A PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF SOME PROVERBS IN AFEMAI

ABSTRACT

This research is a pragmatic analysis of some proverbs in Ivie. The language (Ivie) is spoken by the people of Okpekpe and the 'Three-Ivies' extractions, in Etsako-East Local Government Area of Edo State. The aim of the study was to analyze some selected proverbs in Ivie based on their context of use. Their didactic imports were accounted for in the study. The data collected for the study were drawn from oral interviews of some competent speakers of the language who possess robust understanding of the different kinds of proverbs in Ivie. Another source of the data collected was from a handbook written by a Catholic Bishop of Ivie origin, G.G. Dunia, in his book titled "Ekpita Ivie". Thus, the sources of the data were both primary and secondary as explained above. In the course of data analysis, the study adopted Lawal's (1997) pragmatic theory as the theoretical framework. The Lawal's model which postulates four core pragmatic variables, such as linguistic, situational, sociological and cosmological variables were used to account for the contextual explications of the selected proverbs. In a nutshell, the study found out that proverbs in Ivie can have exclusive interpretation rest on the situation of use, mutual contextual beliefs, influenced by the cultural beliefs, and worldviews of the people.  It was found out that proverbs in Ivie have different communication intended meaning, while some are direct warnings, some are meant to advise (advisory proverbs), this is expected of all proverbs which are believed to pass very weighty messages in every society they are used.