STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEMS

Taking the existing criticism as a starting point, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison  explores how Pecola, the black  protagonist, becomes a representati”e of whole world’s marginal, neglected childhood and resultant devastation of individual talents.She suffers throughout her life negligence of parents, deprivation of love in the past, and madness in present and future. In her case not only the society but also her parents are the major problem subject to  blamed.Her mother rejects her as ugly and her father rapes her hence Pecola and her mental unhingeness are symbolic of how many a youth talent gets sacrificed because of blind adoration and adaptation of popular culture..

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An Examination of the Language of Sport in Nigeria

ABSTRACT

The issue of the existence of a language synonymous with sport often generates debates amongst scholars. Many regard it as simple an aspect of a language that describes sporting events as perceived by the language users and not as a full-fledged specialized language variety. This study therefore, seeks to correct certain misconceptions about the language of sport and also to establish that it is not a vague or abstract coinage but a working language framework for sporting activities.

INTRODUCTION

It is impossible to fully understand and appreciate contemporary society without acknowledging the place of sport. It is largely a part of the social and cultural fabric of different localities, regions and nations. It contributes to economies, an instrument of international peace and relations, transformative, important to the film and television industries and it is regularly associated with social problems and issues such as violence, crime, racism amongst many others. In other words, it is an international phenomenon. The etymology of the word ‘sport’ comes from the old French word ‘desport’ which means ‘leisure’. Wikipedia defines sport as any form of competitive physical activity through casual or organized participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and in some cases, entertainment for spectators (npn).

Sport is a prominent social institution in almost every society because it combines the characteristics found in any social institution with a unique appeal only duplicated by perhaps religion. This uniqueness is expressed in the mystique it commands and the nostalgia it stirs up. Frey and Eitzen assert that ‘no other activity so paradoxically combines the serious with the frivolous, playfulness with intensity and the ideological with the structural’ (504). It is an arena of patterned behaviours, social structures and inter-institutional relationships that holds unique opportunities to study and understand the complexities of social life. For decades, the increasing popularity of sport as a media event is totally phenomenal, a function of various media platforms such as the press, the radio, the television and the internet with language playing a very crucial role. This has resulted in what could be termed the language of sport; a significant driver of this unique social institution.

LANGUAGE OF SPORT

The language of sport generally refers to a specialized variety of language used in the sport milieu by various sport stakeholders or participants (coaches, players, supporters, sporting agencies, etc). In other words, this language variety has its unique register of sport used to express, reflect or capture the peculiarities of sporting events. According to Spurr (82), the language of sport is ‘the linguistic representation of sporting activity’.On the contrary, Polok, cited by Taborek argues that we cannot speak about the language of sport but only about its technical or professional vocabulary inserted in the general language. Referring to his native language; Polish, he affirms ‘there is just Polish sport vocabulary as a part of the general Polish general lexis’ (120). This explains why some persons outrightly refuse to regard sport language as a language variety because it is often deployed or used on various sporting occasions howbeit spontaneously and unconsciously.

Liponski, a German philologist does not agree with this view. Rather he argues that the language of sport exist long before we even thought to acknowledge it. Hence, cited by Taborek, he opines that ‘the language of sport has been existing since antiquity (238). The names of ancient sports, their descriptions and reflections on them have been preserved in classical texts. Since time immemorial the language of sport has been a rich area of specialist linguistic communication’. In this regard, it is incontrovertible that contrary views against the language of sport lack valid points and cannot stand.

However, it is significant to recognize that the word ‘sport’ is broad because it refers to a conglomeration of different physical activities/ games which have assumed various names in decades. To this end, there are various sports like football, volleyball, hockey, rugby, pole vault, swimming and many others. Furthermore, there are words or terms peculiar to each of these numerous sporting events which could be termed semantic fields (register) of different sports. Hence, we have the register of football, hockey, polo, basketball and many others. In this regard, it is plausible to conclude that a combination of these semantic fields basically forms the framework for the language of sport. The language of sport just like every other language or language variety can and will be examined and discussed from different dimensions: Linguistics and Sociolinguistics dimensions.

Linguistics Dimension: This aspect centres on the study of language(s) using various approaches like pragmatics, syntax, phonology, discourse analysis, semantics, etc. These approaches could be generally categorized into the three broad views (text-linguistics view, pragmatics view and cognitive view) in other to expatiate more on the language of sport.

