GRACE O. PREZI<fnref n="1" />

A SOCIOLINGUISTIC STUDY OF BUSINESS
CONVERSATIONS AMONG TRADERS
AND BUYERS IN SELECTED MARKETS IN YENAGOA

**Abstract.** This research work is a sociolinguistic study of business conversations among traders and buyers in selected markets in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. A total of 50 business persons, both male and female, are observed during business transactions to collect primary data from their conversations, while secondary data are obtained from textbooks, journals, and the internet. The observations are conducted at the Swali, Kpansia, Tombia, Agudama, and Igbogene markets in Yenagoa. The researcher uses a conversation analysis (CA) approach to interpret the data and such findings as the ones below are evident: Traders and buyers adopt conversation strategies such as the use of pleading, request, promise, explanation, repetition, code-alternation and questioning/answering bearing in mind factors such as purpose of the speech, setting and participants while choosing them during business transactions. Some sociolinguistic significance of the appropriate choice of conversation strategies by traders and buyers in Yenagoa is to create an environment for peaceful business transactions, prevent conflict/crises, and maximize profits. Equally evident in the study is that conversational participants are very aware of when, where, and how to organize, allocate, and take turns coherently. Again, features of adjacency pair structures such as question/answer, request/decision, offer/acceptance, pleading, and acceptance/consideration/rejection abound in business conversations. Turn allocations are observed to be through prosodic turns, yielding eye-gaze and hand signals by the current speaker, thus resulting in minimal overlapping of talk-turns. The researcher also

<figure><img src="image_1.png" /></figure>

<footnote n="1">¹ http://orcid.org/0009-0007-6972-580X, Niger Delta University, Faculty of Arts, grace.o nyemaechi79@gmail.com.</footnote>
recommends that traders and buyers should consider the setting, participants, and purpose of the talk while choosing a conversation strategy. It is also recommended that further studies be conducted on business conversations in formal settings.

**Keywords:** Business, conversation, conversation analysis, turn construction and taking, sequence organization

# 1. Introduction

In every society, human beings interact with one another in their Day-to-day activities in areas such as business, education, religion, sports, and others. In their interactive activities, language is usually necessary, as it enables effective interaction. Language, an important and indispensable means of human interaction, requires competence on the part of users, both linguistic and communicative, for such interactions to be successful. This implies that the knowledge of a language is a prerequisite for its use; however, it is not sufficient for successful communication. When communication fails, interaction may be hindered, potentially leading to chaos in society. Societal norms of interaction or linguistic etiquette serve as guides for interlocutors in the course of communication during interactions, but sometimes people deviate from these norms, and consequently, problems/crises/conflicts arise among the interlocutors, and the purpose(s) of communication are defeated.

Business interactions are not exceptions to the crises caused by communication failures; hence, the way people use language in business affects the success of the business. It is in view of the relevance of proper use of language in business transaction that made Kuzhevskaya (2019, p. 36) to say this, "the success of any business activity depends on the success of extensive business contacts with partners, potential customers, suppliers and numerous organisations, which, in its turn, is ensured by the strategic correctness of business communication." The author's emphasis in the above statement is that business contact with partners may take the form of language to ensure unhindered and successful communication. It is against this background that this research aims to study the use of language among traders and buyers in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, to examine how different conversational strategies can be used to avert crises/conflicts, facilitate effective communication, and enable the maximization of profits in business.
The data for this research are in Nigerian Pidgin English, as it is the variety of English most commonly used for trade in Yenagoa. According to Ekpe (2010, p. 166), Nigerian Pidgin English is spoken throughout Nigeria and is used by Nigerians of different ethnolinguistic origins.

Yenagoa is the capital of Bayelsa State, in Nigeria's South-South region. The state is bounded by such states as Rivers (East) and Delta (West), and the Atlantic Ocean to the South. Although the indigenous language of the people of Yenagoa local government area is Epie, the city has attracted businessmen and women, government workers, contractors, farmers, students, tourists, and others from different parts of the country, as it is the state capital. As a result of this attraction, Yenagoa city is now a multilingual society, and to make communication easier, the inhabitants use Nigerian Pidgin English for informal activities.

It is to be noted that all the Nigerian pidgin English constructions used in this work are presented as obtained from the field and equally italicized in order to differentiate them from standard English. The pidgin English constructions are followed by their translations in standard English.

*Purpose of study.* This sociolinguistic study of business conversations among traders and buyers in selected markets in Yenagoa has the specific objectives of identifying the conversational strategies adopted during business transactions and the factors that guide their choice. The study also investigates the sociolinguistic significances of the appropriate use of conversational strategies during business transactions.

## 2. Literature review

In this section, the researcher reviewed relevant literature to deepen the understanding of this research. The conversational analysis, which is the approach for this study, is also reviewed.

### 2.1. *The communicative role of language in business*

Language is an indispensable factor in all aspects of human relationships. In view of the communicative roles that language performs in human
relationships, including relationships in business, many authors have
aired their views concerning the functions of language as reviewed here under:

Sheikh, Teli, and Khursheed (2022, p. 408) opine that “communication involves sharing the information, feelings, emotions, etc. by means of mutually understood signs, symbols or behaviour.” Kaptiurova (2014, p. 91) argues that the communicative role of language is realized through the activities of human speech. This implies that the message a person's speech conveys to the listener/hearer/audience is termed the communicative function of a language. Purwanto et al. (2023) argue that effective communication is essential across all aspects of life, including personal relationships, education, business, and politics. The present researcher also upholds the claim of the above authors, as no aspect of life can function effectively without effective communication, including the human body systems.

In their own opinion, Marvellon and Nilsson (2008, p. 1) hold, "effective communication between trading partners is vital for operational efficiency and better trading relations." It is this effective communication among human beings, in general and specifically among business partners, that is the target of all communicative acts.

## 2.2. *Norms of interaction*

During human interactions in their day-to-day affairs, like religious,
business, political, educational, legal, economic, and others, the use of
semiotics, verbal and/or non-verbal means of communication becomes
important, and for these means of interaction to be effective, there are
some norms that guide people on how to use them. Correct application
of these norms results in meaningful and successful human interactions.
These norms vary from one society to another, and that is why what
people in one society see as acceptable and normal may be viewed as
abnormal and unacceptable by people in other societies.

