On Somali paremias based on numbers

Paper read at the 11th Interdisciplinary Colloquium on Proverbs, Tavira, 2017; published in ACTAS ICP17 Proceedings, ed. Rui J. B. Soares and Outi Lauhakangas. Tavira: AIP-IAP, 2018, pp. 70–78. Published here in full with the author’s permission.

I. The Somalis divide their paremias into two types: maahmaah a proverb and oraah a saying. My investigation of the Somali paremiological stock has enabled me to identify at least twelve types of clichés: six one-phrase clichés (proverbs proper, folk aphorisms, non-divided sentences, proverbial phrases proper, by-words and non-divided phrases) and six supra-phrase clichés (three types of wellerisms i.e. clichés containing a remark and the cue of a character and three types of scenes, i.e. clichés containing a dialog of characters).

A. One-phrase clichés

I. Proverbs (clichés in the form of closed sentences)

1. Proverbs proper (sayings with image motivation of the general meaning, i.e. sayings of the transferred meaning, which demand a broader interpretation):

Maroodigu takarta saaran ma arkee kan kale tan saaran ayuu arkaa – An elephant does not see the gadfly sitting on its back but sees the one sitting on another elephant.

2. Folk aphorisms (sayings with the direct motivation of the general meaning, i.e. sayings of the direct meaning, which, however, allow a broader interpretation):

Been sheeg, laakiin been run u eg sheeg – Tell lies, but let your lies resemble the truth.

3. Non-divided sentences (sayings without immediate motivation of the general meaning, i.e. sayings, the meaning of which stems neither directly, nor through the image from the meaning of their components, but is determined by the context from which these clichés were originally taken and which they recall):

Timirtii horaba dab loo waa – There is not yet a fire for the first dates [i.e. until one job is completed one should not start another one].

This refers to a story about a man who was given some dates. Not knowing that they are eaten raw he decided to fry them; before he had had time to kindle the fire he was given another handful of dates, and he said these words, which became a proverb.

II. Proverbial phrases (clichés in the form of open sentences)

4. Proverbial phrases proper (sayings with image motivation of the general meaning, i.e. sayings of the transferred meaning, which demand a broader interpretation):

Markii geel loo heeso yuu dameero u heesaa – When all (the people) sing for camels, he sings for donkeys [i.e. not to the point].

5. By-words (sayings with the direct motivation of the general meaning, i.e. sayings of the direct meaning, which, however, allow a broader interpretation):

Camalkaa xeero buuxduu kaa qadiyaa – With your obstinacy you can lose a basin of food [i.e. with such a characteristic as yours you can harm yourself].

6. Non-divided phrases (sayings without immediate motivation of the general meaning, i.e. sayings, the meaning of which stems neither directly, nor through the image from the meaning of their components, but is determined by the context from which these clichés were originally taken and which they recall):

“Yax” lahaydaa! – I should have said “Whoa!”

This refers to a story about a herdsman whose flock strayed into a forest while he was sleeping, and all were torn to pieces by wild beasts. When he awoke and realized what had happened he grieved for a long time, saying to himself “I should have said “Whoa!” [i.e. stopped the herd in time].

B. Supra-phrase clichés

I. Wellerisms (clichés containing a remark and the cue of a character)

1. Wellerisms with image motivation of the general meaning (clichés of the transferred meaning, which demand a broader interpretation):

Goroyo waxay tiri: “Cayaarta lug baan gashanayaa. Haddii ay fiicnaatana waan la soo wada galayaa, haddii ay xumaatana waan kala wada baxayaa” – An ostrich said: “I’ll put only one leg in the game. If it is good, I’ll put another one in; if it is bad, I’ll take back the first one.”

2. Wellerisms with direct motivation of the general meaning (clichés of the direct meaning, which, however, allow a broader interpretation):

Shabeel baa beri libaax ku yiri: “Libaaxow, bal ama boqol nin la xoog noqo, ama boqol nin la xirrib noqo” – Once a leopard told a lion: “Oh, lion, either be as strong as a hundred men or as cunning as a hundred men.”

