Can One Be Truly Nigerian If They Can't Speak Pidgin - Culture - Nairaland
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| Can One Be Truly Nigerian If They Can't Speak Pidgin by 1k001(m): 8:16am On May 04, 2011 |
I bin dey read say vina our 9ja babe for big bro talk say she no sabi speak pidgin. e come dey make me wonder whether she qualify as proper 9ja person. How 9ja person wan talk say im no sabi pidgin, e no be like say d gramma inside too much or to learn am too hard. me feel say na shakara be d problem. if we wan talk tru, na pidgin be d most widely spoken language for we country. so how u wan take claim country wey u no dey follow talk d main language wey people dey talk. if person no dey exposed to pidgin (how i no know) e suppose find way go learn am, infact i propose say make all d ajebo schools for 9ja make pidgin compulsory. abeg country people wetin una think? NB - i wan know how those wey no dey speak pidgin dey take go market? |
| Re: Can One Be Truly Nigerian If They Can't Speak Pidgin by InkedNerd(f): 9:17am On May 04, 2011 |
What makes or doesn't make someone a Nigerian? And who are you to judge on what makes someone Nigerian?  |
| Re: Can One Be Truly Nigerian If They Can't Speak Pidgin by neily(f): 9:36am On May 04, 2011 |
Our beloved country Nigeria does not have a national language, the official language is English. If someone can speak English its ok. Do u know that pigin english is a raw translation of our different local languages that is why it differs from one state to the other. My dear if someone cannot speak pigin english, it does not make that person less Nigerian. After all it is called gutter english. |
| Re: Can One Be Truly Nigerian If They Can't Speak Pidgin by tpia5: 11:45am On May 04, 2011 |
Not every nigerian speaks pidgin. My dad never spoke it as far as i know. |
| Re: Can One Be Truly Nigerian If They Can't Speak Pidgin by xxcarolxx(f): 12:30am On May 05, 2011 |
Our main language is english, though it should be irish, I have few words in irish, just because i do not speak irish, does not mean i'm not irish, |
| Re: Can One Be Truly Nigerian If They Can't Speak Pidgin by 1k001(m): 12:59am On May 05, 2011 |
When i say Nigerian i don't mean carrying a passport or having a token association with Nigeria I mean fully immersing oneself in the culture and being able to relate uniquely with other Nigerians. Part of that i would contend is being able to communicate with most Nigerians. Pidgin is by far the most widely spoken and understood language in the country and thus i suggest that the mastery of it at least at some level is relevant to one's 'Nigerianness'. Not everybody in the world is Nigerian, thus there must be indicators that show whether an individual is Nigerian or not. I contend that being able to communicate with most Nigerians via the most widely understood language (pidgin in my opinion) is one such indicator. Our official language is english but the reality is many - dare i say the majority of- Nigerians are more comfortable in pidgin. I don't know that pidgin english and gutter english are synonymous. Pidgin is used to communicate effectively via the written and spoken word Books have been written in pidgin and many a jokes have been 'cracked' in pidgin. All nigerian comedians use pidgin, ever wonder why? All Nigerians are Nigerians but some are more Nigerian than others |
| Re: Can One Be Truly Nigerian If They Can't Speak Pidgin by 1k001(m): 1:04am On May 05, 2011 |
Oh and about the irish, I've a friend who's ethnically chinese but was born in Ireland and speaks perfect irish. I would contend that she is more irish than you are, no offense intended. |
| Re: Can One Be Truly Nigerian If They Can't Speak Pidgin by EzeUche2(m): 6:43am On May 05, 2011 |
Not every Nigerian speaks pidgin. Most understand pidgin, but not everyone speaks pidgin. Some people prefer speaking their native tongue instead of pidgin. |
| Re: Can One Be Truly Nigerian If They Can't Speak Pidgin by InkedNerd(f): 7:54am On May 05, 2011 |
