Refer, Revere, Win, Defeat

Sample 1: “The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has disowned an individual online which is alleging that he is a son of the referred king.” (He is not my son—Ooni declares, Opera News, 9 th May, 2024) I refer to the word referred which occurs in the following context: “a son of the referred king.” It shouldn’t stretch our imagination too much to understand that the word required in the context can’t be referred but revered.

There are slight similarities between the two words, but they are not sufficient to occasion the malapropism in evidence here. According to the context, the lexeme occupying the slot under reference has its synonyms: honoured, respected, valued. These synonyms are the semantic equivalents of the word revered.

Let’s have the following sentences: 1) The teacher referred to his earlier instruction on the subject. 2) Readers are referred to the previous edition of the book. 3) Those requiring counselling may be referred to either a priest or a psychologist. 4) More serious medical cases are referred to tertiary health institutions. 5) Thieves who steal by using violent means are referred to as armed robbers. 6) After observing the patient for some time, the Doctor referred him to a psychiatric hospital. 7) The lecturer frequently referred his students to the library. 8) Twenty scholars referred to that article last year alone. 9) The preacher referred to different parts of the Bible. 10) The lecturer referred to himself as a professor several times in the course of the lecture.

From those sentences, it may be inferred that to refer to a person or thing is to mention them, direct people to them, to ask people to consult them.

Now read the following sentences: 1) The Judiciary is a revered institution in our society. 2) Professor Wole Soyinka is a highly revered scholar. 3) Traditional rulers are the revered custodians of our cultural values. 4) Books are revered both by the literate and the non-literate. 5) Religious leaders are revered members of our society.6) Wealthy people are revered in modern Nigerian society. 7) Farmers who produce food that we eat are not nearly as revered as the educated citizens. 8) In the traditional African society, virginity is revered. 9) Ability to engage in physical violence is revered among commercial drivers. 10) You should be careful not to disrespect our revered elders.

At any rate, the word revered should replace referred in the context under review.

Sample 2: “Recall that Israel Adesanya had convincingly won Pereira, and was declared the winner of the contest after the second round of the fight.” (Fani Kayode reacts after Israel Adesanya spoke Yoruba…Opera News, 9 th April, 2023) I draw readers’ attention to the verb won which occurs in the following context: “Israel Adesanya had convincingly won Pereira…” Won Pereira? Can you win a person?

Very unlikely, unless the person is a prize. The appropriate word for that context is defeated. In the sense in which the writer has used the word in the context, you cannot win a person. But you can defeat him. The error associated with this wrong choice is a common feature of Nigerian English usage.

Our next task is to differentiate the two words (win and defeat) in practical usage. Please read the following sentences: 1) However hard the team may try it cannot win that match. 2) The team won the match through a last-minute goal. 3) The nation can win the war against drug abuse only by determination and sincerity. 3) The man won the battle against death by submitting to his doctor’s instructions and prescriptions. 4) Neither the Federal Government nor the Biafrans won the Nigerian Civil War. 5) No one can win the battle of life without the help of God. 6) One of the aims of science is to win the war against sickness and disease. 7) Deforestation is a war against nature which can be won only at the expense of healthy human existence. 8) Can a Yoruba wife win the war against her mother-in-law? 9) Every society must win the war against illiteracy and ignorance. 10) Nigerian journalists have won many prestigious international awards. 11) Scholars compete with one another to win international grants. 12) Your rating as a scholar depends on how many grants you have won. 13) Nigeria must win the war against ecological degradation especially in the oil-producing areas. 14) He has been fighting a life-long battle with cancer which he thankfully won. 15) The major prizes are being won by young boys and girls. 16) Huge contracts are being won by business upstarts. 17) Wole Soyinka won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986.

18) His novel has won numerous international prizes. 19) The lawyer won three major political cases in a row. 20) Money alone is not enough to win a woman’s heart. 21) She won three gold medals in the last Olympic Games.

Now we offer some sentences on the usage of the verb defeat: 1) Having been defeated several times by his political opponents, he withdrew from the race. 2) Once you allow yourself to be defeated in the mind, you have already failed. 3) There is no team that cannot be defeated. 4) We defeated you because we had more experience. 5) The Nigerian Armed Forces have defeated and ousted the insurgents. 6) Truth may seem weak and to have an appearance of being easily defeated; it shall always triumph ultimately. 7) In a surprising twist, the female team defeated its male counterpart. 8) The colonisers took over our land after defeating our ragtag army. 9) The Allied Forces defeated Germany in the Second World War. 10) The world seems to have defeated the Covid-19 pandemic. 11) The man defeated his accuser in court. 12) Before their defeat, the team thought they were the most powerful in the world. 13) Their defeat can be ascribed to carelessness. 14) The team suffered a humiliating defeat. 15) Every defeat prepares you for the next victory. 16) He did not have an appearance of someone who had experienced defeat.

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In the last five of those sentences, the word defeat has been used as a noun.

Do not say or write: The Super Eagles won Bafana Bafana. Say or write: The Super Eales defeated Bafana Bafana; Do not say or write: The lawyer won his colleague in court. Say or write: The lawyer defeated his colleague in court. Or: The lawyer won the case. Do not say or write: The Allied Forces won Germany in the Second World War. Say or write: The Allied Forces defeated Germany in the Second World War. Do not say or write: You won me because I was careless. Say or write: You defeated me because I was careless. Do not say or write: I will easily win you in this game. Say or write: I will easily defeat you in this game. Do not say or write: Our school won their school in the quiz competition. Say or write: Our school defeated their school in the quiz competition. Do not say or write: Alhaji Ganiyu won Malam Haruna in the general election. Say or write: Alhaji Ganiyu defeated Malam Haruna in the general election.