Òwe on the Market, Buying, Selling and Traders
Sourced Yorùbá proverbs about the ọjà, the market, as an economic institution and a public stage, and about the traders, buyers and sellers who work it.
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Sourced Yorùbá proverbs about the ọjà, the market, as an economic institution and a public stage, and about the traders, buyers and sellers who work it.
The Yorùbá wey dem quote, the proverbs, oríkì, ẹsẹ Ifá, word list headwords, Odù names and citations dey exactly as the corpus record dem, for every language.
Dis file gather Yorùbá proverbs about ọjà, market, and about buying, selling, and people wey dey do business to survive. Market inside dis proverbs no be just place of trade. Na di biggest normal gathering wey Yorùbá town dey produce, so e dey stand for public eye, for opportunity, for reputation, and for crowd wey pesin no fit escape dia scrutiny. Proverb wey look like say na about pricing often dey talk about how people dey watch pesin, and proverb about market wey slow often dey talk about pesin wey no wan gree say e fail.
Another thing wey dey run under dis material na say: na for market royal authority and business dey meet. Plenti entries below record say Ọlọ́jà, "owner of the market," na title for ruler, because traditionally, di main market for town dey sit just outside di palace. Kingship and trade no be separate topics inside di sources of dis file; dem dey share di same vocabulary.
Market and trade proverbs no get one single dedicated section inside Oyekan Owomoyela Yoruba Proverbs (University of Nebraska Press, 2005), wey be di standard collection of 5,235 proverbs . Dem scatter across di book, but dem plenti pass for di sections on humility, perspicaciousness, and caginess inside Part One, inside "On relationships within the community" inside Part Three, and across di miscellany wey close di book. None of di material below come from Owomoyela digitized web excerpt, The Good Person, wey dem use as source inside files 10 and 11 of dis section; dat excerpt cover only Part One, and even though some entries below come from Part One, dem find and check dem independently for dis file.
To find dis material, dem use two-step method. First, dem identify candidate proverbs through keyword search across full-text extraction of di printed book. Dat extraction get one real defect wey make sense to talk plainly: di book embedded typeface use custom glyph composition for Yorùbá tone marks, and di extraction tool fail to recover many of dem, and for di worst cases, e drop full letter instead of only accent. No Yorùbá text below dem take directly from dat flawed extraction. Instead, dem render every candidate page as image directly from di book PDF and read am with eye, wey bypass di extraction defect completely and reproduce di printed page full, correct tone marking. Every Yorùbá text, English translation, bracketed usage note, and footnote below na so dem transcribe am. Where candidate page show proverb wey dey too far from di theme of dis file, or wey dem don already publish elsewhere inside dis corpus, dem keep am aside instead of to force am enter.
Di literal line for each record na from di compiler of dis corpus, wey work from Owomoyela printed Yorùbá to expose di image wey im idiomatic English cover up. Di used when line follow Owomoyela own bracketed note, wey di book provide inside bracket directly after di translation instead of as separately labelled field.
Literal: À ǹwá ẹni tí a ó fọmọ fún we-are-seeking a-person to-give a-child to (in marriage) olòṣì ǹyọjú a-worthless-person presents-himself.
Idiomatic: We seek a person to give a child to in marriage, and a worthless person presents himself. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: Make people know dia place and make dem no overrate dia self.
Used when: Dem dey talk am about pesin wey dey offer imself for role or honour wey clearly pass im standing .
Notes: Owomoyela mark dis as variant of companion proverb wey dey make di same point with different image. Di proverb itself no be about market, but Owomoyela collection put am directly beside di slow-market proverbs below, inside series of entries about people wey dey overreach or misjudge dia own worth, na why e open di first grouping for dis file.
Literal: A ò mọ ohun tí Dárò-ó ní one does-not-know what Dárò had kó tó wí pé olè-é kó òun before he claimed that a-thief robbed him.
Idiomatic: One does not know what Dárò owned before he claimed to have been robbed. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: Pesin wey no get any clear means dey quickly blame poverty on bad luck instead of di fact say e no get anything to lose in the first place.
Used when: Dem dey talk am about poor pesin wey dey explain failure away by claiming external cause wey nobody fit verify .
