Òwe on Ọ̀rọ̀ and Ẹnu: Speech, Silence, and the Tongue
Forty-eight Yorùbá proverbs on speech, silence, and the tongue, presented with the original, a literal gloss, a named translation, and the situation each is spoken in.
intermediatehigh·
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Forty-eight Yorùbá proverbs on speech, silence, and the tongue, presented with the original, a literal gloss, a named translation, and the situation each is spoken in.
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.
Mouth dey show inside Yorùbá proverbs as body part wey get work wey dey dangerous naturally: e dey chop, and e dey talk, and di two na appetite wey fit destroy person wey get dem. Dis file gather forty-eight proverbs wey get talk, silence, or tongue itself as wetin dem dey talk about: talk wey dey heal and talk wey dey wound pass blade, di discipline to no say anything, wetin person way of talking dey show about di person, and di practical sense to know when person suppose talk and when e beta make person hold mouth. If dem read dem together, dis set of proverbs treat mouth no be like tool to pass message but like weapon wey load finish anytime, wey person wey get sense dey learn to keep inside holster.
Na Owomoyela text and translation dem use bring di proverbs except dem name another source. Di notes about how dem dey use di proverb wey Owomoyela put inside bracket na im form di foundation of di Used when lines; where di words inside di note na im own direct, dem quote am. Anything wey dem mark say na di compiler own come from dis corpus itself and di confidence level low pass.
Owomoyela print complete standard orthography with tone marks and underdots, and dem put im texts here exactly as dem print am . As e follow di practice of owe-iwa-character, Owomoyela no put name of informants for individual proverbs, e take dem as property of di whole community instead of sayings wey person fit trace to one person, so di entries wey dey below na things wey dem confirm but dem no tie dem to specific place except where di text itself call name of place or person for history.
Two entries for Owomoyela collection wey dem check for dis file, page break cut off dia usage notes inside di source scan and dem no fit recover dem complete (entries 396 and 4969 for im numbering). Dem drop di two instead of to use guess complete dem. Small number of other entries carry stray OCR page markers inside di scanned edition wey dem consult; where dat one affect only formatting and no touch di main point of di Yorùbá or di translation, dem just commot di marker here instead of to reproduce am.
Literal: Ahọ́n the-tongue ni ìpínnlẹ̀ is-the-border ẹnu of-the-mouth.
Idiomatic: "The tongue is the border of the mouth."
Meaning: Where tongue reach na there di territory of mouth end too; some things just dey stop for boundary.
Used when: Owomoyela: "There is a limit to everything"
Notes: Di proverb talk plain anatomical fact and allow am carry general statement about limit without any extra grammar. Ìpínnlẹ̀ na border or boundary for normal territorial sense, so dem take tongue as frontier post, di last thing before mouth authority finish. As dem put am first inside dis set about speech, e dey sound like warning say tongue power get limit, no matter how di other entries wey follow show say e dangerous reach.
Literal: Ẹnu àìmẹ́nu a-mouth-that-will-not-close, ètè àìmétè lips-that-will-not-close, ní ḿmú ọ̀ràn bá ẹ̀rẹ̀kẹ are-what bring trouble to-the-cheek.
Idiomatic: "A mouth that will not stay shut, lips that will not stay closed are what bring trouble to the cheeks."
Meaning: Mouth wey person no guard dey bring di slap wey dey land for cheek wey dey beside am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "The words that the mouth and lips allow to escape usually bring the slap to the cheek; a person who cannot keep his or her mouth shut often lands in trouble"
Notes: Di negative construction àìmẹ́nu, "not-closing-mouth," dey built on mẹ́nu, to close mouth, with di àì- prefix wey dey turn verb to abstract failure-noun. Di logic of di proverb na purely physical: dem punish cheek because e be mouth next-door neighbour, collateral damage for organ wey refuse to close.
Literal: Ẹyin egg lọ̀rọ̀ is-speech; bó bá balẹ̀ if-it falls-to-ground fífọ́ ní ńfọ breaking is-what-it-does.
Idiomatic: "Words are eggs; when they drop on the floor, they shatter into pieces."
Meaning: Once talk commot for mouth, person no fit gather am back complete.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Words are delicate things; once spoken, they cannot be retrieved"
Notes: Dis picture dey work because egg fragile for way wey be total and one-directional: e no get half-break and person no fit un-break am. Compare entry 22 below (Ọ̀rọ̀ púpọ̀ ò kún agbọ̀n), wey treat words as bulk wey no dey accumulate turn to anything; here di concern no be volume but fragility, complementary fear instead of contradictory one about di same substance.
Literal: Ọ̀rọ̀ púpọ̀ many words ò kún agbọ̀n does-not fill a-basket; irọ́ ní ḿmú wá lies is-what-it brings.
Idiomatic: "A lot of words will not fill a basket; they will only lead to lies."
Meaning: To talk long talk no dey produce anything solid, only risk of lie.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Brevity is wise in discussions; wordiness leads to invention"
Notes: Agbọ̀n, basket, na di standard Yorùbá measurement for bulk goods, so di proverb make category claim: words no be di kind thing wey dey fill container, no matter how plenty dem accumulate. Di consequence wey dem name, irọ́, lies, follow real observation about talk when pressure dey to continue: speaker wey true things don finish for im mouth dey invent story.
Literal: A-le-koko-bí-ọsán a-thing-as-tough-as-bowstring: egbòó jinná the-ulcer heals, ohùn ò jinná the-word does-not heal.
Idiomatic: "A thing as resistant as bowstring: the ulcer heals, but a spoken word does not heal."
