Pidgin, Nigerian

Print

A language of Nigeria

ISO 639-3
pcm
Alternate Names
Broken English, Brokin, Brokun, Nigerian Creole English, Nigerian Pidgin English
Population

30,000,000 including L1 and L2 speakers.

Location

Southern states; northern states in Sabon Garis; coastal and urban areas.

Language Status

3 (Wider communication).

Classification
Creole, English based, Atlantic, Krio
Dialects

Benin Pidgin, Cross River Pidgin, Delta Pidgin, Lagos Pidgin. No unified standard. Dialects may be very different from each other. Partially intelligible with Krio [kri] of Sierra Leone and Cameroon Pidgin [wes].

Language Use

Increasing in importance and use. A creole with native speakers; also a pidgin between Africans and Europeans, and Africans from different languages.

Language Development
Poetry. Radio programs. TV. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible portions: 1957.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Pidgin, Nigerian
Writing
Latin script, used since 2002.