Notes: Owomoyela mark dis as variant of di seller-of-gbégbé-leaves proverb, entry 3 below, and di pairing show di same accusation, unverifiable self-pity, wey dem apply first to general claim of robbery and den specifically to trader complaint say market slow.
Literal: A ò mọ ohun tí eléwé-e gbégbé ńtà one does-not-know what the-seller-of gbégbé-leaves is-selling kó tó sọ pé ọjà ò tà before she says that the-market is-not selling.
Idiomatic: One does not know what the seller of gbégbé leaves was selling before she started complaining about the slow market. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: Pesin wey dey sell goods wey nobody want dey blame im luck on di market instead of on top di goods.
Used when: Dem dey talk am about pesin wey dey complain say business slow without admitting say wetin e dey offer no get demand .
Notes: Dem dey use gbégbé leaves inside charms wey dey allow pesin travel long distance instantly; Owomoyela footnote note say di plant reputation na magical instead of commercial, wey sharp di joke say di seller no get any real market at all. Na dis entry dem mark di previous one as variant of.
Literal: Afínjú wọ ọjà the-fashionable-person enters the-market ó rìn gbẹndẹ́kẹ she walks leisurely ọ̀bún wọ ọjà the-filthy-person enters the-market ó rìn ṣùẹ̀sùẹ̀ she walks sluggishly ọ̀bún ni ó ru ẹrù afínjú relé it-is-the-filthy-person who carries the-load of-the-fashionable-person home.
Idiomatic: The fashionable person enters the market and walks in a leisurely manner; the filthy person enters the market and walks in a sluggish manner; it is the filthy person that will carry the fashionable person's load to the house for him or her. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: Good home training, wey dey show just from how person take carry body, dey give real advantage over people wey must serve those wey carry their body better.
Used when: Dem dey talk am to explain why how person look and behave for public place wey crowd dey like market dey turn to real social status .
Notes: The proverb take the market as stage where dem dey judge and reward how person carry body before dem even talk word, and e do am without softening the class judgment wey e dey make.
Literal: Ojà ojú-u sánmà lókè the-market at-the-face-of the-sky above àwọn eyẹ ni yó na the-birds are-who will trade-there.
Idiomatic: The market holding in the sky aloft is for the birds alone to ply. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: Na only people wey get the right qualification fit do some kind business.
Used when: Dem dey talk am against person wey dey try do one line of business or position wey clearly need level wey the person no get .
Notes: The picture bring market wey literally dey far from reach, wey make the exclusion be physical thing instead of just normal custom, and e make the point sharp say some business dey closed to anybody wey no get the qualification.
Literal: Ọjà Ọ̀yìngbò ò mọ pé ǹkan ò wá the-Ọ̀yìngbò market does-not know that something did-not-come ọjà ọba ò mọ pé ẹnìkan ò wá the-king's market does-not know that one-person did-not-come.
Idiomatic: Ọ̀yìngbò market does not know or care that someone is absent; the king's market does not know that a person is absent. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: If person wey no get level no show up for gathering wey big well well, nobody go miss am.
Used when: Dem dey talk am to bring down person wey dey feel say if dem no show up for community work, people go feel am bad bad .
Notes: Owomoyela print these ones as pair wey match, one hold ground for Ọ̀yìngbò, one specific market area for Lagos mainland where big market once thrive well, and the other one spread to any king market. To set the size of the gathering make e big, whether by naming real place or by connecting am to royalty, na wetin make the absence of one person look small by comparison.
Literal: Ọ̀gá ǹtà the-master is-selling ọ̀gá ǹra the-master is-buying.
Idiomatic: The master is selling; the master is buying. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: Business transaction need both buyer and seller; na two sides dey make trade happen.
Used when: Dem dey use am as the clearest statement say business deal must get two parties .
Notes: The whole power of the proverb dey inside how e short reach four words and the balanced repetition of ǹtà/ǹra, sell/buy, round the single word ọ̀gá, master, one kind structure wey English no fit hold tight like this.
Literal: "Má ta omi sí mi lára" "do-not splash water on-me" kì í dé odò does-not reach the-river "Má fara kàn mí" "do-not touch me" kì í wá ọjà does-not come to-market.
