http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/47 2026-04-15T14:11:58Z 2026-04-15T14:11:58Z OWOEYE, Olufemi Gideon http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/2419 2026-04-14T10:16:14Z 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z

SLANGY EXPRESSIONS AMONG YOUTHS IN SELECTED MOTOR PARKS IN NIGERIA AND CÔTE D’IVOIRE OWOEYE, Olufemi Gideon Slangy expressions, a means of communication among groups of people in casual and informal settings, are commonly deployed by youths in motor parks. Previous studies on slangy expressions have focused either on Anglophone or Francophone countries, with little attention paid to a comparative study of slang in the two contexts, especially in motor parks. This study was, therefore, designed to examine slangy expressions among youths in Badagry (Nigeria) and Adjamé (Côte d’Ivoire) motor parks, with a view to establishing their forms and functions. Dell Hymes’ Ethnography of Communication and Giles Howard’s Communication and Accommodation theories were adopted as the framework, while the survey design was used. Two motor parks (Badagry –Seme Border and Adjamé – Nouvelle Gare) were purposively selected because of their popularity and availability of respondents. In-depth interviews were conducted with 22 purposively selected youths (Seme Border – 12 and Nouvelle Gare – 10) because of their knowledgeability, availability and suitability. Key informant interviews were conducted with three motor park chairmen – one in Seme Border and two in Nouvelle Gare. Data were subjected to sociolinguistic analysis. The slangy expressions used in the two parks were categorised into three tone marks: lexical borrowing, coded expression and code switching. Lexical borrowing was exemplified in irúnmọlẹ̀ to nje fried rice; Bàbá I hail o; Cê como; and On dit qué. Instances of borrowed expressions were fried rice (English – Yoruba), I hail o (Pidgin – Yoruba), Cê como (French – Baoulé) and On dit qué (French – Baoulé). The examples showed that lexical borrowing in Seme Border motor park was mostly from English to Yoruba, while in Nouvelle Gare, it was mostly from French to Baoulé. The borrowed expressions were used for greeting respected personalities in the two motor parks. Coded expressions were elucidated in Alayé Gbánkó (Mr. Man, stay alert), Fo bléblé mon gars (Be careful my guy), Magọ o (Don’t be sluggish), Il n’y a pas des balles (The policemen are around). These coded expressions were used to issue warning. Code switching was manifested in Fún mi ní fígò (Give me N500) and Le gars est digba (The man is strong). Fún mi ní (Give me) is a Yoruba expression, while fígò (personality) is the name of a Portuguese footballer. Fún mi ní fígò is the combination of both Yoruba and Portuguese. Le gars est (The man is) is a French expression, while digba (strong) belongs to Baoulé language. Le gars est digba is the combination of both French and Baoulé. The codemixed expressions were used to indicate exchange of money and expression of confidence among the youths in both parks. Slangy expressions are distinctively used in both Seme Border (Badagry) and Nouvelle Gare (Adjamé) motor parks for various communicative functions among youths in Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire. And it also contribute to the use of salutation, marketing, commercial advertisement, music, education and in socio-cultural context in our society.

2022-01-01T00:00:00Z JIBRIN, Lucy Jummai http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/2405 2025-12-15T10:47:56Z 2023-08-01T00:00:00Z

