Stylistic analyses of Igbo proverbs and riddles

Ebonyi Journal of Language and Literary Studies 5 (3&4) July/October, 2022

Allusion is one of the stylistic devices employed by modern Igbo poets to promote the aesthetic ambiance of their work. Despite its role in literature, it is also a device that is most neglected in terms of its study and forms. Previous studies on the language of Igbo poetry focused mainly on identifying stylistic devices employed by modern Igbo poets (Henceforth, MIP). There are yet to be studies dedicated to the study of the form of each of the stylistic devices used by Igbo writers to promote the appreciation of works of literature written in African languages. This paper, therefore, focuses on the description of the nature and forms of allusion in written Igbo literature using written Igbo poetry (Henceforth, WIP) as a case study. Purposive sampling was used in the selection of nine WIP that were studied and used for this study. A descriptive and qualitative research method was used for both the presentation and interpretation of data. The study finds that allusion in Igbo literature can either be overt or covert. Again, four types of allusion exist in WIP; historical, mythical, biblical, and literary. The historical allusion is often connected with issues relating to the Nigerian civil war, child trafficking, natural disasters, colonization of African countries, death, and politics; mythical allusion with issues relating to native crops, and fruits; biblical allusion with death, sin and destruction as a consequence of sin; literary allusion with a character in another text.

Central Nigerian languages have been poorly served by the literature on phonosemantics in Africa and Nigeria in particular. Data of Tarok language in central Nigeria are examined for special use of phonemes and segments that encode emotive meanings. Phonosemantics in the language covers onomatopoeia, ideophones, tonal changes, manipulation of phoneme length and prosodies to encode emotive content of size, sensations and the like. A few examples other than Tarok will be cited too for better understanding of the phenomena that may be relevant in the entire central Nigeria.

2015

The human language as a receptive, an expressive and a performativity tool has been discussed extensively in literature. This paper focuses on the attribute of language to stimulate, spur or energize an individual or a group of individuals in times of celebration or joy on the one hand, and in distress, sorrow or emotional shock on the other hand. The bridal chant, “Ekun iyawo” among the Oyo Yoruba of Nigeria, is analyzed in this paper to reveal the capacity of language to create stamina and the willpower to go through a distressful situation with courage, nerve, through the effective deployment of oratorical skills. Sample chants are discussed, highlighting their psychological impact, sociological relevance, stylistic renditions and phono-structural balancing for artistic effect. As a cultural medium, Ekun iyawo is also seen as a veritable platform to display Yoruba oral poetry. The Oyo bridal chants are capable of creating moral armament for the modern bride, who often faces vario...

2006

This paper establishes Igbo English, in creative writing, as a deliberate but significant stylistic device, which arises from the influence or interference of the Igbo language and culture. This mode of writing transfers the oral style into the written tradition, and this way, it captures the Igbo worldview in English. Often, this peculiar and very effective linguistic style creates no problems for the Igbo or African reader. But for the Western reader whose language has been used, there are semantic problems arising from lack of knowledge of the African culture and worldview. This paper is, therefore, of the view that for a proper interpretation and understanding of Igbo English works, non-African readers have to understand the traditions, which give rise to such texts and also the contexts in which such adaptations are used. ______________

Frontier in Communication, Volume 7, 2022

This pilot study proposes an acoustic study of the vocal expressions in Ìjálá and Èsà, two genres of Yorùbá oral poetry. For this study, we conducted an experiment, involving the vocalization of an original poem in speech mode, Ìjálá and Èsà. The vocalizations were recorded and analyzed acoustically. The results of the study show that cepstral peak prominence (CPP), Hammarberg index and Energy of voiced sound below Hz distinguish comparisons of È. sà, Ìjálá and speech but are not as reliable as F height and vibrato. By comparing the pitch trajectories of the speech tones and poetic tunes, we show that poetry determines tone-to-tune mapping but can accommodate language when it is feasible. The results of our investigation are not only in line with the previous impressionistic observations about vocal expression in Yorùbá oral poetry but contribute with new findings. Notably, our investigation supports vocal tremor as the historical origin of vibrato in Ìjálá. As a result of this, we strongly recommend the instruments of phonetic science for the study of vocal expression in African oral poetry.

