Languages in contact, a blessing or a scourge? A case study of Yoruba ethnography of greetings

Abstract

The paper posits that "languages in contact", a sociolinguistic phenomenon, is both a blessing and a scourge in Nigeria. This phenomenon was analyzed from both the diachronic and synchronic perspective. The author asserts that the contact between English and Yoruba in Nigeria has positive consequences such as bilingualism, multilingualism, effective code - mixing and code-switching, borrowing, bi-and multi-culturalism, and language enrichment. English language came with its culture, and this has a facilitating and pervasive influence on Nigerian education system, the entrenchment of democracy and cultural best practices. These are a real blessing. However, the negative or deleterious consequences of languages in contact are devastating. These include language interference problems arising from inter-lingual phenomenon; the issue of linguistic suicide and murder, or what is called language and cultural endangerment and extinction. The ethnography of communication, especially of greeting, among the Yoruba, is fast losing its vitality, finesse and value as a result of the negative influence of English on Yoruba language and culture. The author suggests that effective language planning; both corpus and status, with a serious commitment to language documentation may be the panacea to language and cultural endangerment occasioned by languages in contact. © 2013 ACADEMY PUBLISHER Manufactured in Finland.