The Pragmatics of Amharic Proverbs on Defects

Bamlaku Endegena Zegeye

Abstract


A proverb is a type of oral saying that plays the pride of people’s art and living conditions. It is also deemed to be the instrument of thought as they are employed to tell people the day to day activities of the community. Proverbs are the effects of human experiences and focus on the cultural practices of a community. The main objective of this study is to examine the pragmatics of Amharic proverbs on defects within the frameworks of relevant theory. This study will be used as a motivational factor for other interested scholars who work on Amharic languages. Besides, it will be useful for those learning Amharic as a second language or for those who are passionate about Amhara culture, custom, and language. This study carried out using a descriptive-qualitative research method. The researcher used purposive sampling technique. Semi-structured interview, introspection, and document analysis were used as data collecting tools for this study. Results indicate that the people of Amhara, particularly in the study areas employed various proverbs related to defects such as blind, deaf, crazy, leper, and dwarf. These proverbs harm those who are visually challenged, hearing difficulties, mentally challenged, physical problems, and physically challenged. As a result, the society affects the psychological well beings of those people. Besides, the society uses various proverbs to discriminate and degrade from the community.


Keywords


Amharic; defections; pragmatics; proverbs

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/13947

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