Title: Exploring the Meaning of Pidgin English on Social Media: A Sociolinguistic Analysis of Nigerian Pidgin Hashtags as Adapted Speech

Mosunmola Oluyinka Adebayo
University of Africa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigates the use of Pidginised English in social media, with a specific focus on Nigerian Pidgin hashtags. The significance of this study lies in its contribution to the knowledge and understanding of Nigerian Pidgin English hashtags on social media. The findings expand our understanding of the sociolinguistic dynamics, cultural expressions, linguistic features, and communicative impact of Pidgin English in the digital era, thereby enriching our knowledge of language variation and communication practices in the online space. Forty Pidginised hashtags on social media constitute the data, including surveys, and interviews. The study analyses the meanings of the hashtags within the Nigerian Pidgin context, the linguistic factors that necessitated their use, as well as the sociolinguistic and cultural implications of the use of Nigerian Pidgin hashtags. The study adopts the Variationist Sociolinguistics theory to analyse the data. The findings suggest that pidginised English in social media is a reflection of linguistic diversity and cultural identity, but also serves as a means of social commentary and political critique. This study contributes to the understanding of language use in digital spaces and highlights the impacts of the use of hashtags on social media platforms to promote linguistic and cultural diversity.

Keywords:

adapted speech, hashtags, Nigerian Pidgin, sociolinguistics analysis, social media

How to Cite this Paper:

Adebayo, M. O. (2023). Exploring the Meaning of Pidgin English on Social Media: A Sociolinguistic Analysis of Nigerian Pidgin Hashtags as Adapted Speech. Atras Journal, 4(1), 68-87.

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