| Naija Lingo | |
|---|---|
| Naija | |
| Spoken natively in | Nigeria |
| Native speakers | unknown 30 million L2 speakers |
| Language family |
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | pcm |
Naija Lingo, like almost every other language is derived from several other languages. It is a major factor in the communication between citizens of West African countries. Particularly Nigeria. It's spoken by over 30 million people.
Variations
Each of the 250 or more ethnic groups in Nigeria can converse in this language, though they usually have their own additional words. For example, the Yorùbás use the words Şe and Abi when speaking Pidgin. These are often used at the start or end of an intonated sentence or question. For example, "You are coming, right?" becomes Şe you dey come? or You dey come abi? Another example, the Igbos added the word Nna also used at the beginning of some sentences to add effect. For example, man! that test was hard becomes Nna, that test hard no be small.
Nigerian Pidgin also varies from place to place. Dialects of Nigerian Pidgin may include the Warri, Sapele, Benin, Port-Harcourt, Lagos especially in Ajegunle, Onitsha varieties.
Nigerian Pidgin is most widely spoken in the oil rich Niger-Delta where most of its population speak it as their first language.[1]
notes
- ↑ Herbert Igboanusi: Empowering Nigerian Pidgin: a challenge for status planning?. World Englishes, Vol. 27, No. 1, pp. 68–82, 2008.
