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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | Yoruba Counting Verses: A Linguistic Approach to Oral Tradition |
Author: | Fagborun, J. Gbenga |
Year: | 1990 |
Periodical: | African Languages and Cultures |
Volume: | 3 |
Issue: | 2 |
Pages: | 167-180 |
Language: | English |
Geographic term: | Nigeria |
Subjects: | Yoruba number systems Yoruba language oral literature (form) Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups) Education and Oral Traditions |
External link: | https://www.jstor.org/stable/1771720 |
Abstract: | This paper analyses the way in which wordplay is used as a device to aid the memorization of counting mnemonics in Yoruba (Nigeria). This is done by relating the items that are played with to their linguistic description. The author is particularly concerned with the linguistic motivation for the items involved in wordplaying. On the basis of an analysis of two counting verses, the following items are distinguished: nominalizing morphemes, words (lexical and grammatical), major syntactic categories such as verbs, nouns, adverbs, prepositions, and phrase and sentence types. The semantic and syntactic interpretation of each wordplay item is described. In conclusion, the author points out that, although these mnemonic techniques may have declined in importance with the advent of widespread literacy, they have not lost all their value. Bibliogr., notes. |