Cameroon English as a postcolonial variety: Indigenous markers in e-mail messages and Facebook chats

This study explores Cameroon English (CamE) as a postcolonial variety from the perspective of e-mail and Facebook. The paper identifies and describes some linguistic markers that enhance local flavour in this variety of English in the context of Cameroon e-mail messages and Facebook chats. The data for the study consist of a random sample of 200 formal and informal e-mail messages and 150 Facebook chats collected between 2017 and 2023 from Anglophone Cameroonians. The analysis of data is done both qualitatively and quantitatively. The analysis focuses on some native markers of Cameroon English, specifically lexical expressions, idioms and proverbs found in the corpus and the functions of the usages. Theories on postcolonial and/or world Englishes (e.g. Kachru 1986, 1992, Schneider 2003, 2007, 2011) were helpful in the analysis of data. Findings reveal that some of the local linguistic elements found in Cameroon e-mail messages and Facebook chats include expressions relating to food (meals), ceremonies, clans, dance and music, religious titles and names, which have made CamE to become an indigenous variety of English. Cameroonians employ these distinctive markers for local flavour, honour, identity construction and also to reinforce intimacy and solidarity.