culture
Proverbs is a part of the Nigerian culture
S
@samostically
Posted 1d ago · 4 min read
Posted 1d ago · 4 min read
There are many things which makes our culture unique from other culture all around the world. Some I have spoken about on my blog, like food, greetings and more. In this article I will be talking about some Nigerian Proverbs that is also a part of our culture. You spend a lot of time with Nigerians especially elders, you should expect one or two Proverbs to float around. It even happens more when the conversation at hand is a sensitive one.
You do not need to overthink it, it is simply a way for Nigerians to express their thoughts, give advice and even share warning when the need arises. I choose to see it as means of being polite when Nigerians deal with Proverbs. It's like euphemism, where you say things with the utmost respect but on second thought, you realize that what they wanted to say is not polite in anyway. This is something I believe elders are good at doing. An elder would not tell you straight up that you are stubborn, rather they will choose to say a fly that does not hear word will follow a dead body to the grave. Now that speaks volumes to your stubbornness.
I believe it works like this across all diverse cultures in Nigeria. It does not matter what tradition it might be but these Proverbs are spoken across them. From Hausa down to Igbo, there are unique Proverbs that help to spell out certain messages that will loose its meaning if spoken in direct words. Hence Proverbs becomes useful at this point.
The Yoruba people of Nigeria might say: "Ọmọ tó bá mọ ọwọ́ ọ́ wẹ̀, á bá àgbà jẹun - “The child who washes his hands eats with kings.” The proverb is not focused on cleanliness, rather it boils down to humility and being good at your work. Hence the reason for proverb. The beauty of such Nigerian Proverbs is the duplicity in meaning. It can be spoken in different languages but the meaning stands in understanding it is all about hard work meeting opportunities. It encourages one to keep going in putting in the hard work and surely the result will come in soon. This proverb has the ability to be further interpreted with more words to buttress more points but what is good about such Proverbs is the use of fewer words to pass across a vital message that can be broken down into more words.
For the Igbo people, a proverb can go this way, "Onye na-amaghị ebe mmiri malitere itiye ya, agaghị amata ebe ọ mịkọrọ ya ahụ." -“A man who does not know where the rain began to beat him cannot know where he dried his body.” Also it is not about the rain or the man who gets wet or where he even dried his body but its deeper meaning has to reflect in the ideology of reflecting on one's past, inorder to move forward. It is about the understanding of the message that lies within the proverb. Where do you want to go to without first looking at where you are coming from.
While an Hausa proverb can go like this "Haƙuri shine mabuɗin sa'a." -“Patience is the key to relief,”
This speaks to the understanding that patience plays a major role in outweighing trials and difficulty. It cannot be easy at that most when it is happening but tough times do not last, only tough people do. This too shall pass.
What are some Proverbs in your language, you can share in the comment section. Let's learn from one another.
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