Abstract:
It has been a common practice for
writers to employ certain features in their work to carve out a unique
linguistic identity. This study, therefore, seeks to explore the language use
of the novelist/playwright Ọládèjọ Òkédìjí, focusing on one of his
novels, Àjà Ló Lẹrù. It is undeniable that Òkédìjí
remains one of the most creative detective novelists who adopted the Yoruba
language as his medium of art. Beyond his deep investigative prowess, his
ability to use words to create lasting images in the minds of his readers is a
distinctive quality that sets him apart from his contemporaries. Some of the
literary devices explored in this study include imagery, internal monologue,
hyperbole, loanwords, parallelism, repetition, personification, idioms,
proverbs, irony, onomatopoeia, malapropism, and puns. This work adopts the
general stylistics theory, which examines universal principles and mechanisms
such as syntax, tone, and rhetorical devices that contribute to conveying
meaning and emotion. Ultimately, our analysis reveals that the author’s work
challenges contemporary writers of Yoruba detective novels to once again draw
inspiration from the effective use of the Yoruba language, as exemplified by
this novel.
Key Words: Stylistics, internal monologue, repetition, onomatopoeia, imagery, hyperbole
DOI: www.doi.org/10.36349/tjllc.2024.v03i02.015
author/Adégúnlẹ̀, O. Olúgbàmílà
journal/Tasambo JLLC 3(2) | September 2024 |
