Chinua Achebe, a renowned writer described proverbs as a fuel Igbo people use while communicating.
It's important to know when or where you should say whatever you say.
It would not be good to take a parable about raising children when talking about motivation and budget, or take a proverb about a married couple when talking about a servant and his boss.
This story will make you measure the proverbs in their proper place, this will bring you good respect, peace and prosperity among the people, relatives and your brothers.
These situations include husband and wife, motivation and budget, the relationship between a servant and his master, government, character, care, training of children, throwing baskets, honor, food and wealth, etc.
Here are some of the proverbs and situations where they can be used.
Human character
- Nwaanyị makarịa di ya n'uzọ, ihe chere di ya, ewere ya.
Meaning: A wise person is not careful; it is likely that the problem is set for someone else.
- Wepụ aka enwe n'ofe, tupu ọ ghọọ aka mmadụ.
Meaning: Stop your bad behavior before it gets to you.
- Otu onye siere igwe mmadụ nri, ọha ga-ericha nri ahụ mana igwe mmadụ siere otu onye nri, ọ gaghị erichanwu ya
Meaning: One person cannot do what a crowd should do.
- Otu aka rụta mmanụ, o jezuo ọha.
Meaning: A person with a bad character can taint other good characters around him.
- Onye kpatara nkụ ahụhụ si ngwere bịara ya ọrụ
Meaning: He who is in trouble, do not run away from the punishment that will follow him.
Follow up
- Ọkụkọ na-edowe ahụ na ara na-ayị ya ahụbeghị nkịta mmanya na-egbu
Meaning: The person who wants to die sees each other, life will follow him.
- Ojituru m n'ala, ji onwe ya.
Meaning: A person who does what he should do with ignorance, is wasting his time.
- Aka nri kwọọ aka ekpe, aka ekpe akwọọ aka nri
Meaning: He who treats his neighbor with good behavior, he also gets good behavior.
- Ogologo abụghị na nwam etola.
Meaning: It is not used how tall a person is, it is known if he is smart.
- Agwọ emeghị nke o jiri buru agwọ, ụmụaka a chiri ya hie nkụ..
Meaning: It's good for someone to take what they know and talk about it
Children's training
- Ọ bụghị ụbọchi nwata kwafuru mmanu ka a na-apịa ya ụtalị, kama ụbọchị ọ kwafuru mmanụ agbịdị.
Meaning: A child's repeated bad behavior is what causes him to be punished.
- Okro anaghị akarị onye kụrụ ya.
Meaning: A child does not exceed the instructions of his parents.
- Nwata rie ihe ọ na-amụrụ anya, ụra atụọ ya.
Meaning: A person does what he reads, he rests or is satisfied.
- Nwata kwụọ aka ya, o soro ndị okenye rie nri.
Meaning: A child who knows something will hang out and drink with the elders or someone who knows something will enter the world where his age will not die.
- A naghị eji ụtụtụ ama njọ ahia.
Meaning: It is not used when the child is small, it is known whether he will be smart or hold a lot of money.
Alum couple
- Ọgọ bịakarịa, e zie ya kpata nkụ
Meaning: A liar often goes to his brother-in-law, will receive insults but never seen it.
- Okokporo came from a busy business, how many of his children are in the business?
Meaning: A man or a woman who is eligible for marriage, do it so that they can have children.
- Nwanyi lelie di ya, ekwu akpo ya nku
Meaning: A woman who insults him, will fall into trouble.
- Nwunye awo si na di atoka uto, ya jiri nuta nke ya kworo ya n'azu..
Meaning: Njakiri women are known by this proverb so that they will love their husband more.
- Agbogho hokaria di ya aluo eke mmuo
Meaning: It is not good for a girl to understand a man.
Caution
- nweghị ihe anya hụrụ gba obara.
Meaning: There is nothing in the world that one can say they have never seen before.
- Awọ anaghị agba ọsọ ehihie n'efu.
Obligation: People don't cry because they don't have it
- Don't sell single-roost chickens near living quarters.
Meaning: Your reputation has become a fraud.
- Hunt the black goat in the afternoon
Meaning: A person does something at the right time.
FOOD
- Agadị wekọtacha ọkazị ma gbajie mgbọrọgwụ ya, agụ biara n'afo nke mbụ ga-abịakwa ọzọ
Meaning: Don't take everything you have today, remember that there is tomorrow.
- nweghị onye na-ajụ ofe azụ juputere na ya.
Meaning: A good thing appeals to everyone or no one sees the benefit of rejecting it.
- Onye si na ya anaghi ata anu nkita, ya arakwala mmiri ofe ya.
Meaning: Anything that doesn't feel good to you, don't go near it.
