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ENGLISH IS NOT MY LANGUAGE MANTRA

You will say I have come again .You see I am a sucker for good grammar. I learn and I keep learning. Growing up, I knew one criteria for dating or marriage was good command of English! One of the reasons I married my homeboy. Back then, I knew the volcanic explosion of dating a guy with slovenly grammar and bringing him near my siblings was titanic. Your privileged circumstances not withstanding! Atypical but that is how we are wired. Different strokes.

I do not pretend possessing good command of the language, the reason I am fascinated with those who write and speak it so flawlessly like Seun Olagunju. My greatest critics or reviewers are my brothers. When I write they are the cerebral silhouette I see. They see the hodge-podge words. Their eyes are microscopic! Nothing escapes them. And they are so direct in correction. I am a sponge; I grasp new words and work intellectually with it. I don’t know why I am writing this piece. But I feel a sense of indebtedness towards certain individuals who had buoying up my vocabulary. My profound appreciation to my compendium of knowledge CM Adebija. Our encyclopedia, today’s Google after my father.  When he writes I must confess that I have limited understanding sometimes. My brother Gbenga for his swift writing, speaking and he plays with words like a chess player. This sees the ‘most’ indiscernible mistakes.

Away from my brothers, respect to my dear bros Arc Mathew Onoba. He together with Young Omayuli a great poet, an Englishman in Black skin edited one of my manuscripts. I think Architects are brilliant; Arc Bunmi Isimi lurks in the shadow of my thoughts in defence of reasons. Hahaha. The next outline for respect is Tunde Akogun who naturally became my paddy for his proficiency.

Adjuafati Lawani, for her adeptness. She once drew my attention to one syntactic gaffe saying ‘’auntie you mean remuneration not numeration’’ hahaha.

I have said that I do not pretend monopoly to grammar. I am susceptible to corrections. Twice Ope Abegunde beauty and brain had corrected me. She once said ‘’sis, it’s not weary of but wary of’. The second correction is attached.

My ‘tisha UM’ Ade Fakoya. My phonologist!  is there any word like that?  Learnt a lot of language rules from her! Attached is her eagle-eyed detection of my mistake. Many years gone by I learnt from her that it’s HAPPY NEW YEAR without advance or arrears.

Love you all for influencing my life grammatically.

Season’s greetings! Remember its ‘’HAPPY NEW YEAR” without advance or arrears. If Tisha UM caashh you’’ . ‘’Grammar no be our language’’ is always the mantra of one who doesn’t want to improve.

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