A PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF SELECTED KOLOKUMA PROVERBS

This study is a pragmatic analysis of selected Kolokuma proverbs.Kolokuma is a Norh-Central Ijoid-Lect within the Niger Congo Phylum. It is spoken in the Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. The objective of the study is to analyse the pragmatic acts performed through the use of proverbs in the dialect. The method of data collection was through oral interviews. The use of proverbs is an integral part of the language and culture of a people. We have observed that most of the proverbs in the dialect are didatic : teaching morals and societal values. The study demonstrated that, the proverbs perform illocutionary acts of asserting, advising, warning, admonishing, informing, cautioning and encouraging. {"references": ["Achebe, C.(1980). Things Fall Apart. London: Heinemann.", "Austin, J.J (1962). How to do things with words. Oxford University Press.", "Crystal, David. (1991). The Cambridge encyclopedia of language : Cmbridge University Press.", "Lawal, O. A.(2015). 'Pragmatic Use of some Proverbs on; 'Engungun' Among Yoruba Speakers'", "John Searl. Speech Acts. (1969). Cambridge : Cambridge University Press", "Ramirez & Rebollar. (2015). Proverb use and interpretation. Curso Academico 2014/2015 Feecha de presentacion 25/06/2015."]}