stupider, trust me. "You got beat" is not subjected to only those without education. Commentators and politicians have said it. I wouldn't say these things if I never heard it. If I find the name of the documentary, I will make sure to give you the title. Being educated does not equivocate to speaking proper English. Example? George W. Bush.

-----

Blakmonsta, since you used wikipedia as a credible source, let me use it as well.

The American Language, written in 1919 about the English Language as spoken in the United States by H.L. Mencken, discussing the variations of the English language by Americans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_American_Language

And secondly, the point I tried to make earlier, American or American English, which is English spoken by Americans. It does exist.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_English
Re: Should Nigerians Be Proud Of Speaking Pidgin English? by igboboy1(m): 2:48am On Sep 22, 2011
Mr--Why:


You are the one who need to read a book. Because you do not know the word negroid carries a negative connotation. It was coined by Racist theorists.

According toe a Medical journal , "Even in a medical context, some scholars have recommended that the term Negroid be avoided in scientific writings because of its association with racism and race science".

You think you are smart. But you are nothing but a Chump.

Chai so u actually had to google the term "negroid". See as you stole line for line from wikipedia , chineke me', apparently u have not heard it before and u had to consult wikipedia, DAFTymus, AKA DAftington, u neva cease to amaze me.

u said according to a medical journal bla bla bla bla, u r a disgrace. what medical journal? dont u know wikipedia is not a scholarly source?

the more u write the more daft u become undecided

Negroid can be used as a dergatory word we know (but u didnt know until u googled it)
It is obvious u heard the word negroid for the first time from my writings, undecided
Re: Should Nigerians Be Proud Of Speaking Pidgin English? by igboboy1(m): 2:52am On Sep 22, 2011
MsDarkSkin:

NUFF SAID! cool cool

and i am ALWAYS proud of my roots! Ignorant imb3ciles like Igbo BOY won't change that! cool
no need to continue arguing with him tho. you'd be better off wasting time watching the 'teletubies' on youtube. tongue
no wonder ur type exhibit a higher rate of adult ret.ard.ation, at your age u are recommending teletubies? U think u are a nwata/baby?

ur mates are busy making pay ur lazy @$$ wants to watch teletubies (thats what my 3 yr old niece watches), I guess ur brain never matured at the same rate as your body, RET>ARD
Re: Should Nigerians Be Proud Of Speaking Pidgin English? by MrWhy1(m): 7:57am On Sep 22, 2011
Chai so u actually had to google the term "negroid". See as you stole line for line from wikipedia , chineke me', apparently u have not heard it before and u had to consult wikipedia, DAFTymus, AKA DAftington, u neva cease to amaze me.

u said according to a medical journal bla bla bla bla, u r a disgrace. what medical journal? dont u know wikipedia is not a scholarly source?


the more u write the more daft u become Undecided

Negroid can be used as a dergatory word we know (but u didnt know until u googled it)
It is obvious u heard the word negroid for the first time from my writings, Undecided

You are a Stupid Nincompoop. You are only good at distorting facts. It is very obvious that you do not know about scientific journals, let alone read them. Don't you know that Wikipedia post huge amount of information from other sources. You Hippopotamus, you only think ONE way.

Hahaa, Idioto the structure of your arguments shows that one cannot learn anything new from you. If you actually knew the meaning of 'negriod', you wouldn't use it in the context that you did. Your brain need restructuring. Narcissist and low life like you.
Re: Should Nigerians Be Proud Of Speaking Pidgin English? by blakmonsta: 12:31pm On Sep 22, 2011
@MsDarkSkin you are terribly confused. "

"Uncle Tom" is such an overused term- nowadays it's just a way for black people to handwave any idea that could actually move them forward and out of their current deplorable condition. Embracing symbols of decreptitude and backwardness do nothing for us.

@Mr WHY, you say you are proud of your roots. Then why do you elevate pidgin english above your own language? Why do you consider pidgin superior to your own language spoken with proper grammar? Also please take note that pidgin is not and has never been your language. It is a broken form of a foreign language. Embracing pidgin does 2 things:

1. It shows that you disdain your own language and want to embrace that of the white man, because "more people understand it"
2. It shows that you want to find a shortcut around the price for your chosen path, which is to educate yourself thoroughly in the foreign language you have chosen. That somehow, you can pretend that broken english is "your own" and thus hide from 2 forms of responsibility at the same time: responsibility to education and responsibility to your origins.