Frontiers in Communication, 2022

This pilot study proposes an acoustic study of the vocal expressions in Ìjálá and Ẹ̀sà, two genres of Yorùbá oral poetry. For this study, we conducted an experiment, involving the vocalization of an original poem in speech mode, Ìjálá and Ẹ̀sà. The vocalizations were recorded and analyzed acoustically. The results of the study show that cepstral peak prominence (CPP), Hammarberg index and Energy of voiced sound below Hz distinguish comparisons of Ẹ̀sà, Ìjálá and speech but are not as reliable as F height and vibrato. By comparing the pitch trajectories of the speech tones and poetic tunes, we show that poetry determines tone-to-tune mapping but can accommodate language when it is feasible. The results of our investigation are not only in line with the previous impressionistic observations about vocal expression in Yorùbá oral poetry but contribute with new findings. Notably, our investigation supports vocal tremor as the historical origin of vibrato in Ìjálá. As a result of this, we strongly recommend the instruments of phonetic science for the study of vocal expression in African oral poetry.

International Journal of General Studies (IJGS), Vol. 2, No. 1, 0

Selectional restrictions can be defined as semantic restrictions words impose on the environments they occur. This research focuses on Igbo figurative expressions. Specifically, it analyzes the co-occurrence constraint that exists between lexical items in figurative expressions in the Igbo language. Also, it aims at examining the misapplications of some figurative expressions in Igbo. The method of data collection is through the use of Igbo written texts. A total number of twenty (20) figurative expressions were collected. The method of analyzing data is descriptive using the binary feature format of Componential Analysis. This study reveals that idioms, proverbs, simile, metaphor, personification and hyperbole are some of the expressions identified. Some figurative expressions in the Igbo language do not violate the selectional restriction rule while others do. The violation does not result in ungrammaticality of the expressions. Conclusively, verbs in the Igbo figurative expressions do not combine in a haphazard manner with their complements and subjects; there is inherent constraint which determines the appropriate subjects or complements of a verb in a particular construction.

2015

There are several folksongs in diverse ethnic group in Nigeria. And of those within the geographical area of the South Western region of Nigeria stand to be the focus of this study. As it were in every African tradition that folksongs have survived the test of time, standing as one of the major tools used in oral tradition. Diverse scholars have made attempts in the direction of this subject matter Yoruba folksongs amidst different dialects that exist among the Yoruba in Nigeria. This study therefore, examines Yoruba folksongs and its aphorism. In doing this, the researcher employed the bibliographical method in treating the above subject matter, looking into the basic phenomenon of Yoruba folksongs and its aphoristic elements.

This article seeks to analyse the poetic elements of proverbs in the songs of Akobe – an accomplished 21 st Century genius in Benin oral performance art and craft. From a very humble beginning, the artist has become a household name. His career also provided important insights into creative artistry of an archetypal Bini minstrel as entrenched in the oral tradition of the people. Within the theoretical framework of cultural semiotics that establishes the conceptualisation of an objective word as almost entirely dependent on cultural codes, there is an attempt to explore the argument that beyond the social and cultural implications of proverbs is an intricate interplay of poetry and other aesthetic resources, leading to the conclusion that the selected proverbs have creative elements and artistic qualities that justify their appreciation as essentially literary

2016

S’wamba is a collection of terse slow-paced antiphonal traditional folk songs performed by the people of Edina in the Central Region of Ghana. This verbal art of the people is expressed in work songs, play songs, traditional verses, riddles, stories and prayers, but the folk song, from the researchers’ observation is arguably the most popular of their oral forms. The folksong owes its popularity among the people to the fact that it is found in almost every aspect of their lives since almost every significant event is celebrated in song. The study sought to find out how suggestive references in the diction of the song texts are used to communicate ideas to enrich meaning. The study combined the use of both purposive sampling and random sampling methods to select respondents to reach the well-informed among the informants who were contacted for information on the songs. The deconstructive literary theory was adopted. In all, fifty (50) songs were recorded, transcribed, translated an...

