Grammaticalization in Nigerian Pidgin

Eyo Offiong Mensah

doi:10.17533/udea.ikala.10748

Autor/innen

Eyo Offiong Mensah University of Calabar, Nigeria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.ikala.10748

Schlagworte:

grammaticalization, Nigerian Pidgin, contact linguistics, grammar, semantic change

Abstract

Nigerian Pidgin (hereafter NP) has assumed elaborated roles and functions, gaining new grounds in different sociolinguistic domains as a result of its sustained social expansion process. One of the consequences of this increased dynamism of NP is the development of lexical items into grammatical markers which is an expected natural process. In this paper, we examine language-internal mechanisms that transform lexical items into morphosyntactic items either for semantic value, creativity, expressivity or routinization. Our basic argument is that grammaticalization in NP is not contact-induced but a language-internal phenomenon, which reveals that NP has both a synchronic and diachronic existence that are imperative in evolving its unique grammar.

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Autor/innen-Biografie

Eyo Offiong Mensah, University of Calabar, Nigeria

holds a Ph.D in Linguistics from University of Calabar, Nigeria where he is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Communication Studie.

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