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:  Wo yire apem a, w’asem apem.
Translation: If you have a thousand wives, you have a thousand troubles.

Postproverbial: Wo yire apem a, wo busa apem.
Translation: If you have a thousand wives, you have a thousand questions to answer.
Postproverbial: Wo yire apem a, wondi ne ma.
Translation: If you have a thousand wives, you won’t benefit from their children.
Ghana (Akan) Read more

Proverb:  Deɛ anyɛ yie, yɛmfa nka asɛm.
Translation: When something does not turn out well, we don’t use it to talk about other things.

Postproverbial: Deɛ anyɛ yie, na saa na ɛbɛ yɛ.
Translation: When something does not/has not worked out well, there is no way to salvage failure.
Postproverbial: Deɛ anyɛ yie, ne sumina so.
Translation: When something does not/has not worked out well, it is to be found on the rubbish dump.
Ghana (Akan) Read more

Proverb:  Àìsí nílé olóógbò, ilé d’ilé èkúté.
Translation: The cat is not in the house, the home becomes the playground of rats.

Postproverbial: Àìsí nílé olóógbò, ló ún mú èkúté ṣakọ.
Translation: The cat is not in the house, the mouse struts about.
Postproverbial: Àìsí nílé olóógbò, ló mú èkúté jọba ní “kínsínnì”.
Translation: The cat is not in the house, and the mouse becomes king in the kitchen.
Nigeria (Yoruba) Read more

Proverb:  Àgbájọ ọwọ́ la fi ń’sọ àyà.
Translation: [With] All fingers clenched to fist, we beat the chest in solidarity.

Postproverbial: Àgbájọ ọwọ́ la fi ń’sọ àyà; l’áyée kòró kọ̀ọ́.
Translation: [With] All fingers clenched to fist, we beat the chest in solidarity; not in the age of coronavirus.
Postproverbial: Àgbájọ ọwọ́ la fi ń’wẹ ọwọ́.
Translation: [With] All fingers clenched to fist, we wash (the hands) to cleanliness.
Africa (COVID-19) Read more

Proverb:  Abofra yɛ deɛ yenyɛ a, ɔhunu deɛ yɛnhunu.
Translation: If a child does what is not done, then he sees what should not be seen.

Postproverbial: Abofra yɛ deɛ yenyɛ a, yɛ de aba bɔ no.
Translation: If a child does what is not done, s/he is caned.
Postproverbial: Abofra yɛ deɛ yenyɛ a, yɛ tea no.
Translation: If a child does what is not done, s/he is disciplined.
Ghana (Akan) 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