THE LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF AFRICAN PROVERBS
##semicolon##
Key words: African proverbs, literature, semantic richness, linguistic, oral literature, language, cultural identity, communication.##article.abstract##
The linguistic features of African proverbs are examined in this study, with particular attention paid to their pragmatic uses in cultural and communicative contexts, syntactic structures, and semantic richness. As a type of oral literature, proverbs are essential for maintaining cultural identity, passing down knowledge, and promoting social cohesiveness among African communities. Using a qualitative methodology, the study examines a wide range of proverbs from different African languages. Key findings include a reliance on metaphor and symbolism to convey meaning, recurrent syntactic patterns like parallelism and ellipsis, and their practical application in community engagement, moral instruction, and conflict resolution. The importance of proverbs as linguistic artifacts and cultural instruments is highlighted by this analysis, which also shows how applicable they are to comprehending African communication patterns and worldviews.
##submission.citations##
REFERENCES
1. Amali, A. I. (2014). The role of proverbs in the Tiv culture. Journal of African Linguistics, 23(2), 45-60.
2. Finnegan, R. (1970). Oral literature in Africa. Oxford University Press.
3. Gbadamosi, M. O. (2006). Yoruba proverbs and their symbolic meanings. Journal of Yoruba Studies, 12(3), 110-125.
4. Kudadjie, G, & Osei, E. (1998). Proverbs as moral guides in African societies. African Philosophy and Society, 10(1), 25-35.
5. Mbiti, J. S. (1990). African religions and philosophy (2nd ed.). Heinemann.
6. Nwachukwu-Agbada, S. (2002). Proverbs in conflict resolution in African societies. Linguistic Society Review, 18(4), 65-78.
7. Obeng, S. G. (1996). The political use of proverbs in African public discourse. Discourse & Society, 7(2), 247-268.
8. Yankah, K. (1989). The proverb in the context of Ghanaian oral traditions. African Studies Review, 32(3), 73-85.