STYLISTIC CHOICES AND FUNCTIONS IN SELECTED NOVELS OF CALIXTHE BEYALA JIBRIN, Lucy Jummai Francophone novels, including Calixthe Beyala’s, are prominent for their stylistic choices and aesthetics. Previous studies on Calixthe Beyala's novels focused largely on feminism, anti-patriarchal preoccupation and graphical portrayals of sex and violence, with little attention paid to the connection between stylistic features and thematic concerns. This study was, therefore, designed to examine stylistic choices and functions in the novel of Calixthe Beyala, with a view to determining the stylistic strategies deployed to negotiate meaning in relation to her socio-cultural context. M.A.K Haliday’s Systemic Functional Grammar was adopted as the framework, while the interpretative design was used. Four novels of Calixthe Beyala, were purposefully selected because of their thematic and stylistic relevance. The texts were subjected to the ‘explication de texte’. Five linguistic choices are deployed in the novels: diction, sentence structure, literary tone, figurative expressions and sound devices. Diction is seen in the use of pidgin ‘mec’, ‘caca’ and ‘babingues’ in TTT, derogatory words ‘pute’ in TTT and word contractions ‘p’tet’ in MAA, as the language of the narrators to reflect familiar situations and that of characters in their regular interactions. The variation in sentence structure captures the multiple layers of the characters’ feelings and attitude. Short and truncated sentences are used for exclamation ‘Grand Dieu!’ in MAA, derogation ‘t’es malade ou quoi?’ in CSB and expression of snub ‘pourquoi pas a Paris?’ in TTT. The tone is set by the attitudes and feelings of the narrators or some characters: sadness in Aissatou's song in CCM expressing unreciprocated love, disillusionment by Mariam (MAA) whose expectation of a better life crashes in spite of her migration to France, pessimism about African men's show of affection to their spouses in MAA. Figurative expression, rooted in African oral traditions such as proverbs and metaphors are used in the texts. The proverbs ‘a chaque jour suffit sa peine’ in CSM, and ‘le vent a des oreilles’ in TTT convey fatalism and wisdom. Metaphoric expressions such as ‘l’acceuil est glacial’ in CSB and ‘tu as des mains de passoir’ in TTT explicate coldness of mothers’ unwelcoming towards their daughters who come home empty-handed and women’s extravagant lifestyles. Sound devices such as reiteration, syntactic parallelism and dialogue are deployed for narrative aesthetics. The reiteration of ‘je voulais…’ in CSB conveys the obsession of a wish, while musicality is enforced with rhythmic reiteration. Syntactic parallelism runs across the texts. In CCM, Aissatou reacts four times ‘un temps pour…’ with corresponding syntactical relations ‘partir’, ‘retrouver’, ‘perdre’ and ‘revenir’, to heighten a pleasing melody. Beyala uses dialogue copiously in TTT, CCM and CSB to express feelings. Ada in CSB addresses Jean: ‘ceux qui s'occupent des culottes et oublient de s'occuper de la carrotte …’ to evoke the resonance of ‘culottes’ and ‘carrotte’ Stylistic choices in Calixthe Beyala's novel are characterised by diction, syntactic structure, literary tone, figurative expressions and sound devices that reflect situations, feelings and masculinity.

2023-08-01T00:00:00Z AKINADE, Esther Oluwaseun http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1935 2024-04-24T14:10:33Z 2023-09-01T00:00:00Z

SOCIO-PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF SELECTED IVORIAN STAND-UP COMEDY AKINADE, Esther Oluwaseun Stand-up Comedy (SUC), a form of entertainment involving humour, is commonly deployed for social re-engineering among Africans, including Ivorians. Extant linguistic studies on humour in Côte d’Ivoire concentrated mainly on the semiotic analysis of satirical cartoons and mechanisms of humour observed in humorous press (Gbich) in Cote d’Ivoire. However, little attention was paid to the socio-pragmatic dynamics of SUC. This study was, therefore, designed to examine socio-pragmatic dynamics of humour in routines of selected Ivorian Stand-up Comedians (ISUCNs), with a view to determining the discourse issues, linguistic resources and humour strategies in the routines. Dell Hymes’ Ethnography of Communication, complemented by Dan Sperber and Deirdre Wilson’s Relevance Theory, was adopted as the framework. The descriptive design was used. Purposive sampling was deployed for the selection of seven ISUCNs because they featured regularly in ‘Bonjour’ nights (Ivorian annual comic programme ushering every New Year) organised by Radio-Télévision Ivoirienne. They were Agalawal, Papitou, La Flamme de l’Estanguer (FE), Mala Adamo, Les Zinzins de l’Art (ZA), Joel and EnK2K. Seven routines (one for each) were purposively selected from the 2018 edition of Bonjour recorded on DVD based on their preponderant engagement of socio-political issues. The data were subjected to socio-pragmatic analysis. Four discourse issues were identified: economic hardship (Agalawal, Papitou, FE and ZA), bad governance (Agalawal, Mala Adamo, FE and ZA), unemployment (Agalawal, FE, ZA and Joel) and marital unfaithfulness (Papitou and EnK2K). These discourse issues were to mirror the key socio-political problems in Côte d’Ivoire. Four linguistic resources were deployed: wordplay, repetition, formulaic expressions and code switching. Wordplay (all comedians) was deployed to display creative playful manipulation of words. Repetition (Joel, Agalawal, FE and ZA) was utilised to determine the rhythmic flow of the jokes and to make many ideas clearer and memorable. Formulaic expressions (all comedians) were used to plan time and to make the pauses shorter or less frequent. Code switching (Joel, FE, Agalawal, EnK2K and Mala Adamo), which involves Standard French, Popular African French (Nouchi), English, Arabic and native languages (Baoulé and Malinké), was deployed to display linguistic competence of the comedians in catering for the linguistic diversities of Ivorians. Six humour strategies were employed: ridicule, allusion, irreverent behaviour, absurdity, imitation and irony. Ridicule (all comedians) was employed to deride socio-political problems verbally and nonverbally. Allusion (Agalawal) was used to make indirect reference to incumbent Ivorian president. Irreverent behaviour (Agalawal, Papitou and Mala Adamo) was employed to show the lack of proper respect for authority. Absurdity (Mala Adamo) was deployed to present situations that go against all logical rules. Imitation (Papitou and FE) was employed to mimic little children and religious leaders while presenting socio-political problems. Irony (ZA and Mala Adamo) was used to satirise the socio-political problems in Côte d’Ivoire. Ivorian Stand-up Comedians engage socio-political issues through the deployment of humour and linguistic choices in their routines.

