Linguistic Deviation on Bilingual Billboard Slogans in Cameroon: A Sociolinguistic Appraisal

Ita Nawom Itanghi; Victor Ngu Cheo; Atoh Julius Chenwi

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijll.20231101.15

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Linguistic Deviation on Bilingual Billboard Slogans in Cameroon: A Sociolinguistic Appraisal

Ita Nawom Itanghi, Victor Ngu Cheo, Atoh Julius Chenwi

Published in International Journal of Language and Linguistics (Volume 11, Issue 1)

Received: 12 February 2023 Accepted: 27 February 2023 Published: 9 March 2023

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Abstract

The link between linguistic deviation and translation techniques is enshrined in the conventionality of language use and communication. Linguistic deviation occurs when a text ignores conventional norms of a language in order to communicate a certain artistic merit and draw attention to the meaning of the message. The main objective of this paper is to interrogate how translation techniques used on bilingual billboard slogans in Cameroon lead to linguistic deviation and how such deviations affect communication and sociolinguistics. The corpus of this paper is composed of fifteen bilingual billboard slogans purposively selected from different parts of Cameroon. In terms of methodology, the data was collected by taking pictures of billboards and extracting their slogans. A qualitative descriptive method of document analysis was used with the help of Leech’s linguistic deviation theory and Jakobson’s communication functions. Regarding the results, the study identified graphological, semantical, grammatical and lexical deviations on the selected billboards caused by translation techniques like literal, reduction, adaptation, borrowing, discursive creation, amplification and transposition. As a result of linguistic deviation, the messages that were finally conveyed through bilingual billboards looked absurd and sometimes nonsensical. The paper recommends that certified translators should be employed to translate billboard slogans from French to English.

Published in	International Journal of Language and Linguistics (Volume 11, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijll.20231101.15
Page(s)	24-34
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Linguistic Deviation, Communication Functions, Bilingual Billboard Slogans, Translation Techniques, Conventional Norms

References

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Ita Nawom Itanghi, Victor Ngu Cheo, Atoh Julius Chenwi. (2023). Linguistic Deviation on Bilingual Billboard Slogans in Cameroon: A Sociolinguistic Appraisal. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 11(1), 24-34. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20231101.15

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ACS Style

Ita Nawom Itanghi; Victor Ngu Cheo; Atoh Julius Chenwi. Linguistic Deviation on Bilingual Billboard Slogans in Cameroon: A Sociolinguistic Appraisal. Int. J. Lang. Linguist. 2023, 11(1), 24-34. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20231101.15

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AMA Style

Ita Nawom Itanghi, Victor Ngu Cheo, Atoh Julius Chenwi. Linguistic Deviation on Bilingual Billboard Slogans in Cameroon: A Sociolinguistic Appraisal. Int J Lang Linguist. 2023;11(1):24-34. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20231101.15

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@article{10.11648/j.ijll.20231101.15,
  author = {Ita Nawom Itanghi and Victor Ngu Cheo and Atoh Julius Chenwi},
  title = {Linguistic Deviation on Bilingual Billboard Slogans in Cameroon: A Sociolinguistic Appraisal},
  journal = {International Journal of Language and Linguistics},
  volume = {11},
  number = {1},
  pages = {24-34},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijll.20231101.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20231101.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijll.20231101.15},
  abstract = {The link between linguistic deviation and translation techniques is enshrined in the conventionality of language use and communication. Linguistic deviation occurs when a text ignores conventional norms of a language in order to communicate a certain artistic merit and draw attention to the meaning of the message. The main objective of this paper is to interrogate how translation techniques used on bilingual billboard slogans in Cameroon lead to linguistic deviation and how such deviations affect communication and sociolinguistics. The corpus of this paper is composed of fifteen bilingual billboard slogans purposively selected from different parts of Cameroon. In terms of methodology, the data was collected by taking pictures of billboards and extracting their slogans. A qualitative descriptive method of document analysis was used with the help of Leech’s linguistic deviation theory and Jakobson’s communication functions. Regarding the results, the study identified graphological, semantical, grammatical and lexical deviations on the selected billboards caused by translation techniques like literal, reduction, adaptation, borrowing, discursive creation, amplification and transposition. As a result of linguistic deviation, the messages that were finally conveyed through bilingual billboards looked absurd and sometimes nonsensical. The paper recommends that certified translators should be employed to translate billboard slogans from French to English.},
 year = {2023}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Linguistic Deviation on Bilingual Billboard Slogans in Cameroon: A Sociolinguistic Appraisal
AU  - Ita Nawom Itanghi
AU  - Victor Ngu Cheo
AU  - Atoh Julius Chenwi
Y1  - 2023/03/09
PY  - 2023
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20231101.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijll.20231101.15
T2  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JF  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JO  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
SP  - 24
EP  - 34
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-0221
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20231101.15
AB  - The link between linguistic deviation and translation techniques is enshrined in the conventionality of language use and communication. Linguistic deviation occurs when a text ignores conventional norms of a language in order to communicate a certain artistic merit and draw attention to the meaning of the message. The main objective of this paper is to interrogate how translation techniques used on bilingual billboard slogans in Cameroon lead to linguistic deviation and how such deviations affect communication and sociolinguistics. The corpus of this paper is composed of fifteen bilingual billboard slogans purposively selected from different parts of Cameroon. In terms of methodology, the data was collected by taking pictures of billboards and extracting their slogans. A qualitative descriptive method of document analysis was used with the help of Leech’s linguistic deviation theory and Jakobson’s communication functions. Regarding the results, the study identified graphological, semantical, grammatical and lexical deviations on the selected billboards caused by translation techniques like literal, reduction, adaptation, borrowing, discursive creation, amplification and transposition. As a result of linguistic deviation, the messages that were finally conveyed through bilingual billboards looked absurd and sometimes nonsensical. The paper recommends that certified translators should be employed to translate billboard slogans from French to English.
VL  - 11
IS  - 1
ER  -