Meaning: Physical wound dey heal; but di damage wey word do dey remain open.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Words are as tough as bowstrings; while wounds may heal, the marks words leave do not heal"
Notes: Dem dey use Jinná for wound wey dey heal close and also, for other place for Yorùbá, for food wey don cook finish well well; any of di two meaning support "to reach completion." Di compound epithet a-le-koko-bí-ọsán, "person-wey-strong-like-bowstring," dem first talk am leave am make e hang before di proverb explain wetin e dey name, wey be common suspension style for dis kind proverb.
Literal: Kò sí ohun there-is-nothing tó yára pa ẹni that quickly kills a-person bí ọ̀rọ̀ àsọjù like excessive-speech.
Idiomatic: "There is nothing that kills faster than talking too much."
Meaning: To talk too much na di fastest road wey dey carry person go destruction.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person suppose control im mouth"
Notes: Àsọjù, from sọ (to talk) plus jù (to pass), name excess talk as one single compact noun, di way English need whole phrase to talk "talking too much." Di proverb comparative form, "nothing dey kill pass," dey unusually absolute for di collection and e put anyhow talk for di same level as physical violence.
Literal: Pẹ̀tẹ̀pẹ́tẹ̀ mud ọ̀rọ̀ of-speech, a-ta-síni-lára a-thing-that-splashes-onto-one's-body má-wọ̀n-ọ́n that-cannot-be-wiped-off.
Idiomatic: "The soiling caused by speech stains a person and cannot be removed."
Meaning: Words wey dem throw give person dey leave mark wey no dey wash commot.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Injury wey mouth don talk no fit dey taken back"
Notes: Pẹ̀tẹ̀pẹ́tẹ̀ na specifically potopoto, wet and splashing dirty instead of dry dust, wey dem choose because potopoto dey stick and stain cloth for way wey sand no dey do. Di compound epithet wey describe di potopoto, "somtin-wey-splash-put-for-person-body-wey-no-fit-clean-commot," dem build am di same way as entry 5 epithet, wey be style wey dem like well well to describe action through wetin no fit change after e happen instead of to use verb.
Literal: Ohùn-un kéjiró the-voice of-the-kéjiró-bird ò dé ọ̀run does-not reach heaven.
Idiomatic: "The voice of the kéjiró bird does not rise to reach the sky."
Meaning: Some voices, no matter how dem shout reach, no dey ever reach far enough to matter.
Used when: Feeling say person voice no get weight .
Notes: Kéjiró na small bird wey im cry, based on di logic of di proverb, person fit hear am near near but e no dey ever reach di height wey e need reach to call divine attention. Di proverb belong to one family of Yorùbá sayings wey dey measure speaker authority by how far dem imagine say im voice travel, no be by how loud e dey; compare entry 33 for below, where dem value elder voice no matter how far e reach.
Literal: Ẹnu òpùrọ́ the-mouth of-a-liar kì í ṣẹ̀jẹ does-not bleed.
Idiomatic: "The liar's mouth does not bleed."
Meaning: Lie no dey leave any wound wey person fit see for di mouth wey talk am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Lie no get sign or label wey attach to am"
Notes: Di proverb dey reason from wetin no dey: if to say lie dey punish body di way other bad things dey do, person wey dey lie im mouth for show am, but e no dey show, so to catch am must come from another place. Dis one na warning make person no rely on how speaker behave to catch lie, and e dey secretly recommend di kind evidentiary suspicion wey dey for entry 41 and 45 for below.
Literal: Ọwọ́ ahọ́n the-reach of-the-tongue kì í tó imú does-not reach the-nose.
Idiomatic: "The reach of the tongue is never as far as the nose."
Meaning: Even di tongue, as e dey move and stretch reach everywhere, e no fit reach every part for im own body.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Limit dey for wetin person fit achieve"
Notes: Ọwọ́, wey normally mean "hand," dem use am here for di tongue own reach or grasp, an extension of di word pass wetin e normally mean wey di direct translation preserve. When you put am beside entry 1, wey make tongue be boundary marker, dis proverb go further and make tongue an example of limit instead of wetin dey set limit: even di organ of speech get place wey e no fit reach.
Literal: Àdá a-machete lẹnu is-the-mouth tálákà of-a-poor-person; igbó bush la ó fi ṣán is-what one uses-it to-clear.
Idiomatic: "The poor person's mouth is a machete; its use is to clear the bush."
Meaning: Poor person talk good only for hard labour, no be for serious matters.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Poor person voice no get weight"
Notes: Cutlass na work tool, no be weapon of high status, so to describe poor person mouth as cutlass no be praise say e dey useful but na demotion of im authority: e good to cut bush, but e no good for dispute. Di proverb no blend well beside di collection other egalitarian sayings about speech and dem include am here because make dem no smooth di collection to only im comfortable claims; see di closing discussion.
Literal: Ọ̀rọ̀ rere good speech ní ńyọ obì lápò is-what brings-out kola-nut from-the-pouch; ọ̀rọ̀ búburú bad speech ní ńyọ ọfà lápó is-what brings-out an-arrow from-the-quiver.
Idiomatic: "Good talk brings the kola nut out of the pouch; provocative talk draws the arrow out of the quiver."
Meaning: How person take talk dey determine whether di response go be hospitality or violence.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Sensible talk dey cool down problem, but talk wey no get sense dey make am worse"
Notes: Kolanut na di normal tin wey dem dey take welcome visitor, and arrow wey dem pull comot from quiver na weapon wey don ready for fight, so di two clause cover all di possible way person fit answer speech, from hospitality go reach war, as direct result of how dem take talk am. Di parallel structure, wey be exactly di same down to di grammar, dey balance di argument of di proverb for am: same shape, opposite outcome, and na only di adjective rere/búburú dey change.
Literal: Ẹ̀bìtì ẹnu the-trap of-the-mouth ò tàsé does-not miss.
