"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..

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

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.

I'm learning...

KashyBaby:
I'm learning...

Werin u dey learn biko?

Kelvin0:

Werin u dey learn biko?

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

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..

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

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

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.

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.

Now you are confusing me the more, I beg to differ though, what proof do u have apart from the examples u gave

KashyBaby:







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

Seems u have an MSc in Vernacular

@Olaitoro what about "KUKU"

Kelvin0:
@Olaitoro what about "KUKU"

i can only vouch for the ones I know which KUKU is not among.

It might have benin origin, you know ?

olaitoro:


i can only vouch for the ones I know which KUKU is not among.

It might have benin origin, you know ?

Lolest

Op, for ur mind, u hold ground for pidgin english abi? Do make u enta SAPELE, were pidgin english originates from.

The origin of pigin English is EDO state

by the way, pigin English should be taught in schools, because all these long unfinished trials wey we dey get for court, in the case of saraki, dasuki and Co na too much grammar dey delay dem.

if na pigin English I'm very sure two or three person for don dey serve already either for kirikiri or guje prison

Comot

Lovely




Pls check my signature

Chei there is God ooo

I kinda like the pikin part sha. nice one op

I havnt heard any of these in my whole life

All countries of the world have their own pigin english but Naija own is d best.

I no fit dey 4 one dey no speak pigin english, na my birth mark.



Abeg make una help me pray ooo I neve see light 4 my area 4 144hrs ooooooo, Nepa dey self no even cum tell us weytin happen self. Na total blackout 4 here.

"Wetin"

Op you for kuku write up to ten words na abi hungry been dey mama you when you dey compile thing post? You for run go iya basira place make she knack you one plate of Eba and egusi before you come post this yeye thread

NEVERTHELESS, I NEED SOMEBODY TO TELL ME THE SOURCE OF THE FOLLOWING:

BABU

AJALA THE TOURIST

ZOMBIE

ONE-CHANCE

....

Well, you didn't mention their origins like you promised.
The likes of "Kuku"" Mama" "Yeye" "Baba" "Abi" "Shey" "Oya" "ni" and more are all Yoruba words... I think they are the most used pidgin words in Nigeria today.

AND PLS.. WHO IS THIS PERSON below??

khalebzy:
I havnt heard any of these in my whole life

Edited:

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.

Aah.... na so dem quick dey still person language?? "Yeye and Mama" are real Yoruba words not even slangs... Oga u are confused... I'm sure u are not a real Igbo person and if u are... I'm sure u don tey for Lagos.

make i kuku knack my own here

story story....

khalebzy:
I havnt heard any of these in my whole life

Make una see ogbonge analysis?

Pidgin- the most universally spoken language in Nigeria. When our eyes open, Pidgin would become our official language in Nigeria. It's a question of "when".

here in sambisa forest we call it broken bottles English

How can you not know that both Kuku and yeye are of Yoruba origin?