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:  ɔbaa ne ne kunu asɛm, obi nnim mu.
Translation: [As for] a woman and her husband’s affairs, one does not know.

Postproverbial: ɔbaa ne ne kunu asɛm, osugyani nka bi.
Translation: [As for] a woman and her husband’s affairs, bachelors do not meddle.
Postproverbial: ɔbaa ne ne kunu asɛm, obi nka bi.
Translation: [As for] a woman and her husband’s affairs, nobody can say anything about it.
Ghana (Akan) Read more

Proverb:  Penye miti hapana wajenzi.
Translation: Where there are trees, there are no builders.

Postproverbial: Penye miti mingi, wanatunza sana mazingira.
Translation: Where there are many trees, they seriously protect environment.
Postproverbial: Penye miti mingi, hakuna wa kuikata.
Translation: Where there are many trees, there is no one to cut them.
East Africa (Kiswahili) 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:  Àgbàtán làá gbọ̀lẹ; bí a d’áṣọ fún un, à á pa á láro.
Translation: A lazy man should be helped completely; when you buy him a cloth, you must also dye it.

Postproverbial: Àgbàtán làá gbọ̀lẹ; bí a bá là ní jà, à á mú u délé.
Translation: The lazy man must be fully supported; when you stop him in a fight, you must escort him to his home.
Postproverbial: Àgbàtán làá gbọ̀lẹ; bí a fún un lóúnjẹ, à á f’ọbẹ̀ síi.
Translation: A lazy man should be helped completely; when you give him food, you must also provide the stew.
Nigeria (Yoruba) Read more

Proverb:  Kure kwegava ndokusina mutsubvu.
Translation: A wild dog will go anywhere the mutsubvu fruit tree is found.

Postproverbial: Kure kwabusinessman ndokusina n' anga.
Translation: A business man will go wherever there is a traditional doctor.
Postproverbial: Kure kwe$ ndokusina bond.
Translation: The USD is found where there are bond notes.
Zimbabwe (Shona) Read more

Proverb:  Gàǹbàrí pa Fúlàní, kò lẹ́jọ́ nínú.
Translation: If the Hausaman kills the Fulani, it is not actionable.

Postproverbial: Gàǹbàrí pa Fúlàní, kí Ibadan ṣá mà ti bàjẹ́.
Translation: Let the Hausaman kill the Fulani, as long as Ibadan is not in turmoil.
Postproverbial: Gàǹbàrí pa Fúlàní, á sun àtìmọ́lé.
Translation: If the Hausaman kills the Fulani, he will be imprisoned.
Nigeria (Yoruba) Read more