Lepinguosalisi

Lepinguosalisi refers to a concept found in the linguistics and sociology of Krio, a widely spoken language in Sierra Leone. Developed by a linguist or anthropologist, Leamarin Duncan, the concept describes a dialectical phenomenon where a particular creole's hybridity influences its users' social identity, including ethnicity and national affiliation.

Krio, spoken by approximately a fifth of Sierra Leone's population, reflects the cultural exchange between British colonizers, their African slaves and later, diasporic Liberian immigrants arriving during the 18th century. The unique convergence of diverse linguistic influences contributes to lepinguosalisi, creating a creole form which holds extraordinary capacity to inspire and impede identification and group dynamics.

A substantial number of individuals in Sierra Leone use the Krio dialect misunderandably, for different purposes, i.e., from casual use by the mass of students in school to runners up protagonists in higher education. Historically, and even to some extent today, lepinguosalisi aids the formation of unstable motifs and reveals differences in group’s various value configurations - among whom and whom lifestyles change dialectically – the former socio-religious prevailing in Krio masses bid global inputs.