AKU: An African Journal of Contemporary Research

Ethnolinguistics is the study of the relationship between a language and the cultural behavior of the people who speak it, while ecology refers to the study of living things, including humans, and the environment. Among the Igbo aborigines of Nigeria, eco-labeled proverbs are culture-based sayings contrived to re-orient members of the community in the protection and preservation of the environment and provide insights into the lifestyle and history of a community. The paper analyses some eco-friendly indigenous proverbs of the Igbo aborigines of Nigeria using the eco-criticism theory and opines that the rich eco-related proverbs of the people can be the powerful and effective instruments for the protection and preservation of the environment.

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