3. Wellerisms without immediate motivation of the general meaning (clichés, the meaning of which stems neither directly, nor through the image from the meaning of their components, but is determined by the context from which these clichés were originally taken and which they recall):

Abeeso waxay tiri: “Aadane abaal ma leh” – A snake said: “A man is ungrateful”.

The cliché derives from the tale about a man who was seen by a snake while he was sleeping. The snake did him no harm. But when the man awoke, he attempted to kill the snake.

II. Scenes (clichés containing a dialog of characters)

1. Fablets (clichés with image motivation of the general meaning, i.e. clichés of the transferred meaning, which demand a broader interpretation):

– Dhurwaayow, kabo ma laguu tolaa? – Haddii lay tolana waa alxamdu lilla, haddii aan lay tolinna waa Rabbil caalamiin. – Oh, hyena, shall I make you a pair of shoes? – If you do, glory to Allah, if not – glory to the Lord of all the worlds [i.e. it does not matter].

2. Instantly told (one scene) anecdotes (clichés with the direct motivation of the general meaning, i.e. clichés of the direct meaning, which, however, allow a broader interpretation):

– Duqdii maxaad ku ogayd? – Indho la’aan. – Dad-cunimana waa ku darsatay! – What did you know about this old woman? – She was blind. – She has also become a man-eater!

3. Non-divided scenes (clichés, the meaning of which stems neither directly, nor through the image from the meaning of their components, but is determined by the context from which these clichés were originally taken and which they recall):

“Sagaaro biyo waa cabtaa” iyo “Ma cabto”.

• Sagaaro drinks water! – No, it does not!

It means: A trifle can start a big quarrel. The cliché goes back to the tale about two friends who quarreled and nearly killed each other disagreeing about whether sagaaro drinks water or not.

II. In Somali narrative folklore there are many clichés based on numbers. The Somalis attribute them to proverbs and call tiroley, i.e. “something having a number”. There are labaley, saddexley, afarrey, shanley, lixley etc., e.i. “something having two, three, four, five, six etc.” The most popular clichés are those based on the number three. The biggest number used in these types of clichés, known to me, is fifteen.

The Somali clichés based on numbers have not been described yet and this is an initial attempt to understand what they are, i.e. to answer the following questions:

– Are they paremias, i.e. are they, according to Permyakov, signs and models of certain situations or certain relationships between objects? – If they are paremias, what types of paremias they are? – How do they express their general meaning? Do they express it through the image, directly or by the context?

To answer these questions I analyzed ten tiroley based on different numbers, having used Permyakov’s method of logico-semiotic classification. In other words, I tried to reveal the thematic pair/pairs hidden in these clichés and to identify the type/types of logical relations between the members of these pairs, i.e. to identify their formative groups. As is known from the works of the great Russian folklorist, the meaning of a paremia lies at the intersection of its thematic and formative groups.

II.1. Labaley

1. Laba ma dhergaan: cilmidoon iyo hantidoon.
Two persons will never be satisfied [lit.: sated]: he who craves knowledge and he who craves wealth.

There are two main invariant thematic pairs (thematic groups) in this cliché:

• IIc4. Knowledge – Ignorance
• IIa13. Rich – Poor

Additional thematic pair: IIa18 Generous – Greedy (greedy for knowledge and greedy for things). The pairs in the thematic groups are explicitly represented only by one member (Knowledge and Greedy, correspondingly).

Formative group: 3 Limitedness – Non-Limitedness of Knowledge and Wealth.

The superposition of these two groups on each other gives the following general meaning: Hunger for knowledge and wealth has no limits.

2. Laba waa la dhibaa, labana waa la dhowraa, labana waa la dheefiyaa. Hadday lugaha wax kaa gaaraan, waa la dhibaa; labada gacmoodna hadday wax kaa gaaraan, waa la dhowraa; labada indhoodna hadday wax kaa gaaraanna waa la dheefiyaa.
Two (things) are not spared, two are cared for and two are gratified. When legs get tired they are not spared [i.e. they are forced to go on]; when hands are tired they are cared for [i.e. they are given rest]; and when eyes grow tired they are gratified [i.e. they are cured].

