Likuba and Annang proverbs: An ethnographic and sociolinguistic stud

Abstract. Proverbs are essential elements of communication in African communities. These are the traditional maxims that people use to relate to others in societies. They are also powerful tools that propel stimulating, interesting, culturally impactful and wisdomfilled interactions (primarily in informal contexts) among Africans. This study aims to explore the categories and functions of proverbs in two African communities (the Likuba people in the Cuvette region of northern Congo and the Annang in Akwaibom State in Nigeria). This is a qualitative-descriptive research. The participant-observation method was used to collect data. Functional and sociological theories of proverb and content analysis were applied in processing the data under study. It is based on 24 proverbs of which 12 Likuba and other 12 Annang. The analysis of Likuba proverbs takes into account the intentions of the speakers in daily greetings. Ultimately, it turns out that the Likuba and Annang proverbs pertain to diverse categories. They fulfill social, artistic and didactic functions. Likuba proverbs are unique because of their occurrence as an integral part of the act of greeting in social life. This ethnographic indication reveals that the speaker's intention goes beyond the attention of his interlocutor to that of the entire Likuba community. So, this article is intended as a contribution to previous work on proverbs in general, and the Likuba and Annang proverbs in particular. Mots-clés : Proverbes, Likuba, Annang, salutation, communication. Keywords: Proverbs, Likuba, Annang, salutation, communication