English Proverbs
CHAPTER ONE: GENERAL SURVEY ON PROVERBS
§ 1 Definition and Origin of Proverbs
Linguists have been long intrigued by the remarkable capacity and internal structural complexity of proverbs. Indeed, despite their outward simplicity, proverbs and proverbial phrases are far from being simple. On the one hand they are language phenomena similar to ordinary phraseological units and on the other hand they are logical units. This accounts for the fact that proverbs have attracted attention of linguists, folklorists and other specialists in this domain. Carrying our investigation of proverbs we began with the study of various approaches to their definitions. Proverbs have been carried out from generation to generation, and each meaning surely defers from generation to generation. One fact about proverbs is that you are allowed to use it in whichever way you feel is correct to your situation. There are many proverbs that contain proper names. The same as other proverbs, they came from people's everyday life, folklore, prose and poetry, myths, fairy tales, fables, songs, slang and other sources. Quite a few proverbs with proper names are familiar to people of different nationalities, and it's natural that a student of English wants to know how to say those colorful expressions in English. It should be pointed out, though, that proverbs with proper names are not often used in speech or writing. Here is a list of proverbs which contain proper names people's names, e.g.: 1) Bacchus has drowned more men than Neptune. Бахус (Вакх) утопил больше людей, чем Нептун. 2) Caesar's wife must be above suspicion. Жена Цезаря должна быть выше подозрений. 3) If the mountain will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet must go to the mountain. Если гора не идет к Магомету, Магомет должен идти к горе. 4) Jack of all trades is master of none. Тот, кто все умеет, ни в чем не специалист.
geographical names, e.g.:
§ 1 Definition and Origin of Proverbs
Linguists have been long intrigued by the remarkable capacity and internal structural complexity of proverbs. Indeed, despite their outward simplicity, proverbs and proverbial phrases are far from being simple. On the one hand they are language phenomena similar to ordinary phraseological units and on the other hand they are logical units. This accounts for the fact that proverbs have attracted attention of linguists, folklorists and other specialists in this domain. Carrying our investigation of proverbs we began with the study of various approaches to their definitions. Proverbs have been carried out from generation to generation, and each meaning surely defers from generation to generation. One fact about proverbs is that you are allowed to use it in whichever way you feel is correct to your situation. There are many proverbs that contain proper names. The same as other proverbs, they came from people's everyday life, folklore, prose and poetry, myths, fairy tales, fables, songs, slang and other sources. Quite a few proverbs with proper names are familiar to people of different nationalities, and it's natural that a student of English wants to know how to say those colorful expressions in English. It should be pointed out, though, that proverbs with proper names are not often used in speech or writing. Here is a list of proverbs which contain proper names people's names, e.g.: 1) Bacchus has drowned more men than Neptune. Бахус (Вакх) утопил больше людей, чем Нептун. 2) Caesar's wife must be above suspicion. Жена Цезаря должна быть выше подозрений. 3) If the mountain will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet must go to the mountain. Если гора не идет к Магомету, Магомет должен идти к горе. 4) Jack of all trades is master of none. Тот, кто все умеет, ни в чем не специалист.
geographical names, e.g.: