When you don’t forget that Nigeria was a British Commonwealth right up until 1960, then you can understand why a form of British English is employed as the frequent language that ties the peoples of more than 200 dialects collectively. That sort of English is identified as pigeon English or broken English so suggests Pleasure, a native Nigerian who has lived in the Houston, Texas spot of the United States for all around a dozen or so yrs.
She grew up in the town of Nsukka in the state of Enugu in the japanese aspect of Nigeria.
If you were being to journey to this rural space – you could possibly hear this query: “Whatem you do?”
Translated it means: “What are you undertaking?” You also will hear the Ibo dialect.
“Whatem you do?” to the lovely female with a Bible on her head and a child on her back again.
“I’m going for walks to church.”
“Whatem you do?” to the gentleman doing work with cement blocks.
“I am constructing houses to lease.”
“Whatem you do?” to the mother harvesting cocoyams and pumpkin leaves.
“I’m building fufu (soup) for our night meal to go with our rice.”
“Whatem you do?” to the children functioning all-around laughing.
“We are taking part in cover and seek out.”
“Whatem you do?” to the friendly, smiling individuals walking all over the place.
“We are strolling to where by we need to have to go. We have no dollars for bicycles or cars.”
“Whatem you do?” to the browsing relatives members going for walks inside the doors of someone’s house with no knocking.
“We occur to stop by and take in and check out and try to eat and take a look at some additional.”
“Whatem you do?” to the adolescents who search like they are most likely carrying out almost nothing.
“Almost nothing.”
If you are an American and decide to go to Nigeria, be guaranteed to check out with the U.S. State Division about safety, necessary documents, immunization necessities, business scams, and other critical info such as what you will need to do if you require any kind of help.. “Whatem you do?” Be risk-free and appreciate a different society! And confirm your spherical journey ticket as shortly as you land.
This write-up is copyrighted 2008 by L.L. Culbreth. You could freely use it but only in it can be entirety and only with the resource box hooked up.