Nigerian Pidgin

Lore & Background

West African Pidgin English arose during the transatlantic slave trade as a language of commerce between British and African slave traders. Portuguese merchants were the first Europeans to trade in West Africa beginning in the 15th century, and the language contains numerous words of Portuguese origin such as 'sabi' ('to know'), from the Portuguese 'saber'. The language quickly spread up river systems into the West African interior because of its value as a trade language among Africans of different tribes. Later, it was adopted as a native language by new communities of Africans and mixed-race people living in coastal slave trading bases such as James Island, Bunce Island, Elmina Castle, Cape Coast Castle and Anomabu, at which point it became a creole language. Some scholars call it 'West African Pidgin English' to emphasize its role as a lingua franca pidgin, while others call it 'Guinea Coast Creole English' to emphasize its role as a creole native language. Early European travelers and slave traders called it the 'Coast English' or the 'Coast Jargon'.

Reader's Guide

As of 2017, about 75 million people in Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana and Equatorial Guinea speak the language. In 2016, there were an estimated five million individuals who use Pidgin as a primary language for everyday use in Nigeria. During the rise of African nationalism, it became a 'language of resistance and anti-colonialism', and political activists still use it to criticize their post-colonial political leaders. Over the last hundred years the amount of English-lexifier based creoles in West African countries currently being used as primary and secondary language has increased greatly, with speakers currently exceeding one hundred million. Because West African Pidgin English is primarily a spoken language, there is no standardized written form, and many local varieties exist. In August 2017, the BBC launched a Pidgin news service, aimed at audiences in West and Central Africa, and as part of that effort, the BBC developed a guide for a standardized written form of pidgin.

Did You Know?

• West African Pidgin English contains numerous words of Portuguese origin, such as 'sabi' ('to know'), from the Portuguese 'saber'.
• A British slave trader named John Matthews documented an example of West African Pidgin English in his book 'A Voyage to the River Sierra-Leone on the Coast of Africa'.
• In August 2017, the BBC launched a Pidgin news service for audiences in West and Central Africa.
• During the rise of African nationalism, West African Pidgin English became a 'language of resistance and anti-colonialism'.
• Early European travelers and slave traders called the language the 'Coast English' or the 'Coast Jargon'.

Origins in the Slave Trade

West African Pidgin English arose during the period of the transatlantic slave trade as a language of commerce between British and African slave traders. Portuguese merchants were the first Europeans to trade in West Africa beginning in the 15th century, and West African Pidgin English contains numerous words of Portuguese origin such as 'sabi' ('to know'), a derivation of the Portuguese 'saber'. Later, as British merchants arrived to engage in the slave trade, they developed this language in combination with local African slave traders in order to facilitate their commercial exchanges. The language quickly spread up the river systems into the West African interior because of its value as a trade language among Africans of different tribes. A British slave trader in Sierra Leone, John Matthews, mentioned pidgin English in a letter he later published in a book titled 'A Voyage to the River Sierra-Leone on the Coast of Africa'. Matthews refers to West African Pidgin English as a 'jargon', and he warns Europeans coming to Africa that they will fail to understand the Africans unless they recognize that there are significant differences between English and the coastal pidgin.

From Trade Tool to Native Language

Later in the language's history, this useful trading language was adopted as a native language by new communities of Africans and mixed-race people living in coastal slave trading bases such as James Island, Bunce Island, Elmina Castle, Cape Coast Castle and Anomabu. At that point, it became a creole language. Some scholars call this language 'West African Pidgin English' to emphasize its role as a lingua franca pidgin used for trading. Others call it 'Guinea Coast Creole English' to emphasize its role as a creole native language spoken in and around the coastal slave castles and slave trading centers by people permanently based there. The existence of this influential language during the slave trade era is attested by the many descriptions of it recorded by early European travelers and slave traders. They called it the 'Coast English' or the 'Coast Jargon'. Matthews supplied an example of West African Pidgin English: 'Well, my friend, you got trade today; you got plenty of slaves? No, we no got trade yet; by and by trade come. You can't go. What you go for catch people, you go for make war? Yes, my brother … gone for catch people; or they gone for make war.'

A Language of Resistance and Modern Life

West African Pidgin English remained in use in West Africa after the abolition of the slave trade by Western nations and the decolonization of Africa. Looked down upon during the colonial era as a bastardization of proper English – a stigma still attached to it by some – Pidgin nonetheless remains in widespread use. In 2016, there were an estimated five million individuals who use Pidgin as a primary language for everyday use in Nigeria. As of 2017, about 75 million people in Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana and Equatorial Guinea speak the language. During the rise of African nationalism, it became a 'language of resistance and anti-colonialism', and political activists still use it to criticize their post-colonial political leaders. Over the last hundred years the amount of English-lexifer based creoles in West African countries currently being used as primary and secondary language has increased greatly, with speakers currently exceeding one hundred million.

A Family of Regional Varieties

Because West African Pidgin English is primarily a spoken language, there is no standardized written form, and many local varieties exist. These include Sierra Leone Krio, Nigerian Pidgin, Ghanaian Pidgin English, Cameroonian Pidgin English, Liberian Kolokwa English, the Aku dialect of Krio, and Pichinglis. In August 2017, the BBC launched a Pidgin news service, aimed at audiences in West and Central Africa, as part of its World Service branch. As part of that effort, the BBC developed a guide for a standardized written form of pidgin.