In view of the linguistic norms, Hudson (1980), as paraphrased,
claims that there are norms that govern the quantity of utterance/speech
that people produce, which ranges from very little to very much, and consequently can lead to crises or conflicts when people from other societies with different norms of interaction come together for interactions. For him, these norms regulate how many people can speak at once during conversations. In some societies, it is normal and acceptable for several people to talk at the same time, while in others, people frown on it. In some societies, there may or may not be a limit to the number of interruptions allowed during conversations. Going by Hudson's norms of speech, one can postulate that the general nature of speech events, the actions associated with them, and the number of people who talk at the same time depend on people's culture.

Also, Grice's (1975) co-operative principle captures another aspect of the norms of interaction, requiring someone not only to be informative during a speech event but also to specify a referent that is as informative as possible. This implies that some speech events require a given kind of construction, while others require another, but in any speech event, the efforts of the interactants should be geared towards achieving the desired end/goal(s).

## 2.3. *Nigerian markets: An overview*

Hodder and Ukwu (1969, p.2), define market as an "authorized public concourse of buyers and sellers of commodities meeting at a place, more or less strictly limited or defined at an appointed time." Mbah et al. (2019, p. 19) claim that marketplaces not only serve as points of economic life but also as innovative, political, and social centres of human interaction. For Ogunbona (2021, p. 43), a market is "a place where products are bought and sold; where buyers and sellers interact directly or through intermediaries to trade goods and services for money or barter."

Based on the authors' claims above, it is evident that markets have specific locations within a given community where its inhabitants and people from other communities go to buy and sell, hence the terms buyers and sellers. Nigeria, as a society, is not an exception to the practice of having markets. Markets are found in various authorized places across communities in different states in Nigeria.
In talking about the nature of markets in Nigeria, Salaudeen (n.d.) opines that Nigeria's markets are local trading centres and agricultural and manufactured goods export hubs. The author also asserts that these markets are where traders actively participate in economic activities such as wholesale, retail, and artisan. From the foregoing, it is clear that Nigerian markets are good sources of social relationships, and, in view of this, Ambakederemo and Kalu (2018, p. 17) hold that, in Nigeria and indeed in Bayelsa State, rural markets are important socio-economic institutions that help facilitate social relationships. Apart from facilitating social relationships, markets also enhance economic growth for individuals and society as a whole.

Furthermore, Ambakederemo and Kalu (2018, p. 20) identify six variables of rural markets in Bayelsa State, including the location of rural markets, income generation, social interaction, quality, pricing, and distribution of goods. According to the authors, rural markets in Bayelsa State have not developed due to poor infrastructure, limited transportation and telecommunications, and a lack of appropriate warehouses.

Ogunbona's (2021, p. 43) study of the generic structure potential of local market strategy in Nigeria reveals that there are three compulsory elements in a typical market context in Nigeria which include request, response about object of sales and closing while the optional elements are initiating and response to greetings, invitation and response to purchase invitation, haggling, persuasion, requesting for payment, payments, purchase, joke and others. Ogunbona's findings above confirm that in every culture, there are norms that guide people's behaviour during relationship activities. There are behaviours that are expected in social interactions, and others that are not.

## 2.4. Linguistic etiquette and trading

In social relationships, there are rules and regulations that guide the behaviour of the people involved. Going by these rules and regulations, Ryabova (2015, p. 91) postulates, "etiquette is understood as a system of rules and conventions that regulates social and professional behavior." The reason for Ryabova's postulation is not Far-fetched because human
beings have different cultures, traditions, behaviours, and what may be
seen by one ethnolinguistic group as normal and good may be seen by
another as abnormal and bad. In the same way, what an individual likes
may be hated by another. So, considering different situations, there should
be available norms, etiquette, rules, and regulations guiding people's
behaviour at any time and in any place they find themselves, to prevent
misbehaviour, misuse of words, and the resulting conflicts/crises. Trading
is not an exception to this, since it usually calls for interaction among
people from different family backgrounds, social groups, careers, and others,
using language in either written or oral form.

With reference to speech events, Ryabova (2015, p. 91) says that speech etiquette is connected to situations of communication, as well as to parameters such as place, time, personality, and theme, in addition to communicative motive and purpose. According to Ryabova (2015, p. 91), speech etiquette can be realized at the linguistic level through verbal expressions such as please, thank you, good bye, and others. Continuing, the author posits that at the level of grammar, one can use polite forms such as the pronoun "vous" and the interrogative sentence instead of the imperative form of sentences.

In discussing the requirements for business interaction, Rosida and
Losi (2022, p. 361) posit that “the buying and selling process requires
language speakers to use language as a communication tool to convey
ideas through language agreements until buying and selling occur.” In
Caputo’s (2024) own contribution, he notes that effective communication
is very important in any type of business transaction. Heritty (2024) claims
that, in the process of establishing clear communication, one can avoid
misunderstandings that can prevent him/her from reaching a compromise
with the interlocutor.

While stating the need for a language user to be linguistically competent
for an effective business transaction, Ljungbo (2010) holds that “language
competence is decisively important in international business, increasing
efficacy, efficiency, sales and profits.” Ljungbo further postulates that
“language and language competence constitute management and the
managers building structures, processes, cultures and personalities being
the most fundamental and the most important working instrument to get
things done through making them understandable, interesting and worthwhile.”
From Rosida and Losi's, Caputo's, Heritty's, and Ljungbo's claims, it is clear that people, during business interactions, organize their social interaction – whether talk-based – in such a way that the end product is a common understanding and goal achievement. The implication is that social interaction is structurally and systematically organized in sequences in such a way that the collaborative efforts of the participants result in the achievement of the interaction objective(s), and this prompted the choice of the conversational analysis approach to this study.

## 2.5. The conversation analysis (CA)

Conversational analysis, henceforth written as the CA approach to the study of social interaction, originated in the 1960s in the works of a sociologist called Harvey Sacks, but later in the same 1960s and early 1970s, he collaborated with Emmanuel Schegloff and Gail Jefferson in order to consolidate this approach, which is rooted in the field of ethnomethodology. The proponents of this approach to the study of social interaction view social interaction as orderly, context-shaped and empirical action that human beings engage in so as to arrive at a common understanding.

According to Gonzalez-Lloret (2010, p. 59), CA concerns itself with how "interaction is organized structurally and systematically by interlocutors, since by this engaging in interaction that every day (or not-so-frequent) social activities are carried out." While citing Hutchby and Wooflitt (2008), Gonzalez-Lloret (2010, p.59) asserts, "CA addresses two main analytical questions: (1) How do participants understand and respond to one another in their turns at talk, and (2) how are sequences of actions generated?" The answers to these questions are the major concern in CA. The efforts of the participants in a social interaction are geared towards a common understanding, and that is why they organise their interactions structurally and systematically to achieve their purpose(s) of interaction(s).

