YORUBA-ONDO PROVERBS: A LITERARY STUDY OF THEMES, FUNCTIONS AND POETIC DEVICES

📄 Project Abstract

It is observable that in many of the works done on Yoruba proverbs, a common thread runs through them. The emphasis in these works has often been on listing and translating or mere listing in the original. In some others, the forms the uses and annotation of some proverbs were examined. However, no systematic research has been carried out on the themes, functions and poetic devices of Yoruba proverbs. Ondo is one of the largest ethnic groups in Yoruba land and shares a good number of the proverbs in the anthology of Yoruba proverbs. In spite of this expected similarity, it is pertinent to observe that Ondo has her own sui generis. She has proverbs that are distinct, unique and germaine to her but which have neither been systematically collected nor documented and whose themes, functions and poetic devices have not been examined through disciplined and systematic research. It is in the light of this gap that this study was undertaken to collect, document, translate and examine some of t...