The use of proverbial ideophones in Anaang, Southern Nigeria

Abstract

This research centres on Anaang1 proverbial ideophones and its relevance in communication in. Data for this work was gathered during several field trips undertaken to the four speech communities of Anaang to collect data on Anaang folklore, for the on-going research on the Lower Cross Languages Development Project (LCLDP) sponsored by the Linguistics Department of the University of Uyo, for the documentation and revitalization of the endangered languages in the Cross River Area. A vast number of data on proverbs were recorded during interview with the people on a folk session. From the recordings, data on proverbial ideophones were elicited and used for this work. This paper adopts the theoretical framework of Speech Acts theory for analysis. It has been observed that Anaang proverbial ideophones are rich in the use of style and language, as well as literal and contextual techniques. The contents as well as the contexts are carefully selected to reflect the socio-cultural background of the people. The application of proverbial ideophone is a special skill in speech, and requires a clear knowledge of the socio-cultural background of the people. This work is therefore, an invaluable foundation for cultural communication in Anaang, Southern Nigeria.