Based on the contributions of the authors above, it is evident that social activities involving interactions among people in the environment are carried out through well-organized speeches/talks, both in structure and system, to achieve the purpose(s) of the interaction. In view of the sequential and purpose-oriented actions in the course of interactions
through conversations, Gonzalez-Lloret (2010, p. 61), while quoting (Kasper, 2009, p. 36), posits that during interactions, participants concerned organize their actions sequentially following turn-by-turn order in an attempt to achieve joint interpretation of goal-oriented activities.

Concerning the required data for CA (Jefferson, 2004; Sacks, 1984), as quoted in Horton (2017, p. 12), holds that CA “relies almost exclusively upon recordings and transcripts of natural talk in spontaneous interactive contexts.” Horton (2017, p. 11), while citing Schegloff & Sacks (1973), asserts that conversations follow an orderly principle that a conversation analyst can identify through participants’ careful observation. The author (p. 7) also adds that the interlocutors rely on the principles of the conversation to understand the purpose of their interaction.

The choice of this approach is necessitated by the fact that businesses are carried out through interactions that require collaborative efforts of the participants, and CA, according to Gonzalez-Lloret (2010, p. 19), concerns itself with how participants structurally and systematically organize interactions.

## 3. Research methodology

The data for this study are both primary and secondary, while the research instrument is participant observation. The primary data are gathered through participant observation of spontaneous natural talk in interactive contexts (see appendix), while the secondary data are obtained from journals, books, and the internet, as evident in the references section. Fifty conversations among 50 male and female, young and old traders and buyers in Swali (a daily market), Kpan sia (Saturday market), Tombia (a daily market), Agudama (Wednesday market), and Igbogene (Thursday market) markets, all in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, form the data for this research.

The choice of these particular markets is based on the fact that they form a representative sample of the markets in Yenagoa, since each of them attracts a large number of buyers and sellers on each market day from different parts of Yenagoa and even outside the state. In addition, these markets are situated in areas that are motorable and easily accessible for people from every part of Yenagoa and nearby states.
Conversations during trading affairs are observed by the researcher and tape-recorded during fieldwork. The tape-recorded data are later transcribed, and only the relevant but representative data are used for the analysis. The data for this qualitative research are analysed using a descriptive method following the CA approach.

## 4.1. Business conversation strategies among traders and buyers in Yenagoa based on the CA approach

In the course of this study, the researcher observed from the selected markets in Yenagoa that during business transactions, traders and buyers adopt such conversation strategies as the use of pleading, request, promise, explanation, repetition, and code-alternation. It is also observed that they follow the principles of conversational analysis in trying to arrive at a common understanding and achieve their speech objectives, which are successful buying and selling, hence the choice of the conversational analysis approach to this study. These conversation strategies, as evident in the primary data, are discussed hereunder:

### 4.1.1. *Use of pleading*

During the act of buying and selling in Yenagoa, both traders and customers are observed to use the strategy of pleading to achieve their communicative goals, which aim to persuade and convince one another. On the part of a trader, he/she use the strategy of pleading to persuade and convince the customer to buy his/her product(s). The buyer equally pleads with the trader to sell at his/her desired price, as one can see in the data below:

1. Trader: ... *Abeg, follow me buy na. Na the same price everywhere. /*
   ... Please, buy from me (politely). The price is the same everywhere.
   Buyer: *Leave am for that price wey I talk, abeg. You know se I be
   your customer.*
   Buyer: Please, leave it for that price that I said. You know that I
   am your customer.
Trader: *Oya, bring money.* / Okay, bring money.

Buyer: Thank you.

In number 1 above, someone can see that the trader pleaded with the buyer to buy from her, as evident in the statement, "*Abeg, follow me buy na....*". In the same conversation, when the trader took his turn, he also pleaded, as shown in the data, "leave am for that price wey I talk, abeg...." From the example, it implies that both sellers and buyers used pleading to be able to make their communication successful in a business transaction.

Through the application of the CA approach to the data, the researcher observed that the interlocutors were able to communicate successfully by taking their talk-turns properly without overlapping and unusual gaps. All speaker transitions are done at relevant places for transition, as can be seen in the data, "*Trader: .... Abeg, follow me buy na. Na the same price everywhere.* Buyer: *Leave am for that price wey I talk, abeg. You know se I be your customer.* Trader: *Oya, bring money.*" It is observed in the above conversation that at each completion of a trader's turn, there is a transition to the buyer (conversation partner) who took her own talk-turn.

Apart from proper turn-taking, the rule of adjacency pair in sequence organization is also observed among the interactants, as one can see in number 1 above. A request from the trader to the buyer to come and buy a product from her made the buyer make a decision to buy from her, as shown in the negotiation, "*Buyer: Leave am for that price wey I talk, abeg. You know se I be your customer.*" and then "*thank you.*"

Also, the buyer's request for the trader to sell the product at his desired price is also accepted by the trader, as evident in the trader's speech, "*oya, bring money.*" The implication of the conversation in number 1 is that participants can engage in meaningful, successful conversations by adhering to the principles of conversation, having a common understanding, and, consequently, achieving their speech objective, which is buying and selling. So, in this way, speech/talk is seen as a collaborative act that involves the speaker and listener.
4.1.2. Request

In the act of buying and selling, it is observed that both the traders and buyers use requests as a conversation strategy in order to ask for a favour in the trading act. The conversations in the examples below illustrate the application of the strategy of request:

2. Trader: *Sister, abeg, buy from my hand today. I go do am well for you.* /
Sister, please, buy from me today. I will do it well for you.
Buyer: *Okay, bring better cup.* / Okay, bring a better cup.
Trader: (Showed him a cup)
Buyer: (Observed the cup) *Oya, measure.* / (Observed the cup) Okay,
measure it.

