The Nativisation of English Language in Chimamanda Adichie’s Collection of Short Stories, The Thing Around Your Neck

Abstract

This paper examines the creative use of language in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s The Thing Around your Neck-a collection of twelve short stories. Preponderance research on Adichie’s creative use of Igbo diction, loan blends, reduplication, transliteration, semantic extension and Igbo cultural beliefs exist; but none has keenly highlighted those linguistic features in her work, The Thing Around Your Neck. This Chapter investigates code switching/mixing, loan blends, reduplication, transliteration, semantic extension and Igbo cultural beliefs in her book. The essence in her use of such Igbo features is to adapt the English language to suit the needs of the Igbo users and further transport Igbo language and culture to her readers. Data reflecting the Igbo world view, thought processes, culture, beliefs and values were retrieved from the book and qualitatively analysed. The Braj Kachru’s theory of three concentric circles of English-a theory investigating the spread of nativisation of English in different parts of the word, is applied in this study. Findings from analysed data reveal that: (1) The code-switched words/expressions are mostly content words. (2) The loan blends are adjectival nouns with few noun-noun blends. (3) The loan blends are endocentric compounds which are head final and left branching. (4) The reduplicated words mark degree and emphasis in the context they are used.