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5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin - Education (2) - Nairaland

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Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by emotions1: 5:45pm On Apr 19, 2016
Nigerians be like.....common sense.
Bad Omen
Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by yemlas(m): 5:47pm On Apr 19, 2016
KUKU is directly from yoruba language.

11 Likes 2 Shares

Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by Willybos(m): 5:50pm On Apr 19, 2016
Ok
Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by SapeleWater(m): 5:50pm On Apr 19, 2016
Guy, baba God go sama you blessing for dis gist. Your head dey there.

2 Likes

Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by Lawcurrent(m): 5:51pm On Apr 19, 2016
make I kuku laugh
Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by gurunlocker: 5:51pm On Apr 19, 2016
PIDGIN ENGLISH : official language of students on campus

1 Like

Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by anonimi: 5:52pm On Apr 19, 2016
I THINK that the pidgin word boku is a corrupted version of the French word beaucoup that means the same thing - plenty.

5 Likes 1 Share

Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by stankezzy: 5:52pm On Apr 19, 2016
olaitoro:

mama; it has Igbo origin from the word mara as in 'mmiri mara mu' to englised the Igbo word, folks start saying rain mama me.

knack; this also has Igbo origin. In igbo langauge knack is kuo, for eg
english: it is 12o'clock
igbo: o 'kuo'la 12o'clock
pidgin; e don knack 12o'clock.

yeye: this is Igbo word used to show stupidity, it is used as eyiye eg
english: this child is stupid
igbo; nwata na eyiye eyiye
pidgin; this pikin don they yeye

to further buttress my point, that is why Igbos laugh at yoruba name like AdeYEYE.
you are too much to have gotten such knowledge
Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by AyakaDunukofia: 5:57pm On Apr 19, 2016
Una is Igbo from UNU meaning you people, them

7 Likes

Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by Nobody: 5:57pm On Apr 19, 2016
Is it just me or what, I learnt Nothing from this thread, the writeup is meaningless!

4 Likes

Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by karlriz(m): 5:58pm On Apr 19, 2016
If the OP undastand Yoruba language wella, e no go add "kuku" and "yeye"....Dunno abt other words listed sha.....But doz two are definately Yoruba words

13 Likes 2 Shares

Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by Nobody: 5:58pm On Apr 19, 2016
@Op,
"kuku" is a Yoruba word incorporated into pidgin English which means "just" in English. e.g "kuku ma lo" meaning "just go",
Also "yeye" is another Yoruba word infused into pidgin English which means "funny" or "foolish" in English. e.g "oro yeye ni Tunde ro" meaning " Tunde's statements are foolish"

12 Likes 2 Shares

Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by martineverest(m): 6:01pm On Apr 19, 2016
' who e help': A Benin slang for ' and so?' Or' how e take concern me'
Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by Faculty14(m): 6:01pm On Apr 19, 2016
Adaure4ever:
Is it just me or what, I learnt Nothing from this thread,
the writeup is meaningless!
its just you
Nothing else..you for kukuma open ur own thread wey we go learn from

2 Likes 1 Share

Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by BizBloke(m): 6:01pm On Apr 19, 2016
We should kuku make Pidgin English our lingua franca. I've said this before. E too suweeet! grin grin grin

1 Like

Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by GospelNaija: 6:03pm On Apr 19, 2016
* UNA: or Unu (Jamaican/Patwa/Patois)

Origin: Igbo

Etymology: Umunna, Nna

Meaning: (these/those) People

*Mama is not a Nigerian pidgin English word. Mama is local parlance in most regions for Mother. Something spelt as Momma, Mamma, Mom



* Knack is German. Meaning "low sounding blow"

Thanks

1 Like

Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by alobright17(m): 6:04pm On Apr 19, 2016
KashyBaby:







Ayaaayay! What is biko? Coz if u ask me "Biko" in Filipino is a kind of food.... grin

Biko is ibo language

2 Likes

Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by dennisworld1(m): 6:05pm On Apr 19, 2016
warri the orriginator of pidgin

1 Like

Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by Nobody: 6:05pm On Apr 19, 2016
alobright17:


Biko is ibo language




What does it mean?
Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by masseratti: 6:06pm On Apr 19, 2016
olaitoro:

mama; it has Igbo origin from the word mara as in 'mmiri mara mu' to englised the Igbo word, folks start saying rain mama me.

knack; this also has Igbo origin. In igbo langauge knack is kuo, for eg
english: it is 12o'clock
igbo: o 'kuo'la 12o'clock
pidgin; e don knack 12o'clock.

yeye: this is Igbo word used to show stupidity, it is used as eyiye eg
english: this child is stupid
igbo; nwata na eyiye eyiye
pidgin; this pikin don they yeye

to further buttress my point, that is why Igbos laugh at yoruba name like AdeYEYE.
O nicca pls,stop it,the capital of pidgin english is Lagos,its no brainer why yoruba words crept into Pidgin english,
Mama,baba,papa,maa they cut accross so many language in the world,its use in many local languages predate the colonial era,yeye is pure yoruba word,knack is not pidgin its a pure English word.
@op kuku is strictly yoruba word please.