3. Buyer: ... *Abeg, put jara for me.* / ... Please, put an extra as gift for me.
Trader: No problem.

In numbers 2 and 3 above, one can see that both the trader and the buyer asked for a favour from each other, but in a very polite way, using the word *"abeg"* in each case. The trader politely requested the buyer to buy the product from him in his statement: *"sister, abeg buy from my hand today."* On the other hand, the buyer also requested that the trader add an extra one as a gift for her, as shown in her statement: *"Abeg, put jara for me."*

Based on the CA of the talk in examples 2 and 3 above, the researcher observed that the trader and the buyer took turns at the relevant transition points. The change of speech between the trader and the buyer is smoothly coordinated, with non-overlapping, minimal-gap turns. The interlocutors adopted simple turn construction units in the form of simple sentences, as evident in their speeches in numbers 2 and 3 above. This simple sentence format made it easy to predict the end of turns and, in turn, enabled timely turn-taking among the conversation participants.

In terms of the sequence organization of their talk, one can see that
the turns in their speeches are ordered coherently in such a way that
made the participants coordinate their interactional activities properly
and consequently arrived at a common communicative goal of request
by the trader to buy from him and the decision of the buyer to buy from
him. This is shown in their talk, "trader: ...abeg, *buy from my hand today....*" and "buyer: *Oya, measure.*" In the first part of the pair turn, the buyer listened to the trader's request and then completed the second part of the pair of utterances with her decision, as evidenced in her own talk in the last sentence of example 2 above: "*oya, measure.*" This is clear evidence of an adjacency pair in conversation, as evidenced by the interactants' turn-taking.

4.1.3. *Promise*

In the process of trading in the area of study, the data gathered show
that traders use promises as a strategy during the business transaction.
The strategy of promise can be seen in the conversation between the
trader and the buyer below:

4. Trader: *Come buy from my hand, I go use better cup measure am for you. I no go cheat you.* / Come and buy from me so that I will use a good cup to measure it for you. I will not cheat you.

5. Buyer: *Wee the cup? Make I see am.* / Where is the cup? Let me see it.

6. Trader: (Showed her the cup)
Buyer: (Observed the cup)
Trader: *I go do jara for you. Follow me buy na./ I will give you an extra as a gift. Buy from me (politely).*
Buyer: (After the buyer put a small quantity of rice with hand)
*Put better jara for me na.* / (After the buyer put a small quantity of rice with hand) Put better extra for me (politely).

In the example above, no. 4 shows how the trader promised to use a better cup to measure the product for the buyer, as one can see in the statement from the trader, "I go use better cup measure am for you." In no. 6, the trader also promised the buyer that he would give her an extra one as a gift, as someone can see in his speech: "I go do jara for you."

The data, as evident in numbers 4, 5, and 6, show how the interactants
organized their turn-taking coherently and meaningfully, starting with
the first pair part, which is the trader's promise to use a better cup to measure the product as it is in the utterance, "....I go use better cup measure am for you. I no go cheat you." The buyer completed the second pair part of the turn by requesting that the trader show her the cup as it is in this statement, "Wee the cup? Make I see am."

It is also observed that the turns between the trader and the buyer are sequentially organized into sentence and prosodic turn construction units. The sentence turn construction unit is evident in the data in numbers 4 and 5, while the prosodic turn construction unit is shown in the first part of the data in no. 6 (the showing and observation of the cup by the trader and buyer, respectively). The interactants coordinated their interactional activities, which are in the form of talk and prosodic acts, through a series of turns and finally arrived at a common understanding and successful conversation, which is shown in the final speech in no. 6, "Buyer: .... (After the buyer put a small quantity of rice with hand) Put better jara for me na." This statement from the buyer shows that the act of buying and selling was achieved through a collaborative, successful social interaction.

#### 4.1.4. Explanation

The data gathered show that traders usually use the strategy of explanation to convince buyers to purchase their products. In this strategy, the trader provides a clear account of their product(s) to buyers. Examples are shown in the conversations from the data below:

7. Trader: ... *One bag of okro now, na ten thousand naira. E cost well well. I dey sell to know whether something go enter for me. Abeg, na the same thing everywhere, make you buy from my hand. I shade my own big pass other people own. I no go cheat you my sister.* / Trader: ... The cost of one bag of okra now is ten thousand naira. It is very costly. I am selling it to know whether I can make little gain. Please, it is the same everywhere, so, buy from me. The quantity I kept is bigger than other people's own in the market. I will not cheat you, my sister. Buyer: *I know say you no go cheat me, but e too small./ I know that you will not cheat me but it is too small.*
8. Trader: ... *Na correct ogbonge shoe. Na pure leather. If you use am, you go like am. / It is a correct strong shoe. It is made of pure leather. If you use it, you will like it.*

Buyer: (Observed it keenly.)

9. Buyer: *I hope this rat poison no dey make the rat to smell when e die?/*
I hope, this rat poison does not make the rat to smell when it dies?

Trader: *This rat poison, na kill and dry. E no dey smell. No nyama nyama.*

Go u.../ This rat poison kills and dries the rats. It does not smell.

No dirt. Go ...

Buyer: (Started talking when the trader was still talking) *The one wey I buy last time no kill lai lai.* (Started talking...) The one I bought last time did not kill at all.

Trader: (Completing his turn) *Go use am. This one dey kill well well.*
Go and use it. This one kills very well.

In example 7 above, the trader used the explanation strategy to tell the buyer that okra is very expensive by showing the buyer how much she paid for the bag of okra and also explaining that okra is generally expensive everywhere in the market. This explanation is seen in the trader's statements, '*One bag of okro now, na ten thousand naira. E cost well well well...*' Likewise, a strategy of explanation is used in examples 8 and 9 to make the customers see the reason to buy their products. In no. 8, the trader clearly explained to the buyer that the shoes are of good quality and that he would like them if the buyer bought and used them. In no. 9, the seller of the rat poison explained to the buyer how it operates. According to the trader, the rat poison kills the rat and dries it up. He also explained that the dead rat neither smells nor contaminates the environment.

Using the CA approach to explore the data, one can see that when traders deploy the strategy of explanation, both traders and buyers engage in turn-taking. There are cases of proper turn transitions from traders to buyers at turn transition relevant places, but sometimes, cases of overlapping turns have arisen. Sometimes, they complete their turns successfully without overlapping. Successful completion of turns without overlapping can be seen in nos. 7 and 8 among the interlocutors, but in no. 9, there is an overlapping of turns by the trader and buyer, as it is in their conversation, "Trader: *This
rat poison, na kill and dry. E no dey smell. No nyama nyama. Go u... Buyer: (Started talking when the trader was still talking) *The one wey I buy last time no kill lai lai.*" Before the trader could complete her turn as she was explaining, the buyer started taking her own talk-turn, and this led to the overlapping of turns between the interlocutors. However, when the buyer completed her second pair part of the turn, the trader continued her own turn until it was completed.

