Nollywood Proverbs as Sociolinguistic Expressions

Abstract

Proverbs serve as globally recognized expressions of a people's culture and worldview. While the Nollywood industry is acclaimed for propagating Africa’s diverse heritage, a crucial component of this cultural display lies in verbal expressions that illuminate traditional moral and ethical norms. This is most evident in the prevalence of proverbs within contemporary productions, ranging from thought-provoking to didactic and hilarious renditions that enhance the narrative’s thematic and aesthetic depth. This study explores the sociolinguistic dimensions of traditional proverbs in Yoruba films, focusing on how they are creatively adapted to represent social practices and their cultural implications. Although typically defined as short, pithy expressions that offer moral advice, these proverbs undergo dramatic transformations in modern Yoruba cinema to project their sociolinguistic significance. By integrating these dramatic elements, filmmakers make traditional wisdom more appealing to audiences, fostering a deeper appreciation of ancestral practices. Through a purposive selection of Nollywood proverbs, this research examines the elements that establish these sayings as the ethnography of a society.