wisdom, to socialise, and to bring peace and peaceful coexistence. It employs a descriptive research design to help uncover instances of Tiv proverbial utterances and describe how proverbs are often

used in Tiv literature, which can be found in stories, folktales, and other forms of literature.

The study uses the descriptive research design. The primary sources include oral interviews from elderly

Tiv speakers who are well-versed in Tiv proverbs. Random sampling was used to select twenty (20) respondents from different Tivspeaking communities within four (4) Local Government Areas of

Benue State. They are Vandeikya, Konshisa, Ushongo and Gboko.

Also, the researcher’s intuition and personal observation served as a strong means for data collection. The paper uses Sapir and Whorf’s Whorfian theory (20th century). The theory is a principle suggesting that the structure of a language affects its speakers’ worldview or cognition, and thus, people’s perceptions are relative to their spoken languages. The paper finds that proverbs contribute to effective communication, convey cultural values, and enhance language proficiency. The paper concludes that preserving Tiv proverbs is essential for safeguarding Tiv culture.