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Abstract
This project work is a semantic analysis of Nigerian Pidgin proverbs in online media. Proverbs are a common phenomenon among languages of the world, and in Nigerian Pidgin, they play a central role in communication and cultural expression. The aim of this study is to examine the proverbs employed by BBC Pidgin on Facebook, focusing on their meanings and interactive functions. The study analyzes the meanings expressed in these proverbs as well as examines how Facebook users respond to and interact with the proverbs in the comment section, which contributes to a deeper understanding of meaning, cultural identity and the dynamics of online communication in Nigeria. Data for this research was gathered from BBC pidgin’s official Facebook page, where a list of 100 proverbs was collected, categorized and analyzed. The theoretical framework employed is Relevance Theory as proposed by Sperber and Wilson (1986), which argues that human communication is guided by the search for relevance. It emphasizes that every act of communication carries the assumption that the information provided will be relevant enough to warrant the listener’s attention. The findings reveal that audiences actively engage with these proverbs through comments, humour, and reinterpretation, thereby demonstrating that proverbs remain a powerful tool of interaction in the digital space. This study therefore contributes to a deeper understanding of how proverbs are employed in online communication
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