Background of the study
Viral hashtags have become powerful drivers of linguistic innovation in Nigeria, particularly on Twitter. These hashtags prompt users to coin new words and morphological forms, reflecting rapid cultural shifts and social mobilization (Ibrahim, 2023). Through processes such as blending, clipping, and affixation, digital neologisms emerge that challenge traditional morphological boundaries. This study examines how viral hashtags foster morphologic...

Background of the study
Social media platforms significantly influence linguistic practices in Nigeria, reshaping how individuals communicate in both private and public spheres. WhatsApp, known for its instant messaging and group chats, encourages informal, conversational language characterized by abbreviations, emojis, and spontaneous expressions. In contrast, Twitter’s public, character-limited format fosters succinct, often stylized language that integrates ha...

Background of the study
Digital language change is a dynamic process shaped by the affordances of social media platforms. In Nigeria, Facebook and Instagram are critical in fostering linguistic innovation. Facebook, with its long‑form posts and interactive comment sections, encourages elaborate language use and gradual evolution in syntax and vocabulary. Instagram, on the other hand, relies on concise captions and visual storytelling, leading to rapid, often radical, l...

Background of the study
Hashtag‑based neologisms have emerged as a prominent feature of Nigerian digital discourse on Twitter. Users create new lexical items by repurposing hashtags to encapsulate evolving cultural, social, and political ideas (Ibrahim, 2023). These neologisms, formed through processes such as blending, clipping, and affixation, spread rapidly across networks and influence everyday language. This study examines hashtag‑based neologisms by analyzing tre...

Background of the study
Twitter threads in Nigeria serve as a dynamic medium for morphosyntactic experimentation, where users adapt conventional grammar to the constraints of short, interconnected messages. These threads exhibit innovative syntactic constructions, including non‑standard clause linkages, creative punctuation, and compressed sentence structures (Ibrahim, 2023). The digital constraints of Twitter foster an environment in which traditional morphosyntactic...

Background of the study
Nigeria’s rich multilingual heritage is vividly reflected in its digital communication, where code‑mixing—alternating between languages—is common. On WhatsApp, private conversations allow spontaneous mixing of indigenous languages and English, while Facebook’s more public environment encourages a strategic blend of formal and informal registers (Ibrahim, 2023). These platforms create distinct contexts that shape code‑mixi...

Background of the study
Instagram meme culture has become a vibrant engine of linguistic innovation in Nigeria. Memes on Instagram combine humor, cultural references, and visual creativity to produce new words, expressions, and syntactic forms (Ibrahim, 2023). Nigerian users leverage memes to comment on social, political, and cultural issues, often embedding novel lexical items that quickly enter popular usage. The interplay between image and text encourages a playful...

Background of the study
Digital communication reshapes how meaning is constructed and shared. In Nigeria, Facebook and Twitter offer contrasting environments that influence semantic networks. Facebook, with its lengthy posts and detailed discussions, supports the development of complex, layered semantic associations. In contrast, Twitter’s brevity fosters the condensation of ideas into concise, potent messages that often rely on hashtags and abbreviations (Ibrahi...

Background of the study
Viral social media trends have become catalysts for morphosyntactic innovation, particularly on Twitter where hashtag movements are prevalent. In Nigeria, users adopt trending hashtags to express complex ideas succinctly, prompting modifications in sentence structure, word order, and grammatical conventions (Ibrahim, 2023). Hashtag movements serve not only as tools for information categorization but also as creative spaces where traditional morp...

Background of the study
Digital audio content has become a transformative medium for language, especially on platforms that emphasize sound. In Nigeria, TikTok and Instagram represent two distinct audio‐centred environments where users exhibit innovative phonetic practices. On TikTok, lip‑sync challenges and creative voice filters encourage users to exaggerate pronunciation, modify intonation, and employ rhythmic speech patterns that diverge from traditional norms (Ibr...