Idiomatic: "The mouth trap never misses."
Meaning: Word wey dem target well dey always hit wetin dem shoot am at.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Mouth fit easily do even tins wey hard pass"
Notes: Ẹ̀bìtì na spring-trap, tin wey dem make for only one purpose and wey reliable for am, and to call mouth dis kain trap dey make speech become instrument wey no just dangerous but efficient, dey catch wetin spear or hand fit miss. When you read am compare with entry 111 for 01-iwa-character (a-bìwà-kunkun, gentle person with strong character), dis proverb belong to di same family of warning say di instrument wey ordinary pass for eye fit be di one wey dey kill pass.
Literal: Ẹlẹ́nu the-owner-of-the-mouth là ḿbi is-whom one asks-permission ká tó gbá a before one slaps it.
Idiomatic: "It is from the owner of the mouth that one asks leave before one slaps it."
Meaning: Even to punish mouth for wetin e talk, person still need permission from di owner of di mouth.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person no suppose do anything with something without permission from di owner"
Notes: Di proverb intentionally look funny on top, since nobody dey wait for permission make e slap mouth wey offend am, and dat absurdity na di joke: dem dey use am as irony, to point out say somebody don actually do dis kain tin without asking. Ẹlẹ́nu, "owner of mouth," wey dem build with di productive ní-possessive prefix, treat mouth like property wey separate from di person wey get am, small grammar style wey allow di proverb act like say e dey follow legal formality wey e dey actually mock.
Literal: Bí ojú bá rí if the-eye sees, ẹnu a dákẹ the-mouth remains-quiet.
Idiomatic: "When the eyes see, the mouth remains quiet."
Meaning: To see something no mean say person get right to announce am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Mouth no dey talk everything wey eye see"
Notes: Di proverb give eye and mouth different work, to see and to talk, and e insist say di second one no dey automatically follow di first one. Compare entry 16, wey be di direct opposite, and check entries 45 and 46 for 01-iwa-character untoned section about things-wey-person-see-but-no-fit-talk, wey extend dis same eye/mouth division go reach matters wey too sacred or too shameful to voice.
Literal: Bí ojú kò bá rí if the-eye does-not see, ẹnu kì í sọ nǹkan the-mouth does-not say anything.
Idiomatic: "If the eye does not see, the mouth says nothing."
Meaning: Wetin person talk must end for wetin eye actually witness.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Mouth fit only talk wetin eye see"
Notes: As dem intentionally pair am with entry 15 for Owomoyela own arrangement, di two proverb together state complete rule: na eye dey give mouth authority to talk and e no dey pass am, whether eye see plenty or e no see anything. Together dem form one of di tightest logical pair for dis collection, statement and di opposite wey dem write as separate proverb instead of to join dem together as one.
Literal: Dídákẹ́ lerín dákẹ́ silence is-what the-elephant is-silent-with; àjànàkú the-elephant ló lẹgàn is-who owns the-forest.
Idiomatic: "The elephant has only chosen to remain silent; to the elephant belongs the forest."
Meaning: People wey get power no need to announce who dem be; their silence na choice, no be say dem no get claim.
Used when: Owomoyela: "People wey get power no need to announce how important dem be"
Notes: Di reduplicated construction dídákẹ́ lerín dákẹ́, "silence na wetin elephant take keep quiet," insist say di silence na deliberate tin: no be say elephant no get wetin to talk, na elephant wey choose say e no go talk am, and di second clause give di reason as e mention say elephant na owner of di whole forest. Owomoyela link entry 4136 as related proverb .
Literal: Bí a bá dákẹ́ if one is-silent, tara ẹni the-body of-one a báni dákẹ stays-silent along-with-one.
Idiomatic: "If one keeps silent, what is in one's body keeps silent as well."
Meaning: If person hold back speech, e dey prevent whatever trouble wey dey inside make dem no solve am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "If person no open up talk him problem, make e no expect help"
Notes: Dis one na di counterweight to di plenty entries wey dey above wey praise silence as strength: for here silence get cost, because tara ẹni, person own body or condition, no fit receive attention if person never talk am comot. Ara cover both physical body and person condition or affairs broadly, so di proverb serve equally as warning against to suffer sickness for silence and against to suffer any private trouble without asking for help.
Literal: Ibi tí oyín gbé ńhó where bees are humming, tí àdó ńhó where the-charm-calabash hums, ìfun ò dákẹ́ lásán the-intestine does-not stay-silent for-nothing.
Idiomatic: "As the bees hum and the small calabash containing charms hums, the intestine does not keep silent."
Meaning: Inside all di noise and tins wey dey take person attention, person own body still dey insist say make dem hear am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "No matter wetin dey occupy other people mind, person no suppose ignore im own problem"
Notes: Di àdó na small calabash wey dem dey take keep charm and medicine, and di humming sound wey dey here dey refer to di sound wey people believe say dis kind vessel dey make when e dey work, wey place di proverb inside world where humming no be just ordinary sound but sign of power. For background where two other tins dey make noise for their own reasons, di way intestine insist to dey rumble too turn to argument say wetin person need inside no fit disappear because of distraction from outside, no matter how impressive e be.
Literal: Àì-sọ̀rọ̀ not-speaking ní ńmú ẹnu rùn is-what makes the-mouth smell.
Idiomatic: "It is abstention from speaking that makes the mouth smell."
Meaning: Mouth wey dem close for too long dey spoil, di same way stagnant tin dey do.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person suppose always talk wetin dey im mind for discussion"
Notes: Àì-sọ̀rọ̀ na di negative noun wey dem build from sọ̀rọ̀, to speak, with di àì- prefix, wey match di pattern for abstract failure-noun wey dey show for other places inside dis work (compare àìmọ̀, not-knowing, for entry 42 of 05-owe-proverbs). Dis proverb dey directly opposite to di entries wey dey above wey dey praise silence: Yorùbá proverb wisdom no stand for only one position about whether to talk or to keep quiet, and dis na one of di clearest example for dis set. Look di closing discussion.
