[Lexicog] Re: Proverbs and their cross-cultural equivalents

[Chinedu Uchechukwu]

Greetings!
After going through Goerling's German-English collection of 
proverbs, I felt like raising something of peculiar interest in 
proverbs. This has to do with DOMAIN specific issues in proverb 
formation. By this I mean the use of objects peculiar to a 
particular domain of human experience in the formation of proverbs.
For example, there are various proverbs in the Igbo language that 
have been formed through the use of the DOMAIN of the MENTALLY ILL, 
otherwise known as the MAD PERSON. It usually starts with an 
expression like: "The mad man says that.....". Here are some 
examples:

(1) The man mad was told that his house was on fire. And he replied: 
I had already left before it started!

(2) The mad man says that he knows what he is doing, but it is what 
is "doing him" that he does not know.

(3) The mad man says that he is not mad and that he knows what he 
says. And that the unfortunate problem is that any time he wants to 
say one thing another thing comes out of his mouth.

ALthough these proverbs might sound funny, they are earnest 
admonitions within their usage culture. It can also be used as a 
form of cool insult on a bufon. For example, one can use any one of 
the proverbs to interprete the actions of the present President of 
Nigeria!

I am interested in knowing if there are some areas where there is 
the use of the DOMAIN of a MAD PERSON or any form of MENTAL ILLNESS 
to form proverbs (NOT jokes!. 

Hoping to learn more.

Chinedu Uchechukwu
Otto-Friedrich Universität
Bamberg, Germany.



--- In lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com, "Fritz Goerling" 
<Fritz_Goerling at s...> wrote:
> From: Fritz Goerling
> 
> In bilingual proverb dictionaries one can find exact
> cross-cultural equivalents and proverbs that mean
> approximately the same. Here are a few between German
> and English. Do you have the same or similar ones in
> your language?
> 
> Alte Liebe rostet nicht (Old love does not rust)
> = True love never dies
> Alter schützt vor Torheit nicht
> (Old age does not save one from foolishness)
> = No fool like an old fool
> Aus den Augen, aus dem Sinn = Out of sight, out of mind.
> Den Nagel auf den Kopf treffen = To hit the nail on the head
> Die dümmsten Bauern haben die dicksten Kartoffeln
> (the most stupid farmers have the biggest potatoes)
> = Dumb luck.
> Liebe geht durch den Magen (Love goes via the stomach)
> = The way to a man's heart is through his stomach
> Ehrlich währt am längsten (Honest lasts the longest)
> = Honesty is the best policy
> Einem geschenkten Gaul schaut man nicht ins Maul
> = Don't look a gift horse in the mouth
> Ende gut, alles gut = All's well that ends well
> Es ist nicht alles Gold, was glänzt = All that glitters is not gold
> Freunde erkennt man in der Not (One knows friends in need)
> = A friend in need is a friend indeed
> Frisch gewagt ist halb gewonnen (freshly ventured, is half won)
> = Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
> Gleich und gleich gesellt sich gern (Same and same like to 
associate)
> = Birds of a feather flock together
> Gut Ding will Weile haben = Good things take time
> Hochmut kommt vor dem Fall = Pride goeth before the fall
> Hunde die bellen, beissen nicht = Barking dogs don't bite
> Lieber einen Spatz in der Hand, als eine Taube auf dem Dach
> (Better a sparrow in the hand than a swallow on the roof)
> = A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
> Mädchen, die pfeifen und Hühner die krähn, soll man beizeiten den
> Hals herumdrehn
> = Whistling girls and crowing hens always come to a bad ends
> Morgenstund' hat Gold im Mund (The morning hour has gold in its 
mouth) =
> The early bird catches the worm
> Stille Wasser gründen tief = Still waters run deep
> Übung macht den Meister (Practice makes the master)
> = Practice makes perfect
> Viele Köche verderben den Brei = Too many cooks spoil the broth.
> Vor lauter Bäumen den Wald nicht sehen
> = Can't see the forest for the trees
> Wenn die Katze aus dem Haus ist, tanzen die Mäuse
> = When the cat's away the mice will play
> Wer im Glashaus sitzt soll nicht mit Steinen werfen
> = People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones
> Wer zuletzt lacht, lacht am besten = He who laughs last, laughs 
best
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ---
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