Basics of Pidgin English - Naija Version: 2012

getting started...

I recall several years back when, in the company of a group of friends, we attempted to assess our varying proficiencies in Queen's English-Pidgin English cross-translations.

The deal was to translate complex pidgin expressions without losing any of the integral meanings in the process.

So, "ee don tay sins day break" became 'it's been a while since dawn' and "i no send!" we figured out to be 'i don't give a damn!'

That got me thinking, especially as these days there are no clear rules for pidgin grammar - sometimes you just make it up as you go along.

Let's scratch that, as it's not particularly true. You still have parts of speech in pidgin, with the verbs 'dey' and 'don' featuring as staple devices and also such regular nouns as 'peele' (or paale), and 'oga'.

The most difficult aspect I'd say to constructing pidgin-English expressions is simply the fact that there are many regional variations and there is also the struggle to absorb them all into a generally accepted syntax regime. My best bet would be to regard same-meaning variants in a synonymic fashion - as is the case with other formalised languages.

So, as we begin our journey into the language of pidgin, there are a few points to note:

- the language is in a continuous state of evolution, so no rules are constant.

- our focus would be on pidgin in its true form as spoken in the Niger-Delta region (with occasional forays into the province of variant models)

and ahem... there will be more and more pidgin expressions and less and less proper english phrases as we go on.

Oya, make we carry go!

Tuesday, 24 January 2012

Starting Out - Basic Conversation

'Yu waka wel' - 'Yu waka wel com my haws'

'How na?'

'Good monin', 'Day don brayk' - 'Good monin, how yu dey tuday?'

'Till day brayk'

'How yu dey?', 'How ee be?'

'How far?', 'How tings?'
'Ai dey, yu try'

'Wetin be ya name?', 'Wetin pesin go col yu?', 'Wetin dem dey call yu?' 'Who yu be?'
'My name na ...', 'Ai be ...'

'How many years yu be?' 'How yu old reach?', 'Wetin be ya age?'
'Ai be ... years'

'Wich side yu from com?'
'Ai com from ...', 'Ai be ....', 'Na from ... I com'

'Sabi' - 'We sabi?', 'Yu sabi me?'

'Sho', 'See/Greet' - 'Ai wan show you my pesin ...', 'Com see/greet my pesin ...'
'Ee guwd' - 'Ee guwd as ai see yu'

'Abeg', 'Ai dey beg' - 'Abeg ai tok troo'

'Abeg' - 'Abeg, we sabi?'

'Yu waka well'

'Bye-bye', 'Till anoda time' - 'Bye-bye we go dey see'

Welcome - Welcome to my home
Hello
Good morning - Good morning, how are u today?
Good night - Good night and sleep well
How are you?
How's it going?
Fine, thanks
What's your name?
My name is...
How old are you?
I am ... years old
Where are you from?
I am from ...
... to know - Do we know each other?
... to introduce - I would like to introduce you to my friend ....
A pleasure - It's a pleasure to meet you
Please - Please believe me
Thanks - Thanks for the gift
Excuse me - Excuse me, do i know you?
You are welcome
Goodbye - Goodbye and see you soon