The ability to use language enriched by proverbs is considered sage and is the hallmark of great public speaking. It is true that words are loaded with meanings and contents drawn from behavioural pattern or ideology, the intended or envisaged meaning is determined by its. But nevertheless, we still have the dominant tribes which are the hausas, yorubas, and igbo. What defines a man is his character which is inseparable from him and follows him wherever he goes. The study shows that yoruba interrogative proverbs have two basic forms. Owe ile yoruba some lovely yoruba proverbs and their meanings. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Therefore, below you will find top 30 african proverbs and their. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. When first glancing to the play, death and the kings horseman its clearly written in english but with the usage of yoruba proverbs. How to say hello in nigerian easiest way these three tribes are mostly the most populous in nigeria with.
It is thus defined in the following proverb as owe ni esin oro. Isiro loko didocalculation is the master of bleeping 2. Meaning and translation of yoruba proverbs with pronunciations and pictures. Literal meaning one only nut does not miss in the fire real meaning the fewer things we have the more careful we are about them ibo proverb ihere ad. It is in the spirit of african culture that we left some of them uninterpreted to enable you enjoy their richness and wisdom. This proverb is used when someone blames the quality of their equipment or other. The paper is motivated by the ingenuous deployment of yoruba proverbs to facilitate effective communication and interaction in the plays. Proverbs are the horses of words and words are that of proverbs. Nigerian proverbs have deep meanings to them, some you may not understand from the getgo and others you may understand as you age. Yoruba is a tonal language like many languages in nigeria. Igbo proverbs as embodiments of igboafrican philosophy. This in itself is a virtue, which will build goodness in you.
So i present to you this interesting topic on yoruba proverbsowe yoruba, indeed the nigerian culture is very much vast and wide with each tribes having its own laws and traditions. Out of the three ethnic groups in nigeria, the yoruba and the igbo ethnic groups are known to be the richest in the use of proverbs. Pai lotun pai losi, toju o ba fo, a ko ma wo bai bai nihardship here and there would definitely yield a broken personility. Some warn their children, relatives and people around them with proverbs. This article provides you with yoruba proverbs and their meanings. Pdf the nature, form and functions of yoruba proverbs. But yoruba proverbs relating to health matters can do more. Nigerian proverbs are funny, but the majority are usually very deep and said in native dialects. If you read these proverbs thoughtfully, you will surely find all the necessary knowledge you have been looking for long ago.
The food that is given to a slave is not for body building but for survival. The yoruba expression, e g n gb, meaning literally, e g n the incarnated spirit of the ancestors has appropriated it, is a way of saying, it is lost to people. A new mode of expression in political arena dayo akanmu school of languages, adeniran ogunsanya college of education, ottoijanikin p. Much smaller, scattered groups live in benin and northern togo. Their written heritage is kept in numerous proverbs. The owe yoruba series is designed to help yorubas worldwide learn the proverbs that. Interpreting yoruba proverbs department of english. The paper discusses some of these hidden beauties of yoruba proverbs. When you get to understand the literal translation of yoruba proverbs and the meaning derived, you would see that the yoruba culture is very rich. Iran yoruba are an african ethnic group that inhabits western africa especially nigeria and benin. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. With 5235 of them, presented according to subjectmatter and each section then arranged alphabetically, it is an encyclopaedic collection a reference work more than anything else. The majority of this population is from nigeria and benin, where the yoruba make up 16% of the countrys population, making them one of the largest ethnic.
Yoruba has over fifteen dialects and standard yoruba is the written form of the language and the standard variety learnt in school. This paper discusses how hearers arrives at a meaning when they hear a proverb. Some proverbs are not even unique to nigeria, they are part of the many funny african proverbs said across the continent. The paper shows that to fully understand the functions of yoruba interrogative proverbs. Aseju ni irun aya, irun abe titohairy chest is oversabi, pubic hair is enough 3. Below we have selected 10 beautiful yoruba proverbs with their meanings. Real meaning people who know values appreciate them most. Yoruba proverbs yoruba proverbs oyekan owomoyelauniversity of nebraska press, lincoln and london the publication.
African proverbs not only provide guidance and wisdom like proverbs from other places, but they also provide outsiders with a view of life in the various african tribes. Proverbs is one of the phenomena that human beings are mostly familiar with yet lacks a. Yoruba proverbs is a mammoth collection of yoruba owe the english idea of a proverb apparently being a fair approximation of that concept. This paper examines the pragmatics of yoruba proverbs in ahmed yerimas plays, igatibi, ajagunmale, and mojagbe. New idioms and idiomatic expressions, which are modern stock expressions. Most yoruba people speak the yoruba language, which is. Philosophical issues in yoruba proverbs adegboyega oyekunle. If you want to build selfesteem, you need to practice looking for good qualities in others and appreciating them. Our ancestors have always been wise and allknowing people. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. A proverb is considered the key to understanding words and expressions in the yoruba language.
However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. Owe yoruba yoruba proverbs, meaning and explanation new post. These proverbs describe everything from the nature around the tribes to everyday tribal life and culture. Yoruba proverbs and their meaning eera ko fe poroporo denu. Such statements as the one above who in themselves are considered proverbs affirm the assertion that culturally conscious nigerians especially the yorubas believe that the heart of nearly all conversational engagements is the use of proverbs. Apr 29, 2011 yoruba proverbs and their meaning eera ko fe poroporo denu. Proverbs are used by the yoruba people not only as owe lesin oro, oro lesin owe, bi oro ba nu, owe ni a fi wa, meaning a proverb is a horse which can carry. The nature and meaning of igbo proverbs for the igbo, achebe 1958 avers that proverbs are vegetables for eating speech. Generally speaking, the term philosophy tends itself to many interpretations, hence whatever definition or. Owe ile yoruba some lovely yoruba proverbs and their. Such statements as the one above who in themselves are considered proverbs affirm the assertion that culturally conscious nigerians especially the yorubas believe that the heart of nearly all conversational engagements is. The understand of yoruba proverbs language of the play. In particular, african proverbs are full of wisdom and deep meaning.
