Tobi Igbinedion's comment thread on TwoCents

http://twocents.space/comment_thread-tobi-igbinedion-63348/

Tobi Igbinedion

Co-founder @ TwoCents • Lagos • 3 weeks, 6 days ago

<p>I am surprised by Shege. I thought Shege means problem or pain or something...like when someone says I saw Shege today?</p>

2 Replies

Ibn Abdullah 🦁

Momma's Boy @ Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi • Bauchi, Nigeria • 3 weeks, 5 days ago

Part of the reason is because, historically, Bastards have been seen as "bad omens". I don't remember the exact story but I think it's said that if the first person you see in the morning is a bastard, you'll receive bad luck or something along those lines. Kind of like crossing paths with a black cat. So the superstitious origins of the term "seeing shege or looking at a bastard" translated into modern Naija linguo.

Ibn Abdullah 🦁

Momma's Boy @ Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi • Bauchi, Nigeria • 3 weeks, 5 days ago

Yeah. I can see why given the manner in which the word is used. Shege has literally become synonymous for problem even though that's far from the literal meaning