The Grammaticality and Acceptability of Proverbs in Language Use As a Means of Communication and Instruction in Traditional Anaang Society
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
African Journal of Educational Research and Development (AJERD), Vol. 11, No. 2, Dec. 2018 THE GRAMMATICALITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF PROVERBS IN LANGUAGE USE AS A MEANS OF COMMUNICATION AND INSTRUCTION IN TRADITIONAL ANAANG SOCIETY Dr. Edenowo T. Enang Department of English Akwa Ibom State University Obio Akpa Campus [email protected] Abstract This paper analized the grammaticality and acceptability of Proverbs in language use as means of communication and instruction in traditional Anaang society. The paper also exposes a compendium of proverbs in Anaang and carefully sort out what some scholars have said about proverbs and education. To achieve this purpose, a long list of proverbs in Anaang has been sorted out and carefully accounted for while taking cognizance of the communicative roles proverbs play in traditional Anaang communities. There is also examination of the socio-cultural functions of these proverbs as a vehicle for sharpening the instructional patterns of people at individual and communal levels. The theoretical framework employed in this work is Linguistic Trado-culturalism, a theory propounded by the Traditional Culturalists for use as a vehicle for extolling and conveying the values of a people’s rich cultural heritage and the propagation of the philosophical significance of their heritage to generations yet unborn. The conclusion is drawn from the fact that proverbs, no matter the type of functions (communicative or instructional) they play, are inextricably tied to the socio-cultural idiosyncrasies of the society within which they operate. Keywords: Grammaticality and acceptability, Proverbs, language use, communication and instruction, Anaang traditional society. Introduction The Anaang people are known for their proverbs and for their insistence on their apt use. It is an established assertion that an Anaang-man’s reputation as a good speaker or as a successful oral artist, to a large extent, depends on his ability to use ufied (proverb) in his speech acts. Any speech or literary composition that is not punctuated here and there with apt proverbs and idioms is regarded as ifed (naked, the opposite of ufied) that is, it is considered as lacking in that expressive force which makes a listener nod his head either in approval and admiration of what is said or shake his head because he finds it difficult to make a headway on what he said or he does not understand it at all. Any unadorned expression in Anaang is seen as roughly equivalent to a pot of soup that is watery because it lacks the necessary condiments or ingredients. 107 Dr. Edenowo T. Enang The need to acquire the ability to understand and use proverbs in the language cannot be dismissed with a wave of the hand or glossed over. It is for this reason that the Anaang people use the following proverbs or their equivalents to ridicule the ignorant ones: (a) Agwo unana ifiok isikopo usen uwiere ikpe sade ke ekekama ufied ekpe ewiere, ntoon ase anoñ akene mbonagwo alekeda anyoñ ntere ntere, meaning - the unintelligent who attended a gathering for the settlement of a dispute rose to go when he saw others do so but wondered when a decision would be taken because proverbs were used, he failed to understand that the ruling had already been given. (b) Ama top ufied anno agwo silioñho ufied alanyie iguok, ade agwo sili ilioñhoke ase fefehe ufied adok ikot, meaning – if you use a proverb to him who knows, he would know, but a proverb to the uninitiated would make him run into the bush. Literature Overview What some scholars have said about proverbs and education in Anaang and other traditional societies in Africa and in Nigeria will be discussed in this section. In communication for instance, Finnegan (1970:441) cited in (Adeiyongo, 2004) established that in some societies in Africa, such as among the Zande and Nanja, the proverb could be used by an individual as “comments for persuasion” in an esoteric manner so that it could either deliberately convey ambiguity or only a very few people could understand him. Bascom (1965:469) in his monumental research work on African folklore in general and on proverbs in particular has mentioned inter alia that: the proverb plays a major role in the traditional system of education by enforcing conformity to social norms. There is hardly any paraomiographer that has failed to notice or comment on this very important function of proverbs. In the same vein, Essien (1978:36-38), echoing Hull (1922) states that “of all the forms assumed by Oral literature, proverbs contain the greatest educational impact”. Similarly, Loeb (1952:322), in his research among the Kuanyame and in part among the Christians reports that much of the teaching