These poets are tayo olafioye, tunde olusunle and bayo adebowale. By virtue of the exegesis of the nigerian terrain, some of the indigenous yoruba proverbs which have been translated into english in their poems would constitute our data. Yoruba proverbs is the most comprehensive collection to date of more than five thousand yoruban proverbs that showcase yoruba oral tradition. It delves further into their spiritual meaning and its significance in the wider world. The need to examine some of the definitions and characteristics of yoruba proverbs arises in this study. Yoruba, one of the three largest ethnic groups of nigeria, concentrated in the southwestern part of that country. May 20, 2015 out of the three ethnic groups in nigeria, the yoruba and the igbo ethnic groups are known to be the richest in the use of proverbs. The oral tradition has been maintained since time immemorial. Proverbs are popular sayings that provide nuggets of wisdom. It is a continuum beginning from their subsistence, communal, agrarian life of the. The vast majority of this population is from nigeria, where the yoruba make up 16% of the countrys population, making them one of the largest ethnic groups in africa. Real meaning the fewer things we have the more careful we are about them. A mans first wife never complains of neglect from the penis, the first morsel never complains of insufficient sauce. They have a wide range of uses and show, principally, that the user is wise and welleducated in the customs of the akan people.
May 24, 2017 many proverbs exist about the left hands special roles. Owe yoruba yoruba proverbs, meaning and explanation. Since yoruba proverbs have ethical and moral values. They are in spoken and written forms and mainly operate at the lexical and phrasal levels. The yoruba constitute about 44 million people in total. Without proverbs the language of the igbo would be but a skeleton without flesh, a body without a soul. And as the yoruba proverb owe lesin oro, bi oro ba sonu, owe ni a fi nwa a, a proverb is the horse which carries a subject under discussion along. In other words, this article specifically compares the functions of wisdom in the book of proverbs in both ancient israel and yoruba proverbs using some selected proverbial sayings in. Click download or read online button to get yoruba proverbs handbook book now. It is a great starting point for a beginner in the tradition sharing the. Young people perfectly realize that sayings of our elders are a real understanding. Oct 31, 2018 nigerian proverbs are funny, but the majority are usually very deep and said in native dialects. By using some of these 150 popular proverbs, you can up your english language skills by few notches.
Washing ones hands before meals is both a health requirement and a mark of social grace. The leopards stealthy gait is not a result of cowardice. Wherever a man goes to dwell, his character goes with him. The 50 most important akan proverbs african sybmols. Aug, 2019 african proverbs not only provide guidance and wisdom like proverbs from other places, but they also provide outsiders with a view of life in the various african tribes. Philosophical issues in yoruba proverbs adegboyega. Doc philosophical significance of yoruba proverbs onifade. Ancient israelite and african proverbs as advice, reproach. The yoruba numbered more than 20 million at the turn of the 21st century.
Following oyekan owomoyelas introduction, which provides a framework and description of yoruba cultural beliefs, the proverbs are arranged by theme into five sections. Earlier in this article, we mentioned that in most african traditions, it is unacceptable to tell an african proverb and still be the one to explain the meaning. The use of proverbs in nigerian culture information parlour. Lest i not derail from the topic being discussed i will be showing you the owe yoruba you should know what this means already and its various meaning in no time. Yoruba proverbs are wise sayings passed through generations to teach. This definitive source book on yoruba proverbs is the first to give such detailed, systematic classification and analysis alongside a careful assessment of the risks and pitfalls. Pdf the pragmatics of yoruba proverbs in ahmed yerimas. In this age of science and technology, they are now being preserved for posterity. Yoruba proverbs handbook download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Standard yoruba has its origin in the 1850s, when samuel ajayi crowther, the first african bishop, published a yoruba grammar and started his translation of the bible to yoruba more languages. A kin fi oju o loju shewo ka jare one does not succeed by handing over his affairs to someone else.
Proverbs are very significant in traditional africa, hence the saying among the yoruba owe lesin oro, oro lesin owe. Yoruba proverbs handbook download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl. Yoruba proverbs, names and national consciousness philarchive. So some yoruba proverbs and idioms should be found on every social media page of a nigerian person as it shows wisdom. Proverbs are the core of the culture, they help to guide the normal ways of life and thus form the center of living a healthy life. In other words, roleexpectations, aspirations and consciousness attached to yoruba names are unravelled through proverbs. Yoruba proverbs in order to find the similarities and the implications for christianity in africa. Hence, proverb must be analysed in each of its unique social contextsv. The data for the study include proverbs and praise poems which were collected from oral interviews with native speakers and discussions with older yoruba people in southwest nigeria. Each proverb is presented in yoruba with a literal english translation, followed by a brief commentary explaining the meaning of the proverb within the oral tradition.
The yorubas have a rich cultural history and with it many beautiful proverbs. When you bite indiscriminately, you end up eating your own tail. The aggregate of the ways of life of the yorubaspeaking peoples of southwestern nigeria and their kiths and kins elsewhere in the world. It could cause a good laugh and give you an insight into how deep the culture is.
The beauty of african proverbs lies in their mystery. Proverbs in yoruba land is called esin oro meaning the horse of words. Watch one of the lowquality nollywood telenovelas on youtube to get an idea of the gesturerich form of language. Literal meaning one only nut does not miss in the fire. Seeks to propagate yoruba proverbs and increase their usage thereby preserving the yoruba language and the wisdom of the yoruba people for posterity. It has different answers to important questions in their religion and wise words.
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