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Accepted Paper:
Language, culture and the conceptualization of character in selected Yoruba proverbs
Feyisayo Ademola-Adeoye
(University of Lagos)
Paper long abstract:
This paper investigates the cultural import of proverbs in contemporary Yoruba society in Nigeria. Proverbs are short, witty, popular expressions that contain morals, truth, socio-cultural precepts and heritage of a particular group of people. They often address the heart of a discourse in any given context truthfully and objectively. Every ethnic group in Nigeria (and indeed the world over) has its set of proverbs, maxims and popular sayings formulated and collected over several generations. Proverbs are carriers of culture; building blocks for wise living and good moral life. They convey nuances of culture and through their transmission from one generation to another, ensure the continued relevance of such nuances (Ademilokun, 2014). Proverbs keep us grounded and give us insights into wise living and help us make good decisions thereby satisfying the concept of moralities in African realities. One common thread that runs through world religions and cultures is the universal affirmation of the cultivation and practice of "good character". This concept, popularly known in the Yoruba milieu as "omoluabi" is believed to be responsible for fundamental contributions of morality to the overall human flourishing and wholeness of Yoruba societies and people. Proverbs are an important cultural element in Yoruba ideology. It is a veritable component of 'ways of speaking' among the constituents of Yoruba speech communities across age groups, as well as social and occupational categories of speakers. Yoruba proverbs are one of the tools for communicating, negotiating and practising moralities. They constitute the foundation on which moral positions can be taken and established. Using, sixty purposively selected proverbs that deal with the Yoruba concept of "Omoluabi" (good character), this paper employs a socio-cultural linguistic approach to show how the rhetorical force of the proverbs can help reveal the ills in our society and reclaim some of the virtues of "Omoluabi" which have hitherto been lost to forces such as globalization, unfettered individualism, toxic ambition and nonchalant attitude.
KEYWORDS: Proverbs, good character,
socio-cultural linguistics,
culture
Language issues: reconfiguring language use in African studies [initiated by the Institute of African and Diaspora Studies, University of Lagos, with Africa Multiple Centre of Excellence, Bayreuth]
Session 1