The study of sound devices in selected Jopadhola riddles.

Abstract

The terseness of the riddle as an efficient form of orature, it's still taken as a childish game. It's literariness however has been ignored a great deal. The current study therefore discusses manifestations of sound devices like rhyme, assonance, consonance, repetition and alliteration on these riddles and how these sound devices bring out meaning in the selected riddles. There are 30 selected Jopadhola riddles that are analysed. The 30 riddles from Padhola are put in five categories of sound devices and that is alliteration, assonance, consonance, repetition and rhyme. The data was collected by oral interviews and participation in the riddle performance. I applied the descriptive qualitative method and analysed the data in the five categories. The sound devices will therefore make riddles more significant as an oral literary genre. It is actually clear that sound devices are common features in riddles. (Ruth Finnegan, 1970) and (Bukenya and Nandwa, 1983) mentioned in the content are the prominent advocates of oral literature and have contributed a lot to this study. The riddles are analysed in the original language and translations are clearly made. Therefore, this study will contribute more to oral literature in the aspect of sound devices in riddles.