A Stylistic and Pragmatic Study of Kipsigis Proverbs

Abstract

This project presents the results of a linguistic study on Kipsigis proverbs. It was titled the Stylistic and Pragmatic study of Kipsigis proverbs. This study aimed at subjecting Kipsigis proverbs through a stylistic analysis. It also sought to find out the functions of Kipsigis proverbs in the contemporary Kipsigis society as well as establish the attitude of the Kipsigis speakers towards the Kipsigis proverbs. A questionnaire and Face to Face interview was used to collect data which was then analysed in three ways. The first was a stylistic analysis on 30 selected Kipsigis proverbs. The rhetorical devices that came out were alliteration, assonance, rhyme, personification, paradox, metaphor, allusion, analogy and ellipsis. The second analysis was Content Analysis which was done on the responses in the questionnaire aimed at establishing the functions of proverbs and the attitude of the Kipsigis speakers towards proverbs use. The findings were: that there is a varied attitude towards the proverbs among Kipsigis speakers depending on the age of the speaker and that proverbs are used for various reasons which include to advise, warn, educate, conceal a secret, correcting, settle a dispute and to pass cultural knowledge. Another finding is that the elderly members of the Kipsigis society are the ones who faithfully used the proverbs. These findings were then explained using Relevance Theory