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:  W’adaka si aburokyire a, deɛ ɛwɔ mu nyinaa wonim.
Translation: If your possessions are abroad, you know what is yours (wherever it may be).

Postproverbial: W’adaka si aburokyire a, wonsa nka da.
Translation: If your possessions are abroad, you’ve lost them.
Postproverbial: W’adaka si aburokyire a, wo nkyere hɔ kɔ.
Translation: If your possessions are abroad, you’ll definitely go there.
Ghana (Akan) Read more

Proverb:  Ọmọ tó ní ìyá òun kò ní sùn, òun náà kò ní fi ojú kan oorun.
Translation: A child who will not allow his mother to rest will himself stay awake.

Postproverbial: Ọmọ tó ní ìyá òun kò ní sùn, orun ni kò kùn ún.
Translation: A child who will not allow his mother to rest must be insomniac.
Postproverbial: Ọmọ tó ní ìyá òun kò ní sùn, à á fún un ní “Valium”.
Translation: A child who will not allow his mother to rest should be administered with valium.
Nigeria (Yoruba) Read more

Proverb:  Yɛde akyire gya wo a, ɛnka wo nko.
Translation: If we leave you as caretaker you are not regarded as being alone.

Postproverbial: Yɛde akyire gya wo a, hwɛ ne yie.
Translation: If we leave you as caretaker, be diligent.
Postproverbial: Yɛde akyire gya wo a, hwɛ so yie.
Translation: If we leave you as caretaker, it is a huge responsibility.
Ghana (Akan) Read more

Proverb:  Mtoto akililia wembe mpe.
Translation: If a child cries for a razor give it to him.

Postproverbial: Mtoto akililia wembe, keshaota nywele za ukubwani.
Translation: If a child cries for a razor he must have pubic hair.
Postproverbial: Mtoto akililia wembe usimpe atajikata.
Translation: If a child cries for a razor don’t give it to him he will cut himself.
East Africa (Kiswahili) Read more

Proverb:  Ẹni tó gbódó mì, ìdúró kò sí, ìbere kò sí.
Translation: [For] he who swallows a mortar or pestle, there is no rest, neither standing nor stooping.

Postproverbial: Ẹni tó gbódó mì, kò lè di ọjọ́ kejì.
Translation: He who swallows a mortar or pestle, will not survive the second day.
Postproverbial: Ẹni tó gbódó mì, kò ní jẹ́ ká r’íyán jẹ.
Translation: He who swallows a mortar or pestle, causes us to lose the chance of eating pounded yam.
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