A Lexico-Semantic Study of the Socio-Cultural Elements of Elnathan John’s Be(com)ing Nigerian: a Guide

Student: Goodnews Mfon Antai (Project, 2025)
Department of English and Literary Studies
University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State

Abstract

Abstract This study examinesa lexico-semantic study of socio-cultural elements in Elnathan John’s Be(com)ing Nigerian: A Guide. It employs Halliday’s Context of Situation as its theoretical framework. The research utilises both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to analyse how lexical features such as polysemy, synonymy, antonymy, and homonymy, along with semantic features like humour, irony, allusion, symbolism, and satire, reflect and critique Nigerian socio-cultural realities. These lexico-semantic features are discovered in the text as the linguistic tools Johnemploys to carry out his critiques on Nigeria, thereby engaging readers in a deeper understanding of Nigerian life. The research includes pie charts that illustrate the distribution of these lexico-semantic features with synonyms at 40% being the most frequently used lexical feature and satire being the most prevalent semantic feature at 30%, providing a visual representation of their prevalence in the text. The study concludes by highlighting the significance of linguistic analysis in revealing the socio-cultural dimensions of literary works and recommends further research into additional linguistic aspects of John’s work and comparative studies with other contemporary Nigerian texts.  

Keywords
Lexico-semantics socio-cultural elements Elnathan John Nigerian literature linguistic analysis Halliday’s Context of Situation satire synonymy semantic features cultural critique
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