The implication of the overlap is that, among traders and buyers, the strategy of explanation sometimes leads to overlapping turns, since the explanation may be long. Despite the disrupted adjacency caused by overlapping turns, the turn was later completed, and the participants understood each other and accomplished their speech objective.

Also observed in this strategy is that the turn construction units are in sentence forms since they are explanatory in nature. Examples 7, 8, and 9 above show sentence-format turn construction units which are coherently and meaningfully organized for the interactants to achieve their conversation goals of understanding and buying/selling.

### 4.1.5. Repetition

Prezi (2014, p. 163) posits, “repetition is a rhetorical device which involves saying a word, phrase, or sentence more than once in a speech or writing.” In the current study, the researcher observed that traders often use a repetition strategy. They are seen to repeat some structures during conversations with buyers. Structures showing repetition strategy are evident in their following conversations:

10. Buyer: *How much for this potato? / How much is this potato?*
   Trader: *Na one one thousand naira. / It is one thousand naira each set.*

11. Trader: *This oil dey red well well... / The oil is very red.*
   Buyer: *No problem. I go buy test am today./ No problem, I will buy and test it today.*
12. Trader: ...No *nyama nyama*./ ...No dirt.

Buyer: *You mean am? / Do you mean it?*

Trader: *Na so e dey oo! / That is how it is oo!*

In examples 10, 11, and 12 above, structures such as "one, well, *and nyama*" are repeated respectively in the traders' speeches. According to the collected data, repetition is used to emphasize. In example 10, the trader uses repetition to indicate 'each.'

Going by the CA approach for repetition, the researcher observed that there is coherence and proper coordination in turn taking by the traders and buyers. There is neither overlapping nor too many gaps between one turn and the other.

In terms of sequence organization, one can see that there is a question-answer pre-sequence in no. 10, as shown in the asking of the price of potatoes, which indicates that the buyer was willing to enter into conversation with the trader. The question-answer adjacency pair is used for nos.. 10 and 12, where the buyers asked questions and the traders replied with answers to the questions, as shown in the data, "Buyer: *How much for this potato?* Trader: *Na one one thousand naira. And Buyer: You mean me?* Trader: *Na so e dey....!*"

For the turn construction unit, only the simple design is used by the conversation participants. At this point, it is worth noting that all the principles of conversation (turn construction, taking, sequence organization, and others) that the interactants observed during the act of conversation in the examples above are geared towards the coordination and accomplishment of their speech objectives, which are understanding, buying, and selling.

### 4.1.6. *Code-alternation*

Based on the data, it is also observed that traders in the selected markets code-alternate in their speeches during the act of buying and selling. This strategy is usually used when traders advertise their products to ensure effective communication. It is in this regard that Mauranen (2012), in Toomaneejindaa and Saengboonb (2022, p. 161), claims that code
alternation not only facilitates mutual understanding but also maintains smooth interaction among the interlocutors. This is also the case with this study, as evident in the data below:

13. Trader: *I no know money. Nwa obere ego, nwa obere ego.* (Raising up the clothes.)/ I do not know money. Small amount of money, small amount of money. *Na chunkiri money.* (Still raising up the clothes.)/ It is a very small amount of money. (Still raising up the clothes).

Buyer: Customer, how much?

Trader: *Any one wey you pick na two hundred naira./ Each one of them is two hundred naira.*

Buyer: *Na him be the chunkiri money? No be hundred hundred naira?/ Is that the small money? Will you sell for one hundred naira each?*

Trader: *Oya, select and pay./ Okay, select and pay.*

14. Trader: *Buy your okpa* (an Igbo (people from the South Eastern region of Nigeria) – native food made from bambara groundnuts’ flour).

Buyer: *How you dey sell am?/ How much do you sell it?*

Trader: *These ones na two two hundred naira (pointing at them) while these big ones na / five five hundred (pointing at the big ones).*

Trader: These ones are two hundred naira each while these big ones are five hundred naira each. (pointing at them)

Buyer: *Put one five hundred naira own. / Put one that costs five hundred naira.*

Trader: Take. (Giving it to the buyer)

In examples 13 and 14 above, one can see evidence of code alternation from Nigerian pidgin English into the Igbo Language. The sentence, *“I no know money,”* is rendered in the Nigerian pidgin English, while the second part of the utterance is rendered in the Igbo Language, as one can see in example 13, *‘I no know money. Nwa obere ego, ...’*

Based on the CA approach to the data on code-alternation, it is clear that the interlocutors strictly follow the principles of turn-taking
and turn sequence organization to achieve their communicative roles. They know very well when, where, and how to change their roles during communicative acts. The coherent organization and turn-taking, question-and-answer, advertisement, and the decision-to-buy adjacency pairs are observed in numbers 13 and 14. A series of turns, organization, and taking are evident in the conversations that led the traders to finally decide to sell to the buyers, as shown in the speeches: "Oya, select and pay" in no. 13 and "take" in no. 14. The implication is that both the traders and buyers achieved their conversation objective, which is buying and selling, through their collaborative interaction efforts in the form of a well-organized series of talk-turns and even prosodic turn-taking (raising up..., pointing..., and giving...) as seen in the data.

### 4.1.7. *The strategy of questioning and answering*

Questioning and answering is an indispensable conversation strategy in business transactions in the selected markets studied, especially in non-supermarket shops. The buyers ask the traders whether they have a particular item/product that they desire to buy, and if those items/ products are not exhibited where they can be seen, the traders usually answer the questions. Buyers also ask about item prices. Examples are shown below:

15. Buyer: *Customer, you get Dogbara herbicide?/* Customer, do you have Dogbara herbicide?

Trader: *Yes, e dey./ Yes, it is available.*

16. Buyer: *How much, you dey sell am?/* How much do you sell it?

Trader: *Na six thousand naira./ It is six thousand naira.*

Buyer: *No be five thousand naira?/* Is it not five thousand naira?

Trader: *No, na the price. You go like another type? / No, that is the price. Will you like another type?*

From the conversations in numbers 15 and 16 above, one can see that the buyer and the trader used the strategy of questioning and answering.
The buyer used questioning in number 15 to find out from the trader whether he had a particular type of herbicide called ‘Dogbara’, as shown in his speech: “... *you get Dogbara herbicide?*” The trader answered his question as it is in his speech, “*yes, ...*” In number 16, the strategy was also used where the buyer asked the trader a question, “*how much, you de sell am?*” to know the price and the trader answered, “*na six thousand naira.*” When the buyer negotiated to buy it for five thousand naira, the trader disagreed and also adopted the strategy of asking the buyer whether he would like to buy another type of herbicide, which might be sold for that five thousand naira.

