Analysis of Proverbs in the Play “Jatau Na Kyallu” Using Ethnography of Communication Theory

Abstract

This study aims to extract and analyze all the proverbs used in the play "Jatau Na Kyallu" written by Alhaji Shu'aibu Makarfi (1970) using the Ethnography of Communication theory. The theory studies communication within the context of social and cultural practices and beliefs, as propounded by Dell Hymes in 1974. To achieve this aim, the play was analyzed, and 48 proverbs were extracted and analyzed using the SPEAKING model for analyzing speech in its cultural context. The study found that all the proverbs used in the play were influenced by the social and cultural aspects of the speech community, as well as the context in which they were used. The eight parameters of social and cultural contexts that guided the use of the proverbs were identified as setting, participants, ends, act sequence, key, instrumentalities, norms of interaction, and genre. The study concludes that the link between linguistic forms and the society they portray is essential, and such harmony is a powerful strategy used by the writer (Alhaji Shu’aibu Makarfi) to make the work relevant to Hausa studies researchers. Based on the findings, the study recommends that the teaching of Hausa proverbs should be encouraged in schools to help children appreciate the culture and moral lessons that the proverbs offer.