ENCODING IDEOLOGY: A CULTURAL-SEMANTIC ANALYSIS OF ÍGÁLÂ PROVERBS

Abstract

This paper examines the ideological dimensions of Ígálâ proverbs through an ethnopragmatic lens, employing the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) framework to elucidate their semantic structures, pragmatic functions, and culturally grounded meanings. In Ígálâ society, proverbs are not merely rhetorical or decorative; they are dynamic instruments of communal ideology, encoding values, ethical norms, and shared expectations regarding personhood, authority, gender roles, and social conduct. Anchored in the speech of elders, these expressions function as cultural scripts, mediating intergenerational communication, social regulation, and moral instruction. The study addresses the growing threat of language shift, particularly the increasing dominance of English in Ígálâ homes and urban contexts, which imperils the transmission of these traditional forms. Through a curated corpus of proverbs, analysed with NSM primes, the paper reconstructs the emic logic underlying their use, revealing how figurative language, metaphor, and cultural scripts encode, perpetuate, and occasionally contest social hierarchies and normative worldviews. Proverbs emerge as ideological tools that shape individual and collective identity, reinforce social cohesion, and transmit moral reasoning, while also providing a medium for subtle negotiation of power, responsibility, and ethical judgment. By integrating semantic analysis with ethnographic insight, the study demonstrates that Ígálâ proverbs operate as active participants in the reproduction and possible transformation of cultural ideologies. In doing so, it contributes to broader discussions on language endangerment, cultural continuity, and the critical role of indigenous oral discourse in sustaining linguistic, ethical, and social identity.