A MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF LOAN WORDS IN NIGERIAN PIDGIN ENGLISH AS PRESENTED IN OLA ROTIMI’S “GRIP AM” AND SOYINKA’S “BEATIFICATION OF AREA BOY"

Abstract

This research study aims to analyse the loan words in Nigerian Pidgin English. Research has proven that Nigerian Pidgin (NP) is a Nigerian language that is different from other West African Pidgin varieties. Pidgins are known to have a small vocabulary, which continues to expand to fulfil the linguistic needs of their users. Nigerian Pidgin is no exception. This work sets out to identify the sources of the words that came into NP. Data for this research were obtained from two sources: the works from Ola Rotimi’s “Grip Am” and Soyinka's “Beatification of Area Boy”. While maintaining that English is the initial lexifier language, the findings show that words from other languages have come into NP. This research further proves that NP is like any other natural language in active use in that it has borrowed and continues to borrow to swell its initially small vocabulary.