What happened to Nigerian names? - Page 2 - Nigerian Movies & Nollywood on Naijarules.com

spinnelli · #16 (**permalink**) 01-15-2004, 01:25 PM

but why is it "faking" though?. If you learn the language and you learn the accent with it, how is that "faking"?

I think it is based on personal experience more than anything. You've had a pleasant one, some people have not. Attending high school and college as a foreigner in America especially, is not an easy thing. The presentations you have to give in class, trying to communicate with your American classmates is a trying experience. I know of many African kids that were teased in high school just because of the way they talk and you know those high school kids can be very cruel. I doubt it is THAT easy to comprehend an African accent, I have had friends watch Nigerian english Movies with me and ask me to translate because they couldn't understand what was being said, even though it was being said in English.

It's not a matter of trying to hide the accent and "fake" another accent, at least not consciously anyway. It is about trying to get them to understand what you're saying without repeating yourself 100 times. Besides, african accent is not something you can get rid of.

I like it when people ask me where I'm from or try to guess where I'm from. It's just frustrating when I have to pronounce a word 5 times before they know what the hell I'm talking about.

Lafem · #17 (**permalink**) 01-15-2004, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by spinnelli
but why is it "faking" though?. If you learn the language and you learn the accent with it, how is that "faking"?

I think it is based on personal experience more than anything. You've had a pleasant one, some people have not. Attending high school and college as a foreigner in America especially, is not an easy thing. The presentations you have to give in class, trying to communicate with your American classmates is a trying experience. I know of many African kids that were teased in high school just because of the way they talk and you know those high school kids can be very cruel. I doubt it is THAT easy to comprehend an African accent, I have had friends watch Nigerian english Movies with me and ask me to translate because they couldn't understand what was being said, even though it was being said in English.

It's not a matter of trying to hide the accent and "fake" another accent, at least not consciously anyway. It is about trying to get them to understand what you're saying without repeating yourself 100 times. Besides, african accent is not something you can get rid of.

I like it when people ask me where I'm from or try to guess where I'm from. It's just frustrating when I have to pronounce a word 5 times before they know what the hell I'm talking about.

Perhaps I should've made the distinction between those who fake the american accent 'under pressure' and those who, over time -- whether consciously or subconsciously -- naturally ACQUIRE the accent. To me, your example/arguement about kids being teased at school primarily because of their different accent isn't really a valid one. Kids get teased over all sorts of things at school, but does that necessarily make it their fault that they're being teased? I also schooled here in america (I moved down here before completing my highschool education), and frankly I never got teased cause of my accent [especially in highschool], perhaps other kids weren't as lucky. On the contrary, my peers at school [infact] commended me for speaking clearly and effortlessly, even though with an accent. However, as a self-conscious teenager at the time, coupled with the culture-shock factor resulting from being in a different environment, I must admit that I really did want to fit-in very quickly, and consequently I almost immediately started trying to sound like my peers at school. So, in my case, the problem wasn't that I wasn't communicating effectively or comprehensibly enough to be understood by my listener(s), rather I was the one who was feeling insecure and uncomfortable with myself simply coz I sounded different -- something I, of course, have since overcome.
Take the U.N. Secretary General Koffi Annan, for example. He's a ghanaian by birth and nationality(?), but anyone who listens to him speak [in english], I think, will easily confirm that he has a slight accent that suggests that he's african, YET HE SPEAKS ENGLISH SO FLUENTLY, CLEARLY, AND EFFORTLESSLY.
While on the other hand, I've come across africans who speak such poor english, yet try to mimic the american accent and sound stupid/ridiculous in the process coz you can't even understand or comprehend what they're trying to say.

spinnelli · #18 (**permalink**) 01-15-2004, 02:25 PM

you gotta do what you gotta do to survive.

Lafem · #19 (**permalink**) 01-15-2004, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by spinnelli
you gotta do what you gotta do to survive.

Heard.

vince · #20 (**permalink**) 01-15-2004, 03:32 PM

Hmmm,i thought that we were talking about english names here!

spinnelli · #21 (**permalink**) 01-15-2004, 03:34 PM

sorry we hijacked the thread and digressed but you know how these things are. There are so many issues within issues.

vince · #22 (**permalink**) 01-15-2004, 03:36 PM

Soright!

