Proverbs Research Articles

Числовой код лингвокультуры и его проявление в русской и английской паремиологической картине мира

The paper examines the numerical code of linguaculture and its function in the Russian and English paroemiological worldview, highlighting the code’s representation in the English 67 paroemias, as well as the cultural connotation of numbers one/один and two/два within the framework of comparative linguacultural studies. The authors aim to identify the symbolism of frequently occurring numbers in the communicative phraseological units of the English language and the possibility of their translation into Russian. The research has been carried out on the comparative data of the Russian and English proverbs with the focus on the numerical code of the English linguaculture through the prism of the phraseological units of the kind, and their counterparts in the Russian linguaculture.

Silencing the Guns: African Traditional Proverbs and Aphorisms for Peace and Security in 21st Century Africa

Africa is yet entangled with some Western modernity responsible for their political crises and incessant insecurity. Insecurity in Africa has historical roots from pre-colonial to post-colonial periods. The continent's hosting of the seventh United Nations Peace Support mission and over 60 percent of the UN Security Council's agenda addresses African insecurity underscore the urgent need to tackle these challenges. This paper examines insecurity in Africa and advocates for reviving African traditional methods to restore peace, utilizing proverbs and wisdom. Through analysis, criticism, and prescription, it explores the inherent insecurity problems and argues that African proverbs offer valuable insights for fostering unity. The study compares Western crisis resolution methods with African approaches, concluding that traditional African means are a more effective alternative. It highlights Africa as a potential solution to its own insecurity while recognizing the benefits of Western methods. The paper concluded that Africa has strong indigenous values and security systems capable of addressing insecurity even before colonialism. The paper recommended that African traditional security outfits are more efficient and better considered as alternative measures to solving the problems of peace and insecurity in Africa rather than adopting the Western war-war method.

A COGNITIVE STUDY OF DRINK EXPRESSIONS IN ENGLISH PROVERBS

Conceptual Metaphor Theory represents the output of a cognitive process by which readers can understand one domain in terms of another. This study aims to investigate the use of drink proverbs in English from a cognitive point of view and investigate the role of metaphor in communication as an unconscious process in everyday life. Also, it aims to identify metaphor as a systematic process that does not occur randomly. It is considered as a problematic task for learners to understand, interpret, and render the exact conceptual meaning of English proverbs. The procedures of this study are as follows: Presenting a theoretical framework of cognitive linguistics and adopting the model of the conceptual metaphor theory which is Lakoff and Johnson's “Metaphor We Live by” (2003) to analyze proverbs of drink in English. Another two models are used to support the first one which are Newman's (1997) “Eating and Drinking as a Source of Metaphor in English” and Quirk et al (1985) “A Comprehensives Grammar of the English Language”. The study hypothesizes that the source and target domains in conceptual metaphors have a crucial role in understanding the meaning of drink proverbs in English. Concerning the levels of analysis, the present study deals with the semantic and grammatical levels. The data are collected from dictionaries that are associated with drink proverbs. Six samples are chosen for the analysis. In each sample, more than five items have been analyzed metaphorically and grammatically. The present study concluded that conceptual metaphors do not occur randomly and they are unconscious processes through conversations.

BINARY OPPOSITION «RICH-POOR» IN KAZAKH AND ENGLISH LINGUACULTURES

In this study, binary oppositions are referred to be mechanisms for producing cultural notions that are indicated by lexical antonyms and represent both the Kazakh and English population's worldview and the language's conception of the universe. On the basis of an analysis of the materials and important cultural concepts from both countries, a sampling of binary oppositions was created. The findings of the comparative study allowed for the definition of key components of Kazakh and English ethnic cultures,which serve as basic components in the self-identification of both countries and aid in the reconstruction of their worldview. The purpose of this work is to identify the features of the national expression of the concepts of wealth and poverty in the Kazakh and English languages. To achieve the goal, the following tasks were set: 1.study of the concept of "proverbs" in the system of Linguistics, their role in creating a linguistic picture of the world. 2.selection, analysis and comparison of Kazakh and English proverbs and sayings. 3.identification of general and various features of the concepts of wealth and poverty in national characteristics, identification of the main features in the values and ideals of the Kazakh and English peoples in relationto these concepts.Research methods depend on the goals and objectives of the work. The work required the use of methods of sampling, comparison and descriptive analysis. The theoretical significance of the work is to identify the features of the national expression of the concepts of wealth and poverty in the Kazakh and English languages within the framework of the theory of cognitive linguistics. The practical significance of the work is that the results of the study can be used in teaching English in courses such as lexicology, phraseology, comparative typology, cognitive linguistics.

