SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR IN NIGERIAN MULTILINGUAL CONTEXTS: MEANING-MAKING AND SOCIOCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN NIGERIAN ENGLISH AND INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES
Abstract
This study investigates the universality of Systemic
Functional Grammar (SFG) within Nigerian multilingual
contexts, analyzing its capacity to account for meaningmaking in Nigerian English (NigE) and indigenous
languages. Grounded in Halliday's SFG framework and the
Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, the research employs a tripartite
analysis of 45 linguistic expressions (15 NigE,15 indigenous,
15 SFG interpretations) and interviews with 5 Nigerian
linguists to evaluate SFG's three meta-functions—ideational
(representation of experience), interpersonal (social
negotiation), and textual (discourse coherence). Findings
reveal that while SFG's interpersonal and textual
dimensions seamlessly explain NigE's functional
innovations (e.g., "abi?" for consensus) and indigenous
discourse strategies (e.g., Yoruba "ó ?e é ?ùgb?nì " for
thematic contrast), its ideational function struggles with
culture-bound concepts (e.g., Igbo proverbs like "Egbe bere,
ugo bere"). This tension underscores the need to adapt SFG's
universality claim by integrating cultural-semantic
parameters for non-Western contexts. The study concludes
that SFG's functional flexibility makes it a robust
framework for analyzing multilingual communication, but
its ideational meta-function requires culture-sensitive
expansion to fully capture Nigeria's linguistic diversity.
These insights advocate for a negotiated universality in
SFG, balancing theoretical rigor with contextual
responsiveness in postcolonial and indigenous language
studies.
Keywords
Indigenous Languages
Meta-Functions (Ideational
Interpersonal
Textual)
Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
Sociocultural Communication
Systemic Functional Grammar
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How to Cite
LONGPOE, M. O. (2025). SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR IN NIGERIAN MULTILINGUAL CONTEXTS: MEANING-MAKING AND SOCIOCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN NIGERIAN ENGLISH AND INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES. Humanity - Jos Journal Of General Studies, 16(1), 24-29. https://doi.org/10.67862/hjjgs.2025.zl9smkj9
M. O. LONGPOE, "SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR IN NIGERIAN MULTILINGUAL CONTEXTS: MEANING-MAKING AND SOCIOCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN NIGERIAN ENGLISH AND INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES," Humanity - Jos Journal Of General Studies, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 24-29, January 2025. doi: 10.67862/hjjgs.2025.zl9smkj9
