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:  Àgbò tó tà’dí m’ẹ́yìn, agbára ló lọ mú wá.
Translation: The ram that charges backward, readies itself for another onslaught.

Postproverbial: Àgbò tó tà’dí m’ẹ́yìn, ó fẹ́ lọ twerk ni.
Translation: The ram that charges backward, prepares to twerk.
Postproverbial: Àgbò tó tà’dí m’ẹ́yìn, ó fẹ́ lọ ṣubú sí gọ́tà ni.
Translation: The ram that charges backward, prepares to fall in the ditch.
Nigeria (Yoruba) Read more

Proverb:  Deɛ ɔso twene kɛseɛ nni biribi a, ɔwɔ awerɛkyekyerɛ.
Translation: If he who carries the big drum has nothing else, he has condolences.

Postproverbial: Deɛ ɔso twene kɛseɛ nni biribi a, ɔwɔ akokoɔduro.
Translation: He who carries the big drum is brave.
Postproverbial: Deɛ ɔso twene kɛseɛ nni biribi a, ɔwɔ kakyire.
Translation: He who carries a big drum has a pad to cushion his shoulders.
Ghana (Akan) Read more

Proverb:  Bí òkété bá dàgbà tán, omú ọmọ rẹ̀ ní í mu.
Translation: Once a rodent gets old, it sucks its child’s breasts.

Postproverbial: Bí òkété bá dàgbà tán, á d’arúgbó.
Translation: Once a rodent is old, it grows older.
Postproverbial: Bí òkété bá dàgbà tán, èkùrọ́ tó ti tọ́jú ní í máa jẹ.
Translation: Once a rodent is old, it eats its own reserved palm kernels.
Nigeria (Yoruba) Read more

Proverb:  Àpọ́nlé ni Ìyá Káà, kò sẹ́ni tó wà ní Káà tí ò lórúkọ.
Translation: It’s a sheer honour to be called “Court Matriarch”, there’s no woman who does not have a proper name.

Postproverbial: Àpọ́nlé ni ọmọ Lèmọ́mù, kò s'ẹ́ni tí a kò lè mú.
Translation: It’s a sheer honour to be called “son of Imam”, there is no one who cannot be caught.
Postproverbial: Àpọ́nlé ni fọ́maànù, ẹnì kan kì í jẹ́ èèyàn mẹ́rin.
Translation: It’s sheer honour to be called “Foreman”, no one person can bear the names of four men.
Nigeria (Yoruba) Read more

Proverb:  “Mai zan yi da abinda ya gagare wuta,” inji kishiyar konania.
Translation: “I have no business with a fire fighter,” says the co-wife of a burnt woman.

Postproverbial: “Ba ruwana da asibiti,” inji kishiyar mai korona.
Translation: “I have no business with the hospital,” says the co-wife of a corona patient.
Postproverbial: “Mai zan yi da abinda ya gagare wuta,” inji kishiyar mai korona.
Translation: “I have no business with a fire fighter,” says the co-wife of a corona patient.
Africa (COVID-19) 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