A CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF PROVERBS IN SOME OF OLA ROTIMI’S WORKS
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Background to the Study
Through the medium of language, cultures may be comprehended. Since language and social reality are inextricably linked, it is claimed that language is culturally transmitted (Heath, 2003). This indicates that changes in result in changes in language, since the cultural orientation, attitude, belief, temperament, worldview, and social value of individuals, among others, are represented in their language (including proverbs). Proverbs are the result of human experiences and are often culture-bound. They are succinct in construction, frequently learned by heart, laden with philosophical content, and handed down from one generation to the next (Balogun, 2021).
It is impossible to overstate the importance of proverbs in civilizations where many varieties of proverbs serve varied communication purposes. A proverb is one method for determining the cultural heritage of a group of individuals. It reflects the historical evolution, viewpoint, and attitude of a people. Proverbs are a unique means of controlling social behavior in order to ensure mutual understanding amongst conversants. Proverbs provide powerful truths in a meaningful manner, not in a vicious or discouraging one. They deliver highly important lessons in a light or friendly way. The convincing and highly The philosophical nature of proverbs makes them a unique mode of expression in any discourse (Daramola, 2021).
Proverbs subtly appeal to the subconscious level of human reasoning because they represent the socially acceptable code of conduct by praising social virtues and condemning social vices. They are the standard bearers and exemplars of what is correct and incorrect. Even atheists occasionally employ proverbs, demonstrating that proverbs transcend religious boundaries. They are also prevalent in both formal and informal discourses, assuming they are used appropriately. Nigerian authors such as Chinua Achebe, Zulu Sofola, Zainab Alkali, T. M. Aluko, and Ola Rotimi, among others, employ proverbs in their literary works as a means of conveying (weighty) messages with societal approval. Perhaps this explains why linguists, philosophers, and sociologists are becoming increasingly interested in proverb research (Daramola, 2021).
A number of scholars (both African and non-African) have shown a strong interest in proverbs over the past few decades. Proverbs have been and continue to be the most potent and effective means of transmitting a people's culture, social morality, manners, and values. Proverbs are effective because, as aphorisms or wise sayings, they are based on people's experiences and reflect the social values and sensibilities of those people. According to Adedimeji (2007), proverbs are particularly elegant due to the brevity of their forms, the uniqueness of their structures, the logic of their meanings, and the universality of their messages.
Earlier works on proverbs such as Taylor (1931), Arewa and Dunde (1964) and Freyha (1974) among others were concerned with the meaning and nature of proverbs. Because proverbs are difficult to define, there is no single, universally accepted definition of the concept. In more than two hundred pages, Archer Tailor (1931), cited by Ahmed (2005), attempts to explain the meaning of proverbs and concludes that it is impossible to provide a definitive definition. According to Ogunbowale (1970), cited in Abdulraheem (2008), a proverb is "a criticism of life and a product of a specific mind that reflects prevalent attitude with didactic intent." The concept of a specific mind in the preceding definition is synonymous with a particular usage context. However, the contextual application of proverbs is dependent on a variety of social factors. To put it another way, to comprehend the pragmatic meaning(s) of a proverb, one must analyze the sociocultural factors that influence the mutual contextual beliefs, presumptions, and intents of the language users. The primary objective of this thesis is to investigate the instructional character of proverbs in chosen works by Ola Rotimi, employing a linguistic (pragmatic) paradigm and focusing on a people whose culture is reflected in the selected texts.
It is important to note that proverbs have been examined quite thoroughly from both language (linguistics) and literary viewpoints, but the focus of this study is on linguistically focused studies (Fasiku, 2021). While Adedimeji (2003) is concerned with meaning explication in the works of Chinua Achebe and Ola Rotimi (through semantic and pragmatic theories), Akinwumi (2006) focuses on the employment of proverbs as a tool for restoring social order. Sanusi and Omoloso (2008) investigate the function of proverbs in the preservation of ancient lexical elements and phrases. Adeleke (2009) focuses on the historical component of Yoruba proverbs, whilst Adejumo (2009) investigates power aspects in Yoruba wildlife proverbs. The aforementioned research suggest that some prior publications have examined the instructive role of proverbs. To disclose the moral value of proverbs, however, either there is no language theory or principle or, if one exists, a flawed approach is utilized. Evidently, proverbs maintain a time-honored place in both language and literary studies, which motivates research in both disciplines. As a result of the interdisciplinary nature of Linguistics, Sociology, Psychology, and Anthropology, there is an increasing interest in proverbs.
