LEXICO-SEMANTIC FEATURES OF NIGERIAN ENGLISH THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AND LITERARY STUDIES, (IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS (M.A), ENGLISH LANGUAGE)

ABSTRACT
The global spread of the English language as one of the most far-reaching linguistic phenomena of our time is already an established fact. Evidence of this worldwide phenomenon of language contact, variation and change can be seen through such designation as world English, modern English, West African English, South African English, Australian English, Indian English, Nigerian English, etc. The phrase ‘Nigerian English’ has appeared in the last four decades or so. The purpose of this study is to describe the lexico-semantic features that mark Nigerian English as a distinct variety of English.
The features are considered along ten different categories, namely: loan shift/semantic extension, semantic shift, coinages, clichés, translation equivalents, direct borrowing, acronyms, analogical process, back formation and blends. It is concluded that since Nigerian English is productive at the level of lexico-semantics, it has some implications for the pedagogy of English, as it relates to the acquisition of communicative competence in the language.