Idiomatic: "Do not splash water on me" should stay away from the river; "Do not touch my person" should stay away from the market. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: Person wey insist say make dem leave am alone completely suppose avoid places wey crowd dey where body-to-body contact must happen.
Used when: Dem dey talk am about person wey want make nobody touch am, but the demand no match the kind crowd gathering wey the person choose enter .
Notes: Market and river follow each other as the two normal places where people for Yorùbá town dey pack together well well, and the proverb treat complaint against that kind closeness for there like mistake in thinking, no be reasonable complaint.
Literal: Ìhìn ọjà report of-a-market là ń gbọ́ nájà is-what one hears and-goes-to-market.
Idiomatic: It is the report one hears about a market that induces one to trade in it. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: The reputation wey place or person get na wetin dey determine how people dey behave towards am.
Used when: Dem dey use am explain why people dey patronize based on reputation instead of to inspect the thing by demself .
Notes: The proverb talk am clear say traders dey act based on wetin dem hear about market condition instead of wetin dem see with their own eye, wey be realistic point about how reputation actually dey work for business.
Literal: Bí ojú bá mọ́ when the-eyes have-cleared (dawn breaks) olówò a gbówò the-trader will take-up his-trade ọ̀rànwú a gbé kẹ́kẹ́ the-cotton-spinner will pick-up the-spindle ajagun a gbé apata the-warrior will grab his-shield àgbẹ a jí tòun tòrúkọ the-farmer will rise with his-hoe ọmọ ọdẹ a jí tapó tọrán the-hunter's-child will rise with his-quiver and-his-bows ajíwẹṣẹ a bá odò omi lọ he-who-rises-and-washes-with-soap will go to-the-river's water.
Idiomatic: When day breaks, the trader takes up his trade; the cotton spinner picks up the spindle; the warrior grabs his shield; the farmer gets up with his hoe; the son of the hunter arises with his quiver and his bows; he-who-wakes-and-washes-with-soap makes his way to the river. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: Morning na the signal for everybody to begin their proper work.
Wen dem dey use am: Dem dey quote am to tok say wen morning reach, make everybody face sometin wey get value .
Notes: Trader na im open di long list of work dem, wey each of dem get di tool or action wey identify am, and dis one put trading for di same level wit farming, war, and hunting as one of di work wey people recognize for Yorùbá town.
Literal: Bí bùn ò mọ èrè if the-filthy-person does-not know profit a mọ ojú owó he-will know the-face of-money (his capital).
Idiomatic: If the filthy person does not know profit, he should know his capital. (Owomoyela)
Wetin e mean: Even person wey no fit make condition beta suppose at least get sense reach make e no go spoil am pass as e dey.
Wen dem dey use am: Dem dey tok am about person wey nobody expect make e gain from matter, but wey dem still expect make e at least avoid total loss .
Notes: As dem join èrè (profit) wit ojú owó (wey word-for-word mean di face of money, meaning person capital or principal), e dey show di minimum level wey even trader wey no sabi work at all no suppose fall pass.
Literal: Ìdí òwò the-base of-a-trade ni òwò ó gbé tà is-where the-trade will prosper.
Idiomatic: It is at its home base that a company or trade prospers. (Owomoyela)
Wetin e mean: Business dey do well pass for where e root dey, no be wen e scatter far from im foundation.
Wen dem dey use am: Dem dey quote am to argue say trader or business company suppose protect and build on top di base wey e already get, instead make e dey pursue customers go elsewhere .
Notes: Òwò cover both specific type of trade and general business enterprise, and di advice wey di proverb give, say success dey tied to one fixed base, dey drag wit di picture of trader wey dey move around wey other entries show for here; dis one na real tension wey dis collection of proverbs record instead of to resolve am.
Literal: Ìgbá ọjọ́ ǹlọ, ìgbà ẹrùn ǹlọ the-rainy-season passes, the-dry-season passes a ní ká dí isà eku kó le the-suggestion is that-we seal the-rat's-burrow tight ìgbà wo la óò tó wá pekú náà when will-it-be ripe that-we come to-kill-the-rat.
Idiomatic: The rainy season passes, the dry season passes, and the suggestion is that the rat's burrow be sealed up tight; when will the time be ripe to kill the rat? (Owomoyela)
Wetin e mean: Person suppose act wen time still dey to act, instead make e dey continuously postpone decision wey necessary.
