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4.4. Proverbs and sayings as culturally marked units
Relationships between language and culture are most clearly seen in proverbs. It is accounted for by the fact that a proverb by its very nature is one of the forms of culture. It is a proverb that first and foremost transmits sociocultural information. Proverbs and sayings are considered to be cultural relevant units, since they reflect cultural values and concepts (S.G.Vorkachev, V.I. Karasik, V.A. Maslova, W. Mieder).
There are many definitions of proverbs given from different perspectives. I.R. Galperin defines proverbs as “brief statements showing in condensed form the accumulated life experience of the community and serving as conventional practical symbols for abstract ideas” (Galperin, 1977, p.181). W. Mieder points out that proverb is “a short, generally known sentence of the folk which contains wisdom, truth, morals, and traditional views in a metaphorical, fixed and memorizable form and which is handed down from generation to generation. (Mieder 2004, p.3). The definitions specify such features of proverbs as a laconic form, reflection of conventional wisdom and other cultural values.
Many scholars in their definitions emphasize cultural significance of proverbs. Accordingly, C.B. Palmer regards proverbs as cultural texts which fix knowledge, experience and expertise of generations, they manifest basic concepts and, thus reflect the specific cultural knowledge, and associations, which underlie the perception of the world (Palmer, 1996, p.25). According to Y. Deng and R. Liu, “proverbs may provide interesting little glimpses or clues to a people’s geography, history, social organizations, social views, attitudes. People who live along sea coasts and whose livelihood is dependent on the sea will have proverbs about sailing, about braving the weather, about fish and fishing…In cultures where old age is revered, there will be proverbs about the wisdom of the elders. And in societies where women’s status is low, there will be a number of sayings demeaning them” (Deng, Liu, 1989, p. 47-48).
Indeed, proverbs and sayings are the most valuable source of information about the culture and mentality of people. They always reflect customs and traditions, morals and the world outlook of people, historical events and changes in society, the development of economy, culture, trade, etc. Cultural values usually are not explicitly stated, but rather, are passed on from generation to generation through proverbs. Proverbs and sayings of different cultures have a lot in common, however there are specific features, characterizing the peculiarities of national culture. Proverbs and sayings convey deep conceptual senses and national wisdom, which have roots far in the past. They reflect the people’s way of thinking and perception of the world. Many proverbs are culture specific: An Englishman's home is his castle; Good fences make good neighbors; praise is not pudding; To pick the plums out of the pudding; Good wine needs no bush; One cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hounds; A cat may look at a king; Love me, love my dog; He that loves the tree, loves the branch; Nothing must be done hastily but killing of fleas; Rain before seven, fine before eleven; Business is business; If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well; If you buy quality, you only cry once; Keep your breath to cool your porridge; A penny saved is a penny earned; The best things come in small packages; Before criticizing a man, walk a mile in his shoes; Beggars can't be choosers.
There are many functions of proverbs: to advice, inspire, teach, persuade, convince, etc. Most proverbs are of an instructional character and provide deep philosophic insight into many phenomena of life. Proverbs guide people, teach them to differentiate between right and wrong, to lead a regular life, to establish good relations with the community members: Better die with honor than live with shame; When the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch; Better be an old man’s darling, than a young man’s slave; Where there is a will, there is a way; The early bird catches the worm; Love is not found in the market; A woman’s work is never done; Better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all; What can’t be cured must be endured; One man’s meat is another man’s poison.
Some proverbs reveal and criticize people’s negative characteristics: the fox changes his skin, but not his habit; a leopard cannot change its spots; like father, like son.
Many proverbs summarize knowledge and experience of people’s daily life: The best wine comes out of an old vessel; Soft fire makes sweet malt; Hunger drives the wolf out of the woods; Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched; All that glitters is not gold; If you play with fire you get burnt; You buy land, you buy stones; You buy meat, you by bones.
The analysis of English proverbs made it possible to classify them into the following groups, reflecting: 1) the peculiarities of lifestyle; 2) geographical position; 3) customs and traditions; 4) religious views; 5) Greek and Roman myths; 6) English literature; 7) historical events. Let us consider them in detail:
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