International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume II, Issue XII, December 2018 | ISSN 2454–6186

Non-Verbal Communication of Colour in Yorùbá Novels

ADESANYA, Ahmed O.

Department of African Languages, Literatures & Communication Arts, Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos, Nigeria.

Abstract: – This paper is a study of non-verbal communication of colour in Yoruba novels with a view to unveiling its latent signification and socio-cultural underpinnings. The theoretical framework relied upon is semiotics, which is the theory of signification and/or communication. Two major aspects of semiotics were explored in the analyses; these are indexical and symbolic significations while textual and semiotic analyses were the methodology applied. Five Yorùbá novels: Àgékù Ejò (crime novel), Ìrìnkèrindò Nínú Igbó Elégbèje(mythological novel), Ṣaworoidẹ, Bọ̀bọ́ Àlútà and Afọwọ́fà (novels of realism) were purposively selected because they contained the non-verbal codes required in this research. Findings revealed that colour is polysemic in nature and most times interpreted in accordance with the context in which it occurred. For instance, the red horse which connoted royalty in Ṣaworoidẹ, ended as a code of sorrow when the king mysteriously died of headache. Also, black colour contextually signified evil action (murder) in Àgékù Ejò, mourning in Ìrìnkèrindò Nínú Igbó Elégbèje and beauty in Afọwọ́fà while white horse symbolized victory in Bọ̀bọ́ Àlútà. Colour as a non-verbal communication code operated in different contexts to reveal understanding of the selected texts.

Key-words: Colour, Code, Semiotics, Textual analysis, Yorùbá novels

I. INTRODUCTION

Communication is one of the most important aspects of human life, which brings about social interaction, thereby leading to the development of the society. Human beings deploy communication for social interactions in the expression of thoughts, feelings, aspirations, fears, emotions, etc. It is also used in the extension of knowledge and transmission of culture from one generation to another. Communication is further subdivided into verbal and non-verbal communication. Verbal communication is the communication that is expressed through ordinary speech or words. It is oral or spoken communication. On the other hand, non-verbal communication is usually understood as the process of communication through sending and receiving wordless messages. This paper falls within the purview of non-verbal communication as it delves into the latent communication of culture in Yorùbá novels.