Semantic Analysis of Proverbs: A Conversation Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36473/ujhss.v61i3.1847Keywords:
Affective meaning, Connotative meaning, Denotative meaning, Proverbs, Semantics, Thematic meaningAbstract
Proverbs are considered as a major source of ancient events and happenings. Similar to other past events related to life, proverbs have many important and famous values in people's life. This study will shed lights on the use of proverbs as short sentences based on long experiences. The aim of the study is to explicate the roles, and the importance of proverbs in our life and how they are used to convey thoughts to people throughout simple words with denotation. Thus, proverbs explicate the truth and experience of our grandfathers when directed for criticism. Few proverbs were used by writers to criticize, mimic and reprint their personalities. Hence, proverbs will achieve portions of the unique roles of understanding. The model to be used accordingly is an eclectic model by Leech (1974), Odebunmi, (2002) and Udofot (1999). The results of the analysis have shown different scores of occurrence of semantic meanings as the following: Denotative meaning as 100%, Connotative meaning as 100%, Thematic meaning as 100%, Affective meaning as 92.307%, Stylistic meaning as 92.307%, Collocative meaning as 76.923%, Reflexive meaning as 30.77%. Referential theory as 92.307% ,and Image theory as 92.307%. Proverbs have been and keep highly and essential tools for the illustration of culture, social morality, manners and behaviors of insisters from one era to another. Proverbs may work as impersonal tool for personal interrogation. Parents can use proverbs to control their sons' behavior or ways of thinking.
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