Text-linguistics view encompasses all forms of discourse (spoken and written) in sport circles which of course takes place in the language of sport. Sporting events are replete with many events documented in text form like commentaries on various sporting events. These commentaries could be on live football matches, rugby matches, hockey matches, basketball matches and so on transmitted via various media platforms like the television, radio, the internet or through the press (newspaper commentaries). Another form in which discourse occurs are news combined with quotes from match participants, columns with analysis and opinions, information presented in tabular forms (tables of teams, list of scorers, winners and losers, point, match standings), interviews and players’ profiles with accurate statistical and background data.

Pragmatic view centres on the study of specific communicational situations in the context of sporting events. This view adopts several pragmatics frameworks like the conversational principles and speech act theories in the analysis of diverse communication scenarios in sporting events. In this regard, the communication between referees or between coaches and players are subjects of pragmatic analysis. The chants of supporters as well as communication between team mates can also be subjected to pragmatic analysis.

The cognitive view hinges on the study of the language of sport in other to identify its inherent features on several linguistic levels such as the morpho-syntactic, phonological and discourse levels. It unearths the various morphological processes involved in the formation of the unique lexical elements peculiar to the language of sport.
Sociolinguistics Dimension: One of the major theoretical underpinnings of sociolinguistics is the social identity of participants (speaker and hearer) in a sociolinguistic context. This sociolinguistics standpoint is in consonance with Sapir’s view of language that it is purely human and non-instinctive method of communication. Therefore, it is plausible to affirm that language cannot be performed by abstract entities, rather by humans who definitely have a social identity. In this regard, various sporting occasions absolutely require the use of language; the language of sport. However, the use of the language by participants in a sporting context makes it effortless in deciphering their social identity. These participants are either the sportsmen (coaches, referees and player) or the supporters, each with peculiarities in language use. Consequently, the language use peculiar to each of these participants will be discussed from two perspectives: the language of sportsmen and the language of supporters.

The language of sportsmen covers the communication of or between referees, players and coaches during a sporting event. According to Taborek, the communication that takes place in sport context is ‘determined by the dynamics of the situation and a high degree of specialization of the participants which results firstly in special terminology and secondly in the simplified structures used by them’ (241). For instance, during a football match, players may raise their hands to suggest to the referee that they are being fouled by the opponents and vice versa. Sometimes, they could also make persuasive gestures to the referee to issue cards (yellow or red) to their opponents. The coaches also use specialize terms like formation (442 or433), right wing, left wing, midfield and attack. The various signs or gestures made by these players are specialized which corroborates Tworek’s assertion. In the internal communication between coaches and players, several specialized signs are also used to pass across specific instructions. In football matches for example, it is common to find coaches waving, swinging or scribbling down instructions all in a bid to communicate effectively with the players in achieving the collective goal of winning. On the contrary, certain communicative signs are spontaneous and the communication between players and coaches differs from the one between the players and the referees.

The language of supporters significantly differs from that of the sportsmen due to their function-specific roles in a sporting context. Basically, the role of supporters during any sporting event is to raise or boost the morale of their teams or players competing in a match. In the course of discharging their duties, they often resort to loud rhythmic chants, patterned gestures and claps in a bid to charge up their teams. Sometimes, they could use specialized language forms as may be the case. In Nigeria for instance, supporters are noted for chants like ‘all we are saying, give us one goal’. In well organized leagues like the English Premier League (EPL), the chants are usually based on pop songs or hymns like ‘You Never Walk Alone’ (Liverpool FC), Glory, Glory Man United (Manchester United FC). The verbal communication of supporters is often accompanied with various forms of choreographies and graffiti to show support.

METHODOLOGY

The study will adopt a content analysis to examine the syntactic and lexical features of sport columns. The language of sport does have its inherent linguistic properties which will be the focus of the analysis. Also, the semantic fields will be examined as every sport as its peculiar terms.

DATA PRESENTATION

NNPC/SHELL CUP: FOSLA, Excel qualify for final-Wednesday, JUNE 15, 2016.

Two teams FOSLA Academy, Abuja and Excel Education Centre Port Harcourt on Tuesday qualified for the final of 2016 NNPC/Shell cup competition organized for all secondary schools in the country. FOSLA defeated Asegun Comprehensive High school 3-0 in the first semifinal encounter in the match decided at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere. It was a highly interesting match which brought out the best in the two sides to the delight of the representatives of Feyenoord Academy who were also present at the venue. Abdullahi Muhammad scored twice while Alayi Haruna scored the third goal for FOSLA Academy. The Feyenoord representatives from Holland with Nigeria’s former international, Mike Okibu, in the team had a training session with the four semi-finalists on Tuesday morning.

