TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Introduction

1.1 Aims and focus 1

1.2 Rationale 4

1.3 Scope of the study 9

1.4 The corpus and Sources 10

1.5 Organisation 11

Chapter 2

Literature review

2.1 Definitions and currency of proverbs 12

2.2 Sources of traditional proverbs 24

Chapter 3

3.1 Methods and Materials 26

Chapter 4

The Sudanese and their society

4.1 Land 34

4.2 Map 36

4.3 People, Languages and Religions 37

4.4 The social structure 38

Chapter 5

The Meaning, Use and Function of Sudanese proverbs

5.1 Sudanese educational principle as shown in Sudanese proverbs 45

5.2 God and religious life 61

5.3 Family, blood relationships and relatives 71

5.4 Company and Friendship 82

5.5 Neighbourhood relationships 85

5.6 Marriage and Women 87

5.7 Sudanese experiences and wisdom 100

5.8 Contentment and Patience 159

5.9 Silence, Speech, and Tongue as represented by Sudanese proverbs 164

5.10 Solidarity as seen in Sudanese proverbs 161

5.11 Poverty and Wealth 175

5.12 Casteism, class polarization and social injustice 180

Chapter 6

The role and use of Sudanese proverbs as applied in daily life

6.1 Comments by experts on the role and use of Sudanese proverbs 185

6.2 Examples of the roles of proverbs 198

a) Educational roles 198

b) Social roles 199

c) Marriage and Women 200

d) Friends and Neighbours 202

e) Solidarity 203

f) Statutory roles 203

g) Advice and Advisory roles 204

h) Consultation 205

i) Other roles of proverbs 205

j) Patience 207

6.3 Some examples of the use of proverbs in daily life 207

Chapter 7

A comparison of Sudanese and English proverbs

7.1 Proverbs as seen by British society 214

7.2 Tables 219

7.3 Proverbs that are used in similar situations to convey

the same messages in Sudanese and English societies 226

Chapter 8

Conclusion 230

Further study of cultures through proverbs 233

Appendix A

Sudanese proverbs and their Equivalent English 234

Appendix B

List of Sudanese proverbs 254

Index 334

Bibliography 343

Notes 349

Reading Transcription

a أ

b ب

t ت

th ث

j ج

h' ح

kh خ

d د

d ذ

r ر

z ز

s س

sh ش

s' ص

d' ض

t ط

t' ظ

a' ع

gh غ

f ف

q ق

k ك

l ل

m م

n ن

h _

w و

y ي

1