PIDGIN ENGLISH FUNCTIONING IN NIGERIA

The purpose of the article is to reveal the main features of Pidgin English used on the territory of Nigeria. The author analyses the main historical factors, which made the huge influence on the process of formation and origin of Nigerian Pidgin English. The key to Nigeria’s ethnic structure is the fact that Nigeria’s ethnic groups are spatially localized entities; the North-West, South-West and South-East of the country are the areas of residence of the main ethnic groups which speak the main languages of the country, i.e., Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo. Therefore, according to the research, historically formed ethnic, cultural affinity with neighboring nations, similarity of economic and social systems of these ethnic groups needed to have the unique language substance combining phonetics, vocabulary, grammar basic elements of structures corresponding needs of all main ethnic groups, which in practice turned out to be Nigerian Pidgin. Nigeria Pidgin English is a hybrid language, which is used as the intercultural language uniting many ethnic groups of Nigeria. It is the means of communication presenting historical, cultural, linguistic dependent system, which was formed on the basis on European languages and main indigenous language groups of Nigeria, such as Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo. Purpose. The aim of the work is to study the theoretical and practical issues related to the functioning of NP. The purpose of the study identified the range of its research tasks: to identify the main historical and cultural features of NP in the process of its development; to establish a link between NP, the English language of Nigeria and major interethnic language groups specialties functioning on the territory of modern Nigeria; to determine some linguistic features of NP. Methods. During the research, the author used both empirical and theoretical methods. At the empirical level, the objects are analyzed by external relations and manifestations. The main purpose for this level is the factual activity of PE functioning in modern Nigeria. The theoretical level is associated with the predominance of mental activity, the understanding of empirical material, its processing, and reveals in internal structure and patterns of development of systems and phenomena. Results. The results of the work are seen in the author’s theoretical and practical investigations of historical, linguistic and cultural features development of Nigerian Pidgin functioning on the territory of Nigeria and revealing its main characteristics. Practical implications. The results of the study can be applied in the field of contact linguistics and language variations functioning on the territory of West Africa