PROCESSES OF LEXICAL INNOVATION IN NIGERIAN PIDGIN

ABSTRACT

This study examines the processes of Lexical Innovation in the Nigerian Pidgin which can be gotten through morphological processes of borrowing, affixation, metonymy, euphemism, neologism, reduplication etc. Lexical Innovation is the process of inventing new lexical items in a Language. The Nigerian Pidgin is the language used by both indigenes and non-indigenes in the Nation because it is a Lingua Franca common to all and sundry, a language free from social, cultural, political and religious affiliations. The need for this study arises as a result of the continuous increase in use and function of the language. The theoretical framework adopted for this study is Lexical Semantics. Lexical semantics is the study of meaning at the word level; this framework is preferred because the topic is centered on innovations in Nigeria Pidgin at the word level. The methodology of data collection involves both primary and secondary data. Primary data was via oral interview with persons along different fields and age range both learned and unlearned, secondary data was through review of relevant literature from articles, journals, thesis, and books. From the findings it is discovered that like any other language the Nigeria Pidgin is highly productive and creative and follows a regular and organized pattern of expanding her vocabulary.