THE THEORY OF OLISA METH’SDYSPHEMISMS AGAINST PRESIDENT MOHAMMADU BUHARI’S ADMINISTRATION (ENGLISH AND LINGUISTIC PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS)
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
Varied researches on the use of language has made language users understand the fact that there is more to meaning making than grammaticality of a sentence. Semantics is made an anchorage of the branch of linguistics that studies meaning making in communications. Further researches by scholars have however shown that there is more to the ordinary, literal meaning of sentences got from string of utterances. Often times we mean more than we say as much as we say more than we mean. Our words are constantly redefined by the context of usages. Pragmatics has thus been able to explain the mechanics of meaning making over and above the wordings of a text or a spoken conversation.
The mere fact that communication is an essential part of human living makes pragmatics and meaning making a daily and constant phenomenon. Humans continuously and unconsciously engage in the negotiation of meaning in every conversation. Failure in negotiation of meaning is often the cause of linguistic conflict in conversation. For a peaceful and successful coexistence in the human community as far as language use is concerned, pragmatics is most needed.
Nowhere in the field of human discourse is the business of meaning making most revered than in the world of politics. Knowing how to give out orders or having the support of the masses does not make one a good Politician. What makes one a good politician is how to find ones way language. Being a good language user means one is able to negotiate ones way out of conflicts and successfully through language use,turning the table against others when needed. It also
means manipulating others through the use of language. Such is the business of politics where language is needed to persuade, manipulate, accuse, and sometimes incriminate other political actors. One would not argue the fact that it is usually the function of spokespersons to successfully manipulate language to the benefit of their group.Politicians see language as a very essential tool in political aspect due to the fact that language helps in identifying the ideological perspectives of politicians. That is why it is possible to have a language which favours some particular group of people or party while such type of language does not favour other groups or parties.Opeibi (2009) emphasizes the fact that no matter how good a candidate’s manifesto is; no matter how superior political thoughts and ideologies of a political party may be, these can only be expressed and further translated into social actions for social change and social continuity through the facilities provided by language.
Egbewole and Etudaiye (2010) state that for a party in opposition, it is its function to engage in constant criticisms of governmental policies which are formulated by the majority, to scrutinize carefully the manner in which these policies are administered, and to keep thepossibility of alternative legislative policies and administrative practices constantly in the view of the electorate.
It is this peculiar curiosity as to the ways in which language is specially used by political actors that informs this research. It has been discovered that euphemisms and dysphemisms make up a larger percentage of the features of political language.
Opposition started in Nigeria in the First Republic by the popular Chief ObafemiAwolowo who was the leader of the opposition. The opposition that was practiced in the First Republic was in line with the opposition that was practical in the United Kingdom then(Egbewole and Etudaiye (2010). Opposition is muffled in many parts of Africa because of colonial legacies and cultural factors. Democracy in Nigeria will develop if the opposition appropriately appreciates its role and adequately carries out same with the expected altruistic motives(Alabi 2009 cited in Egbewole and Etudaiye, 2010).
