Communicative and Stylistic Potential of New Yoruba Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions on The Label of Alcoholic Drinks
Abstract
This paper investigated issues expressed with these idioms as well as the strategy for using them for various modern alcoholic drinks in Yoruba land. The paper adopted Mukarovsky's theory of Standard Language based on its ability to explain the deviant nature of the new Yoruba idioms as well as explaining 'differencia specifica' between the language of everyday conversation and Literary Language. Data were collected from different beer joints in Lagos State and Ògùn State respectively as States where most of these drinks are produced. Eventually, data were subjected to stylistic analysis. In all, sex is the only issue that was expressed. Sex, which was peculiar to all the alcoholic drinks, occurred in the context of 'eroticism', 'vulgarity', 'sexual style', and 'sexual positioning'. Only the metaphorisation linguistic strategy was employed for the coining of the idioms and was differentially derived from nominalizations, phonaesthetic coinages, and compositions. Nominalisations, compositions, and phonaesthetic coinages occurred in almost all the labels, and they were contextualized in eroticism ('Ọ̀ṣọmọ', 'Alọmọ', 'Ògidigà' and 'Ọ́ríjìn (ọ rí i jìn?); sexual style (Kòbókò, Kerewa, Pakurumo) while Dadubule revealed sexual positioning. New Yorùbá idioms, used to express-socio economic and emotive issues in routine communication, occurred in mediated and non-mediated contexts and were conveyed through metaphorisations. These idioms rethe flect dynamism and modernity-constrained stylistic choices in Yorùbá discourses.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Akanmu, D. 2018 . ‘’The Phenomenon of New Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions in Football matches: Communicative and Stylistic Approach” in Logos and Littera, Faculty of Philology, University of Montenegro
Akanmu, D. 2017. “New Yoruba Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions: A new mode of Expression in Political Arena” in Dialectogia, University of Barcelona, Spain.
Akanmu, D. 2016. ''Communicative and Stylistic Utilization of New Yoruba Idioms among Students of Higher Institutions,'' Argotica,1(15), University of Craiova.
Akanmu, D. 2015. ''Language and Culture Among the Yorùbá: A study of Argot, Cant, Jargons and Slang as Forerunners of New Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions in the 12st Century'' International Journal of Innovation and Applied Studies 12(3).
Akanmu, D. 2014. ''New Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions in Yorùbá Literary and Routine Communication'', Thesis, Linguistics, Arts University of Ìbàdàn.
Awóbùlúyì, O. 1992. ''Lexical Expansion in Yorùbá Techniques and Principles''. Research in Yorùbá Language and Literature. Technicians of the Sacred, Burbark.
Babalọlá, A. 1972. ''The Growth of the Yorùbá Language: Problems Encountered and Solutions''. Essayed Staff Seminar Papers and Subsequent Discussions.
Bámgbóṣé, A. 1975. ''Relative Clauses and Nominalised Sentences in Yorùbá'' in Proceedings of the Sixth Conference on African Linguistics, OSU WPL 20. 202-209 Ed, Robert, K. Herbert.
Crystal, D. 1997. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, Italy, Cambridge University Press.
Mukarovsky, J. 1970. "Standard Language and Poetic Language" in Freeman, D.C (ed), Linguistic and Literary Style, Massachusett, H.R.W.
Mackinnon. 1996. Towards a Feminist Theory of the State, Cambridge, Omywords Cambridge.
Ògúnbọ̀wálé, J. 1967. Essentials of the Yorùbá Language, Ìbàdàn Ì̀bàdàn University Press.
Ọlátẹ́jú, M.O.A. 2016. ''Language and Style (-Listics) in Literary and Routine Communication: The Yorùbá Example'' An Inaugural Lecture, 2015/2016, University Press.
Ọlátẹ́jú, M.O.A. 2012. Current Issues and Trends in African Verbal Stylistics: the Yorùbá Example'' in Style in African Literature (Eds) Makokha, J.K.S Obiero, O.J and West Pavlov. R. Amsterdam-New York: Radopi pp. 59-70.
Ọlátẹ́jú, M.O.A. 2008. '' Jẹ̀dí Ò Makọ̀wé'': A Socio-Linguistic Analysis of the Language Style of the Yorùbá Herbal Medicine Practitioners'', Proceedings Linguistics (ACAL), University of Georgia, Athens, U.S.A.
Ọlátẹ́jú, M.O.A. 2005. ''The Phenomenon of New Idioms in Yorùbá Literary and Routine Communication'' in Yorùbá Creativity, Fiction, Language, Life and Songs, Fálọlá, T. and Ann Jenova, P.C (Eds) pp. 273-287.
Ọlátẹ́jú, M.O.A. 1989. ''A Structuralist Study of the Sound Pattern in Yorùbá Poetic Discourse'' Dissertation, Linguistics, Arts, University of Ìbàdàn.
Owólabí, K. 1976. ''Noun - Noun Constructions in Yorùbá Language'', Thesis, Linguistics, Arts, University of Ìbàdàn.
Rowland. 1969. Teach Yourself Yorùbá, London: English University Press.
Ruwet. 1973. An Introduction to Generative Grammar, Amsterdam: North Holland.