Literal: Àdán the-bat sọ orí kodò hangs its-head downward, ó ńwòṣe ẹyẹ gbogbo it watches-the-doings of-all-birds.
Idiomatic: "The bat hangs its head and contemplates the doings of birds."
Meaning: Di quiet observer wey hang upside down dey see pass di birds wey busy with their own noise.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person wey dey quiet dey see pass person wey dey make noise"
Notes: Di way bat dey hang upside down, head dey face down where other birds head dey face up, dey do real work inside di image: im silence join body with di fact say e dey look things from completely different position, no be just say sound no dey. Dis proverb belong togeda with entry 17 elephant as one of di animal figure for dis work wey represent quiet wey get dignity, even though di bat advantage dey directly about knowledge (e dey see pass others) while di elephant own na matter of status (e no need prove anything).
Literal: Bí a bá sọ̀rọ̀ fún olófòófó if one speaks to a-tattler, ajádìí agbọ̀n a-basket-with-a-broken-bottom la sọ ọ́ sí is-what one has-spoken into.
Idiomatic: "Whatever one says to a talebearer one says to a basket that has lost its bottom."
Meaning: To tell amebo secret na di same tin as to broadcast di information by yourself.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Word wey person whisper give amebo na broadcast e be"
Notes: Basket wey no get bottom no fit hold anything wey dem pour inside am, so di image dey give exact way e dey work, no be just warning: e no be say di amebo fit talk, na say dem naturally no fit hold anything. Olófòófó, tattler or amebo, dey show again inside dis set (entries 23 and 30 below) as one of di social type wey dem recognise for dis corpus, alongside di busybody wey dem mention for entry 40.
Literal: A kì í sọrọ ìkọ̀kọ̀ one does-not speak a-secret-matter lójú olófòófó in-the-presence of-a-tattler.
Idiomatic: "One does not discuss secret matters in the presence of a tattler."
Meaning: Secret and person wey everybody know say na amebo no suppose dey di same room.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Dey careful with your secret"
Notes: As dem talk am as direct warning instead of image, dis proverb na di direct instruction wey entry 22 dey explain how e dey work: e talk wetin to do, while entry 22 explain why. Di two dey move togeda as natural pair and na why dem put dem togeda here, even though Owomoyela no link dem togeda for im book.
Literal: Ọ̀rọ̀ tí a pé the-matter that one has-tried kí baba má gbọ̀ọ́ that father should-not hear-it, baba ní ńparí ẹ is-what father ends-up settling.
Idiomatic: "A matter that one tries to keep from the ears of the patriarch will eventually come before the patriarch for resolution."
Meaning: Anything wey dem hide from di head of di house dey always end up needing am just because dem hide am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Di elders get right to know about all important matter, because na their duty to keep order and peace"
Notes: Baba, father, here dey mean di head of di house or patriarch instead of biological father, di same extended meaning of baba wey dem discuss for entry 9 of 05-owe-proverbs for "father of character." Di irony wey form di proverb na say di hiding itself na wetin dey make matter big reach level wey go require di authority of di patriarch to settle am, so to avoid am dey bring di exact outcome wey dem dey try avoid.
Literal: Ọ̀rọ̀ àgbà the-word of-an-elder, bí kò bá ta ẹ̀dẹ́ if it does-not strike hunting-success, ogun ní ńta war is-what-it strikes.
Idiomatic: "The word that issues out of the mouth of an elder, if it does not hit at hunting, will hit at war."
Meaning: Elder talk no dey ever be ordinary talk; e must land somewhere wey get weight even if no be where people expect am to land.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Heavy meaning and weight dey always dey inside wetin elder talk"
Notes: Ẹ̀dẹ́ dey specifically mean success or good gain from hunting, so di proverb set two named area, hunting and war, as di two end-point where elder word must fall into, instead of just vaguely claim say e "matter." Dis one join body with entry 8 kéjiró bird, wey im own voice no dey reach anywhere at all by contrast: together di two proverb dey measure talk by where e land, no be by how loud e sound.
Literal: Àsọ̀rọ̀àìlàdí speaking-without-explaining ló pa Elempe ìṣáájú is-what killed the-first Elempe tó ní igbá wúwo ju àwo who said calabash is-heavier than china.
Idiomatic: "Speaking-without-explaining killed the first Elempe who said that calabash was heavier than china."
Meaning: To cut talk short pass di level wey go make am clear fit cause big danger.
Used when: Owomoyela: "To cut talk too short dey make meaning hide"
Notes: Dem mention Elempe for other place inside Yorùbá history proverb tradition as one fifteenth-century Nupe king, grandfather from mother side to Ṣàngó, wey Ṣàngó run go im palace after disgrace happen to am, and di "first Elempe" wey dey here likely be reference to one person inside chain of people wey hold dat title, no be made-up character; Owomoyela collection for other place identify di name like dis . Di specific claim, say calabash heavy pass china plate, dey sound like wetin no make sense until dem read am as talk wey dem cut short (maybe dem weigh am when e full, or dem weigh am against how e go tey last), and di whole point of di proverb na say nobody take time give di remaining explanation before di misunderstanding come cause serious wahala.
Literal: Àwíyé explicit-speech ní ḿmú ọ̀ràn yéni is-what makes a-matter understood; ọ̀ọ́dúnrún okùn three-hundred strings la fi ńsin ẹgbẹ̀ta is-what-one uses to-string six-hundred cowries; bí a ò bá là á if one does-not clarify-it, kì í yéni it-does-not become-understood.
