Examining The Structures And Literary Devices And The Aesthetic Qualities Embedded In Dagaaba Proverbs

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the structures of some selected Dagaaba proverbs and analyse their literary devices and the aesthetic qualities that are embedded in them with particular reference to the Central Dialect of Dagaare.  Purposive sampling technique was adopted for the study and the design of the study was qualitative research because the analyses of the data were mainly descriptive. The sample size of the population of the study was the chief and his elders of the Ulkpong Traditional area and three sections of the language community namely Konyaasɛn, Gompare and Gyepare in the Upper West Region of Ghana and two lecturers from the University of Education, Winneba. The instruments used in the study for data collection were unstructured interview and participatory observation. The findings confirmed that Dagaaba proverbs have various structures in their compositions and varied literary devices and their aesthetic qualities were clearly displayed in the analyses.

Keywords: simple, complex, statements composition