Main thematic pair: I2 Whole – Part

Additional thematic pair: IIb52 Care – Carelessness

Formative group: 20 The same or different attitude towards Whole and Part.

General meaning: The attitude towards different parts of the human body is not the same.

II.2. Saddexley

3. Saddex adigoo arkayo saddex laguma maahmaaho. Geel adigoo arkayo lo’ laguma maahmaaho; rag adigoo arkayo dumar laguma maahmaaho; faras adigoo arkayo dameer laguma maahmaaho.
When you see three things do not use proverbs about three (other) things. When you see a camel do not use a proverb about a cow; when you see a man do not use a proverb about a woman; when you see a horse do not use a proverb about a donkey.

Main thematic pair: IIc1 Word – Silence.

Additional thematic pairs: IIa17 Expensive – Cheap, IIb13 Man – Woman, IIa10 Good – Bad.

Formative group: 26 Superiority – Inferiority of the Word and Silence in relation to the norm.

General meaning: The proverb used properly is good, told not to the case is bad.

4. Rag waxaa ugu xun saddex nin: nin maqan oon la tebin, nin jooga oon la tirin iyo nin tegeya oon la celin.
Of all men, three are the worst – he who is not remembered when absent; he who is ignored when present; and he who is not stopped when departing.

Here the men are in three different states: the first one is present, the second one is absent and the third one is somewhere in between – still available but already missing. All of them are useless and that is why first one is not remembered, the second one is not reckoned with and the third one is got rid of.

Main thematic pair: IIb13 Man – Woman

Additional thematic pair: IIb31. Present – Absent

Formative group: 22 Qualitative Superiority – Inferiority of Man and Woman

General meaning: The worst man is the useless man.

5. Saddex lama raaco: ma-horreeye, ma-hambeeye iyo ma-haasaawshe.
Do not make friends [lit: do not go along] with three men: he who does not allow anyone to be ahead of him; he who does not leave food for anyone; and he who does not talk to anyone.

Main thematic pair: IIb14 Friend – Enemy

Additional thematic pairs: IIb53 Humility – Pride, IIa18 Generous – Greedy, IIc1 Word – Silence.

Formative group: 22 Qualitative Superiority – Inferiority of Friend – Enemy.

General meaning: A vain, greedy and uncommunicative man is not a good friend.

6. Saddex lalama colloobo: Nin cagtaada yaqaan, nin codkaaga yaqaan iyo nin ciddaada yaqaan.
Do not quarrel with three (men): the one who knows your track; the one who know your voice; and he who knows your kinfolk.

Main thematic pair: IIb14 Friend – Enemy

Additional thematic pair: IIc4 Knowledge – Ignorance

Formative group: 22 Qualitative Superiority – Inferiority of Friend and Enemy.

General meaning: It is dangerous to quarrel with those who know everything about you.

7. Saddex ma heshiiyaan: nin qosol badan iyo nin qoonsimaad badan, nin quud jecel iyo nimaan u quurin, nin qab weyn iyo nimaan u qabin.
Three (persons) never agree: a cheerful [lit: laughing] man and worried man; a glutton and one who withholds food; a proud person and one who ignores him.

Main thematic pairs: IIb52 Preoccupation – Carelessness, IIa18 Generous – Greedy, IIb53 Humility – Pride

Formative group: 9. Compatibility – Incompatibility in space and time (Amity – Hostility)

General meaning: People of opposite qualities do not get along with each other.

8. Saddex ma gaadhid: Nin maalin ma gaadhid, ninna sannad ma gaadhid, ninna weligaaba ma gaadhid. Ninka kaa faras wanaagsan maalin ma gaadhid. Ninka xoolihiisu kaa daaqsin fiicnaadaan sannad ma gaadhid; ninka kaa naag wanaagsanna weligaa ma gaadhid.
There are three men that you cannot catch: within one day, within one year, and never. The man whose horse is faster than yours you cannot catch within a day; the man whose pasture is richer than yours you will not catch within a year; and the man whose wife is superior to yours you will never catch.

