CLASSIFICATION OF RIDDLES.

        Riddles are classified according to:-

• Form.
• Content,
• Length.
• Style/structure.

• FORM.

                        Form classification deals with the question “how”. They are transmitted by word of mouth and therefore have an oral form.

• CONTENT.

           Content classification deals with the question “what”. It refers to the subjects, ideas, people, objects and situations i.e.:-

• Those about nature.
  • Those about body parts.
  • Those about heavenly bodies.
  • Those about technology.
  • Those about domestic animals.
  • E.t.c.

• LENGTH.

         Under length, we have two classes.

1. Those uttered in one breath or single expression.

      Example

Challenger: ushey japans lidku dhaaf (Somali)

                    I left my smooth and nice stick on the

                    footpath.

Respondent: mas.

                    Snake.

• Those delivered as a series of statements.

Example

Challenger: there was a mother with three children. She              brought two oranges for them but she wanted the youngest two get the largest share without annoying the     other two. What did she do?

Respondent: she gave the oranges to the elder two and told each to give a piece to the youngest. They each gave her half an orange and she ended up with a full orange.

• STYLISTIC-STRUCTURAL CLASSIFICATION.

               Under this category we have:-

• Declaratives.
  • Interrogatives.
  • Epigrams.
  • Phonologies.

• Declaratives.

                       These are riddles posed as statements which are declarations  

                       of the concept at hand e.g.

            Challenger: muthigari ahituka na tai (kikuyu)

                               a policeman has passed through in a tie

            Respondent: ngigi

                               Grasshopper

• Interrogatives.

These are riddles posed as questions e.g.

Challenger: eshiitsanga munzu nishi? (Luhyia-Batsoso)

                    What is bouncing in the house?

Respondent:  eshimuka shia amabeere.

                     The churning gourd.

• Epigrams.

       These are riddles which present a series of puzzles within one. They display a distinct poetic and discernable correspondence between the challenge and the response. They are normally numericals.

Example

 Challenger: nyatiende ang’wen mobet e wi nyatiende ang’wen ka rito nyatiende ang’wen. (Luo)

            The four legged sitting on the four legged waiting for the four legged.

Respondent; paka mobet e wi mesa karito oyieyo.

                      A cat sitting on the table waiting for the rat.

  Sub-categories of epigrams.

• Analogues- riddles which have a linear comparison which makes the correspondence direct like the one above.
• Sleuths- riddles which are longer and has a question at the end.

• Phonologies.

                                   These are riddles which use sounds to imitate and portray the behaviour, characteristic quality of the object and situation of idea referred to.

Example

  Challenger: aaa to! (Gusii)

  Respondent: oboterere. ( Slipperiness.)

          Riddles which imitate sounds are called ideophones i.e. we get the answer from the “sound” (phone)