Sociology

Value (mathematics)

Sociolinguistics

Mathematics

Value theory

Statistics

Epistemology

Manually coded language

Philosophy

Psychology

Natural language

Yoruba

Linguistics

Social psychology

Sociolinguistics of sign languages

The major communicative function of proverbs in any culture is to teach (moral) lessons through the socio-cultural norms, values and the general worldview of a people. This is particularly true of the Yoruba of South West, Nigeria, who use proverbs basically for didactic functions. However, changes in value system as a result of certain social variables and the consequence emergence of some proverbs that have elements of moral laxity threaten the traditional basic foundation of proverbial use in the society. Against this backdrop, this study, using sociolinguistics as a tool of analysis and Adegbija's (1982) pragma-sociolinguistics as a theoretical framework, examines the impact of changes in the value system of the Yoruba people and how it is reflected in the use of the selected proverbs. The work posts that the rampart moral decadence impacts negatively on the people's value system with a submission that urgent and important steps must be taken before the lofty values of the Yoruba people are completely supplanted.

Language and African Social Values: A Sociolinguistic Analysis of Selected Yoruba Proverbs