A critical look at the conversations in nos. 15 and 16 above reveal that the conversation participants adopted a two-part, simple-sentence turn construction unit. One can see the question and answer adjacency pair in the organization of sequence as in no. 15, “*Buyer: ... you get Dogbara herbicide? Trader: Yes, ...*” The speeches of the trader and buyer in no. 16 is also organized as a question-and-answer sequence through a series of turn-taking in a coherent order at the various relevant turn-transition places (the end of each turn), which leads to a commonly shared meaning.

## 4.2. Factors that guide the traders and buyers in using the conversation strategies

Based on the data, the researcher observed that some sociological factors, like the purpose of the speech, the setting, and the participants, guide the conversational partners in the choice of conversation strategies and, in that way, help them to engage in collaborative conversation in order to achieve their conversation goal(s). These factors are discussed below:

* *Purpose of the speech*

The purpose of speech influences the conversation strategy. In advertising their products, traders are observed to use strategies such as repetition and code alternation. Examples are:

17. Trader: ... *The beans dey rise well well.* (The beans rises very well).
18. Trader: *E dey hot well well, ...* (It is very hot.)

19. Trader: *I no know money, nwa obere ego, nwa obere ego.* (I do not know money, small money, small money.)

In examples 17, 18, and 19, structures like "well, well, and nwa obere ego" are repeated, respectively, for the purpose of emphasis.

Furthermore, the data also portray that the use of promises by the traders is to make the buyers believe in them and their products, and then buy their products. Examples:

20. Trader: *Come ...., I go use better cup measure am for you. I no go cheat you. / Come...., I will use a good cup to measure it for you. I will not cheat you.*

21. Trader: *I go do jara for you.../* I will give you extra as a gift....

In examples 20 and 21, the traders used the strategy of promise, as in "... I go use better cup measure am for you. I no go cheat you." and "I go do jara for you....", to convince buyers to buy their products. This strategy, according to the data, makes the buyers develop trust in the traders and agree to buy their product, as evident in this

22. Trader: *I go do jara for you.*
Buyer: *Oya, measure am.* (signalling)/ Okay, measure it. (signalling)

In no. 22, based on trust, the buyer instructed the trader to measure the product: "Oya, measure am."

* Setting as a factor

The researcher also observed that the setting influences the conversational strategy traders use in their business transactions. Within the markets used for this study, there are supermarkets (Superite, Favour, Next2next, Nice, Daily Needs, Rogi, Ped, God First, Phil Onward, and Harmony) and non-supermarkets (other stores/shops within the market arena). In the supermarket setting, the strategy is more instructional, delivered in
writing, about where to keep bags, product prices, and payment points,
unlike in non-supermarkets, where explanation, repetition, promises,
and pleading are usually used. Examples from the non-supermarket:

23. Buyer: *Customer, you get Dogbara herbicide?* / Customer, do you have Dogbara herbicide?

Trader: *Yes....*/ *Yes....*

24. Buyer: *How much, you dey sell am?* / How much do you sell it?

Trader: *Na six thousand naira. / It is six thousand naira.*

In the above data from a non-supermarket, one can see that the participants used question and answer, and there is equal negotiation of prices between the trader and the buyer.

* *The factor of participants*

The participants' age and sex also influence the strategies traders use. In cases where the buyers are elderly, strategies such as explanation and promise are observed. When the participants are female, the use of such addresses as "mummy and sister" abounds, unlike the male counterparts, which demand the use of "oga" and "brother" and "daddy."

4.3. *The sociolinguistic implications of appropriate use of conversation strategies during business transactions*

In the study area, the appropriate use of conversation strategies by
conversation participants has some sociolinguistic significances as
identified and discussed below:

* *It creates an environment for peaceful business transactions.* As evident in the analysed data, the use of pleading, promises, and explanations creates a peaceful atmosphere for business transactions to flourish. It is observed that, through these strategies, traders and buyers reached agreements on price and payment terms peacefully.
* *It prevents conflict/crises.* Appropriate use of the strategies helps to prevent quarrels and misunderstandings in trading. By preventing quarrels and misunderstandings among the traders and buyers, conflicts/crises are usually averted.

* *It helps to maximize profits in business.* As businesses flourish in a crisis-free environment, more sales and profits are usually recorded when traders use effective communication strategies to convince buyers to purchase their products. Moreover, buyers who use effective strategies sometimes purchase high-quality products at lower prices.

**5. Summary, conclusion, and recommendations**

In this section, the researcher summarizes the findings from this study, gives a conclusion, and also gives some recommendations.

Based on the study, some findings are evident. It is observed that traders and buyers adopt some conversation strategies such as the use of pleading, request, promise, explanation, repetition, code-alternation, and questioning/answering in carrying out their business transactions. The research also shows that, in a particular business transaction, one or more conversational strategies can be applied by the interactants to achieve effective, successful communication. Factors such as the purpose of the speech, the setting, and the participants are also considered when choosing conversation strategies among traders and buyers. The study also reveals that the appropriate choice of conversation strategies results in such sociolinguistic significances as creating a peaceful business environment, conflict/crisis-free transactions, and maximum profit.

Equally evident in the study is that conversational participants are aware of when, where, and how to organize and take a sequence of turns coherently and also carry out proper repairs of utterance where necessary during conversations. Apart from these, business conversations as studied exhibit features of adjacency pair structures such as question and answer, request and decision, offer and acceptance, pleading, and acceptance/consideration/rejection.
Turn allocations are observed to be through prosodic turn yielding signal of eye-gaze and hand signal by the current speaker. Turn constructions and allocations are properly done, and consequently, cases of minimal overlapping of talk-turns abound, implying that the interlocutors in their conversations understood the requirements of their pair parts and treated the conversations as collaborative affairs.

In conclusion, the right choice of conversation strategies and proper co-ordination of actions through a series of turn organization, allocation, and taking by traders and buyers during business transactions in Yenagoa leads to successful communication. This success usually results from the collaborative efforts of the interlocutors, which lead to maximized profit in business.