Thickmadam · #23 (**permalink**) 03-18-2004, 10:47 AM

Glad someone brought the original topic (and subtopic

) up.
the english names just kill me.
I watched a moive Paint my love (there were no paint involved o) and the main characters had native names: uloma, edozie, uche (although the other main character had an english name Franca)
but thank goodness for the others with native names.
kai!
even in our society now sef, dem no dey answer native names again. my uncle's wife changed her name to sandra, from her native name o. me? i will spit on my shoe before i call her sandra.
there was this year in my village where almost all the girls getting married were named either sandra or Ivory or Elizabeth!! imagine that.
i can count on one hand the number of kids in my extended family who have native names. my children are all bearing native names. if they like they can funkinize when they grow up. (sorry i'm digressing now as well)

vince · #24 (**permalink**) 03-18-2004, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Thickmadam
Glad someone brought the original topic (and subtopic ) up.
the english names just kill me.
I watched a moive Paint my love (there were no paint involved o) and the main characters had native names: uloma, edozie, uche (although the other main character had an english name Franca)
but thank goodness for the others with native names.
kai!
even in our society now sef, dem no dey answer native names again. my uncle's wife changed her name to sandra, from her native name o. me? i will spit on my shoe before i call her sandra.
there was this year in my village where almost all the girls getting married were named either sandra or Ivory or Elizabeth!! imagine that.
i can count on one hand the number of kids in my extended family who have native names. my children are all bearing native names. if they like they can funkinize when they grow up. (sorry i'm digressing now as well)

Very sad and pathetic trend!

Thickmadam · #25 (**permalink**) 03-22-2004, 10:17 AM

for real.
I have asked my uncle why he and his wife don't want their kids speaking igbo, guess what he told me: that they don't want their kids speaking with an accent.
my sister had to pinch me to keep me from talking. how can the kids who live in naija speak without a naija accent? and their mom can't speak english very well either and they have househelps who speak pidgin?? man i was hot, but then i had to simmer down...these aren't my kids. My kids will speak igbo in America. that is final.

Quote:

Originally posted by vince
Very sad and pathetic trend!

gimbiya · #26 (**permalink**) 03-22-2004, 10:49 AM

This is one of the reason why I really appericiate the way latinos' and Chiness and all this other european live in America. for example look at JLo she still have that hispanic accent mixed with bronx accent, now that's cool. Jamaican too they always want to keep thier accent at all times, may be because so many people find it to be sexxxy. well as for me I like my name the way it is and I will name all my kids the native names. may be if I go wild I will name the child Naija

that will be cool

vince · #27 (**permalink**) 03-22-2004, 11:20 AM

But why do all these writers/producers or directors give the characters in their movies wierd english names?To make their movies more accepted?To "fit in"?Why

Gen Sani Abacha · #28 (**permalink**) 03-22-2004, 11:27 AM

Vince, na Colonial Mentality dey worry dem ojare !!!

Maybe our next military government will enact a decree making such practices a form of cultural sbotage/treason, which will be viciously and severely punished !!!

Who no know, go know.

ciao

Moremi · #29 (**permalink**) 03-22-2004, 11:50 AM

I totally agree with u pple!!!

Why cant we use our names??? its sooo irritating!
It seems like we are never proud of what we are!!!
What's in a name???? It's everything we are!!
in our culture it signifies... what ur parents were going through when they had u!! signifies ur lineage--
ur religion, etc

Its funny pple are always asking me what my name means and i always have an answer for them!!!
Please tell me what sharon means, or mellisa, or precious.

Moremi · #30 (**permalink**) 03-22-2004, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Thickmadam
for real.
I have asked my uncle why he and his wife don't want their kids speaking igbo, guess what he told me: that they don't want their kids speaking with an accent.
my sister had to pinch me to keep me from talking. how can the kids who live in naija speak without a naija accent? and their mom can't speak english very well either and they have househelps who speak pidgin?? man i was hot, but then i had to simmer down...these aren't my kids. My kids will speak igbo in America. that is final.

Thick madam...
I feel u on that oh!!!
thats how pple call me razz when I speak yoruba.. and are always asking me how I learn to speak it.
Also, someone came up to me and ask me if I was really born here since I'm always speaking yoruba!!!
i just ignore them!!!

I love my language!!! I love the way it rolls off my tongue!!!! Cant help it..