In the second semifinal, Excel walloped Science School 4-0 in another entertaining encounter which saw Ogidi Joseph recording a hatrick for the Port Harcourt team. Benjamin Jacob is the other scorer of the team in the one sided match. The stage is now set for the final which takes place at the same venue on Thursday. “Both the finalists and semifinal losers are still going to continue intensive training under the supervision of our team. These players are very strong and all they need now are little tips to better their career,” Obiku said.

ANALYSIS

Lexico-Semantic Features: Firstly, certain words chiefly belong to the register of football, perhaps the most popular sport. The primary reason is that the data is a report or commentary of an already played football match. These words are only understood by persons who have an idea of the game of football. Thus, we have words like: semi-finalist, semifinal, hatrick, goal, final and players.

Semi-final refers to the last but one stage in a football competition. Four teams do participate in this stage from which two teams will progress to the next stage called the final.

Semi-finalists are the teams qualified to participate in the semi-final stage of a football competition.

Hatrick refers to three goals scored by a player in a particular match.

Goal refers to the act of using the legs or head to put the ball into the net in a football match.

Players refer to the persons/individuals that participate in a football match on the field.

Other words like ‘teams’, ‘cup’, ‘training session’, ‘match’ and ‘stadium’ are not limited to football competitions but used in many other sports.

Also, certain words are verbs by word class but also used to describe various scenes in a football match. Examples are ‘defeated’, walloped’, ‘encounter’, and ‘scored’. Sport commentators often use many of these words to relay matches and also describe the outcome of such matches to supporters and fans. In addition, the use of adjectives is obvious in order to depict or recreate the fanfare and anxieties that often comes with such football matches. Examples are ‘highly’, ‘entertaining’, ‘one-sided’, ‘intensive’ and ‘strong.

Syntactic Features: The use of complex and compound sentences is very peculiar to sport commentaries and reportage because of the need to capture and portray entire sporting events in concise forms. Thus, in the data, the outcome is the same evident in the use of complex sentences to relay the events of the match. Examples are:

FOSLA defeated Asegun Comprehensive High School 3-0 in the first semifinal encounter in the match… (Complex sentence)

In the second semi-final, Excel walloped Science School 4-0 in another entertaining encounter which saw… (Complex sentence)

CONCLUSION

The language of sport is a special language used in specialized communication and not just a register for a world phenomenon (sport) because it appears in many fields of communication activity. This specialized language has developed over time to have it own orthographic, morphological and phonological features as the case. Therefore, the language of sport is nonetheless a specialized variety that is gaining prominence perhaps beyond any other due to the pulling power of sport across nations of the world.

REFERENCES

Frey, James H., Stanley, D. Eitzen. “Sport and Society.” Annual Review of Sociology. 17 (1991): 503-22. Print
Liponski, Kasini. “Distinctiveness of Language of Sport: Studies in Physical Culture & Tourism.” Journal of Sport and Culture. XVI/I (2009): 19-37. Print

Olajire, Tosin. “NNPC/SHELL CUP: FOSLA, Excel qualify for Final.” Daily Sun. 15 June. 2016: A2. Print
Polok, Willan. Issues in Sport and Challenges. Maine: Rudwell, 2002. Print

Spurr, Barry. “The Language of Sport.” Journal of Australian Sport Journalism. 20 (2010): 82-98. Print
Taborek, Janusz. The Language of Sport: Some Remarks on the Language of Football. Journal of Football Commentaries. 56 (2012):238-252. Print

Wikipedia. Sport .n.d. web . 20 July. 2005

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Sefi Atta’s everything good will come is a narration of the consciousness of a growing child. The narration is in the first point of view. The writer made it a point of duty to present the central character’s consciousness boldly as she matures to become conscious of the African woman.

“In my country, women are praised the more     they surrender their right to protest in the end they may die with nothing but selflessness to passion to their daughters, a startling legacy that tears down a perched throat”… (177)

The novelist used the historical knowledge of a post-colonial Nigerian experience as narrated by Enitan protagonist, who realized the marginalization of women.

This novel enlightens readers about the happenings of Nigerian states as well as draws readers into its historical contextual environment and the attendant emotional and structural break down of human relationships. Enitan is born into a Nigerian state riddled with ethnic and religious differences; these religious and ethnic differences are however stiffed into cataclysmic emotion when political underpinning is considered. The narrator understanding of the unnecessary centre of Nigerian state by the colonial masters, without taking cognizance or the ethnic differences prevalent in divers’ societies is valid, even in todays’ work.