Wen dem dey use am: Dem dey tok am against endless preparation wey no dey ever turn into di main action wey e suppose bring out .
Notes: Even though di image inside no be directly about trade, dem print dis proverb for Owomoyela collection right beside di calabash-as-measure entry wey dey below, for one section about timing and readiness wey also include di proverb about trader patience for elsewhere inside dis file; dem put am here sake of how dem pair am, no be sake of di topic wey e dey tok about on its own.
Literal: Aṣòroójà bí ìjà ọjà difficult-to-fight is-like the-fight of-the-marketplace onítìjú ò níí sá the-self-conscious-person will-not run ẹni tí ńnà án ò níí dáwó dúró whoever is-beating him will-not stop-hand stop.
Idiomatic: Difficult-to-fight is the fight of the marketplace; the self-conscious person will not run, and the person beating him up will not stop. (Owomoyela)
Wetin e mean: Wen person too dey worry about how things go look for public eye, e dey trap di person to endure shame for public wey e for fit escape.
Wen dem dey use am: Dem dey tok am about person wey dey suffer without reason because pride hold am make e no just comot imsef from bad situation .
Notes: Di crowd for market na wetin make di fight dangerous in a particular way: na di people wey dey watch be wetin dey hold di person wey dey mindful of im rep from running comot, so di place itself dey play active role inside di proverb, no be just ordinary background.
Literal: Aṣòwò-ọṣẹ a-trader-in-soap kì í pa owó ńla does-not make money large.
Idiomatic: A trader in soap does not make big money. (Owomoyela)
Wetin e mean: Person success no fit big pass di level or size of di business wey di person dey do.
Wen dem dey use am: Dem dey quote am to explain why person wey dey do small trade no suppose expect big profit from am .
Notes: Owomoyela cross-reference dis one to di soap-seller-fingers proverb wey dey below, wey bring out di clear picture of "no-lick-your-fingers", wey dis entry generalize into statement about di limit wey any trade dey set for di person wey dey do am.
Literal: A rí i lójú one sees it with-the-eye a mọ ó lẹnu one knows it by-the-mouth (taste) ọṣòwò oṣẹ kì í pọ́n-wọ́-lá the-soap-seller does-not lick-hand-lick.
Idiomatic: One can tell by looking, and one can tell by taste; a soap seller does not lick her fingers. (Owomoyela)
Wetin e mean: As person well-know sometin or work, e go know wetin safe to do wit am without needing to test wetin already clear.
Wen dem dey use am: Dem dey quote am as clear statement say every trade get wetin dem no dey do inside am, wey person dey learn just by doing di work .
Notes: Di usage note wey Owomoyela give expand di point pass just soap matter to reach say every trade get rules wey di people inside just know naturally, and na why dis entry and entry 16 cross-reference each other inside im text.
Literal: Ọjọ́ tó bá burú the-day that turns-out bad là ń mọ ẹni tó féni is-when one knows the-one who loves-one.
Idiomatic: After the person with smooth cheeks has stated his or her case, he or she should remember that the person with blemished cheeks will have something to say. (Owomoyela, on a different but neighbouring entry; see notes)
Wetin e mean: Person wey dey shine because of di work wey people under am do suppose remember say dose subordinates deserve credit too.
Wen dem dey use am: Dem dey talk am to check pesin wey wan take all di credit for success wey oda pipo work for .
Note dem: Dis entry dey directly beside di trader-patience proverb wey dey below for Owomoyela text, part of small group of proverbs about proportionate response and shared credit; dem include am because of dat context even though di content itself no be about trade.
Literal: Ẹpè-é pọ̀ ju ohun tó nù lọ the-curse is-more than the-thing that got-lost abẹ́rẹ́ sọnù wọ́n lọ gbé Ṣàngó a-needle got-lost they went to-invoke Ṣàngó.
Idiomatic: The cursing is far in excess of what is lost: a needle goes missing, and the owners invoke Ṣàngó. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: How pesin react to loss suppose match di loss itself.
Wen dem dey use am: Dem dey talk am against pesin wey react too much pass wetin happen for small business or house loss .
