Abstract
This study investigates age and gender variation in the use of take care among 150 educated Nigerian English speakers. It deploys Malinowski's (1923) phatic communion and Coupland et al.'s (1992) negotiation perspective. Data were collected through a Google Form questionnaire measuring social variables and self-reported usage frequency on a 5-point scale. The sample included four age categories (13–19, 20–35, 36–55, 56+ years) with 64% females and 36% males, and 98% holding higher education qualifications. The findings in this paper reveal three patterns. First, an age-graded pattern emerged in which teenagers (13–19) used take care most frequently (43.8% frequent use), usage declined across the lifespan, and age-group of (56+) showed the highest non-user proportion (27.3%). Second, gender differences were evident where females used the phrase more frequently than males (47.9% and 38.9% high-frequency users), with no female reporting non‑use compared to 5.6% of males. Third, educational homogeneity (98% higher education) precluded meaningful comparison across education levels. The study also explains a usage‑interpretation paradox in which teenagers use the phrase most often yet doubt its sincerity from authority figures, thereby reflecting the negotiated nature of phaticity.
Keywords: Phatic Communion, Age, Gender,
Education, Nigerian English.
DOI: 10.36349/sojolics.2026.v02i02.022
author/Adedun, E. A., Ojo, T. G., Oreoluwa, B. O., &Feranmi-Ojo, T. A.
journal/Sokoto JOLICS 2(2) | August 2026 |
