The metacommunicative lexicon of Nigerian Pidgin

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper reports on a specific lexical field of Nigerian Pidgin (NgP), namely its metacommunicative lexicon. Based on a corpus approach, the study identifies a set of lexical items that refer to acts of communication, in particular verbs of speaking and folk‐linguistic labels for varieties and registers that pertain to the use of NgP. This study contributes to our understanding of lexical usage in NgP, a field that is less documented than its phonology and syntax. The metalinguistic lexicon of NgP is also instrumental in performing ‘enregisterment talk’ on two levels: how individual speakers position themselves in interaction, and how the overall Nigerian language ecology and legitimate ways of being a Nigerian speaker are constructed.

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