11 Likes 3 Shares

Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by Iykon1313(m): 6:09pm On Apr 19, 2016
KashyBaby:







Ayaaayay! What is biko? Coz if u ask me "Biko" in Filipino is a kind of food.... grin

Biko is please in igbo.
Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by masseratti: 6:10pm On Apr 19, 2016
GospelNaija:
* UNA: or Unu (Jamaican/Patwa/Patois)

Origin: Igbo

Etymology: Umunna, Nna

Meaning: (these/those) People

*Mama is not a Nigerian pidgin English word. Mama is local parlance in most regions for Mother. Something spelt as Momma, Mamma, Mom



* Knack is German. Meaning "low sounding blow"

Thanks

i believe una has more to do with you all than jamaican whatever,btw whats the meaning of umunna?
Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by Phut(f): 6:11pm On Apr 19, 2016
@Kelvin0: it's Una and not "Ina". It comes from the Igbo word Unu, which means, You People.

In fact Jamaicans use the word Unu (in its unadulterated form) to mean "You People." Vestiges of the slave trade

1 Like

Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by Aristotle96(m): 6:13pm On Apr 19, 2016
KashyBaby:







Ayaaayay! What is biko? Coz if u ask me "Biko" in Filipino is a kind of food.... grin
baby we really need to see o cool ur making sense... Ur just enjoying every thing about naija even upon the hardtimes grin since ur a tourist... Why don't u tour to mah area
Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by sotadegrt(m): 6:14pm On Apr 19, 2016
Kelvin0:
"Pidgin" English or brokin English (as it is called) originated during the slave trade era as a means of communication between the Europeans and the Africans, according to a novel by Chinua Achebe "the Europeans seemed to speak through their noses" , this made communication with the locals an herculean task, thus the need to integrate the English language with their local diet for better understanding this marked the beginning of the pidgin English. It
was the language used in their business transaction.
After that era, the language stayed on as a means of communication amongst the people because of the many different African languages; In Nigeria, for example there are over five hundred different languages . like most languages, it has really evolved with new words been added at regular intervals.

Wikipedia defines Nigerian (naija) pidgin as an English-based pidgin and creole( dialect formed from two languages which has developed from a pidgin to become a first language. ) language spoken as a
lingua franca across Nigeria. Most people call it brokin English.

By implications the pidgin English we use today in our day to day verbal communication must have been coined out from two or more languages, this statement may be true to some extent.

Consider the following example

"Walk" pidgin form "Waka" (Origin:English)
As i dey " waka" my own, na so i jam Talleasty1 for road....

Also consider

"you sabi do am?" means "do you know how
to do it?" "Sabi" means "to know" or "to know
how to" just as "to know" is "saber" in
Portuguese and Spanish. Also, Pikin or
Pickaninny is from the Spanish and
Portuguese word "pequeño"/"pequeno" to
mean "small". (remember the binis n d Portuguese)

However there are some complicated forms of pidgin whose origin one can never traced, how they became very popular among our traditional pidgin is what i still find difficult to understand.

Below are five most used pidgin words in naija which cannot be said to have originated from any language whatsoever.

5. "Kuku" : how this word found itself in our day to day pidgin English remains a wonder.. Who was the first person that used it, how did the first recipient of the word decipher the meaning, maybe the language was aided with talking fingers then, who knows.

Husband: mama Tina leave my shirt

Mama Tina: I know go leave am, where Tina school fees and money for food, useless man.

Husband: lands her(mama Tina) a very serious slap

Mama Tina: (with tears rushing down her eyes) make u KUKU kill me, kill me o.. grin grin grin

4. Mama : hmm, u are probably wondering what mama is doing inside this list, when we all know it means mother, but wait! hunger dey Mama me o, lol. Na so rain Mama [/i]me yesterday from work lipsrsealed lipsrsealed lipsrsealed

3. [i] Knack
: this one, lol, d bad guys are already thinking spoil "Hungerbad don knack the babe tire" ewooo dem don knack my Pikin jazz.. Naijaboiy abeg wetin dey Knack for your time.


2. Una(ina) abeg if una reach class make ina keep sit for me. Hmm shooor

1. Yeye :, all this yeye children of nowadays wey no get respect for their elders go come jump enter this thread now come dey bash me

Lalasticlala, ishilove make una kuku move this yeye thread to the appropriate section and then to fp na Abi hunger dey Mama una by this time of the day wey 1 don knack already.





OBSERVATION: AN herculean task. it should have been "A herculean task.

2. .........to integrate the English language with their local DIET. i think you mean DIALECT.


i don't mean to rubbish your work. we learn everyday. Do well to modify
Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by 0ubenji(m): 6:14pm On Apr 19, 2016
Kelvin0:
"Pidgin" English or brokin English (as it is called) originated during the slave trade era as a means of communication between the Europeans and the Africans, according to a novel by Chinua Achebe "the Europeans seemed to speak through their noses" , this made communication with the locals an herculean task, thus the need to integrate the English language with their local diet for better understanding this marked the beginning of the pidgin English. It
was the language used in their business transaction.
After that era, the language stayed on as a means of communication amongst the people because of the many different African languages; In Nigeria, for example there are over five hundred different languages . like most languages, it has really evolved with new words been added at regular intervals.

