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:  Kugocha kunoda kwaamai, kwemwana kunodzima moto.
Translation: Roasting is tolerated when it is mother doing it, when the child does it, it is described as destructive to the fire.

Postproverbial: Kutonga kunoda kweMDC kweZANU kuuraya nyika.
Translation: Ruling by MDC is tolerated, that of ZANU destroys the country.
Postproverbial: WhatsApp inoda iri yemurume yemukadzi chifambi.
Translation: A husband is allowed to be on WhatsApp, when a wife does so, it is considered as prostitution.
Zimbabwe (Shona) 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:  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:  Ayara adia ikot, Abasi abat isua.
Translation: The bully plunders the land but God counts the years.

Postproverbial: Oyod adia Abasi abat isua.
Translation: The rat is eating, God is counting the years.
Postproverbial: Idiok owo adia Abasi abat isua.
Translation: The wicked person is eating but God is counting the years.
Nigeria (Efik) 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:  Àìtètè m’ólè, olè ń m’ólóko.
Translation: In the hesitation to catch the thief, the thief arrests the farmer.

Postproverbial: Àìtètè m’ólè, olè gbọ́n sí i.
Translation: In the hesitation to catch the thief, the thief proves wiser.
Postproverbial: Àìtètè m’ólè, olè ń sálọ.
Translation: In the hesitation to catch the thief, the thief scampers away.
Nigeria (Yoruba) Read more