Yoruba proverbs are wise sayings passed through generations to teach historical lessons, highlight good morals, and instil social values. He that beats the drum for the mad man to dance is no better than the mad manhimself. Therefore, below you will find top 30 african proverbs and their. Few days ago, i promised to come up with some superlovely yoruba proverbs and here i am with them. It is a continuum beginning from their subsistence, communal, agrarian life of the.
Oyekan owomoyela at the university of nebraska lincoln the yoruba language text on this site is viewable in two settings, depending on the font settings on your computer find out more about font options. The use of proverbs in nigerian culture information parlour. Seeks to propagate yoruba proverbs and increase their usage thereby preserving the yoruba language. Proverbs are very significant in traditional africa, hence the saying among the yoruba owe lesin oro, oro lesin owe. Following oyekan owomoyelas introduction, which provides a framework and description of yoruba cultural beliefs, the proverbs are arranged by theme into five sections. It is in the spirit of african culture that we left some of them uninterpreted to enable you enjoy their richness and wisdom. No matter how beautiful and well crafted a coffin might. This article provides you with yoruba proverbs and their meanings. Young people perfectly realize that sayings of our elders are a real understanding. Ten storyfied yoruba proverbs for children by tayo. Thanks for liking this facebook page yoruba proverbs and translation, continue liking it, thanks much.
These treasured sayings convey the demonstrated wisdom of the ages and. Some superlovely and hilarious yoruba proverbs you would. Its foundation is embedded in the moral wisdom of the yoruba culture and world view. These proverbs come from throughout the continent and from many different tribes, which means that goal setting and achievement are integral throughout african culture. Click download or read online button to get yoruba proverbs handbook book now. Worldwide, naming a child is as essential as having the child itself. This paper is a philosophical analysis of yoruba proverbs. 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. This yoruba proverb that means that you should desire to give than to receive. Western philosophy has basically been classified into metaphysics, epistemology and ethics.
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. Hence, the proverb, for the yoruba, constitutes a powerful rhetorical device for the shaping of moral consciousness, opinions, and beliefsviii. The proverb builds on the fact that chickens have no knees, and, therefore, cannot state cases kneeling. This is because when you give you add more blessings into your life.
But yoruba proverbs relating to health matters can do more. Proverbs no doubt are a part of what makes the yoruba language very rich. I love proverbs and quotes, because you learn from them. The yoruba great fathers in the past composed these proverbs based on their wisdom, deep thoughts, observations and conditions. Shughes the one thing thats invisible on the cups in the picture is the inscription.
Owe ile yoruba some lovely yoruba proverbs and their. At the end of each post i always end with a yoruba proverb. The beauty of african proverbs lies in their mystery. An analysis of the proverbs the yorubans live by semantics archive.
Love, according to a yoruba proverb posted on sep 28, 2012 dec 27, 2019 by o. It could cause a good laugh and give you an insight into how deep the culture is. Excerpts from the yoruba proverb treasury, a collection of yoruba proverbs compiled and translated by dr. So many people out there cannot provide their basic needs and you should be responsible in at least offering them with whichever small thing you have. Yoruba proverbs are as old as the users of the language itself. This is the collection of yoruba proverbs for yoruba people only. Yoruba proverbs handbook download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl. It began by studying the historical cultural roots of the igbo people and the meaning and nature of.
The ori holds the bodys knowledge and is its destiny. A study of selected yoruba proverbs and proverbial expressions article pdf available january 2014 with 2,243 reads how we measure reads. The owe yoruba series is designed to help yorubas worldwide learn the proverbs that have been handed down from one generation. In fact, proverbs are the vehicle for understanding the depth of the language. Pdf the nature, form and functions 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. With proverbs, threths are breathed out and love or affection. They are a quick, deep and effective way of passing messages in such a way that joining a thousand sentences together sometimes cant.