Idiomatic: "Explicitness makes matters clear; it takes strings to string six hundred cowries; unless one explains it, no one understands."
Meaning: To make talk clear dey take real effort, just as to thread plenty cowries dey take many string; nothing dey understand itself by itself.
Used when: Owomoyela: "To cut talk too short dey bring confusion"
Notes: Cowries wey dem tie for counted units na di actual money wey Yorùbá dey use before coins replace am, so di image of tying six hundred cowries with three hundred strings na real work wey person wey dey listen go fit measure against, no be just any by-chance metaphor. Dis proverb and entry 26 na pair wey match, as di two dey argue against cutting talk too short, and how Owomoyela arrange dem together suggest say dem see dem as sayings wey dey work together .
Literal: Àwíyé explicit-speech nIfẹ̀ ńfọ̀ is-how Ifẹ̀ speaks; gba-n-gba openly lOrò ńpẹran is-how Orò kills-animals.
Idiomatic: "Explicitly is the way Ifẹ̀ speaks; it is openly that Orò kills animals."
Meaning: Di proper way to talk na straight-straight, without hiding anything, di way dem know say di town of Ifẹ̀ dey talk and di way di cult of Orò dey run dia tins.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Wetin person get to talk, make e talk am without biting words"
Notes: Inside Yorùbá thought, dem know Ifẹ̀ (Ilé-Ifẹ̀) as di town where Yorùbá people originate from, and e often stand for proverbs as authority or example; Orò na men cult wey dem associate with hiding tins from women and strangers for most context, wey come make di way dem cite am here as example of openness be deliberate irony, since Orò rites for other place na di clear example of wetin dem must hide from some listeners (compare entry 88 inside 01-iwa-character companion collection about di voice of Orò, wey women fit only hear, but dem never fit see where e dey come from). Di proverb pair two very different institution to make di same single point about talking straight.
Literal: Imú kì í tóbi the-nose does-not grow-big-enough kó gba ọ̀rọ̀ ẹnu sọ to-take the-word from-the-mouth and-speak-it.
Idiomatic: "The nose cannot get so big that it takes the speech out of the mouth."
Meaning: No matter how prominent one organ come be, e no dey seize another organ proper work.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Nobody, no matter how powerful e be, get right to seize other people right"
Notes: Di nose na natural choice for di organ wey dey overreach because e stand out for face, e close to mouth, but e no get any work at all to talk, wey come make di image say e dey "take" speech clear well-well instead of say na wetin fit happen. Di proverb belong to small family across Yorùbá proverb collection wey dey use face anatomy argue say make dem respect jurisdiction, compare entry 1 and 10 above about di tongue own limited reach.
Literal: Bí a kò lówó if one has-no money, à léèyàn one-should have-people; bí a kò léèyàn if one has-no people, à lóhùn rere lẹ́nu one-should have a-good voice in-the-mouth.
Idiomatic: "If one lacks money, one should have people; if one lacks people, one should be pleasant in one's speech."
Meaning: Sweet talk na wetin person fit fall back on when money and connection no dey.
Used when: Owomoyela: "If you no get social asset, cover up for am in other ways"
Notes: Di proverb arrange three assets: money, who person know, and how person dey talk, as real hierarchy of resources wey dey go down from top to bottom, where sweet voice stand as di last line of defence instead of ordinary decoration. Owomoyela link am with entry 2961 as proverb wey relate ontop wetin person fit use replace assets . Di structure, wey be chain of "if no be X, na Y" clauses wey end ontop speech, give ordinary sweet talk strong standing as real form of capital.
Literal: Sọ̀rọ̀ kí ọlọ́rọ̀ gbọ́ speaking so-that its-subject hears-it, àbùkù ní ńfi kanni disgrace is-what-it-brings on-one.
Idiomatic: "Spreading rumors into the ears of the subject of the rumor brings disgrace to the speaker."
Meaning: Gossip wey turn round reach di person wey dem dey talk about dey put di shame ontop di person wey talk am, no be di person wey dem talk about.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person suppose avoid to dey carry rumor"
Notes: Dem use Ọlọ́rọ̀ here for di specific meaning of "di person wey di matter concern," wey dem build from ní (owner of) plus ọ̀rọ̀ (matter), wey different from di common way wey dem dey use di same word to mean rich person, wey be di meaning for entries 33, 35 and 36 for bottom; di two pronunciation almost dey sound di same and na context dey show di difference, wey be real danger for anybody wey dey translate dis proverb collection fast fast. Di proverb assume say gossip naturally dey travel go meet di person wey dem talk about, and e treat dat behavior like justice wey dey happen by itself.
Literal: Kí adití baà gbọ́rọ̀ so-that a-deaf-person might hear-something, la ti ńsọ ọ́ is-how-one says-it lójú ọmọ ẹ in-front-of his child.
Idiomatic: "It is so that a deaf person might hear something that one says it in his or her child's presence."
Meaning: When person no fit talk to someone directly, to tell person wey dey close to dem na working substitute.
Used when: Owomoyela: "One way to let person wey you no fit talk to or no get mind talk to know your opinion, na to talk am make person wey dey close to dem hear"
Notes: Di proverb settle wetin look like contradiction, to talk to deaf person, by changing who di real person wey dem dey talk to be: na di deaf person pikin, no be di deaf person, na im suppose hear and relay di message. E describe real indirect-speech strategy wey people still dey recognise for Yorùbá social practice, where message wey dem mean for person wey too senior, person wey dem don quarrel with, or for dis case person wey really no fit hear, dem go talk am make somebody wey connect to di person fit hear.