Pidgin is the language of ignorance and illiteracy. It is fun to use to sling insults, make jokes and sing, but its use and significance ends there.

@omo_to_dun: [/b]I agree with almost everything you say. I have a few nits to pick but I wont confuse matters by discussing them here.

[b]@Repubocrat:
You are just like Mr_why, except that unlike him and MsDarkSkin you aren't trying to be hypocritical and are coming out straight- embracing English completely for purely practical reasons. While I agree with you that the queen's English is superior to pidgin by definition and by default, I disagree that we must embrace ANY form of english as our lingua franca.

India is a nation with hundreds of languages, yet Hindi is their national language. To the rest of us, they are just speaking "indian" and that is their national identity. It does not change the fact that they are a former British colony, they transact business in English, and their best scholars speak perfect English in a distinctive accent that radiates class when combined with proper diction.

We *can* rise above our differences and select a national language. One that is easy to understand, easy to speak and WILL provide a national cultural identity, and preserve the best aspects of our heritage.

Although I am Yoruba, I would personally select Hausa to be this language because it is extremely easy to learn and has a HUGE base of speakers in SSA, not only within Nigeria itself. Sadly I know most Southerners would rail against this since we still have a lot of tribalism and animosity- so obviously that will not be the popular choice. Nonetheless I will NOT want the white man's language, standard OR pidgin, to be my lingua franca.

So says the MONSTA.

Hmmm, I also need to insult some people since this is Nairaland.

Whoever thinks I am insulting them, just copypaste this to the appropiate sections: [You are daft, daftington, ret.ard, f0ol, you are a complete idiot, uncle tom, aunty tomilinus, you dirty blockheaded rat, your arse is stinking, what the hell are you smoking, honestly you myst be a f0ol, MY GOD I CANT BELIEVE NAIRALAND IS FULL OF EEDIOTS, you are a dokita, etc etc etc]

1 Like

Re: Should Nigerians Be Proud Of Speaking Pidgin English? by darqly(m): 2:20pm On Sep 22, 2011
Nigeria is too multi-ethnic to adopt any ONE local language without others assuming there's a sinister motive behind it. So all the clamour and false sense of Nationalism for love of our culture and hatred for the 'Imperialist english language' is a grateful waste of time.
we are not india, we are not china, we cannot teach in yoruba because you won't work in yorubaland all your life. lets wake up to reality, even the lousy pidgin some people are shortchanging themselves with, is STIILL ENGLISH! You might as well speak it properly.
Re: Should Nigerians Be Proud Of Speaking Pidgin English? by Nayah(f): 2:28pm On Sep 22, 2011
^^ that's why I talked about International influence, none African countries is politically and economically strong enough to impose his language, and if so Swahili which is the most spoken language in Africa would be put in relieve
Re: Should Nigerians Be Proud Of Speaking Pidgin English? by Nobody: 3:09pm On Sep 22, 2011
Re: Should Nigerians Be Proud Of Speaking Pidgin English? by Nobody: 8:15pm On Sep 22, 2011
omo_to_dun:
@ogugua

Since you are using wikipedia as your source, why not check out this page.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_of_America and see for yourself that the language of the USA is English, on the right pane, not American, but English. Is there a language called Nigerian, simply because we have a Nigerian language?

Please quote one movie, speech, novel, anything where someone asked, "Do you speak American?" Or, "I am speaking American." Once again, none. The phrase has always been, "Do you speak English?" Check your dictionaries: they don't even recognize American as a language.

I don't recall ever saying that American was a national or official language. I simply said American or American English exists. Spaniards speak Spanish. Mexicans speak Mexican Spanish, or Mexican. If a Spaniard and a Mexican were to speak Spanish to each other, there would be some barriers. Have you heard Argentine Spanish? Mexicans and Argentinians have a hard time communicating. Same thing between the French, Congolese, and Ivoiriens. The UK and the US are close enough so the variations in language aren't overwhelming, unless a Texan tries talking to an English Geordie.

