Influence of Social Variation (Age) in the use of Nigerian Pidgin (NP): A Survey of Selected Cities (Warri and Port Harcourt) in Nigeria

Abstract

A number of studies have been done on the factors that drive language variation, among which are dialects, register and style. Nigerian Pidgin (NP) is a widely spoken language in Nigeria, with varying dialects and usage patterns across different regions and social groups. Despite its importance in Nigerian communication, much attention has not been given to how social factors such as age influence the use of NP. This study aims to investigate the influence of age on the NP used among speakers in Warri and Port Harcourt, Nigeria. This research is a descriptive survey of NP spoken by people of Warri and Port Harcourt based on age factor, and it provides accurate description of the NP data gathered. It examined how age variations result in NP variants. The study population included youths (18-45 years old) and the elderly (65 years old and above) in the streets, restaurants, professional workers etc. The study population was sampled using purpose sampling technique. The data collection method for this study is participant observation. The data were gathered by recording them and analyzed using content analysis. The results showed that age affects the variants of NP used by the population of Warri and Port Harcourt. The youths of Warri use NP slang, while the elderly use the mainstream NP. The work advocates that NP has the qualities of any other language, such as variation, idioms, and proverbs, and therefore should be given a pride of place in linguistics.