Wikipedia defines Nigerian (naija) pidgin as an English-based pidgin and creole( dialect formed from two languages which has developed from a pidgin to become a first language. ) language spoken as a
lingua franca across Nigeria. Most people call it brokin English.

By implications the pidgin English we use today in our day to day verbal communication must have been coined out from two or more languages, this statement may be true to some extent.

Consider the following example

"Walk" pidgin form "Waka" (Origin:English)
As i dey " waka" my own, na so i jam Talleasty1 for road....

Also consider

"you sabi do am?" means "do you know how
to do it?" "Sabi" means "to know" or "to know
how to" just as "to know" is "saber" in
Portuguese and Spanish. Also, Pikin or
Pickaninny is from the Spanish and
Portuguese word "pequeño"/"pequeno" to
mean "small". (remember the binis n d Portuguese)

However there are some complicated forms of pidgin whose origin one can never traced, how they became very popular among our traditional pidgin is what i still find difficult to understand.

Below are five most used pidgin words in naija which cannot be said to have originated from any language whatsoever.

5. "Kuku" : how this word found itself in our day to day pidgin English remains a wonder.. Who was the first person that used it, how did the first recipient of the word decipher the meaning, maybe the language was aided with talking fingers then, who knows.

Husband: mama Tina leave my shirt

Mama Tina: I know go leave am, where Tina school fees and money for food, useless man.

Husband: lands her(mama Tina) a very serious slap

Mama Tina: (with tears rushing down her eyes) make u KUKU kill me, kill me o.. grin grin grin

4. Mama : hmm, u are probably wondering what mama is doing inside this list, when we all know it means mother, but wait! hunger dey Mama me o, lol. Na so rain Mama [/i]me yesterday from work lipsrsealed lipsrsealed lipsrsealed

3. [i] Knack
: this one, lol, d bad guys are already thinking spoil "Hungerbad don knack the babe tire" ewooo dem don knack my Pikin jazz.. Naijaboiy abeg wetin dey Knack for your time.


2. Una(ina) abeg if una reach class make ina keep sit for me. Hmm shooor

1. Yeye :, all this yeye children of nowadays wey no get respect for their elders go come jump enter this thread now come dey bash me

Lalasticlala, ishilove make una kuku move this yeye thread to the appropriate section and then to fp na Abi hunger dey Mama una by this time of the day wey 1 don knack already.

Atimes una thread owners dey vex me sef with misnomers as topics
Why u go put "and their origins" for thr like say u sabi am alredi..
U juz make me waste my time readin dis epistle..
Now.. my eba water don cold again..mtcheew

2 Likes

Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by mezebel(f): 6:16pm On Apr 19, 2016
KashyBaby:




What does it mean?
please
Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by alobright17(m): 6:17pm On Apr 19, 2016
KashyBaby:





What does it mean?

Biko mean Please or abeg in pigin
Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by Phut(f): 6:18pm On Apr 19, 2016
masseratti:
i believe una has more to do with you all than jamaican whatever,btw whats the meaning of umunna?
Yes Una/Unu means You all in Igbo. The slaves took the word to Jamaica. So the origin is Igbo. Masseratti's post is a but confusing because he first attributes it to Patois and then states that the origin is Igbo. The origin is Igbo, plain and simple.

1 Like

Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by marxist88: 6:18pm On Apr 19, 2016
Traffic jam as ( go slow)
Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by Nobody: 6:20pm On Apr 19, 2016
freeDR:
Kuku, yeye are both of Yoruba origin.
Kuku and yeye are everyday Yoruba words.
Kuku = decidedly/finally.
E.g. Should I empty the plate finally? / se ki n kuku pale ounje naa mo?

yeye = unserious(ness)/joke.
E.g.
He's only joking. / O n se yeye/awada ni.
She's an unserious person. / Oniyeye ni omobinrin naa.

Una is Igbo.
Una = you
Are you two going? / Una abuo naaga?

7 Likes 1 Share

Re: 5 Most Common Nigerian Pidgin English Words and their Origin by olaitoro(m): 6:21pm On Apr 19, 2016
masseratti:
O nicca pls,stop it,the capital of pidgin english is Lagos,its no brainer why yoruba words crept into Pidgin english,
Mama,baba,papa,maa they cut accross so many language in the world,its use in many local languages predate the colonial era,yeye is pure yoruba word,knack is not pidgin its a pure English word.
@op kuku is strictly yoruba word please.

what is the meaning of yeye in yoruba ?

Have you seen Igbos laughing at the name AdeYEYE before or not?

Be sincere

if you have seen such senerio, why do you think they are laughing ?
Mama in op context does not denote mother but rain 'drenge'

knack is an english word, but its use in pidgin takes shape from Igbo langauge as I explain in the comment you quoted.

1 Like

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