Abstract:
In pragmatics, the proverbs serve as one of the major tools of politeness and indirection.
They effectively help the composer to politely comment on very delicate issues without
incurring the displeasure of his audience. This paper examines the use of proverbs in
Ghanaian folksongs. It highlights the pragmatic aspects, didactic and communicative
functions of proverbs. The data for discussion is based on Akan proverbs extracted from
four popular songs by the late Alex Konadu, a renowned highlife musician. The paper is
discussed under the theoretical framework of linguistic politeness, which reflects the use
of tactful and practical language to obviate crisis. We will subject the proverbs to sociolinguistic
semantic, stylistic and pragmatic analyses. The paper argues that proverbs are
indispensable in Akan oratory and politeness systems and form part of speakers’
communicative competence. Konadu spices his songs with proverbs that enrich the lyrics.
The paper demonstrates that generally music serves as a storage facility for the documentation
of Akan proverbs. It finally comments on the absence of proverbs in current
Ghanaian highlife lyrics and its replacement with vulgar language, and recommends ways
for improving this precarious literary situation
