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Article: Yoruba Proverbs
- Article from:
- Western Folklore
- Article date:
- January 1, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright California Folklore Society Winter 2009. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Yoruba Proverbs. By Oyekan Owomoyela. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2005. Pp. xii + 502, acknowledgments, introduction, bibliography. $29.95 paper)
Oyekan Owomoyela's massive collection of over five thousand Yoruba proverbs is the largest of its kind to date and is a major contribution to African proverb study. In the tradition of earlier proverb collections, it is divided into chapters suggesting social themes: "The Good Person," "The Fortunate Person (Or die Good Life)," "Relationships," "Human Nature," "Rights and Responsibilities" and "Truisms." Each proverb is given in Yoruba, followed by an English translation and a brief explanation of the proverb's meaning. The obvious ...