Note dem: Owomoyela put anoda variant straight afta am, wey change Ṣàngó to magic wand as di remedy wey too much pass wetin happen; di two version make di same point about overreaction to small, normal loss wey any house or trader fit face.
Literal: Ẹrò-ó kì í jẹ́wọ́-ọ the-trader does-not confess "Mo tà tán" "I-sold all"
Idiomatic: The trader never confesses, "I sold all my wares." (Owomoyela)
Meaning: Pipo dey fear or hide to talk di full level of dia good luck, even wen dem succeed.
Wen dem dey use am: Dem dey talk am about pesin wey dey hide how well business or wetin e do really pay am .
Note dem: Di proverb assume say trader naturally dey keep secret about dia gain as background knowledge, and e treat am as specific example of how pipo generally dey hide dia real wealth or luck, wey be di point wey Owomoyela own explanation bring out.
Literal: Àì-fà-tiiri not-leaning-when-pulled ni tìyàwó is-proper-for-a-bride bí a bá fà á tí ò tiiri if she is pulled and does-not-lean ó ní ohun tó ńṣe é it-means something is-the-matter-with her.
Idiomatic: Resisting-while-being-pulled is the proper behavior for a bride; if she is pulled and does not resist, something is the matter with her. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: To pretend say pesin dey shy for specific ritual role na wetin dem expect am to do, no be say di pesin really dey refuse.
Wen dem dey use am: Dem dey talk am to explain tradition way of pretending say pesin no wan do something wey everybody wey dey dia know say no be from mind .
Note dem: Owomoyela own explanation state say even if bride dey eager well-well, decorum require make e act like say e dey shy; dem group dis entry for Owomoyela book wit di market-entry proverb about pesin wey pretend to shy wen e dey beg, entry 21 below, and di two of dem dey talk about di gap between wetin dem expect pesin to act for public and how di pesin really dey feel inside.
Literal: A kì í ṣe ọjẹ̀ one does-not carry the-ọjẹ̀-masquerade ṣe ojú tì mí and-affect eye-shame-me (bashfulness) konko lojú alágbe hardness is-in-the-eye of-the-beggar.
Idiomatic: One does not carry the ọjẹ̀ masquerade and yet affect bashfulness; the mendicant's eyes must always be like flint. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: Pesin must carry di character or behavior wey im work or role require full-full, without any shame.
Wen dem dey use am: Dem dey cite am to talk say pesin must carry di attitude wey im business or work demand .
Note dem: Owomoyela footnote explain say di ọjẹ̀ masquerade dey mainly beg for gift, so shame no fit work wit dat kind role at all. Di proverb apply directly to trade too, because seller or beggar wey no fit comot eye for shame no go fit do di work.
Literal: Owó la fi ń fíná owó money is-what-one uses to-kindle fire for-money bí ẹgbẹ̀rún bá so lókè if a-thousand grows on-a-branch-above igbió la fi ń ká a two-hundred is-what-one uses to-pluck it.
Idiomatic: Money is what one uses to kindle the fire for money; if 1,000 cowries grow from the branches above, one uses 200 cowries to pluck them. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: To make money mean say pesin must spend money first; gain no dey without initial money wey pesin invest.
Wen dem dey use am: Dem dey cite am to show say spending wey pesin must spend na investment, no be loss .
Note dem: Di picture of cowrie wey dey grow for branch, wey need im own cowries to harvest, explain di logic of capital investment clearly as di proverb fit carry am, using di cowrie currency wey dem dey use for Yorùbá trade before colonial-era coins enter.
Literal: Owó la fi ń lògbà money is-what-one uses to-secure pleasures ọgbọ́n la fi ń gbélé ayé wisdom is-what-one uses to-hold the-house of-life (secure a good life).
Idiomatic: It is with money that we secure pleasures; it is with wisdom that one secures a good life. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: Money dey buy enjoyment, but na wisdom really dey secure beta life wey worth am.
Wen dem dey use am: Dem dey cite am to put wisdom above wealth, even as e still agree say money get im own true, limited value .
Note dem: Di proverb no condemn money completely, wey make am different from sayings wey pure ascetic pipo dey talk; e accept say money get real function, pleasure, but e leave di bigger thing, which na good life, for wisdom alone.
