Language culture and the conceptualization of character in selected Yoruba proverbs

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. Every ethnic group the world over has its set of proverbs formulated and collected over several generations. Proverbs give insights into wise living and stimulate 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 constitute 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. Using fourteen purposively selected proverbs that deal with the Yoru ba 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‖. Findings show that Yoruba , like many other African languages, is richly endowed with proverbs emphasizing virtues such as patience, respect for elders and constituted authority, selflessness, contentment and dignity in labour , all of which can bring about cultural re-orientation if imbibed by citizens.