given the young is in the form of proverbs mainly because of their pithy nature as well as their memorability. Such proverbs are in the areas of law, ethics philosophy and religion (Adeiyongo, 2004:253-270). In East African societies, Raum (1940:214) carried out an observational research work and came up with the fact that: From fourteen when a child flies into rage, when he is recalcitrant or violates the code of etiquette, when he makes an ass out of himself, when he is cowardly, he hears his actions commented upon in the words of a proverb. There is no doubt that such a comment is meant to correct such a child so that he would not repeat such a thing the next time as the proverb would have a lasting effect on him (Adeiyongo, 2004:253-270). In West Africa, proverbs also play a major or significant role in the education of the young in almost all the communities. According to Berry (1961:22) cited in Adeiyongo (2004:254). “Children are taught in proverbs and their educational function is nowhere better typified than in the Akan proverbs which says “a wise child is talked to in proverbs”. 108 African Journal of Educational Research and Development (AJERD), Vol. 11, No. 2, Dec. 2018 Bascom (1965:16) is in agreement with Berry after his own research work in which he observed a similar tendency in West Africa in the following words: What often seems to be…is the general educative role of proverbs. Proverbs often imply some general comments on the way people do or should do or should not behave. It is clear that the conveying of a people’s experiences and expectation can be performed in particular effective way through the use of proverbs. But more specifically, proverbs are cited by adults when instructing the children In Nigeria, specifically among the Hausa communities, Tremearne (1913:108) noted that a great knowledge of proverbs by any individual is considered to be a very big asset. It is the same situation among the Igbo of whom Achebe writes that the art of conversation is regarded very highly, and proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten (Achebe, 1958:5), while Ugonna (1974), after a comprehensive description of ilu (proverb), sums it up as a kind of mirror which reflects human experience. Nwadika (2009:4) sees proverb as a form of speech which is pregnant with meaning. More often than not, it confounds the unintelligent. In the same vein, the Daystar Press, Ibadan has observed that Yoruba proverbs teach “age-old wisdom” and are lessons in experience (Adekunle, 1985). A look at the Tiv traditional society enables scholars such as Adeiyongo (2000) and Bergsma (1970) to overtly state the role of proverbs in the Tiv Kingdom. For instance, Adeinyongo (2000:192) establishes that the Tiv believe that the most valuable legacy a man can bequeath to a child to enable such a child to steer his way through life is not corporal but is in terms of instructions that are wrapped in proverbs. On his part, Bergsma (1970) stated that: Tiv proverbs generally constitute an effective means of exercising social control and approbation. There are therefore, specific proverbs variously employed by the Tiv to validate, justify, and moderate people’s activities and behavior as well as the application of social pressure on members of the society. In Ibibio traditional society, proverbs play a very significant role in the task of communicative and instructional levels of education. According to Essien (1978), a proverb is a powerful weapon in the lips of an Ibibio elder who intends to distract the attention of members of the community or through into confusion those of them who lead a life that is contrary to the norms of the society, because proverbs are easily detached from the prerogatives of the society within which it functions. Coming to the use of proverbs in Anaang, this research work examines Anaang proverbs which address not only the youth but also teach adults how to bring up the young and make them to conform to Anaang and indeed Nigerian social norms in general. The importance of proverbs in and to a society cannot be overlooked because proverbs are vehicles via which the predominant properties of words or the hidden essence of words are conveyed and they go a long way in enriching a language. Proverbs put a seal of authenticity on speeches in particular and language in general. 109 Dr. Edenowo T. Enang Due to the high premium which the language and its users place on proverbs, it is pertinent to look at Anaang proverbs from the view points of definition, origin and derivation, users, functions and classifications Proverb: A Definition In fact, Umoh (2009:xii) puts forward his stance about proverbs when he defines the proverbs in the following words: they (proverbs) are ancestral rubber stamps. Ancestors used proverbs to synergize the community’s social, political, religious and day-to-day order; to enhance a positive new world structure.