Omiano vya Tjipangandjara: Otjiherero Proverbs and Idioms

Introduction

ix Introduction Proverbs, sayings and idioms are figurative expressions that are used in everyday conversations in the Ovaherero community. Proverbs are life-long experiences, told in one short sentence. Proverbs in Otjiherero are known as omiano vya Tjipangandjara, literally meaning ‘styles of Tjipangandjara’. One may wonder ‘Who was Tjipangandjara?’ According to our oral history, Tjipangandjara was an Otjiherero language philosopher. Tjipangandjara, which literally means ‘doctor of hunger’, was not his real name. His real name was Kasupi. He was nicknamed Tjipangandjara because he used to speak in proverbs. He liked the traditional game known in Otjiherero as onyu¿e, or owela in Oshiwambo, and while playing this game, people surrounded him to listen to his endless proverbial speeches as he continued to play the game. Because of this, people stayed for hours and hours, without meals, listening to him, and they would not feel hungry. This is where the name Tjipangandjara came from. Even today, newly created proverbs are dedicated to him. Figurative expressions in Otjiherero may be traditionally classified as follows: Figurative language Proverbs Idioms An idiom is a phrase or sentence whose meaning cannot be deduced from the meaning of its individual words, and which must be learned as a whole unit. ...