For so many Africans, growing up wasn’t easy; they were made to become “born again” by the wheels of the cane in the name of corporal punishment and discipline. The African child is also left to find out things for him or herself. This leads to questioning the unpredictable of moral upbringing.

Only the strong would survive, the rest would spend their lives searching for initiatives. This was what it took to raise an African child, a village of bearter, and yet if someone put their hands around a child’s neck, and applied the slightest pressure … (133)

 

Enitan also finds herself struggling with the concept of religion and morality. The incessant conflicts in her family further heightened the deteriorating health of her sickle-cell brother, who eventually passed on, is worthy of mention. Her mother an escapist, seeks succor from marginalization and a broken marriage, in a white garment church, she transforms from the once glowing young wife into a “wild Christian; a strict and bottled admixture of holiness and bottled-up grievances. But she however still holds on to traditional beliefs as she kills a fowl to rescue her daughter fertility.

Enitan grows into womanhood under the influence of her carefree childhood friend Sheri who lends her a shoulder in her search of “womanish freedom.” She is made to realize the limitation of the female gender; a situation where she is reserved for the status quo from childhood: a shallow education limited by dreams of childbirth, wedding and graduation, finally a ridiculous transfer to the royal office of the kitchen.

She learned forward. “Maybe you don’t know this because you were raised by your Father, but let me tell you, now, to save you from unnecessary headache in the future. Forget that nonsense. Education cannot Change what’s inside a person’s veins… (16)

Governmental issues are on the front burner of the novel as she harps on the manipulation of the constitution by politicians and ruling hands. The author also makes worthy mention of the inconsistences of tradition. Political will is being transferred from the hands of corrupt politicians to the hands of heart-hardened military coup-plotters who are bent on arresting, manning and eliminating helpless civilians. The military barges into the hallowed gates of leadership, their reason being that the politicians were corrupt but their “reign” was uncensored, unchecked and unencumbered.

Hassan, a brigadier Sheri gets involved with, represents not only the power opulence of military rule in the military regimes but also their chauvinism. In fact, he portrayed the archetypal male who limits the aspiration of women: who sees them as slaves and “commodities or thing flies”

After what my eyes have seen? If am not crazy, what else will I be? He is jealous of me. Can you believe it?  He is jealous of my success. With all he has. He wants me to have nothing, except what he gives me… (170)

The problem or crash between Sheri, and her man or husband ensured after brigadier Hassan made his intention clear to Sheri. He wanted her to stop her business and get fully entangled in the home chores but she desired the opposite. It was so uncalled for that Hassan hit Sheri as their sharp misunderstanding increased to a greater range. Sheri who has white blood running in her vain could not bear the sight of such hitting, that she struck brigadier Hassan with a pot of soup. It is obvious an ideal African woman won’t hit back at her husband rather she runs amok in anger or apply another measure to have him punished. Rarely would African woman confront her man in such provoking situation except those who have drunk from the well of civilization. Enitan envisaged her friends’ capacity to resist this ugly scene the way she did.

The man is a coward that is why he hit me “(170)

It is only a coward that beats a woman but this understanding seems not to govern the minds of average African men in their treatment of women.

The novel Everything Good Will Come,also extrapolates on the life of the artist and how the economy determines their livelihood. This artist is left to wallow in poverty amid surplus creating skills. They are not totally accepted in a society where money is a basis for corporation, friendship and societal acceptance, all thanks to the politicians. This artist is emotional and caring but most importantly, sympathetic about the suffering of the populace, that is what led uncle Alex, Enitan father’s friend, in the first part of the novel 1971 to join the civil war. Uncle Alex will remind readers of one of Nigeria’s poets, Christopher Okogbo. But in the same vein, the artist also leads a careless life, as Mike Mukoro reflects an artist who not only engages in the act of creative drawings and fine sculpting but also involves in flirtation ardour.

Another inevasible part of the work everything good will come, is the showcase of Lagos life in both “the good old “the “the bad old” the socio-economic travails of the middle class logicians who like to show the exquisite places and purchase suspected expensive commodities. Activism is also a constant message in the work, as a female character plays her role in national emancipation. Amidst her sufferings she forges ahead and wins new converts of which none of them was Enitan. She however admits that it is not worth dying for a country that does not appreciate the developmental activities of her life is another serious issue mentioned in this work. Here, women are treated like rags and broken teaspoons. This perhaps might make the reader pardon the author’s strong feministic tendencies.Download Full Material-N5000