Language - More than words
By: ORIENO HENRY O. SMILE(A good writer)
Why do people first recognize "Warri" in our tongues before they realise we are only a fragment of Delta State?
Nigerians do speak pidgin, but there's always something about the one spoken by waffarians. Hmmmmm I can smell some beef already 😂. Please relax a little and just read.
Unlike major cities in Nigeria, only Warri has no definite indigenous language. Not even English is recognized in general. In fact, if you do speak a very good English with the accent, uhh, you're not from Warri. You are JJC(Johnny Just Come).
I have seen people with flawless spoken English gets recolonised and retribalised. In Warri, there is no Urhobo, Itsekiri, Ijaw or any other tribe. There's only one language - Pidgin! (Warri.......Area)
This pidgin carries it's own vowels and consonants. Though, mostly coined from the Original English or any other local language, it has its own meanings and demonstrations. These demonstrations are embedded in the ways and lifestyle of Waffarians.
The most adopted of words or phrase usage comes with the era and commonly spoken "foreign" words around.
Now, this is not just about Warri and Pidgin, but about language learning and unlearning everywhere around the world. Language, depicts the lifestyle and beliefs of the locals. This is why you can't learn a new language without first learning about their lifestyle and beliefs. And you must do this in all honesty if you must learn fast.
With language, there's first the "Being" , then the "Living", then the "Hearing" and finally, the "Speaking". Speaking is like the grand finale and induction into the community.
Why do your reaction changes towards another person once he/she speaks our tongue?
Have you wondered why the Suya seller at the street junction becomes happy and even gives you free suya once he discovers you could speak and understand Hausa properly?
Whatever language you are trying to learn, you are simply not just learning the consonants or vowels, you're saying "I want to become part of you!".
Therefore, if you are finding it difficult to learn a new language, it's probably because you haven't accepted to be one of them. Once you do this, everything changes.
Pidgin sweet die...na so we dey do am for here(that's how it's been done here)
Love you guys....
Let's learn a new language today........
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