2018

The research looked at The Polyvalent Nature of Proverb: A case of Ahwia Nsensanso in the Kwabere East District of Ashanti Region, Ghana. The purpose of the study was to use Ahwia Nsensanso as a case study to examine how the proverb is polyvalent in nature. A qualitative approach was employed to assess and describe the related views concerning proverb use. The study also adopted the traditional library research approach through the use of books, articles, journals and publications in as much as they contribute to the worth of the study. It was informed by the Speech Act theory in linguistics and the philosophy of language. The main findings of the study indicate that proverbs are of varied educational and socio cultural significance that enriches the culture and verbal esthetics of a society. A remarkable observation was that, when people speak, their words do not have meaning in and of themselves. Those speeches are very much affected by the situation, the speaker and the listener....

Research on Humanities and Social Sciences, 2013

Stylistics is the study and interpretation of texts from a linguistic perspective. It also attempts to establish principles capable of explaining the particular choices made by individuals and social groups in their use of language, such as socialization, the production and perception of meaning, critical discourse analysis and literary criticism. Thus, stylistics is a distinctive term that may be used to determine the connections between the forms and effects within a particular variety of language. This paper, therefore, examines the stylistic analysis of "Ekun Iyawo" (a sub-genre of oral poetry sung by the bride as she prepares to leave for her husband's home). The objective of the paper is aimed at appreciating the beauty of language, by giving an in-depth linguistic analysis to the strident song which the poet singer renders at this joyful occasion. Our analysis shows a preponderant use of poetic devices such as alliteration, anadiplosis, anaphora, epiphora, etc. Also, the syntactic elements found in the poem are brought out and discussed. The writers conclude that "Ekun Iyawo" (bride's Song) is an important aspect of marriage ceremony in Yoruba land. In view of this reason, therefore, this age long tradition of our ancestors must be upheld.

Frontiers in Communication

This pilot study proposes an acoustic study of the vocal expressions in Ìjálá and Ẹ̀sà, two genres of Yorùbá oral poetry. For this study, we conducted an experiment, involving the vocalization of an original poem in speech mode, Ìjálá and Èsá. The vocalizations were recorded and analyzed acoustically. The results of the study show that cepstral peak prominence (CPP), Hammarberg index and Energy of voiced sound below 500 Hz distinguish comparisons of Ẹ̀sà, Ìjálá and speech but are not as reliable as F0 height and vibrato. By comparing the pitch trajectories of the speech tones and poetic tunes, we show that poetry determines tone-to-tune mapping but can accommodate language when it is feasible. The results of our investigation are not only in line with the previous impressionistic observations about vocal expression in Yorùbá oral poetry but contribute with new findings. Notably, our investigation supports vocal tremor as the historical origin of vibrato in Ìjálá. As a result of this...

Journal of African Studies, 2015

The claim that Yoruba proverbs embody typical clause structure without compromising their cultural values and rhetorical purposes in verbal and written discourse has not been subjected to adequate linguistic/grammatical analysis. This study explores, from a stylistic point of view, the various structures of proverbs found in some selected Yoruba written literature. The intention is to identify, describe, and interpret the different patterns of structure and the communicative functions they signal in the proverbs. The study is anchored on Michael Halliday’s Systemic Functional Grammar. Twelve texts from the works of Olu-Owolabi, Adebayo Faleti, Oladejo Okediji, Akinwumi Isola, and Kola Akinlade having rich repertoire of proverbs with thematic and stylistic similarities were selected; and the proverbs were subjected to stylistic analysis. Findings reveal that simple sentence proverbs facilitate clear comprehension of the messages; compound-sentence proverbs project symmetrical ideas; ...

This work sets out to investigate the behavior of tone in the affixes involved in the formation of three aspects in Aguata Igbo. The dialect group comprises of three main dialects; Amaiyi, Orumba and Aguata. Three respondents are selected to represent each dialect. The data are collected through personal interview and analyzed descriptively to find out how these aspects are realized in each dialect to ascertain their level of similarities and differences. In the findings, there are variations both in the affixes and in the tone patterns indicating that they are different (though related) dialects of the Igbo language, contrary to popular notion that they all speak the same dialect.