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Author Information

Ita Nawom Itanghi

Faculty of Arts, University of Bamenda, Bamenda, Cameroon
Victor Ngu Cheo

Faculty of Arts, University of Bamenda, Bamenda, Cameroon
Atoh Julius Chenwi

Faculty of Arts, University of Bamenda, Bamenda, Cameroon

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APA Style

Ita Nawom Itanghi, Victor Ngu Cheo, Atoh Julius Chenwi. (2023). Linguistic Deviation on Bilingual Billboard Slogans in Cameroon: A Sociolinguistic Appraisal. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 11(1), 24-34. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20231101.15

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ACS Style

Ita Nawom Itanghi; Victor Ngu Cheo; Atoh Julius Chenwi. Linguistic Deviation on Bilingual Billboard Slogans in Cameroon: A Sociolinguistic Appraisal. Int. J. Lang. Linguist. 2023, 11(1), 24-34. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20231101.15

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AMA Style

Ita Nawom Itanghi, Victor Ngu Cheo, Atoh Julius Chenwi. Linguistic Deviation on Bilingual Billboard Slogans in Cameroon: A Sociolinguistic Appraisal. Int J Lang Linguist. 2023;11(1):24-34. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20231101.15

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ijll.20231101.15,
  author = {Ita Nawom Itanghi and Victor Ngu Cheo and Atoh Julius Chenwi},
  title = {Linguistic Deviation on Bilingual Billboard Slogans in Cameroon: A Sociolinguistic Appraisal},
  journal = {International Journal of Language and Linguistics},
  volume = {11},
  number = {1},
  pages = {24-34},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijll.20231101.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20231101.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijll.20231101.15},
  abstract = {The link between linguistic deviation and translation techniques is enshrined in the conventionality of language use and communication. Linguistic deviation occurs when a text ignores conventional norms of a language in order to communicate a certain artistic merit and draw attention to the meaning of the message. The main objective of this paper is to interrogate how translation techniques used on bilingual billboard slogans in Cameroon lead to linguistic deviation and how such deviations affect communication and sociolinguistics. The corpus of this paper is composed of fifteen bilingual billboard slogans purposively selected from different parts of Cameroon. In terms of methodology, the data was collected by taking pictures of billboards and extracting their slogans. A qualitative descriptive method of document analysis was used with the help of Leech’s linguistic deviation theory and Jakobson’s communication functions. Regarding the results, the study identified graphological, semantical, grammatical and lexical deviations on the selected billboards caused by translation techniques like literal, reduction, adaptation, borrowing, discursive creation, amplification and transposition. As a result of linguistic deviation, the messages that were finally conveyed through bilingual billboards looked absurd and sometimes nonsensical. The paper recommends that certified translators should be employed to translate billboard slogans from French to English.},
 year = {2023}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Linguistic Deviation on Bilingual Billboard Slogans in Cameroon: A Sociolinguistic Appraisal
AU  - Ita Nawom Itanghi
AU  - Victor Ngu Cheo
AU  - Atoh Julius Chenwi
Y1  - 2023/03/09
PY  - 2023
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20231101.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijll.20231101.15
T2  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JF  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JO  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
SP  - 24
EP  - 34
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-0221
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20231101.15
AB  - The link between linguistic deviation and translation techniques is enshrined in the conventionality of language use and communication. Linguistic deviation occurs when a text ignores conventional norms of a language in order to communicate a certain artistic merit and draw attention to the meaning of the message. The main objective of this paper is to interrogate how translation techniques used on bilingual billboard slogans in Cameroon lead to linguistic deviation and how such deviations affect communication and sociolinguistics. The corpus of this paper is composed of fifteen bilingual billboard slogans purposively selected from different parts of Cameroon. In terms of methodology, the data was collected by taking pictures of billboards and extracting their slogans. A qualitative descriptive method of document analysis was used with the help of Leech’s linguistic deviation theory and Jakobson’s communication functions. Regarding the results, the study identified graphological, semantical, grammatical and lexical deviations on the selected billboards caused by translation techniques like literal, reduction, adaptation, borrowing, discursive creation, amplification and transposition. As a result of linguistic deviation, the messages that were finally conveyed through bilingual billboards looked absurd and sometimes nonsensical. The paper recommends that certified translators should be employed to translate billboard slogans from French to English.
VL  - 11
IS  - 1
ER  -

Copy | Download