SMS Texting Among GSM Users in Nigeria: a Morpho-syntactic Analysis
Chapter One
Objectives of the study
The primary goal of this study is to examine the morpho-syntactic analysis of the innovative language form (text messaging). specifically, the study examined Movement of text messages, the role of deletion and omission, the place of contractions, word-order violations, compounding, acronyms, blends and abbreviation.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
SMS Text Messaging: An Overview
The Short Message Service (SMS) is the part of a phone, web or mobile communication system used globally for the exchange of short text messages between discussants. SMS according to Oladoye (2011:16) was first used in December 1992 by a 22-year old named Neil Papworth. He says that the concept of SMS was developed by Friedhelm Hillebrand, Bernard Ghillebaert and Oculy Silaban in 1984, in the Franco-German GSM cooperation. Since the invention, the mobile telephone has been the latest way to communicate quickly. Text messaging is a general term that is used to refer to the short written messages usually sent through phone and other portable devices over a network. Ong’onda (2011:1) observes that the terms ‘text messaging’ or just ‘texting’ refers to the brief typed messages sent using the Short Message Service (SMS) of mobile/cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), smart phones or web browsers. Uhunmwangho (2009:27) defined a text message as “any linguistic event, usually a written form of speech that is imbued with meaning”. Doring (2002:7) notes that “SMS communication allows for a reasonable use of syntactic and lexical short forms, which save character space, or touches of the handset keys, as compared with using the full forms of words”. In the words of Rafi (2010:3) it pursues simple sentence structures for communication. They also make use of written sound of words and in other cases bring code mixing into it. Rafi further observes that SMS syntactic and lexical choices by the texters are not so different from a child language; for instance a child expresses his feelings through simple present progressive tense e.g. mom eating for ‘Mom is eating’ and Eating for ‘I am eating’ The equipment in its uniqueness affords most texters a much economized means of communication (Habluetzel 2007), (Thurlow 2003) and (Thurlow and Poff 2011). The Short message Service gives the subscriber the advantage of choosing a specific number of words that would communicate comprehensively, but briefly, with minimum cost- Chiluwa (2007:96). Due to the inconveniences caused by the limitation in the time and space that comes along with the Short Message Service, texters are forced to find new ways for sending text messages. Letters and numbers are also often combined (or used alone) for compression and convenience. Discussing on the brevity of the electronic discourse, (Crystal 2001), (Hard af Sagerstad 2002) and (Thurlow 2003) note that the technical restrictions of text messaging have led to the development of language short forms in SMS communication.
The sender of a text message is known as a texter. SMS text service itself has different colloquialisms depending on the region in that it may simply be referred to as a text in North America, India, Australia, Nigeria etc. Our area of study geographically is therefore, morpho-syntactic analysis of SMS text messaging in Nigeria.
Technological Developments and English
It was stated earlier that the emergence of the language of technology lies in the existence of technological development and the common features it shares with other varieties of English are through word-formations to the increase of the English vocabulary. Technological development is a broad area that cannot be discussed without confinement as far as this work is concerned. For the purpose of this work, the discussion is restricted to linguistic perspective. The linguistic perspective of technological developments focuses on the language of technology or Internet English, which dominates Internet communications through the inventions of sophisticated technological gadgetry like personal computers and mobile phones (Mccrindle 2007). According to Mccrindle, ‘the language of technology is becoming more difficult to understand as the amount of hi-tech gadgetry increases in such a short span of time, creating what has been described as a new peak in technology’ (28).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
In this chapter, we would describe how the study was carried out.
Research design
The study employs survey research design to examine SMS texting among GSM Users.
Research settings
Our choice of area of study is guided by the fact that University of Nigeria, Nsukka is a federal university where the students comprise peoples from different tribes of the nation.
Sources of Data
The sources of data for our analysis comprise the text messages sent and received by the students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
CHAPTER FOUR
MORPHO-SYNTACTIC ANALYSIS
Movement
From the data, we observe that some messages received or sent by texters in SMS messages (M) show evidence of moved constituents from their syntactic positions to a landing site. See Mgs 12, 23, 64 and 65. In M64 ‘Your account’ which is the NP of the sentence moved from its original slot as the pr-verbal NP to a landing site of post-verbal NP of the verb ‘debited’. This type of transformation is barred because a constituent is not allowed to move across more than one bounding node. In M.12, the embedded clause was moved to the subject slot and the complementiser ‘for’ functions as the subject. The structure should be ‘John is tough for one to beat’. In M23, the subject ‘we’ has been inverted leading to syntactic variation. The variation created by move-a may be a device by the writer to achieve focus or even a stylistic device.4
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
The study examined the text messages of the students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka taking focus on the morpho-syntactic aspects that underlie the linguistic characters of the writers. From the data, our findings are as follows:
Syntactically, SMS texts employ transformation rules such as the move-a and deletion rules in some constructions. It is noted too, that some of such movements violates move-a rules. There are many deviations by the online interactive media on the formal English format in such areas as word-ordering, lexical and phrasal contractions and omissions.
Morphologically, there is no hard and fast rule with regards to the users’ choice of letters in abbreviation. Texters use a combination of letters and numbers in their text messages and in some cases they use only numerals. The data shows that morphological processes of word formation such as compounding, acronyms and blends are common features that are found in messages of the interlocutors. The analysis also reveals that the SMS text is seriously controlled by socio-linguistic variables as shared background knowledge, the metapragmatic principles of economy, user’s reasonability and efficiency.
In conclusion, the stylistic device in SMS texts captured in word modifications, phrasal and clausal manipulations and excessive liberty afforded to the subscribers have given rise to novice language which affects the morpho-syntactic aspects of the Standard English format.
REFERENCES
- Adejub,EE, S. (2010). Syntax of SMS: A gb approach. A paper presented at the 23rd annual conference of the Linguistic association of Nigeria at the University of Port-Harcourt, Nigeria. November 2010.
- Alabi, V.A. (2010a). Problems of the emergent written language of the global system for mobile communication (GSM) in Nigeria. Marang: Journal of language and literature.20, 35-46.
- Alabi, V.A.(2010b). Stylistic creativity via schemes, tropes, lexical cohesion and descriptive adjectives in SMS text messaging among Nigerian graduates. In SMS text messaging among Nigerian graduates. In D.D.Kuupolie & I. Bariki, (Eds), Applied social dimensions of language use in West Africa, (pp. 133-142). University of Cape Coast: University Press.
- Baker, C. L. (1978). Introduction to generative- transformational syntax. Prentice-Hall.
- Bodomo, A. B. (2010). Computer mediated communication for Linguistics and literacy: Technology and natural language education. New York: Information Science Reference
