Puzzles by the fireside: their structure and function

Abstract

This paper views the riddle from an analytical perspective, and it comes up with some outlines and conclusions that can be used to analyse this genre. While this paper provides an intensive critical definition of the riddle, it also delimits two categories of the Setswana riddles: the simple and the compound/complex. The simple riddle is discussed not only from a structuralistic and stylistic point of view, but also from the perspective of Maranda & Maranda's outline. On the other hand, the compound/complex category is treated in consideration to properties such as alliteration, parallelism, ideophonic features, as well as elements such as metaphor and metonymy.