On the Pragmatic Implications of Oyo-Related Proverbs in Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

Every Yoruba town has certain peculiar norms, patterns of behaviour, traditions and, sometimes, history. These norms and traditions are often found mainly in either the way inhabitants of such a town use language or the way people from other places use language in relation to such a town. It is against this backdrop that this paper examines some Oyo-related proverbs with a view to investigating their pragmatic implications. It is believed that examining the pragmatic implications of these proverbs will provide insights into the culture, tradition and of Oyo people specifically and the Yorubas in general. The proverbs which served as the data source for the study were drawn from (a) Owomoyela’s (2005) Yoruba Proverbs and (b) five elderly Yoruba people in Ede and its environs. The study revealed that the Oyo-related proverbs considered indicated the pragmatic acts such as boasting, warning, pretending and advising. The paper concluded that the nature, the psychology, the tradition and culture of a people could be known through a careful examination of proverbs related to them.