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Semantics of Occupational Lexis in Nigerian English
Author(s) -
Alabi Victoria A.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
world englishes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.6
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1467-971X
pISSN - 0883-2919
DOI - 10.1111/1467-971x.00158
Subject(s) - lexis , linguistics , intelligibility (philosophy) , analogy , semantics (computer science) , investment (military) , sociology , psychology , business , political science , computer science , epistemology , philosophy , law , politics , programming language
This paper describes forms of semantic re‐investment of occupational lexical items in Nigerian English. Three categories and two subcategories of re‐investment are identified: shift, generalisation, narrowing (subcategories of ‘shift’), re‐assignment, and analogy. These types of semantic re‐investment are considered within a socio‐cultural and linguistic setting of Nigeria as a developing country. The paper also discusses the intranational and international intelligibility and implications of such semantic re‐investment.