Abstract
Faraclas (1996), Ugorgi (2010), Osisan, W. O. (2009), Odogu (2018), Alies (2019), have carried out various studies on Nigerian Pidgin and its structures using relevant theories under the sociolinguistics field of study. This study sets out to identify Nigerian slangs expressions as used in Warri, Benin, and Port Harcourt. Therefore the objective of this study is to contribute to the already existing literature on Nigerian Pidgin.
The study adopts the Speech Act Theory. The choice of framework was borne out of the fact that people perform different actions through their word and when utterances are made, a particular act is performed. This study presents data collection from both primary and secondary sources. The primary data was gathered from discourses made unconsciously by speakers of slangs (a variety of pidgin) from Warri, Benin and Port Harcourt. This was made possible with the use of oral interview. The secondary sources on the other hand was collected through information derived from published and unpublished materials, thesis, textbooks, and journals, internet sources were used to complement the information gotten from the primary source.
The findings of the study shows that slangs can be derived through morphological processes and slangy expressions in Nigerian Pidgin are products of neologism and borrowing.
This study concludes that slangy expressions in Warri, Benin and Port Harcourt are veritable sources of the Nigerian Pidgin lexicon.