Literal: Ẹlẹ́dẹ̀ẹ́ ní the-pig says ọjọ́ tí òún ti jágbọ́n-ọn hùn since-the-day it learned to-answer every-statement with-a-grunt, ọjọ́ náà ni ọ̀rọ̀ ò ti nìun lára mọ that-same day is-when trouble has-not-touched it any-more.
Idiomatic: "The pig says since the day it learned to reply to every statement with a grunt it has not got into any trouble."
Meaning: To dey answer everything with ordinary grunt wey no show side don save pig from trouble wey real words for cause.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person wey no talk anything hardly dey enter trouble"
Notes: Dem give di pig first-person testimonial voice, wey be common device for dis collection where animal dey report im own strategy as advice (compare how tortoise dey boast across 01-iwa-character). Owomoyela note say dis na another form of im entry 983 , wey mean say di proverb waka pass through at least two forms wey im collect separately, and dat one show how di sentiment don tey and dey well-used.
Literal: Ẹni tí yó yàáni lówó the-one-who will lend-one money, tí kò níí sinni who will-not pester-one, ohùn ẹnu-u rẹ̀ the-voice of-his-mouth la ti ḿmọ is-how-one comes-to-know-it.
Idiomatic: "The person who will lend money and will not keep pestering one for repayment, one can tell from the tone of his or her voice."
Meaning: Di tone wey person use take talk dey reveal beforehand di kind creditor wey dem go be.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Di way people dey talk na good sign of their character"
Notes: Ohùn, voice or tone, na technical term for tonal language, and di claim dey specifically ontop how person dey sound instead of di words wey dem choose, wey be distinction wey Yorùbá speakers dey make clear well well but English speakers generally no dey do. Dem treat dis proverb for entry 48 of 01-iwa-character under di heading of character wey dem judge by manner of speech; dem put am again here because di topic of dis file na speech itself, and say e dey inside di two files na deliberate cross-reference no be mistake, since di main Yorùbá text be di same for di two places.
Literal: Ká wí fúnni ká gbọ́ let-one be-spoken-to and-listen; ká sọ̀rọ̀ fúnni ká gbà let-one be-advised and-accept; à-wí-ìgbọ́ the-one-spoken-to-and-not-listening, à-gbọ́-ìgbà the-one-advised-and-not-accepting, ní ńfi igbá àdánù bu omi mu is-what uses the-calabash-of-loss to-scoop water and-drink.
Idiomatic: "If one is spoken to, one should listen; if one is advised, one should accept the advice; refusal to listen to speech and refusal to accept advice leads to using the calabash of deprivation as a drinking cup."
Meaning: Refusing to hear or take wetin dem tell you go make you drink from di cup wey dem reserve for loss.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Refusal to heed advice dey lead to deprivation"
Notes: Di two compressed nominal words à-wí-ìgbọ́ and à-gbọ́-ìgbà, "pesin-dem-tok-to-wey-no-gree-hear" and "pesin-dem-advise-wey-no-gree-accept," follow di same à- ... ì- pattern wey dem discuss for entry 33 of 01-iwa-character, wey dey turn whole clause about failure to one single noun. Owomoyela note say dis proverb get at least two oda variant entries for im collection , wey show how di theme of refusing advice dey very central to di whole corpus.
Literal: Bí a bá rí ọlọ́rọ̀ ẹni if one sees one's confidant, ṣọ̀rọ̀-ṣọ̀rọ̀ là ńdà pouring-out-words is-what one does.
Idiomatic: "When one sees one's confidant, one runs at the mouth like a spout."
Meaning: When pesin dey among pipo wey im trust, talk dey flow without any restriction.
Used when: Owomoyela: "When pesin dey among di right pipo, im no dey hold back"
Notes: For here, Ọlọ́rọ̀ carry di meaning of "pesin of wealth" instead of di "subject of a matter" sense wey dem discuss for entry 31 for up, and for dis context e mean sometin wey closer to pesin wey pesin fit rely on or share secret wit, an extension from material wealth go reach relational security. Di verb dà, to pour, present talk like liquid wey dem pour out instead of act wey pesin dey control, wey make dis proverb fit enter di same family of imagery wit entry 3 eggs and entry 27 strung cowries: talk for dis corpus dey repeatedly treated as physical substance wey get im own properties of how to handle am.
Literal: Àṣàwí ẹjọ́ the-doctored-account of-a-case ẹnìkan-án ṣàre of-one-person turns-out-just.
Idiomatic: "The doctored case of the only side heard in a dispute is always just."
Meaning: Story of palava wey only one side tok go always sound fair, precisely bikos nobody don challenge am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "If pesin opponent no get say, dat pesin case go just automatically look right"
Notes: Àṣàwí, "di story wey dem don polish," dey name di practice of how pesin dey shape story as dem dey tell am, and di proverb dry observation na say dat kind shaping nobody go fit notice am when na only one voice dem hear. Na warning about di structural bias inside testimony itself, no be about any particular liar, and e join bodi wit entry 27 for up as part of di corpus awareness say make talk clear and fair need active work, no be just to trust whoever happen to dey tok.
Literal: A-mọ̀ràn-mòwe one-who-knows-counsel-and-knows-proverbs ní ńlàdí ọ̀rọ̀ is-who resolves a-matter.
Idiomatic: "It is a sage who knows proverbs that resolves disputes."
Meaning: Di ability to use proverbs well na wetin dey qualify pesin to settle palava.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Proverbs na way to settle differences"
Notes: Di compound title a-mọ̀ràn-mòwe, "pesin-wey-know-counsel-and-know-proverbs," dey mention two related but different competencies, practical wisdom and master of proverb repertoire, as tins wey must dey together for pesin wey wan act as judge. Dis proverb na di corpus own explanation of why file like dis one exist: e be direct statement of di claim wey dey inside 05-owe-proverbs discussion about òwe for adjudication, say to sabi use proverbs well no be just decoration but na di real qualification to settle case.