Literal: Owó ní ń pa money is-what settles ọjà ọ̀mọ̀ràn the-trading of-a-knowing-person.
Idiomatic: It is money that brings a knowing person's trading to a conclusion. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: Trader wey sabi work know how to use capital to close deal well.
Wen dem dey use am: Dem dey cite am to praise pesin wey im ability to control resources make am fit finish difficult negotiation .
Notes: Ọ̀mọ̀ràn, di pesin wey get sense or wisdom, na im dem praise here specifically say e sabi how to use money pass say e just get am, and dis one make di praise dey go to skill instead of to just wealth alone.
Literal: Àfowórówó the-using-of-hand-to-turn-over-money (reinvesting) lálàáróóbò-ó fi là is-what-the-retailer uses to-become-rich àfowórówó sì lálàáróóbò-ó fi dígbèsè the-same reinvesting is-also what-the-retailer uses to-fall-into-debt.
Idiomatic: It is by reinvesting his profits that the retailer makes his fortune; it is also by reinvesting his profits that the retailer gets into debt. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: Business no get guarantee: di exact same way wey pesin take make money fit easily make di person lose everything.
Used when: Dem dey use am warn pesin make e no assume say wetin work one time go work every time .
Notes: Di proverb balance di two sides well, as e use di same word, àfowórówó, for both success and failure, and na dat one be di main point: di business practice neutral by itself, and wetin go happen depend on luck as much as e depend on skill.
Literal: Àgbẹ̀ the-farmer ni baba is the-father-of oníṣòwò the-trader.
Idiomatic: The farmer is the father of the trader. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: No work dey wey get deep respect reach farming, since na wetin farm produce trade self dey depend on.
Used when: Dem dey use am put farming pass trading for dignity, even though no be say e must bring profit pass trading .
Notes: Wetin di proverb talk follow line of origin pass say e just dey compare, as e show say trade come out from farming and depend on am, and dis one show real economic relationship wey dey Yorùbá countryside as much as e show value judgment.
Literal: Àgbẹ̀ ò mọ ko àrọlà the-farmer does-not know which planting will-bring-prosperity oníṣòwò ò mọ ọjà àná-pẹ̀kún the-trader does-not know which transaction will-be-his-last.
Idiomatic: A farmer does not know which planting will bring prosperity; a trader does not know which transaction will be his last. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: Neither farming nor trading fit give assurance on which particular work go bring di main result, whether for good or bad.
Used when: Dem dey use am generally talk say nobody fit know tomorrow, as dem take farming and trading as two examples of work wey luck dey control .
Notes: Di parallel structure put trade beside farming as work wey no get certainty too, and dis one balance all di other proverbs for inside dis file wey dey make trading sound sure, as e clearly admit say no trader fit control di final result completely.
Literal: Alágbàtà the-retail-merchant (middleman) ní ń ṣọjà-á dọ̀wọ́n is-who makes-the-market dear.
Idiomatic: It is the retail merchant who makes merchandise dear. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: Pesin wey dey manage something for anoda person body dey often tight hand and strict pass di real owner.
Used when: Dem dey use am talk about middleman, caretaker, or agent wey dey manage property strictly pass as di owner self for do .
Notes: Alágbàtà na di trader wey dey buy from producers resell, wey dey stand between farmer and final buyer, and di way di proverb no trust dis kind pesin show di real tension wey dey Yorùbá market between producers, middlemen, and consumers.
Literal: Alásé mọ pé ó ńjò the-owner-of-the-sieve knew that it leaked kó tó rà á before he bought it ẹni húnmọ pé ó ńjò the-weaver knew that it leaked kó tó tà á before she sold it iṣẹ́-ẹ jíjọ ni wọ́n fi ń ṣe leaking-work is what they use it for.
Idiomatic: The owner of the sieve knew that it leaked before buying it; the weaver of the sieve knew that it leaked before selling it; after all, it is used for tasks that call for leaking. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: Defect wey di two people wey dey do business know and agree to from di start no be reason to complain later, especially when na dat same defect make di thing fit do wetin e suppose do.
Used when: Dem dey use am when buyer dey complain about defect wey dey clear and even useful when e buy am .
Notes: Owomoyela explanation add second point wey connect: say difference for wetin people need make sense, since condition no be di same for everybody, and e use di example of sieve take explain broader point say e normal make different standards dey for business transaction.
