The Phonological Adaptation of English Christian Names by Lagos Youth

Abstract

Phonological adaptation of borrowed names is well-documented in language contact studies, where foreign forms are reshaped to fit the recipient variety’s phonology (Rahim, 2006; Sicherl, 2015; Legbeti & Evbuomwan, 2024), yet youth-driven adaptation of English Christian names in urban Nigerian English remains unexplored despite nativisation patterns in minority languages and older speakers (Jowitt, 1991; Gut, 2004; Ogban, 2019). This study addresses this gap by investigating whether Lagos youths use original Standard English pronunciations or adapted forms of English Christian names and how they adapt them into Nigerian English. Employing a mixed-methods design with qualitative dominance, data were gathered from naturalistic observations in Lagos youth settings and elicited recordings of 20 participants (10 male, 10 female, aged 18–30) pronouncing 20 common Christian names, followed by perceptual phonetic analysis comparing Standard English IPA forms with realisations. Findings reveal a strong preference for adapted pronunciations, using systematic strategies: consonant substitution (e.g., Matthew./?mæ?ju?/ ? /?matiu/), vowel strengthening, diphthong simplification, and cluster reduction, with complex names adapting more than familiar ones and elicited speech showing higher adaptation than spontaneous contexts. The study concludes that Lagos youths actively nativize English Christian names into Nigerian English, demonstrating dynamic phonological domestication driven by urban youth practices and advancing scholarship in World Englishes and onomastics.