After reviewing a few prior works on proverbs, it appears that the primary rationale for adopting proverbs has been reduced to a secondary position in the current body of knowledge. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to apply a pragmatic approach to explain the moral significance of proverbs in chosen works by Ola Rotimi. This is essential since the rich moral value system shown by Rotimi in his writings is constantly undermined by "civilization." Globalization or what might simply be termed "cultural openness" based on advancements in information and communication technologies, which have shrunk the world into a global village, is primarily responsible for the effect. The notion of a global village derives from the reality that technology and new forms of convergent economics, language, and political state have led in the diminution and diminishment of the significance of people's distinctions (Fasiku, 2021). It also signifies that local distinctions are subordinated to global decisions and global forces (Jenks, 1998:63). In response to this necessity, it is deemed important to conduct a contextual (pragmatics) analysis of the selected proverbs. The study acknowledges that determining complexity in literary works is challenging. Thus, the working definition of context in this study refers to Ola Rotimi's adaptive context for the appropriation of the selected texts' thematic preoccupation.
1.3 Statement of the Problem
There are quite a number of works on proverbs. However, very few of these are based on contextual meaning (pragmatics). Studies on proverbs from the semantic, stylistics and discourse analysis point of view are easy to come by than the ones from the pragmatic point of view. In the same vein,studies on pragmatics generally and proverbs in particular often do not consider cultural diversity of the language users as a basis of meaning explication (Fasiku, 2021). Most of these studies either failed to address the relevance of context to meaning explication or adopted a Universal Pragmatics (UP) principle which erroneously posits that the same socio-cultural reality underlies the use of language across the globe. Works such as Malinowski (1920, 1923, 1935), Hymes (1966), Yule (1996), Mey (2000, 2006) as well as Olukoju & Eno-Abasi (2013) have successfully proved that without context, expressions either lack meaning or difficult to be understood.
The above is particularly true of proverbs which are highly context dependent and culture specific because of their metaphorical sense, philosophical intent and didactic significance. Proverbs are products of human societal experiences and culture defines the society. Hence, there is no way proverbs can be studied with a universal linguistic approach. They (proverbs) must be studied within groups that use them if we must understand why so many diverse people have been attracted to such sententious inventions (Abraham, 1972 as cited in Okunowo 2012). In line with above, there is also the (growing) need to emphasis and re-emphasis the moral import of proverbs in African culture in order to checkmate the impact of the threat of cultural erosion staring us in the face on a daily basis. It is in line with this submission that the use of proverbs in the works of Ola Rotimi deserves more attention than it has ever received in order not only to preserve the moral values of the proverbs but also to encourage this unique way of passing weighty (traditional) messages with some degree of societal backing or approval. This is because proverbs are beyond individual as they are considered to be the representation of a people‟s collective wisdom. The above mentioned gaps are the vacuum which the present study intends to fill.
Research Questions
This study intends to answer the following questions:
- In what way can a pragmatic theory or model be used for the analysis of proverbs in literary texts?
- What is the relevance of the illocutionary act(s) to the contextual meaning of the selected proverbs?
- What is the justification for the dominance of a particular illocutionary act
- What is the significance of context to the understanding of the selected proverbs in the works of Ola Rotimi?
- In what ways do the nexus between pragmatics and culture help in determining the didactic imports of the selected proverbs?
- What is the moral significance of the selected proverbs as used in the works of Ola Rotimi?
1.5 Aim and Objectives
The aim of this study is to use a linguistic (pragmatic) principle for the analysis of the selected one hundred proverbs with emphasis on the cultural diversity of the people whose cultures are portrayed in the works of Ola Rotimi as a basis of revealing the moral significance of the selected proverbs. However, the study is guided by the following specific objectives:
- to highlight the illocutionary act(s) of the selected one hundred proverbs;
- to determine and explain the dominant illocutionary act(s) in the selected proverbs;
- to examine how the nexus between pragmatics and culture helps in revealing the social identity of the people whose culture is portrayed in the selected texts;
- to explore whether the selected proverbs enhance mutual intelligibility of the interlocutors and consequently serve as a means of social control in the selected texts;
- to reveal the didactic or moral imports of the selected proverb as used in the texts studied
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