This study, in relation to previous studies as evident in the reviewed literature, has shown that apart from achieving maximum profits in business through appropriate use of conversation strategies, which are based on some sociological factors such as age, gender, purpose of speech, and setting, social relationships are also achieved and maintained among the conversation partners. Moreover, through conversation strategies during business transactions, the inhabitants of Yenagoa portray their culture in terms of what they grow, produce, rear, eat, sell, the way they talk, take talk-turns, and even the contents of their speeches.

The researcher recommends that traders and buyers should always consider factors such as setting, purpose of the conversation, and participants, and equally follow the principles of conversation carefully during business transactions, as these help to achieve the purpose(s) of communication. Further studies are equally recommended on the conversation strategies in formal settings.

## REFERENCES

Ambakederemo, B. and Kalu, S.E. (2018). Rural markets and Nigeri's economic development: A case study of selected markets in Bayelsa State. *International Journal of Advanced Academic Research/Social & Management Sciences, 4*(4), 16-28.
Caputo, R. (2024). Effective communication in business transactions: The brokers' role. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/effective-communication-business-transactions-brokers-roberta-caputo-lhwe.

Ekpe, M.B. (2010). *National Open University of Nigeria, faculty of arts and social sciences, Eng 353: The English language in Nigeria course guide*. https://www.nou.edu.ng.

Grice, H.P. (1975). Logic and conversation. In P. Cole & J.L. Morgan (Eds.), *Syntax and semantics: Speech acts* (pp. 41-58). Academic Press.

Gonzalez-Lloret, M. (2010). Conversation analysis and speech act performance. In A. Martinez-Flor & E. Usó-Juan (Eds.), *Speech act performance: Theoretical, empirical and methodological issues* (pp. 57-74). John Benjamins. https://doi.org/10.1075/lllt.26.04gon.

Heritty, J. (2024). 12 important negotiation skills (with definition and tips). *Career development: Skills and steps to take your career to the next level*. https://www.indeed.com/career.

Hodder, B.W. & Ukwu, U. (1969). *Markets in West Africa: Studies of markets and trade among the Yoruba and Ibo*. Ibadan University Press.

Horton, W. (2017). Theories and approaches to the study of conversation and interactive discourse. In M.F. Schober, A. Britt & D.N. Rapp (Eds.), *Handbook of discourse processes* (2nd ed., pp. 22-68). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315687384.

Hudson, R.A. (1980). *Sociolinguistics*. Cambridge University Press.

Jefferson, G. (2004). Glossary of transcript symbols with an introduction. In G.H. Lerner (Ed.), *Conversation analysis: Studies from the first generation* (pp. 13-31). John Benjamins.

Kaptiurova, O. (2014). Speech tactics in mass media discourse. *Proceedings of the National Aviation University, 1*(58), 90-95. https://doi.org/10.8372/2306-1472.58.6700.

Kasper, G. (2009). L2 pragmatic development. In W.C. Ritchie & T.K. Bhatia (Eds.). *New handbook of second language acquisition* (pp. 259-283). Emerald.

Kuzhevskaya, E.B. (2019). Politeness strategies in business English discourse. *Training Language and Culture, 3*(4), 36-46. https://doi.org/10.29366/2019tlc.3.4.4.

Ljungbo, K. (2010). Language as a leading light to business cultural insight: A study on expatriates' intercultural communication in central and
eastern Europe [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Stockholm University. https://su.diva-portal.org/smash/person.jsf?pid=authority-person%3A92029&dswid=-1819.

Malveholm, M., & Nilsson, M. (2008). Communication in international purchasing a study of communicational influences on the purchasing process [Unpublished dissertation]. International business and economics program bachelor dissertation Kristianstad University. https://researchportal.hkr.se/sv/studentTheses/communication-in-international-purchasing/.

Mba, S.A., Obienusi, E.A., & Obikwelu, M. C. (2019). Examination of the functions of markets in the rural areas of Anambra State, Nigeria. *International Journal of Geography and Regional Planning Research, 4*(2), 16-27.

Murrmann, J. (2015). The idiolect of fitness professional Ewa Chodakowska in the context of communication with a target group within the physical activity marketplace. *Baltic Journal of Physical and Health Activities, 7*(4), 103-116. https://doi.org/10.29359/BJHPA.07.4.10.

Ogunbona, M.D. (2021). Generic structure potential of local market strategy in Nigeria. *JOSOL, 9*, 42-58.

Prezi, G.O. (2014). Strategies of Igbo address system: A sociolinguistic investigation of greetings and rhetoric [Unpublished doctoral thesis]. University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria. https://freere searchproject.com.ng/research/strategies-of-igbo-address-system-a-sociolinguistic-investigation-of-greetings-and-rhetoric/.

Purwanto. E, Shahreza, M., Oktarina, S., Yana, K.E., & Rahmah, A. (2023). Developing life skills through effective communication. *International Journal of Progressive Sciences and Technologies (IJPSAT)*, 39(1), 467-473. https://doi.org/10.52155.

Rosida, S., & Losi R.V. (2022). The sociolects of antique merchants in the Ular market Medan *IJEAL (International Journal of English and Applied Linguistics)*, 2(3), 361-368. https://doi.org/ijeal. v2i3.1765m.

Ryabova, M. (2015). Politeness strategy in everyday communication. *Procedia-social and Behavioural Sciences, 206*, 90-95. http://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.10.033.

Sacks, H. (1984). Notes on methodology (edited by Gail Jefferson from various lectures). In J. M. Atkinson & J. Heritage (Eds.), *Structures of social action* (pp. 21-27). Cambridge University Press.
Salaudeen, A.O. (nd.) The role of traditional markets in Nigerian society: From ancient trade centers to modern hubs. Rex Clarke adventures. https://rexclarkeadventures.com/the-role-of-traditional-markets-in-nigerian-society/.

Sheikh, A.M., Teli, S.A. & Khursheed, S. O. (2022). Role and importance of English language in business and communication: An appraisal. In E. Sefiyeva, M.S. Bhatti, & T. Firat (Eds.) 5th *International congress on life social and health sciences in changing world* (pp. 408-412). BZT Academy Publishing House.

Toomaneejindaa, A., & Saengboonb, S. (2022). Interactional sociolinguistics: The theoretical framework and methodological approach to ELF interaction research. *LEARN Journal: Language Education and Acquisition Research Network, 15*(1), 156-179.
# Conversations from selected markets in Yenagoa

## Agudama market

1. Trader: *Sister, abeg come follow me buy naa! Sister, please!* / Sister, please, come and buy from me (politely). Sister, Please!

