Welcome to Postproverbial Community

What then is a postproverbial, or to address the form in the plural sense, what are postproverbials? Postproverbials are radicalized proverbial utterances which subvert the logic and the pattern of conventional proverbs...

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SOME RANDOM PROVERBS & THEIR POSTPROVERBIALS

Proverb:  Gya m’wɛ n’tu, se m’yage lam.
Translation: Come down with good fortune rather than beauty.

Postproverbial: Gya m’wɛ n’tu, ko gara mo na gyege nɔɔna.
Translation: Come down with good fortune, it is better than having people.
Postproverbial: Gya m’wɛ n’tu, n’gya wɛ n’lei.
Translation: Come down with good fortune “and tie up time” (so that you can enjoy your good fortune).
Ghana (Kasem) Read more

Proverb:  Ba di ba vana mo, se ba ba tɛa ba vana.
Translation: We exclude others when we eat food, but we do not exclude them when we talk about issues.

Postproverbial: Ba di ba vana mo, a gyei a nia.
Translation: We exclude others when we eat food, I am sitting down and watching.
Postproverbial: Ba di ba vana mo, a gyei a nia.
Translation: We exclude others when we eat food, I am looking on.
Ghana (Kasem) Read more

Proverb:  Ẹni tó jìn sí kòtò, ó kọ́ ará ìyókù lọ́gbọ́n.
Translation: He who falls into the pit serves as a scapegoat to others.

Postproverbial: Ẹni tó jìn sí kòtò, kò wo ibi tó ń lọ ni.
Translation: He who falls into the pit is probably unconscious of where he’s going.
Postproverbial: Ẹni tó jìn sí kòtò, ó fẹ́ dí kòtò ni.
Translation: He who falls into the pit is eager to fill the pit.
Nigeria (Yoruba) Read more

Proverb:  Simba mwenda pole/kimya ndiye mla nyama.
Translation: The lion that moves silently is the one that eats meat.

Postproverbial: Simba mwenda pole/kafungwa na/au anamuogopa Yanga.
Translation: The lion that moves silently has been beaten by or is afraid of Yanga.
Postproverbial: Simba mwenda pole/kimya jua iko gonjwa au haina njaa.
Translation: The lion that moves silently is either sick or not hungry.
East Africa (Kiswahili) Read more

Proverb:  Ará oko tí yò jẹ búrẹ́dì, ó gbọ́dọ̀ fi làgìdì tọrọ ná.
Translation: The villager who will eat bread, must send the gift of palm-waste lighter.

Postproverbial: Ará oko tí yò jẹ búrẹ́dì, ó ní láti wá sílé.
Translation: The villager who will eat bread, must come to town.
Postproverbial: Ará oko tí yò jẹ búrẹ́dì, ó má a f’ẹsẹ̀ kan dé “békírì”.
Translation: The villager who will eat bread, must take a walk to the bakery.
Nigeria (Yoruba) Read more

Proverb:  Boŋo tu na tere sɔŋɔ ne, ko lure bubala mo.
Translation: When the owner of a goat is absent, it gives birth to only males.

Postproverbial: Boŋo tu na tere sɔŋɔ ne, ko wo gyei mo.
Translation: When the owner of a goat is absent, it will get lost.
Postproverbial: Boŋo tu na tere sɔŋɔ ne, ko ba zuura diga.
Translation: When the owner of a goat is absent, it does not return to the goat pen.
Ghana (Kasem) Read more