When you set the language on Microsoft Word, it has the language, and then the country next to it, because the languages vary by country. There's Canadian English, American English, Australian English, even Zimbabwean English.

We don't have "a" Nigerian language. There are several Nigerian languages, so that comparison doesn't work.

South Africa has how many languages listed as their national or official languages. Nigeria can't try that. Not now. If Igbo became an official language with English, Yorubas and Hausas would shout. If Yoruba became an official language with English, Igbos and Hausas would shout. If Hausa became an official language with English, Igbos and Yorubas would shout. I, personally, think that inclusion of all three of the major languages does not solve any of our unity problems; it only further instigates separatism. I didn't even mention the Fulanis, Edos, etc. Pidgin is the unifying language amongst all groups in Nigeria. If any language is to become official, then that's the step forward in my book.

I'm glad you asked "Do you speak American?" because that was the name of the documentary I was referring to earlier.

http://www.neh.gov/news/humanities/2004-03/speakamerican.html
http://www.pbs.org/speak/ahead/
Re: Should Nigerians Be Proud Of Speaking Pidgin English? by KnowAll(m): 8:36am On Sep 23, 2011
When you set the language on Microsoft Word, it has the language, and then the country next to it, because the languages vary by country. There's Canadian English, American English, Australian English, even Zimbabwean English.

We don't have "a" Nigerian language. There are several Nigerian languages, so that comparison doesn't work.


There is " Nigerian English" not necessarily pidgin English. Pidgin is an offshoot of Nigerian English. Nigerian English is derived from a direct translation from a local indigenious language to English.

EXAMPLE- "mo nbo si ile e lola" is a yoruba word, a direct translation would be - "I am coming to your house tommorrow" . To say it in standard English would be " I shall pay you a visit tommorrow OR I would be paying you a visit tommorrow".

So it is wrong for any one to think Nigerian-English does not exist. Nollywood even though they speak what appears as Standard English relatively they speak mostly in Nigerian English.
Re: Should Nigerians Be Proud Of Speaking Pidgin English? by namdo(m): 10:04am On Sep 23, 2011
na true talk. so oyibo go first pass am for test before we give dem visa and work too. grin
Re: Should Nigerians Be Proud Of Speaking Pidgin English? by Nobody: 11:31pm On Sep 23, 2011
blakmonsta:

@MsDarkSkin you are terribly confused. "

"Uncle Tom" is such an overused term- nowadays it's just a way for black people to handwave any idea that could actually move them forward and out of their current deplorable condition. Embracing symbols of decreptitude and backwardness do nothing for us.

ok oo.
be easy on the lectures tongue.
OH and please say 'hi' to auntie for me.  smiley cheesy grin

igbo boy:

no wonder your type exhibit a higher rate of adult ret.ard.ation, at your age u are recommending teletubies? U think u are a nwata/baby?

your mates are busy making pay your lazy @$$ wants to watch teletubies (thats what my 3 yr old niece watches), I guess your brain never matured at the same rate as your body, RET>ARD

WEAK!
you're shooting blanks dude.
and im not just talking about 'down there'  grin grin
come with something else. you've been called out. nuff said.
and btw if your niece is still watching teletubies that simply means your
replies arent the only things pertaining to you that need upgrading.  lipsrsealed grin
Re: Should Nigerians Be Proud Of Speaking Pidgin English? by igboboy1(m): 9:58am On Sep 24, 2011
MsDarkSkin:

ok oo.
be easy on the lectures  tongue.
OH and please say 'hi' to auntie for me.  smiley cheesy grin

WEAK!
you're shooting blanks dude.
and im not just talking about 'down there'  grin grin
come with something else. you've been called out. nuff said.
and btw if your niece is still watching teletubies that simply means your
replies arent the only things pertaining to you that need upgrading.  lipsrsealed grin




dullington abi na daftington, how many ways do i need to break things down for a re.tard like you?
Re: Should Nigerians Be Proud Of Speaking Pidgin English? by Nobody: 10:04pm On Sep 24, 2011
igbo boy:

dullington abi na daftington, how many ways do i need to break things down for a re.tard like you?

