Book

The proverb in the context of Akan rhetoric: a theory of proverb praxis

P. Lang • Bern • Published In 1989 • Pages: 313

By: Yankah, Kwesi.

Abstract
This is an excellent study on proverbs and their use in Akan society. Proverbs are widely used: in everyday conversation, popular songs, games, contests, sermons, and court oratory. Yankah gives examples of all of these uses. A native Akan speaker, he argues that proverb meaning is dependent on context and usage, or as the Akan say, ‘Without sleep there is no dream; without discourse there is no proverb.’ He examines proverb use with respect to styles, performance, creativity, and authorship. He discusses how proverbs are registered as mementos and kept on a string by proverb custodians.
Subjects
Sociolinguistics
Semantics
Verbal arts
Oratory
Texts in the speaker's language
Texts translated into english
culture
Akan
HRAF PubDate
2000
Region
Africa
Sub Region
Western Africa
Document Type
Book
Evaluation
Creator Type
Ethnographer
Document Rating
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Ian Skoggard ;1999
Field Date
1979-1984
Coverage Date
1979-1984
Coverage Place
Ghana
Notes
Kwesi Yankah
Includes bibliographical references
LCCN
89151438
LCSH
Akan (African people)