Women vs Mothers in German, Yoruba, and Igbo Proverbs: A Paradoxical Worldview
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Abstract
According to a German proverb, a country can be judged by the quality of its proverbs. This suggests that proverbs serve as a reflection of a society’s value system. This study examines the relationship between language, gender, and culture by analyzing the representation of women and mothers in the proverbs of three distinct cultural groups: the German, Yoruba, and Igbo peoples. Although extensive research has been conducted on the role of proverbs in shaping cultural identity, there remains a gap in understanding how different categories of women, particularly mothers, are valued across linguistic and cultural contexts. To address this gap, the study adopts a qualitative approach, analyzing more than seventy proverbs collected from secondary literature, including journal articles, books, and online materials. The findings indicate a consistent pattern across all three cultures, in which society attributes greater respect and honor to mothers compared to other categories of women. As a result, proverbs often depict motherhood with a level of reverence and sensitivity that is not necessarily extended to women in general. These insights contribute to discussions on gender representation in language, highlighting the cultural significance of motherhood as a respected social role across diverse linguistic traditions.
Keywords: Comparative linguistics; cultural values; mothers; proverbs; sociolinguistics; women
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