Literal: Kí ni àǹfàníí kẹ̀tẹ̀kẹ̀tẹ̀ lára what is the-advantage of-a-donkey kẹ́tẹ́kẹ́tẹ́ à-gùn-fẹsẹ̀-wọ́lẹ̀ a-donkey that-when-ridden one's-feet-drag-on-the-ground.
Idiomatic: What is the point of bragging about an ass which, when one rides on it, one's feet drag on the ground? (Owomoyela)
Meaning: E no make sense to dey carry property wey almost no get value high.
Used when: Dem dey talk am against person wey dey boast about property, asset, or trade goods wey how e useful no reach wetin dem dey claim for am .
Notes: Di image of animal wey too small to ride well give clear form to one complaint wey dey appear throughout dis file trade material: say na wetin goods and claims fit actually deliver dem dey take judge dem, no be by their reputation.
Literal: Kí ni ó yá àpọ́n lórí what has-happened to-the-bachelor's head tó fi su síná that he roasts yams-in-fire tó ńsúfèé pé while whistling "Bí a ti ńṣe ni inú ḿbí wọn" "however-one-does-it it-angers-them".
Idiomatic: What has the bachelor to feel so superior about that while he is roasting yams, he is whistling the song, "What one does fills them with jealousy"? (Owomoyela)
Meaning: People dey show pride even when dem no get any real reason to brag.
Used when: Dem dey talk am about person wey dey carry body up but no get any real achievement or status .
Notes: The bachelor work, to roast yam, na ordinary house work instead of any special achievement, na wetin make the boastful song dey absurd; Owomoyela group this entry with some market and trade proverbs about pride wey person no work for, including the calabash-owner entry wey immediately follow am for the source.
Literal: Ọlọ́jà kì í wípé the-owner-of-the-market never wishes kójà ó tú that-the-market be-disrupted.
Idiomatic: The owner of the market never wishes the market to be disrupted. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: People always dey want the best result for their own work or business.
Used when: Dem dey use am talk plain say nobody dey wish bad thing for wetin dem invest their own effort or money inside .
Notes: Ọlọ́jà, owner of the market, na one of the titles for Yorùbá ruler, since the main market for town traditionally dey stand just outside the palace and dey under royal oversight; the proverb normal meaning, about market trader, and the political meaning, about ruler wey want peace for im own domain, dey inside the same four words.
Literal: Pèlé-pèlé nijó àgbà very-gently is-how an-elder dances ara gbogbo ló di àkísà tán the-whole body has-become a-rag entirely.
Idiomatic: An elderly person's manner of dancing must be very gentle, because the whole body has become worn to a rag. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: Old people no suppose overwork their body.
Used when: Dem dey use am advise person make e calm down because im age no fit carry the kind hard work wey e dey do before .
Notes: Owomoyela footnote for one entry nearby explain oníbara ọjà, "owner of the merchandise" or "owner of the market," as another title for the Yorùbá ọba, precisely because the market customarily dey just outside the palace; dem include this entry because that footnote directly connect to the king-market vocabulary wey dey run through this file, even though the proverb own content dey talk about age instead of trade.
Literal: Àkèsán lópin Ọ̀yọ́ Àkèsán is-the-boundary-of Ọ̀yọ́ ibi a báni lọ́wọ́ ni ilé ẹni the-place where one is-found in-dignity is one's-home.
Idiomatic: Àkèsán is the boundary of Ọ̀yọ́; the place where one is found in dignity is one's home. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: Home na anywhere wey dem welcome person and treat am with dignity, no be only the place wey dem born the person.
Used when: Dem dey cite am to console or redefine wetin belonging mean for person wey go settle far from where dem from originate .
Notes: Àkèsán na the king market for Ọ̀yọ́, wey dem traditionally put for the edge of the city, and Owomoyela footnote talk say the market na the center of important town events, so the proverb still dey work even as the city grow pass the original boundary of the market. The Yorùbá play on "boundary," wey person fit also take as "the ultimate place," because na the market be where the city important matter really dey happen.