Literal: Ọ̀rọ̀ tí ọlọgbọ́n bá sọ whatever-a-wise-person says, ẹnu aṣiwèrè la ti ńgbọ́ ọ is-heard-again from-the-mouth of-a-fool.
Idiomatic: "Whatever a wise man says will be heard repeated by the nitwit."
Meaning: Mumu pesin no fit control imself not to repeat wise pesin words, even though e fit no carry di meaning correctly.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Pipo wey dey carry rumor always dey distort di news wey dem hear from reliable sources"
Notes: Di proverb assume say one chain dey happen wey pesin no fit stop: wisdom dey bring out talk, and talk, once e enter outside world, go pass through mouth of pipo wey pesin no fit trust whether di wise speaker intend am or not. E dey close for spirit to entry 22 basket wey no get bottom, even though di way e take happen different: for dat one, information dey leak bikos di pesin wey receive am no fit keep am, but for here e dey spoil bikos di pesin wey receive am no fit pass am on accurately.
Literal: Gbogbo ọ̀rọ̀ every matter ní ńṣojú èké is-what-shows-in-the-face-of a-busybody.
Idiomatic: "The busybody is privy to all matters."
Meaning: Amebo pesin don take am as im business to know everything wey dey happen.
Used when: Owomoyela: "No get wetin amebo pesin go gree say im no know about"
Notes: For oda places inside Owomoyela collection (see entries 9 and 46 for up and 41 for down), Èké usually mean pesin wey dey deceitful or cunning, but for here Owomoyela own gloss read am specifically as "amebo," wey be related but different kind of social type, pesin wey im fault na say im too dey put mouth for wetin no concern am instead of say e dey lie as such, though dem clearly see di two bad habits as neighbours. Di idiom ṣojú, wey literally mean "to show for face of," dey treat knowledge of every matter as sometin wey dey visibly show for di amebo face, one small but important detail: di proverb claim say you fit see di pesin amebo nature for im body.
Literal: Ẹnu the-mouth ni Ifá wà is-where Ifá resides.
Idiomatic: "The Ifá oracle is in the mouth."
Meaning: No oracle get authority pass di word wey mouth talk itself.
Used when: Owomoyela: "No oracle get power reach di word wey mouth pronounce"
Notes: Ifá na di Yorùbá divination system and di òrìṣà wey dey control am, wey people dey consult through formal apparatus like chain, tray, and verse. So to put di power of Ifá inside ordinary human mouth instead of inside dat apparatus na one serious claim, wey dey argue say everyday speech get weight wey reach divination. Na dis be di strongest statement for inside di set for dis idea, wey dey show everywhere, say speech no just be to describe somtin but e dey work: to talk somtin dey cause somtin for inside di world, di same premise wey dey under proverbs of blessing and curse across Yorùbá oral genres.
Literal: Ìsọ̀rọ̀ the-manner-of-speaking nìgbèsì is-the-response-it-gets.
Idiomatic: "How one speaks is how one receives a response."
Meaning: How person take approach matter na im dey determine di kind reply wey e go get.
Used when: Owomoyela: "People dey respond according to how person take address dem or behave towards dem"
Notes: Four syllables for subject and four for predicate, and no verb apart from di copula ni: na one of di most compressed proverbs for inside dis set, wey e short reach Ìwà lẹ̀sìn ("character na worship") for inside 01-iwa-character. Ìgbèsì na response or reaction for wider sense pass just verbal response, so wetin di proverb dey claim reach pass conversation go reach general behavior, even though say di way dem arrange am among speech proverbs and di root wey e get for sọ̀rọ̀ make di primary meaning remain verbal.
Literal: Gba-n-gba-á dẹkùn a-leopard is-caught in-the-open, kedereé bẹ̀ ẹ́ wò clear-sight looks-it-over well; ọ̀rọ̀ ìkọ̀kọ̀ ò sí níbẹ there-is-no secret-matter there.
Idiomatic: "A leopard is trapped in open space; clear sight gets a good look at it; the matter does not admit of secrets."
Meaning: Once somtin show for open, way no dey to hide am again.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Once secret don leak, person no fit hide am again"
Notes: Di leopard, wey be one of di most dangerous animals for inside Yorùbá proverb bestiary, make di exposure clear well-well: even somtin wey strong and wey dey normally hide like leopard no fit hide once e show for open. Di ideophone-like repetition gba-n-gba, wey mean for open or plain sight, show again for entry 28 for up wey dey describe how di Orò cult dey kill dia animals, wey make di two proverbs share vocabulary of exposure even though dia attitude towards am dey opposite.
Literal: Ọ̀rọ̀ the-matter ò pariwo does-not make-noise.
Idiomatic: "The matter in question does not make a noise."
Meaning: Di matter wey dem dey discuss no be somtin wey loud or urgent by imself.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Di matter wey dem dey discuss no bring much wahala"
Notes: Pariwo, to make noise or commotion, dey used for oda places for inside di corpus for matters wey really dey cause alarm; to use di negation for a matter na way to bring am down if you compare am with things wey really suppose loud. Di way di proverb short, just three words, dey show wetin e dey claim: even di sentence wey declare say di matter no be big deal refuse to make any noise about am.
Literal: Ojú the-eyes lọ̀rọ̀-ọ́ wà is-where discourse resides.
Idiomatic: "Discourse is in the eyes."