Buyer: (Going towards the trader) You go give me better price?

Trader: Yes, come, my love!

2. Trader: *Sister, abeg, buy from my hand today. I go do am well for you.* / Sister, please, buy from me today.

Buyer: Okay, bring better cup. / Okay, bring a better cup.

Trader: (Showed him a cup)

Buyer: (Observed the cup.) Oya, measure. / Okay, measure it.

3. Buyer: ... *Abeg, put jara for me.* / ... Please, put an extra as gift for me.

Trader: No problem

4. Trader: *I go do jara for you. Follow me buy na.* / I will give you extra as a gift. Buy from me (politely).

Buyer: ... (After the buyer puts a small quantity of rice with hand)

Put better jara for me na. (Put a better extra for me (politely).

## Igbogene market

5. Buyer: *Customer, I hope se, this your pepper dey hot well well?*

Trader: ... *I dey hot well well, taste and see, sister.* / ... Sister, taste and see, it is very hot.

6. Buyer: *Customer, you get Dogbara herbicide?* / Customer, do you have Dogbara herbicide?

Trader: *Yes, e dey.* / Yes, it is available.
7. Buyer: *How much, you dey sell am?* / How much do you sell it?

Trader: *Na six thousand naira.* / It is six thousand naira.

8. Trader: *Sister, abeg, follow me buy. I no go cheat you....* / Sister, please, buy from me. I will not cheat you.

Buyer: *Mummy, abeg, comot small money for that price. Help your daughter na./* Mummy, please, give me a discount. Help your daughter (politely).

Trader: *Oya, take am for five thousand eight hundred. I don comot two hundred for you.* / Okay, take it for five thousand eight hundred, I have discounted two hundred naira for you.

Buyer: *Abeg, leave am for five five.* (Smiling) / Please, leave it for five thousand five hundred naira. (Smiling)

## Tombia market

9. Buyer: *I hope this rat poison no de make the rat to smell when e die?* / I hope, this rat poison does not make the rat to smell when it dies?

Trader: *This rat poison, na kill and dry. I no de smell. No nyama nyama.*

Go u... / This rat poison kills and dries the rats. It does not smell. No dirt.

Go ...

Buyer: (Started talking when the trader was still talking (overlapping of turn)) *The one wey I buy last time no kill lai lai.* / The one I bought last time did not kill at all.

Trader: (Completing his turn) *Go use am. This one dey kill well well.* / Go and use it. This one kills very well.

10. Trader: *Come buy from my hand, I go use better cup measure am for you. I no go cheat you.* / Come and buy from me so that I will use a good cup to measure it for you. I will not cheat you.

Buyer: *Wee the cup? Make I see am.* / Where is the cup? Let me see it.

Trader: (Showed her the cup)

Buyer: (Observed the cup)

11. Trader: ... *Go cook this beans, you go come thank me next market. The beans dey rise well well.* / ... If you go and cook this beans, you will return to thank me in the next market day.
*The beans rises very well.*

Buyer: *Customer, full am well well.* / Customer, make it to full very well.

Trader: No worry. / Do not worry.

12. Buyer: *How much for this potato?* How much is this potato?

Trader: *Na one one thousand naira.* / It is one thousand naira each set.

*Kpansia market*

13. Trader: *Mummy, buy from my hand naa, I no go cheat you, onye nke m (an Igbo phrase used to show 'mine' among lovers).* / Mummy, buy from me (politely). I will not cheat you, mine/my own person.

Buyer: *I Know say you go cheat me, but leave am for that amount wey I price am./ I did not say that you will cheat me but leave it for the price I said.*

Trader: *Okay, add five hundred naira make I give you, mumsy* (a pet name used by a child to address the mother)./ Okay, add five hundred naira so that I will give you mummy.

14. Trader: *Come buy from my hand, I go use better cup measure am for you. I no go cheat you.* / Come and buy from me so that I will use a good cup to measure it for you. I will not cheat you. (Gloss)

15. Buyer: *Wee the cup? Make I see am.* / Where is the cup? Let me see it.

Trader: (Showed her the cup)

Buyer: (Observed the cup)

16. Trader: .... *Na correct ogbonge shoe. Na pure leather. If you use am, you go like am./ It is a correct strong shoe. It is made of pure leather. If you use it, you will like it.*

Buyer: (Observed it keenly.)
## Swali market

17. Trader: ... One bag of okro now, na ten thousand naira, e cost well well. I dey sell to know whether something go enter for me. Abeg, na the same thing everywhere, make you buy from my hand. I shade my own big pass other people own. I no go cheat you my sister. /

Trader: ... The cost of one bag of okra now is ten thousand naira. It is very costly. I am selling it to know whether I can make little gain. Please, it is the same everywhere, so, buy from me. The quantity I kept is bigger than other people's own in the market. I will not cheat you, my sister.

Buyer: I know say you no go cheat me, but e too small./ I know that you will not cheat me but it is too small.

18. Buyer: Customer, you get Dogbara herbicide?/ Customer, do you have Dogbara herbicide?

Trader: Yes, e dey./ Yes, it is available.

Buyer: How much, you dey sell am? / How much do you sell it?

Trader: Na six thousand naira./ It is six thousand naira.

Buyer: No be five thousand naira? Is it not five thousand naira?

Trader: No, na the price. You go like another type? / No, that is the price. Will you like another type?

19. Trader: This oil de red well well.... / The oil is very red.

Buyer: No problem. I go buy, make I test am today./ No problem, I will buy and test it today.

20. Trader: .... nwa obere ego, nwa obere ego. Na chunkiri mone, chunkiri money. Brother, sister, I dey repeat wetin I dey talk, make you know say I mean am./ Small money, small money, very small money, very small money, Brother, sister.

21. Trader: Buy your okpa (an Igbo (people from the South Eastern region of Nigeria) native food made from bambara groundnuts' flour).

Buyer: How you dey sell am?/ How much do you sell it?

Trader: These ones na two two hundred naira (pointing at them) while these big ones na five five hundred (pointing at the big ones).
Trader: These ones are two hundred naira each while these big ones
are five hundred naira each. (pointing at them)

Buyer: *Put one five hundred naira own./ Put one that costs five hundred naira.*

Trader: Take. (Giving it to the buyer)

All links were verified by the editors and found to be functioning before the publication
of this text in 2025.

DECLARATION OF CONFLICTING INTERESTS

The author declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

FUNDING

The author received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this paper.

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License:
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0