Literal: Ó kù dẹ̀dẹ̀ ká kó iwì wọ Akèsán it-remained little that-we bring our-praise-singing into Akèsán ọba tí à ó yìn-ín tẹ́rí gbaṣọ the-king whom we-would praise bowed-head took-cloth (died).
Idiomatic: We were just about to enter Akèsán market with our praise-singing performance when the king we would honor gave up the ghost. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: Person gift or service fit reach too late to dey useful to the person wey dem bring am for.
Used when: Dem dey talk am about effort or honour wey reach just after the time wey e for matter don pass .
Notes: The scene show the praise performance as something wey dey head specifically into the king market, Akèsán, wey make the market itself the venue wey dem plan for royal honour wey never happen; the proverb na one of the clearest examples for this file wey show say market dey act as setting for the town most consequential public events.
Literal: Obìnrin pọ̀ lójà women are-plentiful at-the-market gbogbo wọn ló lọ́kọ all-of them have husbands.
Idiomatic: Women are plentiful at the market, but all of them have husbands. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: Plenty choices wey dey show for eye dey cover the fact say people don already claim most of dem.
Used when: Dem dey talk am against the idea say because possibilities plenty, e mean say many of dem actually dey available .
Notes: The crowd for market, wey elsewhere for this file dey serve as ground for reputation and trade, here dey act specifically as ground of opportunity wey show for eye, but when person check well, people don already claim am, wey be different use of the same setting compared to the trade entries wey dey above.
Literal: Àfi ohun tí a kì í tà lójà except a-thing that is-not sold in-the-market ni erú kì í jẹ is-what a-slave does-not eat.
Idiomatic: The only thing a slave cannot eat is something not available in the market. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: Person wey no get independent standing no get any choice pass wetin dey already available for everybody.
Used when: Dem dey talk am about person wey no get any real power to get anything pass the ordinary options wey dey available .
Notes: Di proverb use wetin dey market explain di condition of slave, say no choice dey, instead of to talk direct about slavery; na so dis collection dey treat di historical matter of slavery: as sometin wey di image already assume, instead of to talk on top am directly.
Literal: Bí awo ti ń lù as the-initiate-of-mysteries drums awó ti ń jó the-initiate-of-mysteries dances.
Idiomatic: As the initiate of mysteries drums, so the initiate of mysteries dances. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: Di best tin na make person action match di condition wey di person dey inside.
Used when: Dem dey use am generally to talk say make behavior match di place or situation .
Notes: Owomoyela put dis one directly on top di proverb about trader patient wey dey below, as part of short sequence on how to make person response match person situation, na where dis file take get di trader entry; dem put am here for dat context, even though di main content no dey specifically about market trade.
Literal: Bí àṣá ti ń bínú if the-kite is displaying-anger sùúrù ló ye ọlọ́jà patience is-what befits the-trader.
Idiomatic: If the kite is displaying anger, the best response for the trader is patience. (Owomoyela)
Meaning: Person must learn how to hold body when dem provoke am, especially when wetin di person dey chop depend on to stay inside market.
Used when: Dem dey use am advise trader, or anybody wey dey open public place, make e bear provocation instead of to react .
Notes: Di kite bird (bird wey dey hunt) stand here for person wey dey aggressive or dey threaten pesin wey di trader no fit just pursue comot; di proverb mention ọlọ́jà directly, wey mean market trader, and also, for other place inside dis file material, di royal person wey get di market, so di advice about patience apply to di two level at di same time.
Sourced Yorùbá proverbs on the duties of host and visitor, the structural vulnerability of the stranger in a Yorùbá town, and the reciprocal etiquette that hospitality is built on.
Sourced Yorùbá proverbs on what a person owes the town and neighbours beyond the household, and what interdependence, gossip and collective responsibility look like in practice.
Sourced Yorùbá proverbs on the ọba (king), the olóyè (titled chief), and the obligations, dangers and limits that come with holding power over others.
Yorùbá proverbs in which the marketplace itself, as a physical location people enter, walk through, and disperse from, carries the argument, distinct from proverbs that use trade only as a figure of speech.
Fifty-eight Yorùbá proverbs on character, presented with the original, a literal gloss, a named translation, and the situation each is spoken in.
Forty-eight Yorùbá proverbs on the ọmọlúàbí ideal, presented with the original, a literal gloss, a named translation, and the situation each is spoken in.