Cover not available
Article published In:
Pragmatics and Society
Vol. 14:1 (2023) ► pp.1–22

Idioms, proverbs and body part expressions on Yiedie “wellbeing” in Akan

| University of Ghana,
This paper investigates the interaction between language, culture, body and emotions. It is an aspect of cognitive semantics that discusses the Akan somatic nature of their body and therefore have existing lexical items, idioms and proverbs to comment on “wellbeing”. It is based on Conceptual Metaphor Theory by Lakoff and Johnson (1980) and Ethnopragmatics by Goddard (2006). A great parts of Akan expressions for “wellbeing” are tapped from body parts through their physical, cognitive, and emotional representations. The nature of the derived semantic patterns and how the Akans consider these somatic expressions, idioms and proverbs as important aspects of their language and culture are discussed. This paper argues that “wellbeing” as an emotion is transitional like a pendulum; one can be enjoying aspects of “wellbeing” for a moment and be in “distress” and “depression” a moment later.
Keywords: conceptual metaphor, ethnopragmatics, emotions, wellbeing, proverbs, Akan
Article outline
  • 1Introduction: Interface between body and Language
    • 1.1The Akan language and people
    • 1.2Methodology and data sources
      • 1.2.1Methodology: Application
    • 1.3Theoretical framework
      • 1.3.1Conceptual metaphor
      • 1.3.2Ethnopragmatics
  • 2.The concept of yiedie, “wellbeing”
    • 2.1Akan idioms and expressions on yiedie, “Wellbeing”
      • 2.1.1 Yiedie, “Wellbeing” that relate to money and material wealth
      • 2.1.2 Awoɔ ‘Childbirth’, initiation and marriage as pillars of yiedie “Wellbeing”
      • 2.1.3Good health and yiedie, “Wellbeing”
  • 3Expressions of yiedie, “Wellbeing” captured by Body Parts
    • 3.1 Yiedie, “Wellbeing” related to ho, ‘Body’
    • 3.2 Yiedie, “Wellbeing” related to aso, ‘Ear’
    • 3.3 Bo, ‘Chest’ and Akoma, ‘Heart’ expressions for yiedie, “wellbeing”
    • 3.4 Abotɔyam/akomatɔyam, ‘patience, satisfaction, Relief’
    • 3.5Head, luck and yiedie, “wellbeing”
  • 4.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 14 March 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ps.19015.agy
References (37)
References
Agyekum, Kofi. 2008. ‘The pragmatics of Akan greetings.’ Discourse Studies 10 (4): 489–512. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. 2015a. ‘Metaphors of anger in Akan.’ International Journal of Language and Culture 2 (1): 87–107. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. 2015b. ‘ Ani, ‘eye’ metaphorical expressions in Akan.’ Journal of West African Languages (JWAL) 42 (1): 1–29.Google Scholar
. 2015c. ‘Metaphors and metonyms of patience Akan.’ RASK, International Journal of Language and Communication 431: 35–65.Google Scholar
. 2015d. Akan metaphoric expressions based on yam, ‘stomach’. Cognitive Linguistic Studies 2 (1): 94–115. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. 2016. ‘Bodily state and metaphors relating to ho, ‘body’ in Akan’. Metaphors and Social World 36 (20): 326–344. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. 2017. ‘The ethnosemantics and proverbs of ohia, ‘poverty’ in Akan.’ Legon Journal of Humanities 28 (2): 23–48.Google Scholar
. 2018. Akan body part expressions: Cognitive semantics and pragmatic approach. Accra: Adwinsa Publications.Google Scholar
. 2020. Akan cultural concepts and expressions for “stress”, “distress”, “sorrow”, and “depression” Nordic Journal of African Studies 29 (3): 1–21.Google Scholar
Bonvillain, Nancy. 1993. Language, culture and communication: The meaning of messages. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall.Google Scholar
Christaller, Johann Gottlieb. 1933. Dictionary of the Asante and Fante language called Twi. (Second Edition). Basel: Basel Evangelical Missionary Society.Google Scholar
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. 2002. Flow: The classic work on how to achieve happiness. London: Rider Books.Google Scholar
