History of the English Language - Course 2012

World Englishes -Nigerian English-

Chazarreta, M. Floren ia !"#!0$!

%ntrodu tion %n this &a&er, % 'ill (riefly des ri(e the English Language in Nigeria, and then, % 'ill e)&and on its status in relation to literature. *o (egin 'ith, as +ndy ,ir-&atri - states in his resour e (oo- World Englishes, .Nigeria is one of si) West +fri an states that ha/e English as an offi ial language.01 *he &o'er of 1ritish olonialis2 'as the res&onsi(le for the ad/ent of this foreign language in Nigeria. Ho'e/er, the history of this English lega y differs (et'een the North and the 3outh, sin e their olonial ad2inistration 'as set u& differently. %n the for2er, the s hools had English tea hers fro2 England 'ho s&o-e 456 'hile in the latter, the 2a7ority of those tea hers 'ere 2issionaries 'ho 'ere only interested in the tea hing of the gos&el rather than of 3tandard English 83 h2ied 1!!1 in ,ir-&atri - 200#9. *hat is 'hy, it an (e lai2ed that four /arieties of Nigerian English e)ist 81a2g(ose 1!:2 in ,ir-&atri - 200#9, ea h of the2 &resenting differen es in &honology, synta) and le)is6 and the last one 8;<9 (eing 2odelled on 3tandard English. English in Nigeria is a se ond language6 and ironi ally, its s&read 'as also enhan ed (y the a(olition of sla/e trade. When so2e free sla/es 'ho had learnt English returned to their houses in West +fri a, they 'ere a(le to introdu e the language6 and later on, 2any of the2 'ere e2&loyed (y 1ritish olonial ad2inistrators either as 2essengers, inter&reters and e/en as tea hers.2 Main linguisti features of Nigerian English =es&ite the 2any /arieties of Nigerian English, the language has de/elo&ed distin t &honologi al, le)i al and synta ti ,ir-&atri ->s (oo- World Englishes. 5honologi al features: Nigerian English is a non-rhoti /ariety 8as al2ost all +fri an /arieties of English96 for instan e, the &ost-/o ali $r$ is not sounded. +lso, the differen e (et'een /o'els su h as ?i@A and ?%A is hardly o(ser/ed sin e there is no 2eaning distin tion 'ith /o'el length. +s 2ost Nigerian languages do not ha/e dental fricative sounds, Nigerian English s&ea-ers tend to su(stitute English ?tA for ?BA and ?dA for ?CA. For e).@ 1E 81ritish English9 *H%N *H%3
1

hara teristi s. *he follo'ing e)a2&les are ta-en fro2

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,ir-&atri -, +. 8200#9. World Englishes6 %2&li ations for %nternational Co22uni ation and English Language *ea hing. Ca2(ridge@ Ca2(ridge Eni/ersity 5ress. 102. 2 NFE 8National F&en Eni/ersity of Nigeria G 3 hool of +rts and 3o ial 3 ien e9, .*he English Language in Nigeria0 820109. ?FnlineA, +/aila(le@ htt&@$$'''.nou.edu.ng$noun$NFENHFCL$&df$&df2$ENI"J"K20NounK20ne' K20edited1.&df

Consonant lusters are not sounded and either one onsonant is dro&&ed or a /o'el is inserted in (et'een. For e)a2&le, the 'ord >list> is &ronoun ed $ls$. Le)i al features@ +t this le/el, it is noti ea(le that there are so2e transfers fro2 the lo al languages 8es&e ially fro2 the 2a7or regional ones@ Loru(a, %g(o and Hausa9 and 2ostly fro2 the areas of 2usi , lothing, indigenous foods, traditional religious (eliefs, lo al institutions, and flora and fauna. Clear e)a2&les are learly illustrated in Wole 3oyin-aMs Collected Poems 23: .+ 2an in an ela(orate NagbadaM outfit, 'ith long train and a a& is standing right, do'nstage, 'ith a sheaf of notes in his hand 8C52@ 1O#9.0 *he 'ord agbada is a dire t transfer fro2 Loru(a language and it is to the Loru(a 'hat the suit is to the 1ritons and the +2eri ans. Moreo/er, ,ir-&atri - 2entions that there are oinages, that is, 'ords that de/elo&ed s&e ial 2eanings6 for instan e, a Belgian 2eans .a se ond-hand ar0 as 2ost of the2 are i2&orted fro2 1elgiu2. +nother o22on features are elli&sis, li&&ing, and dire t (orro'ing fro2 lo al languages su h as >'ahala> fro2 Loru(a 8trou(le9 and >'ayo> fro2 hausa 8tri -s9.< Ira22ati al features: ,ir-&atri - states that 2any of the follo'ing features are also found in other /arieties of +fri an English@ Co2&le) tenses 8&ast &erfe t and onditional, for e)a2&le9 tend to (e a/oided. Noun &hrases are not al'ays 2ar-ed for nu2(er and ase 8to gi/e >informations>9. +d7e ti/es 2ay (e used as ad/er(s. For e)a2&le, .% an o(tain food easy0. 5re&ositions used differently 8NIo and as- from the 2an 'hat he 'antsM9.J

