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Chapter 2.4. Lexical expansion in Ghanaian English from a diachronic perspective

A structural and semantic analysis

Abstract

This chapter provides a real-time structural and semantic analysis of lexical expansion in the Nativization phase of Ghanaian English based on the Historical Corpus of English in Ghana (HiCE Ghana) and the written-printed sections of the Ghanaian component of ICE. Taking a comprehensive list of previously attested ‘Ghanaianisms’ – innovative lexical items of English and local origin – as a starting point, the paper shows that traditional word-formation processes like derivation or compounding play only a subordinate role and that semantic shift is the most important process used in both periods. While the corpora are comparatively small for lexical research, the results still provide a useful starting point to better our understanding of how Ghanaian English has evolved over the past 40 years.

Abstract

This chapter provides a real-time structural and semantic analysis of lexical expansion in the Nativization phase of Ghanaian English based on the Historical Corpus of English in Ghana (HiCE Ghana) and the written-printed sections of the Ghanaian component of ICE. Taking a comprehensive list of previously attested ‘Ghanaianisms’ – innovative lexical items of English and local origin – as a starting point, the paper shows that traditional word-formation processes like derivation or compounding play only a subordinate role and that semantic shift is the most important process used in both periods. While the corpora are comparatively small for lexical research, the results still provide a useful starting point to better our understanding of how Ghanaian English has evolved over the past 40 years.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface ix
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Part I. Corpus linguistics and corpus building
  6. Chapter 1.1. What is corpus linguistics? 7
  7. Chapter 1.2. Corpus-based research on English in Africa 37
  8. Chapter 1.3. The purpose, design and use of the Corpus of Nigerian and Cameroonian English Learner Language (Conacell) 71
  9. Chapter 1.4. Introducing a corpus of English(es) spoken in post-independence Namibia 97
  10. Chapter 1.5. The historical corpus of English in Ghana (HiCE Ghana) 119
  11. Chapter 1.6. Addressing a coverage gap in African Englishes 143
  12. Chapter 1.7. Practical corpus linguistics 165
  13. Part II. Corpus-based analysis of African Englishes
  14. Chapter 2.1. Evaluating explanations for past-time reference with unmarked verb forms in African Englishes 185
  15. Chapter 2.2. The use of stance markers in West African Englishes 205
  16. Chapter 2.3. Namibian English on the web 231
  17. Chapter 2.4. Lexical expansion in Ghanaian English from a diachronic perspective 259
  18. Chapter 2.5. Capturing the lexicon of Ugandan English 293
  19. Part III. Applications of corpora in English language teaching and learning
  20. Chapter 3.1. A corpus-based analysis of conjunctive cohesion in English essays of Nigerian university learners 331
  21. Chapter 3.2. African corpora for standards in African academic English 355
  22. Chapter 3.3. Semiotic signature of transformation in a diachronic corpus of a South African political party 373
  23. Index 401
Corpus Linguistics and African Englishes
This chapter is in the book Corpus Linguistics and African Englishes
https://doi.org/10.1075/scl.88.12bra

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface ix
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Part I. Corpus linguistics and corpus building
  6. Chapter 1.1. What is corpus linguistics? 7
  7. Chapter 1.2. Corpus-based research on English in Africa 37
  8. Chapter 1.3. The purpose, design and use of the Corpus of Nigerian and Cameroonian English Learner Language (Conacell) 71
  9. Chapter 1.4. Introducing a corpus of English(es) spoken in post-independence Namibia 97
  10. Chapter 1.5. The historical corpus of English in Ghana (HiCE Ghana) 119
  11. Chapter 1.6. Addressing a coverage gap in African Englishes 143
  12. Chapter 1.7. Practical corpus linguistics 165
  13. Part II. Corpus-based analysis of African Englishes
  14. Chapter 2.1. Evaluating explanations for past-time reference with unmarked verb forms in African Englishes 185
  15. Chapter 2.2. The use of stance markers in West African Englishes 205
  16. Chapter 2.3. Namibian English on the web 231
  17. Chapter 2.4. Lexical expansion in Ghanaian English from a diachronic perspective 259
  18. Chapter 2.5. Capturing the lexicon of Ugandan English 293
  19. Part III. Applications of corpora in English language teaching and learning
  20. Chapter 3.1. A corpus-based analysis of conjunctive cohesion in English essays of Nigerian university learners 331
  21. Chapter 3.2. African corpora for standards in African academic English 355
  22. Chapter 3.3. Semiotic signature of transformation in a diachronic corpus of a South African political party 373
  23. Index 401
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