Some Pidgin Proverbs And Their Meanings

Although the official language in Nigeria is English, different languages are being spoken here as a result of the diverse culture and tribes.

Pidgin is considered to be a unified way of speaking in Nigeria because it is being spoken by virtually everyone.

It is an adulteration of the official language spoken as one could pick one or two words in English.

Nigerians consider pidgin to be an everyday language because they speak it in every nook and cranny of the country.

There are so many interesting things about Nigerians who speak in pidgin; the question and answer could be the same as people pay little or no attention to their tenses.
Sometimes, people make mistakes while speaking English and swap to pidgin in no time. This is to cover their embarrassment and move on to lighter issues in pidgin.

Nigerians enjoy speaking it so much they created proverbs with it. This piece would be looking at some of the pidgin proverbs that are spoken in the society. We would also give you the meaning of these proverbs.

This would help you a great deal if you are new to this area as you would be able to relate with the people you meet while moving around. Find below some of the pidgin proverbs spoken in Nigeria and what they mean:

1. The difference between ipekere and plantain chips na packaging If you are a Nigerian you would know that ipekere and plantain chips are related; these two products are made from the same raw material. Even though the end products are slightly different, the processes are similar. This pidgin proverb would teach you to be well behaved. It means that you should not judge based on appearance alone.

2. Follow me, follow me na im slave trade take start Slave trade is one of the darkest events in our history; no one would ever think that being in the company of someone would turn him or her to a slave. But there is an iota of truth in this; the very serious things in life start as a joke. People pay little or no attention to those things and end up paying dearly for it.

3. Moin moin and Akara get same parent, na the thing dem pass through separate them Moin moin and Akara are considered to be related considering the fact that they are both made from beans. However, the processes they go through differentiate them and make the end products totally different. This pidgin proverb is usually said when someone is to be encouraged. It means that the way you start does not matter in as much as you finish well. This means you should pay more attention to what you would end up as after all the struggles.

4. The newspaper you see today go become suya wrap tomorrow Newspapers are only valued in as much as they contain the news for that day; today’s newspapers become old by tomorrow. This means that it has the same destiny as any other paper because it would be subjected to other uses. This pidgin proverb would keep you strong as it would make you know that nothing lasts forever.

5. Fowl wey run from Zaria go Ilorin go still end up inside a pot of soup This simplymeans you cannot run from your fate and destiny. What would be would be irrespective of how much you run in life. Having this in mind would no doubt change your perspective about life.

6. Water wey dem take make Eba can never be recovered Eba is a well-loved food in Nigeria; it is being made with water and garri. If you know how to make this meal, then you would understand that you would never be able to recover the water used in making the meal. This proverb means you should never cry over spilled milk. What has been done has been done, it would be better for you to move on from that point.

7. Cow wey dey in a hurry to go to America go come back as corn beef This means you are expected to be patient and let things be; if it is your destiny to have something you are craving for, then you would have it. Aspiring to be what you should not be may end up sending you to an early grave.