Proverbs

[Koontz John E]

On Tue, 18 Dec 2001 rlarson at unlnotes01.unl.edu wrote:
> I wonder if we shouldn't try to refine what we mean by a proverb?  Is a
> proverb just any standard saying?  Is it an admonition?  Does it have to
> be metaphorical?

I guess it would also be worth while knowing if there are any typological
or distributional studies of proverbs.

For myself, I wouldn't think that any standard saying (or idiom of
sentence length?) would be a proverb.  Some might be simply admired
formulations, like "Give me liberty or give me death!" as opposed, say, to
"Live free or die!"  Many of these might be fragmentary quotations of some
larger work, as in this case.  I suppose some might be more or less
anonymous or at least unquoted - customary formulations like "I'm glad to
see you." or lengthy idioms - no good example occurs!  I would think,
however, that it would have to be, if not admonitory, at least advisory or
procedural, and if not metaphorical, perhaps normally somewhat obscure.
However, I could see obscurity or metaphorical qualities as a stylistic
feature that might not be universal.

> If we find proverbs to be almost non-existent in some cultural
> regions, and overpowering in others, then perhaps their presence or
> absence is an indicator of differences in the historical life
> circumstances of the people living in these respective regions.

I'd agree that that's a likely hypothesis, but my understanding is that it
is widely agreed that the Mississippian cultures were in many cases
chiefdoms.  Their widespread demise seems to have accompanied early
contact, with the main early factor being massive die-offs due to mingling
of disease pools.  I'm sure there's some debate about timing and
causation.  I've also heard it argued that as contact intensified the fur
trade caused a definite shift in the East and Plains away from
horticulture and toward hunting, as well as largely eliminating such
indigenous industries as flint knapping and pottery.