Yoruba proverbs i love them embracing spirituality. In a similar vein, yoruba philosophy can be considered antecedent to yoruba religion, in the same manner. Introduction ethnomethodology is a sociolinguistic tool for investigating and how people use symbol systems that organize their collective knowledge, beliefs and values. Some warn their children, relatives and people around them with proverbs. Yoruba proverbs and their meaning eera ko fe poroporo denu. 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. If you read these proverbs thoughtfully, you will surely find all the necessary knowledge you have been looking for long ago. Welcome to the electronic version of the good person. When first glancing to the play, death and the kings horseman its clearly written in english but with the usage of. The understand of yoruba proverbs language of the play. Igbo proverbs as embodiments of igboafrican philosophy.
Some examples rituals and rites abound in yoruba traditional religion. In the yoruba religion belief system, live and death is an ongoing cycle of existence in various bodies. It was easy to find african proverbs on goals and achievement, which makes us think this is a vital aspect of african culture. As a part of this, there is an expectation that everyone will eventually achieve the state of olodumare, which is becoming one with the divine creator who is the source of all energy. Proverbs, among the yoruba also serve as means of achieving clarity and. Philosophical issues in yoruba proverbs adegboyega. It argues that yoruba proverbs have philosophical issues that cut across epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, logic, aesthetics and so on. Traditional yoruba beliefs hold that all people experience ayanmo, which is destiny or fate. An average ife elderly man loves and engages in such games as ayo, arin, ijakadi3 and playing draft. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle. Ethnomethodological, yoruba proverbs, speech community and sociolinguistic. God is my refuge and my fortress he who dwells in the shelter of the most high will abide in the shadow of the almighty. Let us do it, the way it is usually done, so that we may have the usual result. It is customary for litigants in yoruba courts to state their cases on their knees.
Proverbs in yoruba land is called esin oro meaning the horse of words. Nigerian proverbs have deep meanings to them, some you may not understand from the getgo and others you may understand as you age. 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. It is one who we love his mother that his child is also pleasing. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Pai lotun pai losi, toju o ba fo, a ko ma wo bai bai nihardship here and there would definitely yield a broken personility. Among the yoruba, proverbs has become so interwoven with living speech that can be heard at anytime and occasion. A study of selected yoruba proverbs and proverbial expressions int. The aggregate of the ways of life of the yorubaspeaking peoples of southwestern nigeria and their kiths and kins elsewhere in the world. Some superlovely and hilarious yoruba proverbs you. In particular, african proverbs are full of wisdom and deep meaning.
While growing up in jamaica, i would often hear the elders repeat proverbs, often times beginning the sentence by. A mans first wife never complains of neglect from the penis, the first morsel never complains of insufficient sauce. Isiro loko didocalculation is the master of bleeping 2. Since yoruba proverbs have ethical and moral values. Some proverbs are not even unique to nigeria, they are part of the many funny african proverbs said across the continent. Washing ones hands before meals is both a health requirement and a mark of social grace. A bird that flies off the earth and lands on an anthill is still on the ground. The baale otherwise known as oloriebi is the head of the family, mostly extended and compound.
Aseju ni irun aya, irun abe titohairy chest is oversabi, pubic hair is enough 3. The paper discusses some of these hidden beauties of yoruba proverbs. As part of yoruba funerary rites, a chicken is sacrificed to clear evil forces off the way of the deceaseds spirit. Yoruba proverbs yoruba proverbs oyekan owomoyelauniversity of nebraska press, lincoln and london the publication.
The word for head in yorubaoricarries physical and spiritual connotations that cannot be separated. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Nigerian proverbs are funny, but the majority are usually very deep and said in native dialects. Igbo proverbs as embodiments of igboafrican philosophy kanu, ikechukwu anthony, osa department of philosophy augustinian institute, nigeria abstract this research studied the relationship between igbo proverbs and the igboafrican philosophy. The yoruba culture, for the present purpose, can be defined as follows. Moja mosa laa mo akinkanju loju ogundiscretion is a better part of valour. Some superlovely and hilarious yoruba proverbs you would love to know culture nairaland.
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