Dodge, Rachel, Annette Daly, Jan Huyton & Lalage Dorothy Sanders. 2012. ‘The challenge of defining wellbeing.’ International Journal of Wellbeing 2(3): 222–235. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Dzokoto, Vivian Afi. 2010. ‘Different ways of feeling: Emotion and the somatic awareness in Ghanaians and Euro-Americans.’ Journal of Social, Evolutionary, and Cultural Psychology 4 (20): 68–78. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Dzokoto, Vivian Afi & Sumie Okazaki. 2006. ‘Happiness in the eye and heart: Somatic referencing in West African emotion lexica.’ Journal of Black Psychology 32 (2): 117–140. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Enfield, Nicholas J. and Anna Wierzbicka. 2002. ‘Introduction: The body in description of emotion.’ In Nicholas J. Enfield & Anna Wierzbicka (Eds.), Pragmatics and Cognition (Special issue: The body in description of emotion ) 10 (1–2): 1–25. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Goddard, Cliff. 2004. ‘The ethnopragmatics and semantics of ‘active metaphors.’ Journal of Pragmatics (Special issue on ‘Metaphor’, edited by Gerard Steen) 36 (7): 1211–1230. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. (2006). ‘Ethnopragmatics: a new paradigm.’ In Cliff Goddard (Ed.), Ethnopragmatics: Understanding discourse in cultural context (pp.1–30). Berlin: Mouton De Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Goddard, Cliff and Zhengdao Ye. 2015. ‘Ethnopragmatics.’ In Sharifian, Farzad (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of language and culture (pp 66–83). London: RoutledgeGoogle Scholar
Gyekye, Kwame. 1987. An essay on African philosophical thought: The Akan conceptual scheme. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Hansford, Gillian F. 2005. ‘My eyes are red: body part metaphor in Chumburung.’ Journal of West African Languages 32 (1–2): 135–192.Google Scholar
Huppert, Felicia A. 2009. Psychological well-being: Evidence regarding its causes and consequences.’ Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being 11: 137–164.Google Scholar
Kloep, Marion, Leo Hendry & Danny Saunders. 2009. ‘A new perspective on human development.’ Conference of the International Journal of Arts and Sciences 1 (6): 332–343.Google Scholar
Kövecses, Zoltán. 2008. ‘Metaphor and emotion.’ In Raymond W. Gibbs, Jr. (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of metaphor and thought (pp 380–396). New York: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Kövecses, Zoltan. 2000. Metaphor and emotion: Language, culture and body in human feelings. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Lakoff, George & Mark Johnson. 1980. Metaphors we live by. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
. 2003. ‘Afterword.’ In George Lakoff & Mark Johnson (Eds.), Metaphors we live by (pp. 243–276). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Obeng, Samuel Gyasi. 1987. Conversational strategies: Towards a phonological description of projection in Akyem-Twi. Unpublished Ph.D Thesis, The University of York.
Opoku, Asare Kofi. 1978. West Africa traditional religion. Accra: FEP International Private Ltd.Google Scholar
Perez, Regina Gutiérrez. 2008. ‘A cross-cultural analysis of heart metaphors.’ Revista Alicantina de Estudios Ingleses 211: 25–56. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Sarpong, Peter. 1974. Ghana in retrospect. Some aspects of Ghanaian culture. Tema: Ghana Publishing Corporation.Google Scholar
Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish – A new understanding of happiness and well-being – and how to achieve them. London: Free press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Shah, H., & Marks, N. (2004). ‘A well-being manifesto for a flourishing society.’ Journal of Mental Health Promotion 3 (4): 8–15 © Pavilion Publishing (Brighton) Ltd.Google Scholar
Wierzbicka, Anna. 1997. Understanding cultures through their key words: English, Russian, Polish, German, and Japanese. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Yu, Ning. 2008. ‘Metaphor from body and culture.’ In Raymond W. Gibbs, Jr. (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of metaphor and thought (pp. 247–261). New York: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. 2004. ‘The eyes for sight and mind.’ Journal of Pragmatics 361: 663–668. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. 2002. ‘Body parts in Chinese expression of emotion.’ In Nicholas J. Enfield & Anna Wierzbicka (Eds.), Pragmatics and Cognition (Special issue: The body in description of emotion ) 10 (1–2): 341–367. DOI logoGoogle Scholar