EzeUche_: True. 1k001: I understand what you are saying but as I asked before, who are you to judge on this matter on who or who isn't Nigerian? I am a Nigerian who is a of mixed tribal heritage, and am linguistically familiar with pidgin, American English, Igbo, and a little bit of the river language, and culturally aware yet because I was raised here in the US and I get told by some people that I am not Nigerian. The place which I reside and was raised is not what makes or doesn't make me a Nigerian. There isn't one particular thing that makes or doesn't make me a Nigerian. Personally for me, although I was raised here in the US, I am very much familiar with my Nigerian heritage and as far as I'm concerned, I'm not an American and will never be one. |
| Re: Can One Be Truly Nigerian If They Can't Speak Pidgin by xxcarolxx(f): 8:52pm On May 05, 2011 |
1k001:She is still chinese just because she speaks irish does not make her irish, Be the same when i master pidgin english, its not going to make me nigerian, No offense taken, slain, |
| Re: Can One Be Truly Nigerian If They Can't Speak Pidgin by iice(f): 5:15am On May 06, 2011 |
Nope. One can understand the culture and mindset, if one has lived a while amongst us. Doesn't necessarily mean he/she is or isn't a nigerian. |
| Re: Can One Be Truly Nigerian If They Can't Speak Pidgin by akunta(f): 11:08am On May 06, 2011 |
its difficult to find a nija born who cant speak our pidgin but, they do exist. that doesn't make them less nija. Besides, pidgin get diff levels  |
| Re: Can One Be Truly Nigerian If They Can't Speak Pidgin by Sonofpeace(m): 7:39pm On May 06, 2011 |
Wow! So for one to be a true Nigerian he/she must speak pidgin english? I dont think so because the last time i check english was our lingua franca. I think that what makes up a true Nigerian are values and culture that are indigenous to Nigeria. Let vani be and let us give her our atleast she is representing our positives, not like karen that shows our negatives all the time. |
| Re: Can One Be Truly Nigerian If They Can't Speak Pidgin by Nobody: 7:56pm On May 07, 2011 |
Ability to speak pidgin ≠ Nigerian. |
| Re: Can One Be Truly Nigerian If They Can't Speak Pidgin by Princek12(m): 10:16pm On May 09, 2011 |
Shame on every Naija person wey no sabi speak Pidgin, especially the ones wey grow up for Naija. Colo mentality don scatter their head. |
| Re: Can One Be Truly Nigerian If They Can't Speak Pidgin by BABE3: 6:12am On May 10, 2011 |
Princek12: haha! Pls what gave you the audacity to type out those two sentences? @OP: sOME Nigerians can't speak Pigin and that doesn't make them less of a Nigerian. It's all by blood and citizenship! All these real Nigerian, fake Nigerian talks are all in our heads! Technically, it's a non-factor! A NIGERIAN IS A NIGERIAN!  |
| Re: Can One Be Truly Nigerian If They Can't Speak Pidgin by bayosgirl(f): 8:07am On May 10, 2011 |
I can't speak Pidgin. Heck, I'm not even black. But I'm Nigerian, at heart |
| Re: Can One Be Truly Nigerian If They Can't Speak Pidgin by Nobody: 8:36am On May 10, 2011 |
Yoruba is my language.so called pidgin laguage is an adulteration of english itself which is commonly use among the ND states.so how does one's inability to speak an adulterated english mean the person is not a nigeria ? It's just like saying every nigerian must speak yoruba in order to be called a nigerian.I see it as an attempt at culture capture by whoever is pushing for such senseless opinion. |
| Re: Can One Be Truly Nigerian If They Can't Speak Pidgin by bokohalal(m): 3:22pm On May 10, 2011 |
Pidgin is one of the tenuous threads that make one a Nigerian.It breaks down our primitive barriers and reaches out to a larger Nigerian culture. I, personally, can identify more with a Nigerian that speaks pidgin than one that speaks standard English or their language in a gathering of various Nigerian ethnic people .It is part of our culture and makes for a more wholesome Nigerian. If you ever came across a foreigner that spoke Nigerian pidgin you will understand what I am trying to say. |
| Re: Can One Be Truly Nigerian If They Can't Speak Pidgin by MrsChima(f): 6:19pm On Nov 11, 2012 |
Hmm. |
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