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cjls

Articles

CJLS: VOL. 11, NO. 1, JUNE 2023

Proverbs in Igbo Discourse

Submitted
October 19, 2024
Published
2024-10-31

Abstract

In contemporary African societies, proverbs are repositories of values in a constantly evolving world through its meta-discourser status in human development. Proverbs are used in different contexts to share experiences within the psycho-social domain which affects diverse identities, ideologies and social standings. Their role is therefore functional in reflecting human peculiarities and thoughts. This paper looks at meta-communication through proverbs in the context of their meta-functional expressiveness. It focuses on their intellectual content, the wisdom they reflect, and the understanding they engender culturally when deployed in conversations.  Relevance theory is used in data analysis. The theory prioritizes intention in human communication. Two hundred and fifty Igbo proverbs were purposively collected from which twenty-five were randomly selected for analysis. The study is descriptive and qualitative. Findings show that proverbs reflect ancient wisdom, philosophies and communal ideas and serve as conscience markers in society.

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