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‘Mugubriosity’: A Protologism in Nigerian Pidgin Coined in April 2024 -By Isaiah Ogedegbe
In linguistics, a protologism (a term coined in 2003 by Russian-American writer Mikhail Naumovich Epstein) refers to a word or phrase that is newly coined, but has not yet gained widespread or common usage.
“In what could be described as a show of ‘mugubriosity’ (my Pidgin English word for foolishness), Nigerians love celebrating the dead while taking the living for granted.”
– Isaiah Ogedegbe
The words of Isaiah Ogedegbe credited to have coined the protologism ‘mugubriosity’ in April 2024.
In linguistics, a protologism (a term coined in 2003 by Russian-American writer Mikhail Naumovich Epstein) refers to a word or phrase that is newly coined, but has not yet gained widespread or common usage.
Such is the case of ‘mugubriosity’ that was earlier defined by its coiner as foolishness, in the hope that one day this proposed word will repeatedly be used elsewhere and likely accepted into mainstream language. It underscores the coiner’s creativity in etymologizing a Nigerian Pidgin word ‘mugu’ (meaning ‘a fool’) + -briosity, in relation to an English word ‘lugu’ + -briosity.
WARRI -By Isaiah Ogedegbe
