Understanding the semantics of Chichewa proverbs in the light of contemporary philosophy of language

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Periodical article

Title:	Understanding the semantics of Chichewa proverbs in the light of contemporary philosophy of language
Author:	Kayange, Grivas Muchineripi
Year:	2014
Periodical:	Journal of African Cultural Studies (ISSN 1369-6815)
Volume:	26
Issue:	2
Pages:	220-233
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Malawi
Subjects:	proverbs Chewa dialect semantics
External link:	https://doi.org/10.1080/13696815.2014.887461
Abstract:	The article investigates the semantics of Chichewa proverbs based on insights from the contemporary philosophy of language. The basic argument is that a proverb is a special type of sentence/speech act whose meaning requires the consideration of a link between the literal/non-literal meaning and the way the utterance is used in a given context. Although the article is limited to discussing Chichewa proverbs, it will alos contribute to the general understanding of proverbs elsewhere in Africa, given that the mechanisms followed in the development and use of proverbs seems to follow a similar pattern. The article is based on a study of provers collected among the Chewa of Malawi in 1994 and 2012. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. [Journal abstract]