| Abstract: |
This paper is concerned with the use of words by preachers in selected churches in Imo State.
The words, which constitute the data for the study, were collected directly from the pulpits while the preaching was in progress. Twenty (20) preachers from the three zones of Imo State, namely, Owerri, Orlu and Okigwe were covered. The data for the study were collected through audio recording of the preachers. The study recorded in particular, archaic forms of words (old religious words), words related to material, economic and social situations of Nigeria, as well as the church’s modern usages. The data recorded, among other things, strange words such as cataclysmic explosion, bombastic, borrowed words (such as 419, cosmetic, automobile) from different domains of life and some coinages such as: fashionalised, tonguetised, shamefy ekwensuism/ ekwensuology were also sampled. Some of these coinages were used as mere strategy for effective communication. The work adopted two approaches which involved insight from discourse analysis and Paul’s (1996) approach on context and usage for the explanation of semantic change were also used. In conclusion, we observed that words of sermon including those of the old religious usages such as rebuke, caution and authority of God were not frequently used in sermons, while those that depict materialism, economic and social situations were used as compared to words which immediately suggest religious register. In other words, what used to be religious registers have been expanded, in such a way that words of material, economic and social situations have now constituted the registers of religion. This aspect appeared quite interesting to the study and also added value to language communication. |
EBONYI JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE
