PROVERBS AS AGENTS OF CULTURAL WISDOM AND IDENTITY AMONG THE YORÙBÁ PEOPLE OF SOUTH-WESTERN NIGERIA

• Surajudeen Adewale Badru Ph.D.

  University of Ilorin

  Author

This paper examines proverbs as a genre of oral literature with a rich tradition, especially among the Yorùbá-peaking people of South-western Nigeria. Because Yorùbá proverbs are commonly used in everyday communication, the Yorùbá people like other African ethnic nationalities assign a great importance to its use. Proverbs as a verbal art is an important tool that project the Yorùbá people’s wisdom and unique culture in addition to shaping their moral consciousness, opinions, and beliefs. This paper, therefore, explores the moral nature and significance of Yorùbá proverbs which contributes to the norms, values, virtues, conventions, cultural wisdom, and promotes a well-ordered society. The paper establishes that the Yorùbá proverb as an intellectual exercise serves communicative, philosophical, historical, instructional, therapeutic, and entertaining functions The study also establishes that proverbs as a verbal art remains a potent tool for the survival of the Yorùbá-speaking people’s wisdom and cultural identity.

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