SYNTACTIC VARIATION IN NIGERIAN ENGLISH.
SYNTACTIC VARIATION IN NIGERIAN ENGLISH.
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Date
1996-06
Authors
EMMANUEL OFUOKWU, ONWUDILI
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Abstract
ABSTRACT
This study is descriptive; it examines the spectrum of
Englishes covered by the term Nigerian English (NigE), from a
syntactic perspective.
In Nigeria, we are faced with a linguistic continuum
ranging from pidgin through Broken/Non-standard English
varieties to the standard. Nigerian speakers generally and
actively control a wide range of this continuum which
manifests itself in considerable linguistic variability. The
important question then, is 'how do we account for and
systematically describe this continuum or variability?'
This work is therefore a useful addition to studies in
'Varieties of English Around the World'.
The introductory chapter presents a summary of the
development of Local Forms of English (LFEs) in the new nation
states, and highlights the call by the Hawaii Conference that
'English' should also mean vthe English of non-native speakers
treated in its own right and accepted on a footing of
equality'.
Chapter Two deals with the theoretical framework, the
review of literature in variation studies and relates these to
the study of the LFEs. We see a similarity between Derek
Bickerton's basilect-mesolect-acrolect schema (without their
implicational relations) and three varieties of Nigerian
English and opt for a modified linear scalogram.
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Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL,
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA IN PARTIAL
FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE
AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF
PHILOSOPHY IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Keywords
SYNTACTIC, VARIATION, VARIATION, ENGLISH