LEXCO-SYNTACTIC ANALYSIS OF SOME SELECTED YORÙBÁ RIDDLES

Abstract

oru ri l s known s {{l {p mo or tumo o ro , are an integral part of Yoruba oral tradition, blending entertainment with cultural education. Yoruba riddles show a rich intersection of linguistics, oral literature, and cultural heritage. Riddles as text are produced with relational clauses, in which one thing is said to be something else. Over time, riddles have been examined from various perspectives, including their cultural significance, semantic depth, and pedagogical relevance. However, their syntactic structures, especially within the Yoruba linguistic tradition, seem not to have been extensively explored, creating a gap in the literature, as it is of great interest among
scholars. Seven randomly selected riddles were analysed because Yoruba riddles follow a specific pattern, but their syntactic structures may differ. Yoruba riddles must have an NP introducer with one or two clauses. Yoruba riddles may be a simple, complex, or compound sentence. The riddles often employ unique sentence patterns, including noun phrases, declarative, negative, interrogative and emphatic/focused constructions, which make them an intriguing subject for syntactic analysis. Their structures are designed to vok curiosity n ch ll ng th list n r’s r soning iliti s l n ing pl yfuln ss with linguistic mastery. This work then aims to descriptively analyse the syntactic structure of Yoruba riddles so as to bring out the cultural significance of this phenomenon. The work will enrich the understanding of Yoruba grammar and oral literature, demonstrating the importance of riddles as a medium for intellectual and cultural expression.