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Nigeria:
The Death of English in Nigeria
Vanguard, 12 November 2014
I exaggerate, of course. All the languages of the world will have died before English dies in Nigeria. And of all the languages threatened by extinction, English is hardly one,… Read more »
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Nigeria:
Top 10 University Student Slang Words in Popular Nigerian English
Daily Trust, 19 October 2014
Slang words are often, by nature, transitory and limited to particular age groups, subcultures, eras, and even professions. But a few slang words do endure and make the transition… Read more »
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Nigeria:
Q and a On Nigerian English Expressions and Other Usage Concerns
Daily Trust, 27 April 2014
Are "motor park," "garage," and "motherless babies' home" uniquely Nigerian English expressions? Is it rude to say "how are you?" to an older person? Why did I write "an herbalist"… Read more »
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Nigeria:
The Grammar Shaming of an American Comedian's Music Video
Daily Trust, 27 July 2014
A wildly viral parodic music video by American comedian "Weird Al" Yankovic, titled "word crimes," which mocks grammatical errors in American English, has provoked a flurry of… Read more »
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Nigeria:
Top 30 Common English Words That Are Derived From Names of People (iv)
Daily Trust, 19 May 2013
21. Pasteurize. My scientist readers said they would not forgive me if I fail to mention this word in my list. Even people who aren't medical scientists know that pasteurize means… Read more »
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Nigeria:
How Political Elite Influence English Grammar and Vocabulary
Daily Trust, 3 February 2013
When I wrote about President Goodluck Jonathan's grammatical boo-boos last week, part of my motivation was to contribute to the conversation about how elite grammatical infractions… Read more »
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Nigeria:
Top 30 Common English Words That Are Derived From Names of People (I)
Daily Trust, 28 April 2013
A few weeks ago, I had a lighthearted discussion with a friend about my abiding fascination with unusual words and their etymologies (that is, their origin, history, and… Read more »
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Nigeria:
The African Origins of Common English Words (v)
Daily Trust, 18 August 2013
In the last few weeks I've identified a whole host of common English words that are derived from black African languages. I've chosen to exclude several others both because I have… Read more »
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Nigeria:
The African Origin of Common English Words (II)
Daily Trust, 28 July 2013
When I first wrote about the African origins of common English words on September 8, 2010, I promised that I would expand the list and update my conclusions when I had the chance… Read more »
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Nigeria:
Top 50 Words Nigerians Commonly Mispronounce (I)
Daily Trust, 10 March 2013
I have finally yielded to the pressures of my readers who said I should write on Nigerian (mis)pronunciations of common English words. I was initially reluctant to write this for a… Read more »
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Nigeria:
Broken English, Broken Graduates
Leadership, 29 October 2013
At the passing-out parade of the last batch of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), the Kano State coordinator of the scheme, Mr Sanusi Abdulrasheed, disclosed that about 89… Read more »