Rethinking Teaching Culture in the Classroom: Teaching Culture Through Translation

This article provides an empirical study on rethinking teaching culture and its impact on learning language in second language (L2) teaching classroom. The study sample consists of twenty students majoring in English as participants, randomly selected from fourth year students, Department of English and Translation, AlQalam University, Yemen. The participants’ task was to choose the best translation for twenty English proverbs each. The translation test was constructed on Google.Sheets. The findings indicate that students’ performance has developed considerably through teaching them the culture of the proverbs involved. This was supported by a follow-up survey questionnaire, whose results consolidated the study findings that culture should be taught vis-à-vis language in L2 classroom.

EFL Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions of Knowledge for Translating English Proverbs Into Vietnamese

EFL teachers’ and 60 students’ perceptions of the knowledge needed to translate English proverbs into Vietnamese. The study used an online survey to collect the two groups’ responses. The survey used a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 for strongly disagree to 5 for strongly agree. The results showed that most teachers were aware of teaching their students the necessary knowledge to help them translate English proverbs into Vietnamese. Similarly, most students were mindful of the knowledge required for translating English proverbs into Vietnamese, and they perceived that translating English proverbs was a demanding task. For an open-ended question, many valuable ideas regarding translating English proverbs to Vietnamese were collected and used as references for future proverbial translation teaching and learning. Suggestions and limitations of the study were also included.

PROVERBS AND SAYINGS REFLECTED IN GIBI BITHAI

Proverbs and sayings are a form of verbal art. They enhance the appeal of speakers, singers, and authors, making them more intriguing and relatable by facilitating a stronger connection with their audiences or readers. Proverbs and sayings are powerful tools for sharing knowledge due to their interesting, relatable, and culturally meaningful nature. Although they are different, most of them are similar. One of the only epic works of the Bodos, GibiBithai, has a large number of folklore elements. GibiBithai is a verse relating to Bathouism, and there are many good examples of proverbs and sayings in various chapters. These are closely related to Bathouism and Bodo society. The study has been done through descriptive analysis with a close reading method. In GibiBithai, the author BihuramBoro has used proverbs and sayings to enhance the quality of the epic or to make it attractive to the recipients or the reader. These are often said in a tricky or indirect way to make you think and help you understand. These are like wisdom puzzles that you have to think about to solve. The proverbs and sayings of the GibiBithai are collected and gathered from the Bodo society prevalent among them. These are mostly related to their daily conversations and different situations. They serve as timeless guidelines for navigating numerous elements of life and making ethical decisions. BihuramBoro has employed proverbs and sayings to improve the quality of his work by making it more appealing to the receivers or readers. Furthermore, by documenting these in the book, many forgotten and endangered proverbs and sayings have been brought back to life.

If a fish comes out of the river and speaks, we should believe it: South African perspective on fish kills

AbstractIn South Africa, fish kill events are increasing in frequency because of multiple stressors associated with managing natural resources. Despite the ecosystem services associated with fish, South Africa's progressive legislation towards environmental protection seems to negate the management of fish kills. In this study, we provide an overview of reports and regulations associated with acute pollution spills resulting in fish kill events in South Africa. In addition, we highlight the implication of these using a fish kill event from 2019 on the Msunduzi River, South Africa, as a case study. The fish kill on the Msunduzi River showed a decline in relative abundance by up to 41%, and its ecological condition was already impaired by poor management. The poor condition of the Msunduzi River has jeopardised the recovery of the fish populations, and intervention is needed to restore the fish population that includes species red‐listed as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. We found that despite the severity of fish kills and the detriment to the fish fauna, including near‐threatened species, there is a general apathy, incapacity and lack of knowledge on managing fish kills in South Africa. In addition, although several legislated Acts have good intentions for protecting nature, they do not align and show that a fish kill is an afterthought rather than a need to prevent. Poor management practices have exacerbated this in an already stressed state from excessive use of environmental water. As a way forward, the alignment of the various Acts associated with various ministerial departments in South Africa is needed so that better protection of the environment may occur. Finally, we argue that the African proverb ‘If the fish comes out of the river to tell you that the crocodile has one eye, you should believe it’ is not considered when managing water resources and that with the present ecological state and water resource use there may be no fish to ‘come out of the water’ warning us that our water is unsafe even for human consumption and use.