Main thematic pair: IIb13 Man – Woman

Additional thematic pairs: IIa15 Fast – Slow, III10 Work – Result, IIb13 Man – Woman

Formative group: 23 Quantitative Superiority – Inferiority in time

General meaning: You cannot compete with those who are better provided, who work better and whose wives are better.

II.3 Afarrey

9. Rag waa afar: waa nin iyo laba nin iyo nin barkii iyo nin-ku-sheeg. Ninka geesiga ahi waa nin, ninka ficilka badani waa laba nin, ninka bakhaylka ahi waa nin barkii, ninka fuleyga ahina waa nin-ku-sheeg.
Men are of four types: a man, twice a man, half a man and a so-called man. A brave man is a man, a supportive man is twice a man, a greedy man is half a man, and a coward is a so-called man.

Main thematic pair: IIb13 Man – Woman

Additional thematic pairs: IIb25 Brave – Cowardly, IIb28 Help – Hindrance, IIa18. Generous – Greedy

Formative group: 23 Quantitative Superiority – Inferiority in size

General meaning: The size (i.e. significance) of men depend on their qualities

II.4 Shanley

10. Shan belaayaa laga Eebbe baryaa: cadho aan laga soo noqonin, caydh aan laga dhaqanin, cudur aan laga bogsanin, colaad aan laga heshiinin, cilmi aan laga intifaacsanin.
We ask God to save us from five misfortunes: from anger that cannot be cooled; from poverty that cannot be overcome; from a disease that cannot be cured; from enmities that cannot be reconciled; and from knowledge that cannot be used.

Main thematic pair: IIa10 Good – Bad

Additional thematic groups: IIb40 Calmness – Anger, IIa13 Rich – Poor, IIb17 Health – Disease, IIb14 Friend – Enemy, IIc4 Knowledge – Ignorance

Formative group: 26 Superiority – Inferiority of Good and Bad in relation to the norm.

General meaning: The real misfortune is one that cannot be managed.

From the above said I can draw the following conclusion: The Somali clichés based on numbers are complex paremiological structures of direct meaning, consisting of two, three, four or more thematic pairs, apparently united by a common formative group.

Not touching the artistic features of these paremias, I note only that some of them (numbers 3,5,6,7 and 10) are marked by alliteration, typical of Somali versification.

References

Chlosta Ch., Grzybek P. Empirical and Folkloristic Paremiology: Two to Quarrel or to Tango? – “Proverbium”, vol.12. Burlington, 1995.

Kapchits G. On Somali Paremias – “Proverbium”, Vol.17. Burlington, 2000.

Kapchits G. Variants and Variations of Somali Proverbs – “Proverbium”, Vol. 25. Burlington, 2008.

Kapchits G. Soomaali been ma maahmaahdo/Somalis do not lie in proverbs. Pisa, 20012.

Mieder W. Prolegomena to Prospective Paremiology – “Proverbium”, Vol.2. Burlington, 1990.

Permyakov G. O smislovoj stukture I sootvetstvujushchej klassifikatsii poslovichnikh izrechenij – “Paremiologicheskij sbornik”. Moskva , 1978.

Permyakov G. Poslovitsi i pogovorki narodov Vostoka. Moskva, 2011.

Zholkovsky A. At the Intersection of Linguistics, Paremiology and Poetics: On the Artistic Structure of Proverbs – “Poetics”, 7. Amsterdam, 1978.

Zorc R. David, Madina M. Osman. Somali-English Dictionary with English Index. Kensington, 1993.

Notes

1. Sagaaro (dik-dik) is a miniature antelope.

2. G.L.Permyakov. Poslovitsi i pogovorki narodov Vostoka. M., 2011, p.17.