“Your English e de pass my power”

“Your English e de pass my power”

By far, this is the best I have heard next to “I de like I no de.” Mauro sent it to me via text and I knew he was sharing a novel and funny (as usual) experience with one of their workers. When Mauro came home, he was so excited to tell me about the story. Just as before, it was one of the typical dealings by Alain, one of Mauro’s colleagues, with one of the laborers.

The phrase simply means that “i did not understand you” or “what does that word mean?” But within the context of their conversation, it was a “safe answer” to an “oga.”

Don’t get me wrong, we are not making fun of Pidgin English nor saying we are authorities in English. The simple Pidgin English syntax (if there is at all), is so simple that it could be easily understood, however, i cannot grasp the fundamental thought process of mere combining certain and common words, sometimes, in contradiction of what one is trying to say. Like earlier, I asked my driver to clean the car’s mudguard, “I don hear you, madam.” I got upset immediately only to realize after a minute that he meant that my driver heard me. I still get confused with the “don!!”

Dealing with locals, I must admit, sometimes affect my English – come on, we deal with them everyday, I know somehow, in one way or another, it will just get into me. However, I realized that I treat Pidgin English as another language/dialect in order for me not to get confused with the proper English. Nigerians appreciate one’s efforts when you try to speak their language. Just like me back home, I truly like it when Mauro try to speak some Filipino words – even the basic and Spanish-based “Kamusta.”

In the last couple of days (maybe months), I have been learning a couple of new Pidgin phrases. I tend to forget them but imagine the power of words how it could influence you, your thoughts, your judgement…the choice of words could make you either smart or otherwise.