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Nigerian Literature 1efore 1!"0, Nigeria 'as regarded as a .literary desert0O. 1ut fro2 that 2o2ent on'ards, different as&e ts of orality ga/e rise, little (y little, to 'ritten literature in the ountry. *he storytelling tradition e2(odies the (eliefs and /alues Nigerian &eo&le had and still ha/e to'ards life6 and (y telling those tales 8fol-tales, fa(les, &ro/er(s, li hPs, idio2s9 to the younger generations, they trans2ited their e)&erien es.# Laura C. Iardner Quotes in her arti le .Nigerian Literature@ Fral and Written *raditions0 an e)tra t fro2 1ade +7u'on>s arti le .Fral and Written Literature in Nigeria0 the follo'ing@
5re-literate Nigeria on e en7oyed a /er(al art i/ilization 'hi h, at its high &oint, 'as 'ar2ly &atronized (y traditional rulers and the general &u(li . +t a &eriod 'hen 'riting 'as un-no'n, the oral 2ediu2 ser/ed the &eo&le as a (an- for the &reser/ation of their an ient e)&erien es and (eliefs. Mu h of the e/iden e that related to the &ast of Nigeria, therefore, ould (e found in oral traditions.
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When it o2es to the ad/ent of 'ritten literature in Nigeria, it an (e lai2ed that +fri an

'riters ha/e assi2ilated the oral tradition into the 'riting of literature. *his an (e seen in the 'or-s of the early Nigerian 'riters li-e =aniel F. Fagun'a, +2os *utuola, Chinua + he(e and Ele hi +2adi, a2ong others. 1ut (efore going into details, % 'ill (riefly e)&lain ho' this
a&&earen e of the 'ritten for2 'as di/ided, in a 'ay, into the 3outh and the North of the ountry (e ause of Western influen e@ R %n the North, 'riting 'as introdu ed in the 1Jth entury (y +ra( s holars and traders6 and 'hat is 2ore, this 'ritten tradition 'as signifi antly enhan ed (y the arri/al of 2issionaries 'ith the 4o2an s ri&t. R %n the 3outh, (y the 1:<0s, than-s to the 2issionary a ti/ities, there 'as a need to translate the (i(le for the ne' on/erts in a series of &u(li ations, 'hi h ser/ed 2ainly as the foundation for the 'ritten indigenous literature. +s regards English in relation to the nigerian literature, it an (e lai2ed that the first generation of 'riters using English as their 2eans of e)&ression 'as a luster of Eni/ersity 'ho too- &art of the .M(ari Clu(0. +uthors li-e Christo&her F-ig(o, Chinua + he(e, and Wole 3oyin-a re&resented the first Nigerian literary anon. *hese sa2e 'riters, ho'e/er, ha/e (een ter2ed >antiolonial> (e ause their 'or-s &resented a highly detailed illustration of the negati/e e)&erien es of Nigerians during the olonial &eriod.! For instan e, the first no/el of +fri a>s 2ost fa2ous no/elist,
O

F(afe2i,Flu. SJ0 Lears of Nigerian LiteratureS. Garden City Literary Festival. ?FnlineA, +/aila(le@ htt&@$$'''.garden ityfesti/al. o2$atta h2ents$arti le$JJ$,eynoteH+ddressHICLF2010.&df , ". # NFE 8National F&en Eni/ersity of Nigeria G 3 hool of +rts and 3o ial 3 ien e9, .%ntrodu tion to Nigerian Literature0 8200!9. ?FnlineA, +/aila(le@ htt&@$$'''.nou.edu.ng$noun$NFENHFCL$&df$&df2$EngK2011"K20K20%ntrodu tionK20toK20NigerianK20LiteratureK20%.&df , 1. : Iardner, Laura C. 81!!09. SNigerian Literature@ Fral and Written *raditionsS. Post Colonial Web. ?FnlineA, +/aila(le@ htt&@$$'''.&ost olonial'e(.org$nigeria$orality.ht2l ! NFE, J".

Things Fall !art (y + he(e 81!J:9, 'as a rea tion and a dire t res&onse to the distorted &i tures the Euro&eans had of +fri a, as it an (e seen in the fi tional 'or-s of "ister #ohnson (y Toy e Cary and The $eart of %ar&ness (y Tose&h Conrad. %n onne tion 'ith this a&&arent &arado) of the English language as (eing the 2ain instru2ent of o22uni aton for the hief re&resentati/es of Nigerian literature, Tennifer Ten-ins &resents in her (oo- World Englishes t'o e)tra ts fro2 Chinua + he(e and NgUgV 'a *hiong>o, in 'hi h ea h author argues their attitude to'ards the use of English in +fri an Literature. Fn the one hand, there is + he(e, 'ho (elie/es that .?tAhe +fri an 'riter should ai2 to use English in a 'ay that (rings out his 2essage (est 'ithout altering the language to the e)tent that its /alue as a 2ediu2 of international e) hange 'ill (e lost.010 1ut on the other hand, there is NgUgV, 'ho lai2s that .?tAo ontrol a &eo&le>s ulture is to ontrol their tools of self-definition in relation to others06 and in onseQuen e, .?tAhe do2ination of a &eo&le>s language (y the languages of the olonising nations ?isA ru ial to the do2ination of the 2ental uni/erse of the olonised.011 Clearly, this is a hotly de(ated issue 'hi h still re2ains unresol/ed. Ne/ertheless, F. Fgu2(a states in his arti le .Nigerian Literature G %ntrodu tion0 that .Nigerian literature in English has raised 2ore issues rele/ant to our onte2&orary situation than the literature in indigenous Nigerian languages.012 *hat is, literature in English has (een 2ore &o'erful and it has e)&anded 'orld'ide. +fter years of &rodu tion, it an (e said that Nigeria is the ountry 'ith the 2a7or literary out&ut in +fri a. +nd 'hen it o2es to the fe2ale /oi es of Nigerian Literature, .Nigerian 'o2en 'riters ha/e ar/ed a s&a ious reati/e roo2 of their o'n, to (orro' a ;irginia Wolf title,01" so as to re tify the negati/e onnotation that 'o2en had in so iety. *he 2a7ority of the (est literary &rizes ha/e (een 'on (y Nigerian 'o2en 'riters, su h as *ess Fn'ue2e, +-a hi Ezeig(o, 5ro2ise F-e-'e, +di hie Chi2a2anda, 1> Nengi, 3effi +tta, +gary and so on. 1< *o gi/e an e)a2&le, % ha/e found really interesting a Chi2a2anda +di hie>s *E= tal-, alled .*he danger of a single story0, in 'hi h she tells us the story of ho' she has dis o/ered her authenti ultural /oi e, and 'arns us that if 'e ha&&en to hear only a &art of a story, 'e ris- a riti al 2isunderstanding. +di hie says that .the single story reates stereoty&es, and the &ro(le2 'ith stereoty&es is not that they are untrue, (ut that they are in o2&lete. *hey 2a-e one story (e o2e the only story.01J
10 11

Ten-ins, T. 8200!9. World Englishes@ a resour e (oo- for students, 2nd edition. 4outledge, 1!". Ten-ins, 1!O. 12 F. Fgu2(a. SNigerian Literature G %ntrodu tionS. 'nline (igeria. ?FnlineA, +/aila(le@ htt&@$$'''.onlinenigeria. o2$nigerianliterature$ 1" F(afe2i, 20. 1< F(afe2i, 21.
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Chi2a2anda +di hie>s *E= tal- S*he danger of a single storyS. 8200!9. TE%: )deas Worth *!reading. ?FnlineA, +/aila(le@ htt&@$$'''.ted. o2$tal-s$lang$en$ hi2a2andaHadi hieHtheHdangerHofHaHsingleHstory.ht2l

