Localisation of Mobile Phone Technological Terms: A Case Study of Yorùbá Language

Abstract

The dominance of the English language in Nigeria is one of the major linguistic outcomes of the colonial period. Despite its status however, only about half of the population are literate in English (NBS, 2010), thus making Nigerian languages very important mediums of communication. Various studies (Owolabi 2006, Adegbija 2004) have noted the underdevelopment of Nigerian languages especially for specialised domains like Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) and have called for their development to enable speakers benefit from the affordances of digital devices and services. Despite the considerable developments in languages like Yorùbá, it has limited digital language resources that in turn disenfranchise its speakers from being able to participate in the digital space. This paper examines the principles and strategies in the development of Yorùbá terminology for digital technologies. Data for the study was sourced from Yorùbá native speakers¹ whose competencies qualify them as both creators and end users of meta-language in Yorùbá. The data were analysed to determine the strategies used to derive terminology for mobile phone technology and the criteria for selecting the most appropriate terms. The study demonstrates a collaborative synergy between both the users and the (linguistic) experts to produce Yorùbá equivalent terms that followed the principles and strategies of Yorùbá metalanguage, and that is also acceptable to the end users. It recommends the mainstreaming of the localised terminology for wider use among users, and as such promotes the participation of Yorùbá in the digital space.