stmWhat is the meaning of Sapa in Nigeria? What does it mean when someone says “Sapa” in chat on Twitter?
If you are searching for an answer to any of these questions online, I guarantee you will find it here. Simply read on to see it.
Sapa is one of those Nigerian Yoruba words that have become a very popular slang on social media lately.
According to our findings, both native and non native Yoruba speakers now use the slang when communicating in an informal way on Twitter.
Nigerians in diaspora (USA, UK, Australia and Canada mostly) are also not left out. They have been found to use the slang many times online, to the extent that it has triggered curiosity among people who are not of Nigerian descent.
What does ‘Sapa’ actually mean? And why are Nigerians using it to crack jokes and throw jabs at one another on cyberspace?
Let’s quickly do some justice to that.
Sapa Meaning In English And Latin
In the early centuries, local medicine men resorted to evaporating grape juice into a syrup which they used for curing cough. This local cough syrup was known as Sapa.
It is also believed that this English word was borrowed from Latin, according to some dictionaries.
However, when Nigerians say “Sapa”, both the meaning and pronunciation is entirely different from how the English say it. Below is how it originated and what it means in the country.
Origin Of Sapa
Sapa was derived from Yoruba, which is one of the 3 major native languages spoken in Nigeria.
The word has also become a popular slang in Pidgin, Nigerians unofficial way of communicating with one another by combining English words with those borrowed from other languages in the country.
The usage of the word among Nigerians is also different from those of other countries where Afrikaans is the official language. So don’t confuse the two.
Sapa Full Meaning In Nigeria
In Nigerian Yoruba language, “Sapa” is simply “a state of not having enough money to cater for your basic needs” mainly because you have exhausted your budget on frivolities.
Aside from that, in Nigerian Pidgin, it is also seen as “a spirit of lack or poverty that haunts those who spends recklessly.”
Sapa can also be used to describe a state where one is unable to meet his needs despite his efforts to change things.
These are the real meanings of Sapa in Yoruba. When you come across it in chat, especially when a Nigerian is involved, just know that one of these is what is meant.
How To Use Sapa In Chats
1. SAPA Hold Me
In Nigerian Pidgin, you say “Sapa hold me” when you want to say you are broke and have no money on you.
It’s a comic way of expressing your situation to your buddy over a voice call, video call or chat.
2. SAPA No Gree Me / SAPA No Let Me Do Am
This is a way of saying you can’t or couldn’t do what you were supposed to do cause your hands were tied by lack or poverty.
People often say it this way “Sapa no gri me do am” or “Sapa no let me see road”
3. SAPA Na your mate?
This is more like a rhetorical question used in a comic way to talk about how powerless one can be against lack or poverty. Regardless of how powerful you are, you can’t match the strength of lack or poverty. Never! You just can’t!
4. Omoh Sapa Baad
This is like saying, “bro, poverty is bad.” or “my guy, poverty is evil.”
5. After The Party, Confam Sapa Catch Me
Lol. This one simply means that you were left with nothing after a party. Perhaps as a result of how much you spent organizing a party or in one that you were invited.
These are various ways to use the slang while chatting with your friends on Twitter, Facebook and social media networks.
Having seen these examples, it’s easier for you to devise your own way of chatting using the slang. You can also start by typing the word on Twitter search bar and see how others have recently used it.
You will discover it’s not even hard to come up with your own sentences using the word.
In Summary
In this article, we took time to explain the meaning of Sapa in Nigeria, as used in chats on Twitter, Whatsapp, Facebook and other social networking platforms.
We also saw examples showing various ways the top trending slang is used in conversations among the Yoruba where it originated from and other Nigerians.
Have you been searching online for the meaning of the popular slang?
I hope you get to see this and read it at the right time.
Also take a look at the meaning of Zazu which we recently published. You can also check out the meaning of Dorime here.
So what do you think about the meaning of Sapa in this article?
Use the comment section below to let us know. Also feel free to share this article online with your friends online via any of the social share buttons below.
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