2023-09-01T00:00:00Z ADEFARASIN, Victoria Adeola http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1933 2024-04-24T14:06:22Z 2023-08-01T00:00:00Z

ORATURE IN THE POETRY OF SELECTED FRANCOPHONE WEST AFRICAN NEGRITUDE POETS ADEFARASIN, Victoria Adeola Orature, a literature that is oral, is evident in African poetry, including that of Francophone West African Negritude poets. Previous studies on West African Francophone poetry focused on form, content and style with little attention paid to elements of orature in the poems. This study was therefore, designed to examine features of orature in the selected poems of Negritude poets, with a view to determining the literary features of orature and their implications for Francophone African society. Homi Bhabha’s postcolonial postulations on cultural hybridity served as the framework, while the interpretive design was used. Four Negritude poets were examined: Leopold Sedar Senghor, from the collections Oeuvre poétique (OP), Birago Diop Leurres et lueurs (LL), David Diop Coup de pilon (CP); and Bernard Dadié Hommes de tous les continents (HC) were purposively selected based on their thematic relevance. The data were subjected to literary analysis. Four features were deployed across the selected poems and categorised as: Figurative expressions, Sound devices, Code-mixing and Code-switching. Figurative expressions common to the poems that are related to orality include, apostrophe and metaphor, among others. The apostrophic expression is used to recall African religious chants, eulogise individuals and invoke the forces of nature. Apt metaphor is found in “Les Vautours” (CP), “Vanité” (LL) “sèche tes pleurs, Afrique” (HC) and “Femme Noire” (OP). The metaphorical expression in “Les Vautours” (OP) describes the European Missionaries as vultures who came to exploit Africans. Allegorical metaphor is displayed in “Vanité” (LL); it demonstrates the wickedness of the Whites to the Blacks. Sound devices that manifest in the poems include chant, song, incantation and initiation rites. Chant runs across all the poems; it appears in “Chant des rameurs” (LL). Song also manifests in “Le Tam-tam” (CP), lncantation and initiation rites are displayed in “incantation” (LL) and “Chant de l’initié” (OP). Code-mixing involves intra-sentential and extra-sentential expressions. Intra-sentential code-mixing is deployed in Oeuvre Poetique (OP) in “Lettre a un prisonnier” where French and Wolof language are being code-mixed “Ngom! Champion de Tyané” while extra-sentential code-mixing is employed in CP in the poem “Rama-Kam” where French and Wolof are combined many times: “Le Tam-tam Rama-Kam, le Tam-tam tendu comme un sexe de victoire”. Codeswitching involves English and French inter-sentential expressions in CP particularly in “Le temps du Martyre”, “Hé boy, un Berger, une serviette, de l’eau!”. Linguistic varieties in the poems are used to frame African identity. The selected Francophone African Negritude poets deploy features of Orature to promote African unity and an identity that provide convergence for both oral tradition and written orality.

2023-08-01T00:00:00Z