Variability of article categorization of nouns in English proverbs and sayings

Variability of article categorization of nouns in English proverbs and sayings

Conceptualization of Pragmatic Language Through Proverbs: A Comparative Study of Arabic and English Proverbs

This study aims to analyze and compare several proverbs in Arabic and English from a linguistic-pragmatic perspective. Examining the similarities and differences of proverbs in different languages helps us appreciate the use of that language. Indeed, Arabic and English may constitute an excellent example of understanding the practical use of common proverbs and, more generally, the historical facets of these languages' background. In doing so, I identified twenty common sayings used in the two languages, Arabic and English, to investigate the parallelisms among them and observe their use in a particular cultural context. The study's originality focuses on the fact that until now, proverb cross-language studies on these languages from a metalinguistic point of view have not been examined.

Pidgin English proverbs as a source of structural nativization in Nigerian English

AbstractIn this paper, we explore the role of Nigerian Pidgin English (NPE) proverbs in language contact settings and their impact on the development of idiomatic phraseology in Nigerian English (NgE). In a set of 100 NPE proverbs, we identified lexical keywords that served as anchors for searches in the large‐scale Nairaland corpus to detect recurrent collocational patterns that in further proximity searches yielded frequent, lexico‐grammatically variable patterns that may be interpreted as innovations at the early stages of idiom formation. The findings suggest that cognitively motivated key lexical items of NPE proverbs may serve as a basis for the formation of variable but also lexico‐grammatically more condensed idiomatic expressions in NgE.

The Translation of English Proverbs into Albanian Language in the Religious Genre

Proverbs are short culturally-bound expressions that give practical advice or a moral based on real life experience; they constitute a source of folk wisdom. The translation of proverbs has long been recognized as a critical issue in the field of translation due to their cultural peculiarities and semantic properties. The meaning of a proverb cannot be understood by the individual words it is composed of. This study explores how proverbs are translated in the religious genre, from English to Albanian language. 100 proverbs have been selected from “KJV’S Holy Bible”’s chapter entitled “Proverbs” in order to collect data. The corpus of proverbs has been thoroughly analyzed; each of the proverbs has been individually analyzed in order to identify the translation strategy that has been employed. Mona Baker’s model of translation for idioms and fixed expressions is used as the theoretical framework of this research for the analysis of translation strategies. The study concluded that the majority of the proverbs are translated by using a proverb with a similar meaning but a different form. Nevertheless, a considerable number of proverbs have been translated by means of a proverb with a similar meaning and form. Additionally, the study demonstrates whether domesticating or foreignizing translation strategies are more suitable for the translation of the proverbs in question. The results of the study have concluded that domestication is a more suitable translation strategy for the proverbs of the religious genre. Received: 6 June 2024 / Accepted: 25 July 2024 / Published: 29 July 2024

Proverbs Translation Techniques from English into Arabic among Jordanian University Students

Proverbs are essential component of everyday language, and they offer a fascinating insight into cultures. They are short sayings of public wisdom with cultural origin and figurative meanings, known by native speakers and used in specific situations. The reason behind the importance of translating proverbs precisely is that they are an effective and powerful instrument for the transmission of culture, social morality, manners, traditional wisdoms, historical incidents, and thoughts of people from one generation to another. The main difficulty in translating proverbs lies in their metaphorical nature, as they are culture-bound expressions and carry an implicit meaning that goes beyond the literal meaning. This study aims to investigate the translation techniques used by the students of translation at Jordanians universities in translating English proverbs into Arabic. The study is qualitative by nature, but a quantitative analysis was carried out to calculate the frequencies of the employed techniques. In this case study, forty students were engaged as participants using a purposive sampling method. They were given a translation test to recognize the employed techniques in translating 10 proverbs. The analysis revealed that the used techniques in order were using a proverb of similar meaning but different form, using a proverb of similar meaning and form, and translation by paraphrase came in the last position. The study is significant in raising the students’ awareness of the best techniques in translating proverbs for future translation works. The study has implications on translators to give emphasis on the language and cultural perspectives in translating culture-bound expressions to achieve successful communication between cultures.

İNGİLİS ATALAR SÖZLƏRİNİN TƏRİFLƏRİ VƏ ÖYRƏNİLMƏSİ

English Proverbs Definitions and Learning Summary This article is devoted to the semantic classification of proverbs and sayings in the English language. Proverbs and sayings reflect the wisdom of the people, a set of moral rules of life. Proverb and sayings, as a folk art, are similar to each other in their features. The main sources and meaning of English proverbs and sayings are analyzed in this article. Key words: multiculturalism, tolerance, migrants, ideology, politics

A Comparative Study between Chat GPT and Human Translation in Translating English Proverbs into Arabic

A Comparative Study between Chat GPT and Human Translation in Translating English Proverbs into Arabic

It takes a village

Several stakeholders, such as community groups, government officials, parents, guardians, and educators have shown concern about the achievement gap between Nova Scotia learners of African descent and their predominantly White peers. Using the African proverb ‘It takes a village’ as a framework, this study involved parents, extended family members and caregivers of children aged 4 to 6 years to explore the scaffolding strategies employed as well as the experiences of participants when supporting children’s emergent writing skills during COVID-19 pandemic. Survey and focus group sessions demonstrated how participants frequently scaffolded emergent writing using highly effective strategies including Africentric approaches. The importance of ‘It takes a village’ proverb in enhancing literacy developmenthas also been established.

