The stylistic features of Northern Sotho riddles

Abstract

A riddle is a question, statement or problem phrased obscurely but correctly and posed to the test the ingenuity of the person trying to find the answer. The truth is deliberately distinguished in the riddle. The answer is known only when an accurate description is provided. Like the proverbs, riddles contain truth that originates from an accurate observation of people. They form a game of puzzling and guessing and are based on what is happening in real life. People are taught to conform to the norms and customs of their community. They mirror relationships between people. These cultural expressions strictly involve everything that people know, but not with things they have never experienced. These purely ready-made native labels relate to previous events in the history of the Northern Sotho people. They have been employed for educational purposes. This article aims to explore how the Northern Sotho riddles were used to enhance human development. They can still be used to fully contribute to human and economic development in the present day. The qualitative study and the participants’ observation are important in that they assist in identifying the meaning of the riddles in a particular situation and context. The riddles were collected from published folklore literature. Observations make people to live a good life. Through them, young people can avoid problems they come. Old people have transferred their experiences to them so that they can become better people.