igbo tard, you get mouth now? angry
sharrup there! and take correction like a man! cheesy
Re: Should Nigerians Be Proud Of Speaking Pidgin English? by chima2011: 11:56pm On Sep 24, 2011
Nigerians should not only be proud, they should be encouraged. make e no just leave am for we aje pakos
Re: Should Nigerians Be Proud Of Speaking Pidgin English? by vickyO(f): 8:59pm On Oct 27, 2012
no need for the cold-war peeps......... YES, Nigerians should be PROUD of speaking pidgin.... Americans especially the Blacks are proud of speaking their pidgin, jamicans are also proud so why not Nigeria. Make una think am...
Re: Should Nigerians Be Proud Of Speaking Pidgin English? by vickyO(f): 9:29pm On Oct 27, 2012
all of una wey dey yan say pigin no taps, na on internet i see naija pidgin dictionary and the thing tight... no go downgrade o. i dey proud of naija and because say pidgin na im product i go patronize am die.,, to all pigin supporters, i dey una back.... no shaking
Re: Should Nigerians Be Proud Of Speaking Pidgin English? by Fulaman198(m): 6:42am On Nov 22, 2013
ogugua88:

I don't recall ever saying that American was a national or official language. I simply said American or American English exists. Spaniards speak Spanish. Mexicans speak Mexican Spanish, or Mexican. If a Spaniard and a Mexican were to speak Spanish to each other, there would be some barriers. Have you heard Argentine Spanish? Mexicans and Argentinians have a hard time communicating. Same thing between the French, Congolese, and Ivoiriens. The UK and the US are close enough so the variations in language aren't overwhelming, unless a Texan tries talking to an English Geordie.

When you set the language on Microsoft Word, it has the language, and then the country next to it, because the languages vary by country. There's Canadian English, American English, Australian English, even Zimbabwean English.

We don't have "a" Nigerian language. There are several Nigerian languages, so that comparison doesn't work.

South Africa has how many languages listed as their national or official languages. Nigeria can't try that. Not now. If Igbo became an official language with English, Yorubas and Hausas would shout. If Yoruba became an official language with English, Igbos and Hausas would shout. If Hausa became an official language with English, Igbos and Yorubas would shout. I, personally, think that inclusion of all three of the major languages does not solve any of our unity problems; it only further instigates separatism. I didn't even mention the Fulanis, Edos, etc. Pidgin is the unifying language amongst all groups in Nigeria. If any language is to become official, then that's the step forward in my book.

I'm glad you asked "Do you speak American?" because that was the name of the documentary I was referring to earlier.

http://www.neh.gov/news/humanities/2004-03/speakamerican.html
http://www.pbs.org/speak/ahead/

Pidgin isn't even a language, it is a dialect. The reason I would select Hausa is because it is easy to learn and a lot of non-Hausa like me and other non-Hausa groups in the North speak it as a 2nd language. Fulfulde, my language which is the Fulani language is only spoke amongst the Fulani.
Re: Should Nigerians Be Proud Of Speaking Pidgin English? by StarFlux: 8:18am On Nov 22, 2013
No.

Pidgin is not a complete language, and it is more or less a direct translation (without proper grammar) from indigenous languages to English. In essence, it's a simplified and incomplete version of English. Why do Nigerian keep insisting on speaking a foreign man's tongue? The french wouldn't throw away their language in a million years, neither would the chinese, and China is a country with hundreds of languages just like Nigeria.

1 Like

Re: Should Nigerians Be Proud Of Speaking Pidgin English? by Fulaman198(m): 12:27am On Nov 24, 2013
StarFlux: No.

Pidgin is not a complete language, and it is more or less a direct translation (without proper grammar) from indigenous languages to English. In essence, it's a simplified and incomplete version of English. Why do Nigerian keep insisting on speaking a foreign man's tongue? The french wouldn't throw away their language in a million years, neither would the chinese, and China is a country with hundreds of languages just like Nigeria.

Very true brother

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (Reply)

BBC Apologizes To Emir Sanusi Over False Publication Of Financial Recklessness / Osole Gbewa 15 Million Tabi 9million. / Learn How To Speak Pidgin Language

(Go Up)

Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health
religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket

Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)

Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 66
Disclaimer: Every Nairaland member is solely responsible for anything that he/she posts or uploads on Nairaland.