“The tongue is just a little part of the body,” said a pastor during one of those sermons on the tongue. So it is all the more amazing that this part of the human anatomy is so strong and powerful.
As a biology student, I was taught that the tongue is a muscle on the floor of the mouth that manipulates food for chewing and swallowing. It is the primary organ of taste, as much of its upper surface is covered by papillae and taste buds.
The tongue whose secondary function is speech is very sensitive. It is kept moist by saliva, and richly supplied with nerves and blood vessels to help it move. Lastly, the tongue serves as a natural means by which the teeth can be cleaned.
On another level, the word ‘tongue’ is common in idiomatic expressions and proverbs. For instance, ‘tongue-in-cheek’ is a term that refers to humour in which a statement or an entire fictional work is not meant to be taken seriously, even as its sarcasm is subtle. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the idiom as "Ironic, slyly humorous; not meant to be taken seriously."
The term is also known in films and fictional works. For instance, tongue-in-cheek fiction seems to abide by the conventions of an established serious genre. It gently pokes fun at some aspects of that genre, while still relying on its conventions. Examples of tongue-in-cheek films are Shaun of the Dead, Ninotchka, Demolition Man, True Lies, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans. One of the earliest records of the expression is in The Fair Maid of Perth by Sir Walter Scott in 1828, where he writes: "The fellow who gave this all-hail, thrust his tongue in his cheek to some scapegraces like himself."
In Washington Irving's story "Rip Van Winkle," the townspeople listening to Rip's story of falling asleep for 20 years were said to have "put their tongues in their cheeks" because they thought it was a joke or a lie. While the meaning of the expression here is slightly different, it is related and dates to 1819.
There is yet another use of the tongue which has to do with language. Here I mean the language spoken by a particular tribe or people. ‘Tongue’ is referred to as the first or native language which we learn from birth. The term is also used for the language that we speak best. In either case, our first language is a basis for sociolinguistic identity. The term ‘second language’ means the language we speak less well than our first language. Sometimes the term ‘native language’ is used to indicate a language we are as proficient in as a native of that language.
On another level, ‘mother tongue’ or ‘mother language’ refers to the language we learn at home (usually from our parents). Children growing up in bilingual homes can, according to this definition, have more than one mother tongue.
But you see, at times, this mother tongue has a way of giving you out easily. Those of us from South-Western Nigeria are usually laughed at because of our heavily accented English, spiced with a touch of the typical Oyo mesiogo Yoruba – a variant of English were the ‘Ch’ sound is replaced by ‘Sh’ and ‘C’ with ‘S’. I can recall that in one of my English language classes taught by Seun Oyedola of blessed memory, we argued extensively about ‘Nigerianisms’ in English language. We argued extensively about Yoruba words that have been transferred into English and are now a part of us. Words like “kia-kia” meaning “quick-quick” or “fast-fast.”
You see, re-invention of the English language, we concluded in class that day, showed the dynamism of a people who were able to modify a language handed over to them by the colonialists to suit their purpose.
And so, I used to think, the Yoruba people are the only ones who struggle with poor pronunciation of certain English words. However, my experience in Yenogoa, Bayelsa State made me have a rethink. Bayelsans also suffer from this defect and in a continental gathering like the AMAA, the mother tongue of two women gave them out so easily, such that the audience could not help but laugh. The first woman came on the podium and said: “And the winner is The ‘Shild’ instead of “The Child”. Yet another woman said “Thank you very mush’” instead of “thank you very much.” That is just what our mother tongue has done to us. But you see, it is not entirely derogatory. As the late Oyedola argued, we are just being dynamic with the use of the English Language, even pronunciations!
