By
Obododimma
Oha
It is common
to hear Nigerians greet one another: “Compliments of the season” to signify
their entry into a new year. That greeting is common in the country now. There
is nothing terribly wrong with it, except that it shows an inability
to try and be a bit creative or refreshing in framing the greeting. It is as if
the person greeting simply adopts a formula, a shorthand, created by somebody
else. The person who used it in that initial stage has done the thinking, the
whole job, for us. To be more blunt, this reliance on what is available or
handy in language is a problem of laziness and is witnessed in other uses of language! The joy of language is in our
ability to play creatively with it, to produce interesting new forms. But if we
are fond of using formulaic forms, stereotyped patterns, we are simply lazy
linguistically. So, the fact that we are homo loquens or speech-using mammals
requires that we create new forms to register experience; that we try to bring
in varieties in presenting experiences, not merely voice out one pattern like
apes in the wild. Further, reliance on a formula or stereotpye also means
relying on somebody else creation and view of reality. This means making
ourselves slaves of someone else’s expression.
The point
made last above does not mean that there is no connection between our
expression and those of other people, after all we share language as semiotic with
them. In fact, that we express meaning and it is processed and understood by
others is because we can can connect to the network of their expressions, and
hence to their thoughts or ideas. But where else in language is the reliance on
set formula or pattern witnessed most than in greeting? It is as if when one departs
from the patterns, others would raise eyebrows. But even if they are specially
touched or engaged, it is for the good of the communication: it would only show the persons reinventing
the form as unique! It appears that in English and many other languages, there
are fixed modes of greeting. That is why greeting is regarded as phatic
communion by linguists, seen as mere observance of the ritual meant to bind
people together. What appears more important is that they have carried it out
and so would be seen as people who care (even though they may have a secret
agenda or may even use the greeting as a form of ingratiation!). In non-western
societies, it is not necessarily so as greeting may turn out to be:
(1) power-oriented, with the junior
greeting the senior, or superior greeted by the subordinate;
(2)
authentic inquiries about well being;
(3)
long renditions requiring
attentiveness from the addressee.
It is against
this background that the greeting, “Compliments of the season,” becomes
culturally clearer. The person greeting is asking for attention and reply. If
the person greeted does not want to reply, the addressee might be upsetting the
cultural expectation of joining a network on the expression of well being. It
is obviously an infringement on face on both sides. Well, maybe the person does
not understand the language in which the greeting is couched or is not within
earshot. Maybe the person has a hearing problem and may go to London for treatment! Or maybe the person is engaged in the discussion of a more important matter and
would not want to interrupt it. In fact, among the Yoruba, interrupting it with
“O jare!” might be seen a highly accommodating gesture; that the addressee can
still interrupt self to answer a greeting is a sign of decency and regard.
The greeting,
“Compliments of the season,” serves the person greeting as a means of avoiding
all other inquiries about X and Y. In other words, still in line with my
allegation of laziness, a way of dodging the inquiries and looking for a
shortcut. A shortcut could cut off someone’s head! Anyway, it is not because
the person is dealing with so much and wants to be very casual with the
greeting. It is rather the search for an easy way out. But when did greeting
become a cultural burden one must put down or escape from? Is greeting no longer a
celebration of tenor? Looking for a shortcut in the form of “Compliments of the
season” denies one the opportunity of celebrating temporarily with the other,
cementing relationship, even providing a social therapy in a society where
individualism is fast threatening the spirit of community. Kazeem in the movie,
Coming to America, realizes that when he wakes up the first day in America,
opens his window and greets, “Good morning, neighbors!” loudly. They think he
is on drugs or is a mad fellow and abuse him thoroughly! So, greeting is a site
of this conflict between the communal spirit
and individualism imposed by Western culture.
This is not
to say that there are no other forms used in Nigeria when a new year appears on the detonations of Asian knockouts,
but these other forms, too, satisfy the formulaic trend. For instance, people
commonly say “Happy New Year” and really hope in a superstitious way that their
utterance would make the year happy. “Happy New Year” as positive talking would
repair the bad roads, provide fairly constant electricity, equip the schools
and pay workers’ salaries. “Happy New Year” as meaning “One hopes that this new
year would be a happy one” becomes an empty and meaningless expression if the
year, like every other one, is sadly unhappy, at least in some homes. Those whose
relatives are slaughtered by Boko Haram and the terrorist militia backing up Fulani herdsmen are not happy in burying
their dead. There are road accidents, particularly given the bad roads, and
there lamentation in affected homes. It is not a happy year for them. It cannot be a happy year for that man whose only male child has been kidnapped and used for a ritual. No; it is not a happy year for that family invaded by armed robbers. If we are directly affected, we would know that it is not a happy year! Worse
still, bad leaders may be elected or rig themselves into power in 2019; so, the
year aint a happy one for the country!
Some
Nigerians led by the spirit at least stop and add one prayer or two to the “Happy
New Year,” hoping to speak good fortune into the lives of those being
addressed. Good. In fact, they may even switch from English to a local language in
saying such prayers, suggesting that they really mean it or that there
sincerity is signified in settling with and in a familiar language!
Anyway, “Compliments
of the season.” I am a good Nigerian. A shortcut will do. The goodwill is
buried deep in my lifeless greeting, but try to escavate and retrieve it in
2019!
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