Oral tradition for 2003 presents something quite different from its usual contents. It may take the form of eyewitness evidence about the past, but can include folklore, myths, songs and stories passed down over the years by word of mouth. Oral tradition is the cultural knowledge and information that has been passed down through speech from one generation to the next. Although written his tory existed for centuries in west af rica, most writing was in arabic, and the. Oral history can be defined as the recording, preservation and interpretation of historical information, based on the personal experiences and opinions of the speaker. Oral tradition is traditions knowledge, history, teachings which are handed down by. From cambridge english corpus these examples are from the cambridge english corpus and from sources on the web. An oral tradition can and will adapt from one generation to the next, repeating its content in a form more readily accessible to the hearers. Oral tradition definition of oral tradition by the free.
It includes a system of classification, a set of empirical observations about the local environment, and a system of selfmanagement that governs resource use. Explore the healing powers of storytelling through a definition. Oral tradition definition and meaning collins english. Oral tradition definition is the stories, beliefs, etc. Oral tradition is a story, tradition or practice that is shared orally or through speech usually handed down. As old as man himself, the oral tradition of storytelling is a hallmark element of the human experience all over the world. Tradition definition of tradition by merriamwebster. Tradition means something that is handed down from generation to generation. Cultural material transmitted orally from one generation to another.
Oral tradition and oral lore is cultural material and tradition transmitted orally from one generation to another. Oral tradition as a reliable source of historical writing citeseerx. Oral tradition is information, memories and knowledge held in common by a group of people, over many generations, and it is not the same as testimony or oral history. Pdf a study on oral tradition as a communication tool. Ecological aspects are closely tied to social and spiritual aspects of the knowledge system. In a general sense, oral tradition refers to the recall and transmission of a specific, preserved textual and cultural knowledge through vocal utterance. The messages or testimony are verbally transmitted in speech or song and may take the form, for example, of folktales, sayings, ballads, songs, or chants. Oral tradition definition in the cambridge english.
Oral tradition is also distinct from the study of orality defined as thought and its verbal. The spoken relation and preservation, from one generation to the next, of a peoples cultural history and ancestry, often by means of storytelling. Oral tradition definition of oral tradition by merriam. Over this and the last issue we explore the state of our art across the multiple academic disciplines and hundreds of. Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication wherein knowledge, art, ideas. Orality, oral literature, nanaoture and neneiture3, oral writing, fiuriture and french. The importance of oral tradition is that it helps pass on the. A definition oral tradition is certainly not a new concept in the study of history.