Proverbs and modernity
Proverbs have usually been considered the preserve of the elders in the society because they are seen as the repository of the wisdom of the race. However, the creativity that comes with the youthful incursion into proverbial expression is not considered a serious communicative occurrence in Nigeria. This paper thus investigates the use of proverbs as a sign of communicative creativity by the youth as well as linguistic dynamism. Ethnographic and linguistic instruments were employed in investigating different proverbs from a Nigerian language, Yoruba. The original proverbs and their post-proverbial forms were presented and the essence of modern adaptation as a feature of linguistic dynamism as well as communicative creativity were presented. It is argued that this linguistic posturing exposes the communicative dynamism that exists in Nigerian languages to fit into the postmodern context and relevance of proverbs in the twenty-first century world of the Nigerian society.
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Proverbs and modernity
- 1. Proverbs and Modernity: Taking the Proverbs out of the Mouth of the Elders Iyabode Omolara Akewo DANIEL, PhD Associate Professor of English English Unit, School of Arts and Social Sciences, National Open University of Nigeria, Lagos, Nigeria. +234-8052786823 akewoauthe@gmail.com, idaniel@noun.edu.ng
- 2. Introduction Proverbs Wise sayings Prerogative of the elders Contested site Communicative acts
- 3. Proverbs as a Form Definitions Proverbs a short, generally known sentence …, which contains wisdom, truth, morals, and traditional views in a metaphorical, fixed and memorisable form and which is handed down from generation to generation
- 4. Modernity and the Elders Wisdom Proverbs The old wisdom oppressive Narrow and coercive Considered normal Traditional and grave acceptable Modernity Challenging the status quo Unfair representation of others Playful Blasphemous rebellious Colonial mentality uncouth
- 5. Post-proverbials as the Modern Reality New ways of self expression New realities New communication choices The real future
- 6. Ethnographic and Linguistic Applications Data Source Colleagues Self Books media Linguistic Analysis Propositional content Semantic extensions CDA application Speech act theory
- 7. Proverbial Examples, their Semantic Relativity and their Communicative Responsiveness Post-proverbs Igi gogoro ma gun mi loju, ma dooji e ni (For the tall pointed tree not to pierce my eye, I will dodge it) Koju ma ribi, gbogbo ara loogun e (For one not to see (encounter) evil, all the being is the solution (medicine) for it) Eni to jin si koto, oju e lo fo (A person that falls into a ditch must be blind). Traditional Proverbs Igi gogoro ma gun mi loju, a tokere lati nwo (For the tall pointed tree not to pierce my eye, I will watch it from afar off) Koju ma ribi, ese loogun e (For one not to see (encounter) evil, the leg is the solution (medicine) for it) Eni to ji si koto, o ko ara yoku logbon (A person that falls into a ditch is a lesson to others coming behind)
- 8. Findings Post-proverbs have sensible propositional contents that reflect modern realities. The communicative contents of the post-proverbs are inspired and sensible There is nothing playful in the contents of the post-proverbs. Some traditional proverbs have actually lost their relevance to modern realities.
- 9. Conclusion Wisdom is not the preserve of elders The 21st century with its new challenges require new communicative techniques that advance humanity There human experience is universal and the post-proverbs have used modernity to unravel this reality The fact of linguistic dynamism cannot be denied Cultural puritanism is unrealistic and cannot be sustained.
- 10. Appreciation Thank you for listening