Nigerian literature, as it an (e seen, is /ery ri h and it ontinous e)&anding its s o&e. Ho'e/er, 'riters in the ountry ha/e (een onfronted 'ith 2any &ro(le2s for &u(lishing6 and as a onseQuen e, these ha/e had to resour e either to un-no'n foreign &u(lishers or to self-&u(lish. 1ut this is no reason for 'riters to surrender. %n fa t, and as a on lusion, % 'ill in lude a list of the 2ain Nigerian literary &rizes@ R Wole 3oyin-a, no' #O, 'on the No(el 5rize for Literature in 1!:O, (eing the first +fri an to (e so honoured. R Chinua + he(e, :0, 'ith his first no/el Things Fall !art 81!J:9 that has (een translated into <0 languages, 'on the Man 1oo-er %nternational 5rize in 200#. R 1en F-ri, J1, 'on the Man 1oo-er 5rize in 1!!1 for S*he Fa2ished 4oad.S R Nigerian 'riters Helon Ha(ila, 3egun +fola(i and E.C. Fsondu 'on the Caine 5rize for +fri an Writing in 2001, 200J and 200! res&e ti/ely. R Chi2a2anda Ngozi +di hie 'on the Frange 1road(and 5rize for Fi tion 200#, for $alf of a +ello, *-n. the 200: Ma +rthur Foundation >genius grant 8along 'ith 2< other 'inners9, and the 200! %nternational Nonino 5rize. R E. C. Fsondu, -no'n for his short stories, 'on the 200! Caine 5rize for +fri an Writing for his story SWaitingS.

1i(liogra&hy and sour es R Chi2a2anda +di hie>s *E= tal- S*he danger of a single storyS. 8200!9. TE%: )deas Worth *!reading. ?FnlineA, +/aila(le@ htt&@$$'''.ted. o2$tal-s$lang$en$ hi2a2andaHadi hieHtheHdangerHofHaHsingleHstory.ht2l ?1: F t. 2012A R =a/is, Catriona. 820109. .Loung 'riters start ne' ha&ter in Nigeria>s literary history0. C((. ?FnlineA, +/aila(le@ htt&@$$edition. nn. o2$2010$WF4L=$afri a$0!$21$nigerian.authors$inde).ht2l ?1: F t. 2012A R Iardner, Laura C. 81!!09. SNigerian Literature@ Fral and Written *raditionsS. Post Colonial Web. ?FnlineA, +/aila(le@ htt&@$$'''.&ost olonial'e(.org$nigeria$orality.ht2l ?1: F t. 2012A R Ten-ins, T. 8200!9. World Englishes@ a resour e (oo- for students, 2nd edition. 4outledge. R ,ir-&atri -, +. 8200#9. World Englishes6 %2&li ations for %nternational Co22uni ation and English Language *ea hing. Ca2(ridge@ Ca2(ridge Eni/ersity 5ress. R NFE 8National F&en Eni/ersity of Nigeria G 3 hool of +rts and 3o ial 3 ien e9, .*he English Language in Nigeria0 820109. ?FnlineA, +/aila(le@ htt&@$$'''.nou.edu.ng$noun$NFENHFCL$&df$&df2$ENI"J"K20NounK20ne'K20edited1.&df ?1: F t. 2012A R NFE 8National F&en Eni/ersity of Nigeria G 3 hool of +rts and 3o ial 3 ien e9, .%ntrodu tion to Nigerian Literature0 8200!9. ?FnlineA, +/aila(le@ htt&@$$'''.nou.edu.ng$noun$NFENHFCL$&df$&df2$EngK2011"K20-K20%ntrodu tionK20to K20NigerianK20LiteratureK20%.&df ?1: F t. 2012A R F. Fgu2(a. SNigerian Literature G %ntrodu tionS. 'nline (igeria. ?FnlineA, +/aila(le@ htt&@$$'''.onlinenigeria. o2$nigerianliterature$ ?1: F t. 2012A R F(afe2i,Flu. SJ0 Lears of Nigerian LiteratureS. Garden City Literary Festival. ?FnlineA, +/aila(le@ htt&@$$'''.garden ityfesti/al. o2$atta h2ents$arti le$JJ$,eynoteH+ddressHICLF2010.&df ?1: F t. 2012A R E2aisha, 3u2aila %sah. 820109. SHistory of the English LanguageS. Everythin Literat-re. ?FnlineA, +/aila(le@ htt&@$$e/erythinliterature.(logs&ot. o2.ar$2010$12$history-of-nigerianliterature.ht2l ?1: F t. 2012A