FUNCTIONS OF TONGUE TWISTERS.

• Tongue twisters are used For entertainment. When one party is unable to pronounce some words well or correctly and hence ends up saying obscene or meaningless words, it causes laughter to the listener.

             The repetition of sound creates a kind of delightful and music     

        party because the listener anticipates the performer to stumble over a  

        sound and then end up with a distorted or embracing utterance.Tongue twisters are used test the performer’s fluency and ability to articulate sound. This forms part of language mastery training.

• Tongue twisters make serious comments about the society and environment from which they have been structured.

Example.

Lungu rawo luor liel liel luo rawo (dholuo)

     Hippopotamus goes around the anthill goes around the hippopotamus.

         This shows that there are hippopotamuses and anthills where this    

      tongue twister is set.

• Tongue twisters are used to sharpen wit especially in meaningful context.

• Tongue twisters are important for socialization. Children come together from different backgrounds and perform them as games. Older members of the society can also join in the performance and socialization exercise of tongue twisters.

• Tongue twisters are, in many ways, the root of the more complex forms of oral literature. Pre-occupation with sound is the major foundation of proverbs, poetry and oral narration.

• Tongue twisters pass on cultural values, beliefs and traditions of the society.

• Some tongue twisters communicate coded (hidden) messages

Example

          Vandu vagumba valira vutswa vasike ki? (Maragoli)

           Those who have not produced are only crying; whom will they   

           praise?

      This means that the barren have no children to boast of.

• Tongue twisters assist in improving ones vocabulary (word selection and diction) with continued usage and practice.

• Tongue twisters help to promote creativity in organizing and coming up wit similar sound patterns.

Example

          Akawala akaawa kaawa kaawa akaawa ka wa?

          The girl who gave Kawa bitter coffee where is she from?

• Tongue twisters engage children and others in spending time in a meaningful and constructive way other than engaging in destructive activities.
• Tongue twisters enhance the skill of oratory because one gets experienced to give a coherent speech.

• Tongue twisters are used to express feelings of love, distaste or disgust.

Example

           Kirigu kihungu kina kiroda kia ndira kirahaisa kihingo ta kihii  

           (Kikuyu)

           A huge uncircumcised girl, manner less girl with an everlasting

           wound, scales the gate like an uncircumcised boy.

• Due to their short nature, tongue twisters are useful in situations where lengthy may not be necessary.

SUMMARY

      Tongue twisters contribute a lot towards the development and growth of oral literature. This is because oral literature is based on the spoken language and the main function of tongue twisters, as we have seen, is to train on language fluency and mastery.

      They are also part of a large collection of oral literature genres that are used in transmission and development of the African values, culture, traditional beliefs and practices fro one generation to another through the word of mouth.