who wrote the proverb it takes a village to raise a child
It Takes a Village
The authenticity of the proverb is debatable as there is no evidence that this precise proverb genuinely originated with any African culture . However , numerous proverbs from different cultures across Africa have been noted that convey similar sentiments in different ways . As one poster on a scholarly list wrote , `` While it is interesting to seek provenance in regard to the proverb , ' It takes a village to raise a child , ' I think it would be misleading to ascribe its origin to a single source ... Let me give a few examples of African societies with proverbs which translate to ' It takes a village ... ' : In Lunyoro ( Banyoro ) there is a proverb that says ' Omwana takulila nju emoi , ' whose literal translation is ' A child does not grow up only in a single home . ' In Kihaya ( Bahaya ) there is a saying , ' Omwana taba womoi , ' which translates as ' A child belongs not to one parent or home . ' In Kijita ( Wajita ) there is a proverb which says ' Omwana ni wa bhone , ' meaning regardless of a child 's biological parent ( s ) its upbringing belongs to the community . In Swahili , the proverb ' Asiyefunzwa na mamae hufunzwa na ulimwengu ' approximates to the same . '' The origin of the popular saying `` It takes a village to raise a child '' is a mystery . Some people believe the saying originated in an ancient African proverb ; others believe it came from a Native American Tribe . 
The authenticity of the proverb is debatable as there is no evidence that this precise proverb genuinely originated with any African culture . However , numerous proverbs from different cultures across Africa have been noted that convey similar sentiments in different ways . As one poster on a scholarly list wrote , `` While it is interesting to seek provenance in regard to the proverb , ' It takes a village to raise a child , ' I think it would be misleading to ascribe its origin to a single source ... Let me give a few examples of African societies with proverbs which translate to ' It takes a village ... ' : In Lunyoro ( Banyoro ) there is a proverb that says ' Omwana takulila nju emoi , ' whose literal translation is ' A child does not grow up only in a single home . ' In Kihaya ( Bahaya ) there is a saying , ' Omwana taba womoi , ' which translates as ' A child belongs not to one parent or home . ' In Kijita ( Wajita ) there is a proverb which says ' Omwana ni wa bhone , ' meaning regardless of a child 's biological parent ( s ) its upbringing belongs to the community . In Swahili , the proverb ' Asiyefunzwa na mamae hufunzwa na ulimwengu ' approximates to the same . '' The origin of the popular saying `` It takes a village to raise a child '' is a mystery . Some people believe the saying originated in an ancient African proverb ; others believe it came from a Native American Tribe .
The authenticity of the proverb is debatable as there is no evidence that this precise proverb genuinely originated with any African culture, it could also have come from a Native American Tribe.
The authenticity of the proverb is debatable as there is no evidence that this precise proverb genuinely originated with any African culture . Some people believe the saying originated in an ancient African proverb ; others believe it came from a Native American Tribe .