Authors
Olawumi Esther Oladejo
Adekunle Ajasin University
Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria
estheroladejo3@gmail.com
Oluwaseun Onaolapo Amusa
Adekunle Ajasin University
Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria
+2348039434380 oluwaseun.amusa@aaua.edu.ng
Abstract
This study reframes non-standard English in Abi Daré’s
The Girl with the Louding Voice as a pragmatic strategy
rather than a linguistic error. Using Sperber and
Wilson’s (1986, 1995) Relevance Theory, it examines
how Adunni’s non-standard utterances achieve meaning,
identity, and social critique through explicature,
implicature, and contextual inference. Analysis of 100
purposively selected excerpts reveals that Adunni’s speech is not a marker of communicative incompetence,
but a resource for meaning construction, contextual
adaptation, and emotional expression. Through
pragmatic enrichment, readers retrieve intended
meanings with minimal cognitive effort, achieving
optimal relevance. The findings demonstrate that nonstandard English in the novel functions as linguistic
creativity and cultural authenticity, serving as a tool for
effective communication and social commentary. This
study challenges deficit views of non-standard varieties
and highlights their role in literary meaning-making.
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