An Analysis of Marriage and Love Concepts in English Proverbs

English proverbs reflect the wisdom and experience of the people in Englishspeakingcountries. We explore the views on marriage and love embodied in English proverbs, aiming to understand the cultural values and emotional attitudes behind these proverbs. Some proverbs advocate freedom of marriage and love, believing that love is predestined.Some emphasize the blindness of love, advocating a sober and rational attitude towards marriage and love, and more importantly, working hard to manage marriage. This paper collects and analyzes some representative English proverbs about love and marriage. These proverbs are not only linguistic expressions but also cultural wisdom inheritance. They show the complex and diverse understanding and practice of love and marriage among people in English-speakingcountries. They reveal some common themes and values, such as individualism,rationalism, romanticism, realism, etc. They also reflect some historical and socialchanges, such as Christianity, feminism, etc. English proverbs about love and marriageare not only a rich source of linguistic and cultural information, but also a valuableresource for cross-cultural communication and education. Understanding the viewson marriage and love in different cultures can promote the development of culturalintelligence, and also provide a reference for the establishment of a proverb corpus.

A cognitive contrast of Polish and English proverbs with dog components

The article deals with the application of dog metaphorical concepts embodied in the proverbs of Polish and English linguo-cultures. By conducting a cross-cultural cognitive investigation of the main meaning encoded in the selected proverbs the aim of the study is directed at examining the universality of proverbs' content and the socio-cultural influences upon the use of dogs in proverbial items. Furthermore, there are shown some mechanisms affecting the conceptualization of human behaviour perceived in terms of animal behavior.

Theological ethics expressed through Setswana proverbs: Another way of decolonising theology

he intention of this article is to demonstrate that theological ethics as a discipline can be expressed through some Setswana proverbs and idioms, which is another way of decolonising theology in Africa. Decolonising theology through African proverbs in expressing ethics is another way of decolonising theology since the philosophical elucidations and the meaning embedded in proverbs does not easily change over time. Proverbs are important in the substantiation of philosophical claims, and therefore are a powerful tool for education and moral formation in all sectors of society. The method used in this research is a literature study, as the main tool to gather the information of these proverbs and how they are educatively used in ethical and moral decision-making. The objective of this article is not just to define the proverbs but to point out that African folklore is rich with moral and ethical instructions. Methodologically, various proverbs are quoted to indicate that individuals are responsible for self-development when it comes to ethical and moral formation. The same sentiment prevails that an individual is a member of the community, and that as an individual he or she achieves higher goals of life not in isolation but through the contribution of the community. Application of these Setswana proverbs is didactive when considering an individual’s development and achievement, the importance of community involvement, and the complementarity where an individual cannot live in isolation. The conclusion is made that there is still some hope that although ethics and morality are dwindling in African cultural fabrics, African preachers should embark on popularisation of proverbs, promote school curricula that include proverbs, and articulate theological ethics through proverbs.Contribution: This is an interdisciplinary study engaging disciplines such as linguistics, history, ethics, theology, anthropology, sociology, and communications. This study shows the richness of Setswana proverbs in articulating theological ethics. It shows that proverbs in African languages can be used to unwrap theology from western clutches and make it relevant to the African context. It makes a remarkable contribution towards a theological decolonial project.

Cultural conceptualisations in Nigerian Pidgin English proverbs

AbstractThis article explores Nigerian Pidgin English proverbs as a source of cultural conceptualisations that reflect traditional wisdom as well as the modern urban setting of West Africa. A total of 173 proverbs sourced from the BBC News Pidgin's Instagram service were analysed for recurrent lexical keywords and themes (e.g. those relating to food, eating and drinking, and animals) that can be interpreted as source domain lexical material that points to the knowledge of nature, common animals, objects and social situations. The findings suggest that Nigerian Pidgin English proverbs contain a rich inventory of variety‐ and culture‐specific lexis that encodes cultural knowledge and practice, for example knowledge of the local flora and fauna, food items, but also objects of material culture such as clothing, as well as references to social culture.