Ghanaian Pidgin English

Ghanaian Pidgin English (GhaPE)^[2] is a Ghanaian English-lexifier pidgin also known as Pidgin, Broken English, and Kru English (kroo brofo in Akan). GhaPE is a regional variety of West African Pidgin English^[3] spoken in Ghana, predominantly in the southern capital, Accra, and surrounding towns.^[2] It is confined to a smaller section of society than other West African creoles, and is more stigmatized,^[2] perhaps due to the importance of Twi, an Akan dialect,^[4] often spoken as lingua franca.^[5] Other languages spoken as lingua franca in Ghana are Standard Ghanaian English (SGE) and Akan.^[6] GhaPE cannot be considered a creole as it has no L1 speakers.^[7][8]

GhaPE can be divided into two varieties, referred to as "uneducated" or "non-institutionalized" pidgin and "educated" or "institutionalized" pidgin. The former terms are associated with uneducated or illiterate people and the latter are acquired and used in institutions such as universities^[2][9] and are influenced by Standard Ghanaian English.^[4][10]

GhaPE, like other varieties of West African Pidgin English, is also influenced locally by the vocabulary of the indigenous languages spoken around where it developed. GhaPE's substrate languages such as Akan influenced use of the spoken pidgin in Ghana.^[4][10][11] Other influencers of GhaPE include Ga, Ewe, and Nzema.^[4] While women understand GhaPE, they are less likely to use it in public or professional settings.^[10] Mixed-gender groups more often converse in SGE or another language.^[12] Adults and children have traditionally not spoken GhaPE.^[10]

In some cases, educators have unsuccessfully attempted to ban the use of pidgin.^[13] Although other languages of Ghana are available to them, students, particularly males, use GhaPE as a means of expressing solidarity, camaraderie and youthful rebellion.^[4][5] Today, this form of Pidgin can be heard in a variety of informal contexts, although it still carries a certain stigma.^[2] Specifically, GhaPE still carries stigma in academia which may explain why "few structural or sociolinguistic descriptions of the variety have been published".^[9] Contemporary GhaPE is spoken by 20% of the population with 5 million speakers.^[14] In general, pidgins are spoken in a wide range of situations and occasions including: "educational institutions, work places, airports, seaports, drinking places, markets, on the radio, popular songs, and on political platforms".^[4]

GhPE, like other varieties of West African Pidgin English is influenced locally by the vocabulary of the indigenous languages spoken around where it developed, in this case, as around the Greater Accra Region, largely Ga. When spoken, it can be difficult for Nigerian pidgin speakers to understand Ghanaian speakers – for instance, the words "biz" (which stands for "ask"), "kai" (which means "remember") and "gbeketii", meaning "in the evening", in the Standard Ghanaian English.^{[citation needed]}

Also, young educated men who were raised outside Accra and Tema very often do not know it until they come into contact with others who do at boarding-school in secondary school or at university.^{[citation needed]} But that might be changing, as Accra-born students go to cities such as Ghana's second city Kumasi to study at university and so could help gain the language new diverse speakers.^{[citation needed]}

Over the years, some young Ghanaian writers have taken to writing literary pieces such as short stories in GhPE as an act of protest.^[15] GhPE has also seen expression in songs and movies and in advertisements.