Abstract

This paper examines the concept and features of lexico-semantic ‘intraference’ in Educated Nigerian English (ENE). The tendency of nonnative speakers in a(n) ESL setting, like Nigeria, to redeploy the lexico-semantic rules of English to ‘kill,’ weaken, strengthen and reverse the SBE and native English meanings of words is termed lexico-semantic intraference in this paper. Questionnaires, interviews, library research, empirical studies, the Internet and recording of live linguistic events were used to gather data from 2004 to 2013. It was discovered that educated Nigerians regularly impose meanings on some words, extend the meanings of words, weaken or reverse word meanings and also redeploy the lexico-semantic dynamics of the language to fabricate lexical items with new meanings or meanings already in some well established SBE words. These habits generate words and meanings that distinguish ENE lexico-semantics from the lexico-semantics of SBE and some other international varieties of English.

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