A SURVEY OF NIGERIAN ENGLISH AND NIGERIAN PIDGIN NEOLOGISMS IN NIGERIAN AFROBEATS (2000-2019)

Abstract

This paper investigated Nigerian English and Nigerian Pidgin neologisms in Nigerian Afrobeats (2000-2019). Specifically, it identified coinages of Nigerian Pidgin and Nigerian English in the genre of music studied. The paper also discussed their morphological formations and meanings. The research adopts a qualitative method and the sources for analysis were taken from selected tracks/albums of twenty (20) Afrobeats musicians in Nigeria of which the internet is the major provider of data. The research also adopted different concepts that form the theoretical background of the essay. The concepts are Nigerian Pidgin, Nigerian English, neologism, borrowing, compounding, acronyms, clipping, derivation, blending and Afrobeats. Also, the sociolinguistic analysis of the neologisms was examined through their contextual meanings, usage and effects on the language and society. The result shows that the morphological formations of the various neologisms are more of borrowing (for Nigerian Pidgin neologisms) and metaphoric transfer (for Nigerian English neologisms). Ideally, the Nigerian English and Nigerian Pidgin linguistic peculiarities (neologism) endear Afrobeats to Nigerians and the world.