One of the features many world languages share is taboo. The term taboo, as an English word, is derived from a Polynesian word, “tabu.” Its definition, too, is usually considered from a bipartite point – linguistics and culture. Linguistically, many languages of the world contain words and phrases that are prohibited from being used in public, suggesting that certain things are not supposed to be said in certain circumstances – religion, politics, death, sex, etc. Uttering such words in unexpected situations will not only be shocking but will also be offensive and promote vulgarity. Hence, the utterances are forbidden. However, since language is pliable enough in the hands of those who use it to achieve expected conversational goals, speakers still achieve their goals without necessarily using taboo words or phrases by resorting to euphemism. In the same manner, utterances can be termed impermissible; behaviour can be prohibitive as well.
Thus, in various societies around the globe, there are actions that peoples’ cultures do not accommodate. Such are consequently regarded as cultural taboos. Yorùbá, for example, has many of them. By placing great value on adhering strictly to those Yorùbá cultural taboos, the people have been able to sustain and successfully transmit the taboos in their various forms from one generation to another for centuries. The strict adherence enjoyed so far, however, is to an extent, credited to the mythically induced punishments they attached to breaking the taboos. It is sufficed then to conclude that such myths, which some sections among the people (like the young generation) were culturally made to believe and fear, are not the goals for formulating the taboos, but the means to achieving the goals. Thus, the essence of uttering the taboos is neither directly constituted in the transmission of the taboos nor in the fear of and awareness creation about the dreadful punishments attached to breaking them. Therefore, often than not, the actual goal of uttering a cultural taboo, especially in Yorùbá, is not visible as demonstrated in the following examples.
EXAMPLE 1
Èèwò̩ ni; o̩mo̩dé kò gbo̩dò̩ fi o̩wo̩ gbe òjò (It is a taboo; a child must not fetch rain by hand).
Punishment for Disobedience
Àrá yóò sán pa á (S/he will be struck dead by thunder).
The Unsaid/Goal of Utterance: Warning against catching a cold.
EXAMPLE 2
Èèwò̩ ni; o̩mo̩dé kò gbo̩dò̩ fi o̩wo̩ ko’lè̩ (It is a taboo; a child must not pack dirt, using bare hands).
Punishment for Disobedience
O̩wó̩ o̩ rè̩ yóò maá gbò̩n (S/he will suffer from Parkinson’s disease).
The Unsaid/Goal of Utterance: Protection against being infected by germs.
EXAMPLE 3
Èèwò̩ ni; o̩mo̩dé kò gbo̩dò̩ tu itó̩ sí’lè̩ (It is a taboo; a child must not spit on the ground/floor).
Punishment for Disobedience
Ò̩fun yóò maá dùn ún (S/he will suffer from a sore throat).
The Unsaid/Goal of Utterance: Teaching children to value social hygiene.
Studying those taboos, one could suggest that the relationship between each of them and the punishment mythically meted out for breaking it is somehow incredible. One could also argue that a very intelligent listener would have queried while the symbolic child, woman or man should not do this or that. Incidentally, regardless of time and space, humans across ages are known to be inquisitive in this way. Thus, instead of spending much time explaining the reasons why certain behaviours are prohibitive, which perhaps might lead to underestimating some value and denigration of conventions, Yorùbá – particularly in olden days – would rather respond to such inquisitiveness authoritatively, pronouncing the resultant effects of disregarding the essence of the taboos.
Despite the curiosity and the cultural reactions to it, most people in the past practically recognised and abided by those rules. History and experience have also no doubt justified the tremendous achievement of the unsaid goals in those taboos. Little wonder, then, that it was almost automatic to have children grow up to become respectful and law-abiding adults in a series of unbroken chains in the past. This generation, too, can benefit from the linguistic richness of taboos. Now that most societies of the world are bedeviled with child delinquency, social disorder, insecurity and crimes in various forms, language in the form of taboos can be a very workable tool to addressing those social issues. It can automatically fit into individual homes and communal strategies of dialogues, awareness creation, warnings, and production and reduplication of historical facts, which in turn will promote unity, hard work, dignity of labour, inviolable moral standards, respect and value for human lives.
Lateef Iyanda Kugbayi, PhD
Senior Lecturer
Department of English Language
Zamfara State University
Talata Mafara
07032985052; lateefkugbayi19@gmail.com