Postproverbials in Yoruba (Nigeria)

Curator(s)

Prof. Aderemi Raji-Oyelade

University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.

Postproverbial: Ayé l’ọjà, àmọ́, ẹ fèmi sílẹ̀ s’ọ́jà.
Translation: The world is a marketplace; so, leave me in the market.
Proverb: Ayé l’ọjà, ọ̀run n’ilé.
Translation: The world is a marketplace; heaven is the home.
Language - Region: Yoruba (Nigeria)
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Postproverbial: Àpọ́nlé ni Málà, Awúsá l’Awúsá ń’jẹ́.
Translation: It’s a sheer honour to be called “Mallam”, a Hausa man is Hausa.
Proverb: Àpọ́nlé ni Ìyá Káà, kò sẹ́ni tó wà ní Káà tí ò lórúkọ.
Translation: It’s a sheer honour to be called “Court Matriarch”, there’s no woman who does not have a proper name.
Language - Region: Yoruba (Nigeria)
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Postproverbial: Àpọ́nlé ni fọ́maànù, ẹnì kan kì í jẹ́ èèyàn mẹ́rin.
Translation: It’s sheer honour to be called “Foreman”, no one person can bear the names of four men.
Proverb: Àpọ́nlé ni Ìyá Káà, kò sẹ́ni tó wà ní Káà tí ò lórúkọ.
Translation: It’s a sheer honour to be called “Court Matriarch”, there’s no woman who does not have a proper name.
Language - Region: Yoruba (Nigeria)
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Postproverbial: Àpọ́nlé ni ọmọ Lèmọ́mù, kò s'ẹ́ni tí a kò lè mú.
Translation: It’s a sheer honour to be called “son of Imam”, there is no one who cannot be caught.
Proverb: Àpọ́nlé ni Ìyá Káà, kò sẹ́ni tó wà ní Káà tí ò lórúkọ.
Translation: It’s a sheer honour to be called “Court Matriarch”, there’s no woman who does not have a proper name.
Language - Region: Yoruba (Nigeria)
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Postproverbial: À kúkú ù joyè, a ó ṣá à j’ẹ̀bà.
Translation: If one is not made a chief, at least you will eat and survive.
Proverb: À kúkú ù joyè, ó sàn ju “enu mi ò ká ìlú”.
Translation: Better not to be made a chief, than to say “I am incapable of controlling my people”.
Language - Region: Yoruba (Nigeria)
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Postproverbial: À kúkú ù joyè, kò sówó lọ́wọ́ baba ni.
Translation: If one is not made a chief, it is out of lack of money and wealth.
Proverb: À kúkú ù joyè, ó sàn ju “enu mi ò ká ìlú”.
Translation: Better not to be made a chief, than to say “I am incapable of controlling my people”.
Language - Region: Yoruba (Nigeria)
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Postproverbial: A kìí gba àkàkà lọ́wọ́ akítì, kò sẹni tó máa gba nǹkan tó jẹ́ t’èmi lọ́wọ́ mi.
Translation: No one stops a monkey from somersaulting; no one can claim what belongs to me.
Proverb: A kìí gba àkàkà lọ́wọ́ akítì, a kìí gba’lée baba ẹni lọ́wọ́ ẹni.
Translation: No one stops a monkey from somersaulting; no one can claim a child’s father’s house from him.
Language - Region: Yoruba (Nigeria)
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Postproverbial: A kì í f’ọmọ ọrẹ̀ b’ọrẹ̀, ọmọ tó bá gbọ́n!
Translation: No one sacrifices the child of an idol to the same idol, that’s only when the child is smart.
Proverb: A kì í f’ọmọ ọrẹ̀ b’ọrẹ̀.
Translation: No one sacrifices the child of an idol to the same idol.
Language - Region: Yoruba (Nigeria)
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Postproverbial: Béèyàn bá f’árí apákan d’ápákan sí, ó d’aláwo nùn-un.
Translation: Should anyone shave one part of the head and leave a portion uncut, he becomes an herbalist.
Proverb: A kì í f’árí apákan ká d’ápá kan sí.
Translation: It is taboo to shave one part of the head and leave a portion uncut.
Language - Region: Yoruba (Nigeria)
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Postproverbial: Àjọjẹ kò dùn, f’ẹ́ni tó l’áhun.
Translation: Sharing the meal cannot be enjoyable, for the miserly one.
Proverb: Àjọjẹ kò dùn, b’ẹ́nì kan kò ní.
Translation: Sharing the meal cannot be enjoyable, when one in the group has not.
Language - Region: Yoruba (Nigeria)
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