Inventory of 131 Collections of African Proverbs and Sayings
One of the follow-ups to the African Proverbs Project (1993-1996) is the collection of African proverbs and sayings in languages that are small, not well known or in danger of dying out. These are called “Endangered African Proverbs Collections” that are usually booklets of 100 proverbs in different African languages. We now have 131 collections of African Proverbs and Sayings from 103 individual African languages/dialects from 25 different African countries (the number of collections are in brackets):
Angola (1)
Benin (1)
Burundi (2)
Cameroon (3)
Democratic Republic of the Congo – DRC (33)
Djibouti (1)
Eritrea (1)
Ethiopia (2)
Gabon (1)
Ghana (5)
Kenya (28)
Liberia (1)
Malawi (1)
Mali (1)
Mozambique (1)
Nigeria (1)
Republic of the Congo (2)
Rwanda (1)
Somalia (1)
South Sudan (2)
Tanzania (24)
Togo (1)
Uganda (13)
Zambia (2)
Zimbabwe (1)
Total number of countries: 25
The total of 131 Collections of African Proverbs are from 103 individual African languages/dialects. Collections marked in Bold are Ebooks (now up to 58 Ebooks as of 29 December, 2019) on our African Proverbs, Sayings and Stories Website at: https://afriprov.tangaza.ac.ke/e-books/
Collections followed by a number are referenced on the “Bibliography Page” on our website at: https://afriprov.tangaza.ac.ke/bibliography/
Alur, DRC, Uganda 4
Bangubangu, DRC
Bavira, DRC
Bassa, Liberia 5
Bemba, DRC, Zambia
Bembe, DRC, Tanzania 6
Borana, Kenya 7
Builisa, Ghana 42
Bukusu, (two) Kenya 8
Burji, Ethiopia, Kenya
Bwa, Mali
Bwisha, DRC
Chagga, Tanzania 10
Chiga, Rwanda, Uganda
Chonyi, Kenya
Dagomba, Ghana 48
Dangme, Ghana
Digo, Kenya
Duruma, Kenya
Eton, Cameroon
Ewe, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria 11
Fuliru, DRC
Ga, Ghana
Gikuyu (three), Kenya
Giriama, Kenya
Gusii, (two) Kenya 12, 13
Gweno, Tanzania
Hangaza, Tanzania
Havu, DRC
Hemba, DRC
Holoholo, DRC, Tanzania
Hunde, DRC
Joba, DRC
Kabwari, DRC
Kalenjin, Kenya
Kara, Tanzania
Kele, DRC
Kerewe, Tanzania
Kipsigis, Kenya
Kongo, Angola, DRC, Republic of the Congo
Kooki, Uganda
Kuba, DRC
Kuria, Kenya, Tanzania 16
Kwele, DRC, Gabon, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo
Lega, DRC 17
Longo, Tanzania 18
Lopit, South Sudan
Luba, DRC
Luhya, Kenya
Luo, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
Lwalwa, DRC
Maasai, Kenya, Tanzania
Makonde, Kenya, Tanzania
Manyika, Mozambique, Zimbabwe
Maragoli, Kenya
Mashi, DRC
Matengo, Tanzania 19
Mbeere, Kenya
Medumba, Cameroon
Mongo, RC
Nande, DRC, Uganda
Nandi, Kenya
Ngoni, Tanzania 28
Ngoreme, Tanzania 20
Nuer, South Sudan
Nyala, Kenya
Nyanga, DRC
Nyaturu, Tanzania
Nyindu, DRC
Orma, Kenya
Pare, Tanzania
Rendille, Kenya
Rufumbira, Uganda
Rundi, Burundi, Rwanda 21
Runyankore, Uganda
Runyoro, Uganda
Rwanda (two), Burundi, Kenya,Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda
Saamia, Kenya, Uganda
Samburu, Kenya
Sango, DRC
Sheng, Kenya 22
Shubi, Tanzania 23
Soga, Uganda
Somali, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia
Songye, DRC
Subi, Tanzania 24
Sumbwa, Tanzania 25
Taabwa, DRC, Tanzania, Zambia
Tachoni, Kenya
Tembo, DRC
Teso, Kenya, Uganda
Tetela, DRC
Tonga, Malawi
Toro, Uganda
TshilubaLuba-Kasai (two), DRC
Tugen, Kenya
Turkana, Kenya
Vira, DRC
Yao, Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique
Zigula, Tanzania
Zinza (two), Tanzania 26, 27
Total African languages: 103
Special Collections
African Proverbs and Proverbial Names
African Proverbs on Peace and War
African Wisdom: African Proverbs and Sayings Give Advice to Americans Celebrating Kwanzaa
Analyzing Builisa Proverbs and Culture in the Light of Scripture
Collection of, and Commentary on, 600 Sayings on East African Cloth (Misemo Kwenye Khanga na Vitenge vya Afrika Mashariki) 55
Contemporary Sayings and Changing Patterns of Social Relations in Nairobi
Justice and Peace
Media and Proverbs Use in the Kenyan Society
Methali za Kiutandawazi
Profundity with Panache: The Unappreciated Proverbial Wisdom of Sub-Saharan Africa
Proverbs and African Christianity
Proverbs and the Religious Consciousness of Africans
Proverbes et Salutation Solennelle
Under the Baobab: African Proverbs on Old Age
Number and Location of these Collections:
_____: Africana Section, Tangaza University College Library, Nairobi, Kenya
_____: Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) Library, Nairobi, Kenya
______: Hekima University College Library, Nairobi, Kenya
79: Maryknoll Society House Library, Nairobi, Kenya
_____: Tangaza Maryknoll Centre for African Studies (TAMCAS) Library, Tangaza University College, Nairobi, Kenya
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______: Asbury Theological Seminary Library, Wilmore, Kentucky, USA (to be discussed in June, 2020)
______: Wolfgang Mieder International Proverbs Library, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA
These collections are a project of the African Proverbs Working Group (APWG) based in Nairobi, Kenya.
Prepared by:
Rev. Joseph G, Healey, MM
Maryknoll Society
P.O. Box 43058
00100 Nairobi, Kenya
0723-362-993 (Safaricom, Kenya)
973-216-4997 (AT&T, USA)
Email: JGHealey@aol.com
Skype: joseph-healey
Updated: 1 January, 2020