Patterns of lexical innovation in Nigerian English

Abstract

The need for users of English as a second language in Nigeria to fill in the lexical gaps during communication where English has failed has resulted in lexical innovation in Nigerian English. Therefore, to keep communication effective and active, individuals or groups of people in the society create new words, or bend the already existing words in English to bear a ‘local colour’ and content to satisfy communicative needs. This study investigates lexical innovations in Nigerian English and their patterning, and provides explanations to the origin of these lexical items. Some lexical items that have the sociolinguistic features of Nigerian English obtained from market places, school environments and other public places were selected through a purposive sampling technique. Data was gathered through oral interviews, observations, note-taking, and literature related to lexical innovations in languages. The lexical items identified in Nigerian English were analysed along Bamiro’s categorisation processes from the point of view of Sapir-Whorf’s linguistic relativity. It was observed that lexical items in Nigerian English evolved as a result of transfer of meaning and culture, coinages, analogical creations and direct borrowings from indigenous languages.