A Jurilinguistic Analysis of Proverbs as a Concept of Justice Among the Yoruba
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1205.23Keywords:
jurilinguistic/jurisprudence, proverbs, canonized, justice, YorubaAbstract
Polemical surveys of the rich cultural heritage of the peoples of Africa, especially before their contact, and eventual subjugation to the western imperialists have continued to reverberate across Africa and beyond. The surveys bemoan the abysmal disconnect between the African societies and their indigenous socio-cultural and institutional values. It has been pointed out, more than three decades ago, by Nkosi (1981) that indigenous languages formed part of a living organism forever changing to accommodate concepts and ideas which, over time, became the common heritage of all those who speak the same language. This paper examines the jurisprudential concept of justice among the Yoruba of South West Nigeria, with examples drawn from Yoruba proverbs. What linguistic instruments were available to canonize the justice systems and how were they deployed? The plethora of examples, it is found, have become etched on people’s consciousness and sensibilities, such that they become canonized into unwritten laws in many of the societies. In strict consideration of jurisprudence as the science of law, the study investigates how Yoruba proverbs constitute a corpus of linguistic materials used in informal administration of law among the Yoruba. Although lacking established benchmarks, many of the proverbs have become the codes in the process of administration of justice, which in many cases is conciliatory and not adversarial. In effect, therefore, the study is a contribution to the growing research on African linguistics and jurisprudential analysis. This viewpoint is ensconced in a metaproverb: “a re ma ja kan o si”. (Disagreements are inevitable amongst folks).
References
Abdullahi- Idiagbon, M. (2013). Discourse Analysis: A Critical Appraisal of Concepts and Controversies, in Alalade, A. (ed.). Agidigbo: ABUAD Journal of the Humanities: Ado-Ekiti: General Studies Unit, Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti, 2(1), 2013, pp.3-18.
Adedimeji, M. and Alabi, T. (2011). The Stylistic of African Proverbs in T.M. Aluko’s Kinsman and Foreman, in Ibadan Journal of English Studies (7), 2011, pp.123 – 135.
Adeniyi, T. (2004). The Yoruba in Nigeria, in Nigeria Tribune, Monday, 2nd August, 2004.
Alster, N. (1983) Natural Law and Natural Rights. Oxford: Claredon Press.
Brown, G. and Yule H. (1983). Discourse Analysis. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Bryan, A. (1999) (ed.). Black’s Law Dictionary 8th Edition. US: West Publishing Co.
Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. (3rd Edition). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Cook, G. (1992). The Discourse of Advertising. Birmingham: ELR
Dugger, A. (2006). The Concept of Justice. London; New York: Routledge.
Elegido, J. (1994). Jurisprudence. Ibadan: Spectrum Books Ltd.
Fairclough, N. and Wodak, R. (1997). “Critical Discourse Analysis”, in Van Dijk T. (ed.) Discourse Studies: A Multidisciplinary Introduction, No.1 (2), pp. 56-75.
Fashina, N. (2009). Proverbs and Linguistics Meta – Criticism: Towards a Re-reading of Proverbs as Narrative Sublimitation in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, in Atoye, R. (ed.) Papers in English and Linguistics (PEL). Ife: Linguistics Association, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, 11(5). p. 64-77.
Georgalon, M. (2017). Discourse and Identity on Facebook. London: Bloomsbury Publishers.
Greenberg, J. (1966). The Languages of Africa. 2nd Edition. Bloomington: Indiana University.
Haralambos, M., Holborn N., Chapman, S. and Moore, S. (2013). Sociology: Themes and Perspectives. 8th Edition .London: HarperCollins Publishers.
Hart, H. (1982). The Concept of Law. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Herbert, T. (2011). The Functions of Proverbs in Discourse. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Hodges, B. (2008). What is Discourse Analysis? Toronto: University of Toronto, Canada.
Hutchinson, A. (1989). Critical Legal Studies. New Jersey: Roman & Littlefield. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/discourse analysis) Retrieved 2nd July, 2018.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/jurisprudence) Retrieved 30th June, 2018
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/proverb) Retrieved 26th June, 2018
(http://thelawdictionary.org/juris.) Retrieved 2nd July, 2018
Irele, A. (1990) (ed.). Critical Theory and African Literature. Ibadan: Oxford University Press.
Kamalu, I. and Osisanwo, A. (2015). Discourse Analysis, in Kamalu, I. and Tamunobelema,I. (eds.) Issues in the Study of Language and Literature (Theory and Practice).Ibadan: Kraft Books.
Karenga, M. (2001). African Culture and the On-going Quest for Excellence. Nairobi: Collegian Press.
Macionis, J. (2000). Society: The Basics. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc.
Mieder, W. (1987). The Wit of One and the Wisdom of Many: General Thoughts on the Nature of Proverb, in Mieder, W. (ed.) The Popular Wisdom in the Modern Age. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Miller, G. (2008). Greek Law and Modern Jurisprudence. II California Law Review, 59 (9), 295-316.
Nkosi, L. (1981). Tasks and Masks: Themes and Styles of African Literature. London: Longman.
Odebunmi, A., Oloyede, F., and Adetunji, A. (2010). Proverbial Practs in Wole Soyinka’s Deaths and the Kings’ Horseman, in Oriaku, R. and Odebunmi A. (eds.) Ibadan Journal of English Studies, 5& 6 (1), 65-79.
Odiowo. (1999). Beyond the Glorification of African Culture: The Protest Theme in David Diop’s Hammer Blows, Work in Progress, 9 &10 (1997-1999), pp.67-79. Department of English, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Zaria: ABU Press.
Ogunjimi, B. and Na Allah, A. (2005). Introduction to African Oral Literature. New Jersey and Eritrea: African World Press.
Ogunsiji, A. and Aboh, R. (2011). Discourse Analysis. Ibadan: University of Ibadan Distance Learning Centre.
Paltridge, B. (2012). Discourse Analysis: An Introduction. New York: Continuum International Publishing Co.
Paltridge, B. (2013). Discourse Analysis: An Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Pillai, P. (2016). Jurisprudence and Legal Theory. (3rd Edition) New York: Eastern Book Company
Shaw, S. and Bailey, T. (2009). Discourse Analysis. What is it and Why is it Relevant to Family Practice? Oxford: Oxford Journals (do: 10: 1093/famprrc/cmp 038)
Shiner, B. (1980). “Philosophy of Law”, in Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Soper, F. (1982). “Legal Positivism”, in Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Trudgil, P. (2000). Sociolinguistics: An Introduction to Language and Society. (4th Edition) London: Penguin.
Van Dijk, Teun. (1973). Critical Discourse Analysis, in Schiffrin, D., Tannen, D., Hamilton, H.(eds.) The Handbook of Discourse Analysis. USA: Blackwell Publishers. pp. 352-371.
Widdowson, H. (2007). Exploration in Applied Linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Wood, N. (2006). Describing Discourse: A Practical Guide to Discourse Analysis. London: Oxford University Press..
Yusuff, K. (2003). Dysphemisms in the Language of Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo. AILA Review, Vol. 16, 104-119.
Zolfaghari, and Ameri, Discourse Analysis, in Kamalu, I. and Tamunobelema, I. (eds.) Issues in the Study of Language and Literature (Theory and Practice).Ibadan: Kraft Books.
