Proverbs

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Proverbs

Proverbs Throughout the World

African Proverbs

• "The word of friend makes you cry - the word of an enemy makes you laugh" - (of Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger - this means that a friend will tell you the truth and sometimes the truth hurts, whereas an enemy will only lead you down the wrong path by giving you advice that seems good but is not.)

• "I have been bitten by a tsetse fly" - (of Tanzanian origin - this means that a person will continuously be a pest until you pay off a debt.)

• "A tree is known by its fruit" - (of Zulu origin - this means that success is shown by the deeds.)

English Proverbs

• It's no use locking the stable door after the horse has bolted.

• See a pin and pick it up, all the day you'll have good luck; see a pin and let it lie, bad luck you'll have all day.

• Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.

American Proverbs

• "A monkey in silk is a monkey no less" - (this means that just because someone dresses fancy does not necessarily mean that they are fancy or of good character.)

• "All that glitters is not gold" - (this means that just because something looks good, does not necessarily mean that it is good.)

• "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" - (this means that when you separate from someone that you love by putting distance between you that you will inevitably love them more and yearn to see them.)

Asian Proverbs

• "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime" - (this means that teaching people is better in the long run because it gives them the skills to provide for themselves as opposed to you doing things for them.)

• "A spark can start a fire that burns the entire prairie" - (this means that a small problem can snowball into a huge problem that can cause major damage.)

• "The old horse in the stable still yearns to run" - (this means that those who are older still have things they would like to accomplish.)

Function

• Since proverbs are usually metaphorical and indirect, they allow writers to express their messages in a less harsh way.

• Hence, proverbs play a didactic role, as they play a universal role in teaching wisdom and sagacity to the common people.

• They often contain expert advice, with a role for educating the readers on what they may face if they do something.

• The most important function of proverbs is to teach and educate the audience.

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Uses

In drama and film

Similarly to other forms of literature, proverbs have also been used as important units of language in drama and films.

In literature

Many authors have used proverbs in their writings, for a very wide variety of literary genres: epics, novels, poems, short stories.

In convertation

Proverbs are used in conversation by adults more than children, partially because adults have learned more proverbs than children.

Definition

• Nothing defines a culture as distinctly as its language, and the element of language that best encapsulates a society's values and beliefs is its proverbs.

• A proverb is a short, pithy saying that expresses a traditionally held truth or piece of advice, based on common sense or experience.

• Proverbs have many names: they can be called axioms, old saws, sayings and adages.