Meaning: Correct conversation dey happen face to face, eye to eye, no be from far distance.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Look di person wey you dey discuss with for eye"
Notes: Dis proverb put ọ̀rọ̀, speech or discourse, for inside di eyes instead of inside di mouth, wey different from every oda entry for dis file and na somtin wey make sense to note: where entries 15 and 16 for up keep wetin eye see and wetin mouth talk for completely separate places, dis proverb join dem together, dey insist say honest discourse need eyes to dey present as witness to wetin mouth dey talk. Level of confidence on how far dis joining suppose be taken as doctrine instead of just etiquette advice about eye contact: medium.
Literal: Ẹnu asoṣọkọ́ the-mouth of-the-one-whose-garment-is-a-loincloth kì í tó ọ̀rọ̀ does-not reach the-level-of-discussion.
Idiomatic: "The mouth of the person whose garment is a loincloth is never welcome in a discussion."
Meaning: Person wey dey di lowest level for society no dey get voice for important matters.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person wey no get direction no get any privilege for inside community"
Notes: Asoṣọkọ́, "person wey only get loincloth as cloth," na description of poverty through clothes, di same rhetorical style like entry 11 for up, wey measure poor person speech by di tool wey e fit for instead of di value wey e fit carry. Just like entry 11, dis proverb dey included because scholarly collection no suppose leave out di harder, less flattering material for di corpus; make you see di closing discussion on top dis tension.
Literal: Tútù coolness ní ńtẹnu ẹja wá is-what comes-from-the-mouth of-a-fish.
Idiomatic: "Only coolness comes out of the fish's mouth."
Meaning: Make only calm, soothing things comot from your mouth.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Allow your mouth to talk only soothing things"
Notes: Tútù, coolness, na di standard Yorùbá figure for behavior wey calm and no dey provoke, wey opposite to gbóná, heat, wey dem dey use for vex and provocation; di fish, wey dey live inside water and by association dey cool permanently, na wetin dem choose to represent dis because e coolness dey constant instead of somtin wey dem struggle reach. Dis one close di set on di same aspiration wey entry 12 take start am, say good speech ("kola nut from di pouch") and bad speech ("arrow from di quiver") na choices, and here dem narrow di choice down to one single recommended register: coolness, always.
Literal: Ẹnu èèyàn people's mouths lẹbọ are-the-sacrifice-that-must-be-made.
Idiomatic: "People's mouths are the things to offer sacrifices to."
Meaning: Wetin pipo dey talk about person na im make sense pass to pacify with sacrifice, pass any kind spiritual danger.
Used when: Owomoyela: "One need fear nothing as much as what people say"
Notes: Ẹbọ na sacrifice for di technical Ifá and òrìṣà sense, offering wey dem dey make to calm spiritual powers or avert bad luck wey divination reveal, so to shift dat kind language come ordinary human mouth na claim wey deliberately dey provoke thought: dem describe amebo and wetin public dey talk say e dangerous pass, and e need ritual management pass, di spiritual dangers wey dem normally dey make sacrifice against. E fit well well as di end of dis collection, since e state plainly di main idea wey dem arrange dis whole file around, say mouth na di most serious power wey Yorùbá proverb-user must reckon with.
Three things stand out across dis forty-eight proverbs wey person fit easily miss if dem dey read dem one by one.
Dem treat mouth like physical body part wey dangerous, no be just channel for talk. E dey kill quick pass any weapon (entry 6), e dey leave wound wey no dey ever close (entry 5), e dey trap wetin e target without fail (entry 13), and e deserve ritual sacrifice pass any spirit (entry 48). Dis na consistent tone across di set: talk no be transfer of information wey fit go wrong, e be appetite and tool wey dangerous by im nature, just as fire and blade dangerous by their nature. Di imagery wey dey repeat of talk as physical substance, egg (entry 3), poto-poto (entry 7), liquid wey pour (entry 36), string of cowrie (entry 27), dey reinforce di same point from different angle: words inside dis corpus dey behave like solid matter, with weight, fragility and stain, no be like abstract things.
Di corpus no resolve di question of whether to talk or keep quiet, and dat lack of resolution dey real. Entry 15 reach 21 build strong argument for silence, wey reach climax with di elephant wey get di forest precisely because e no need to announce imsef. Entry 20 come state plainly say if person refuse to talk, di mouth go dey smell and say person suppose always talk wetin dey im mind. Dem document di two, pipo dey truly use di two, and to gather dem join into one single doctrine about Yorùbá attitude toward silence go misrepresent di material. Dem dey pick proverb for occasion; person wey dey praise elder wey no dey talk too much go use entry 17, person wey dey tell relative wey dey vex keep quiet make e talk go use entry 20, and nothing inside di corpus dey judge between dem for abstract level.
Speech proverbs about poor pipo harsh well well pass di proverbs wey di corpus get about character generally. Entry 11 and 46 measure poor person voice by wetin e fit do, cutlass to clear bush, and dem refuse am hearing "inside discussion" completely, framed by nothing wey soft pass di person poverty wey everybody dey see. Dis one no align easily with proverbs wey dey elsewhere inside dis same tradition wey place value on character pass wealth (see 01-iwa-character, entry 1 reach 15). Di two sides na genuine part of di recorded corpus, and any file wey keep only di fine-fine material no go dey describe di tradition accurately.
Fifty-eight Yorùbá proverbs on character, presented with the original, a literal gloss, a named translation, and the situation each is spoken in.
The machinery Yorùbá uses to make new words, and a worked, confidence-flagged examination of the etymologies of the key religious and philosophical terms.
A short pointer file explaining why this corpus's full treatment of proverbs-about-proverbs lives at file 32, with one cross-reference and an honest record of an empty search for material distinct from that file.
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.
Sourced Yorùbá proverbs about telling the truth, the mechanics of lying and self-deception, and the value placed on a person whose word is reliable.
Forty-three Yorùbá proverbs on sùúrù, patience, presented with the original, a literal gloss, a named translation, and the situation each is spoken in.