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BEYOND THE LITERAL: HOW UNDERSTANDING PRAGMATICS CAN HELP US
APPRECIATE THE SUBTLETY AND NUANCE OF PROVERBS
English language teacher, Kokand University
Axmedov Ikboljon
Abstract:
Proverbs are often viewed as fixed, culturally bound expressions of wisdom, but their
true communicative power lies in how they are used—contextually, strategically, and
pragmatically. This study explores how understanding the pragmatic dimensions of proverbs can
deepen our appreciation of their subtlety and nuance. Drawing on 30 instances of proverb use
from political speeches, online forums, and televised interviews, the study applies a discourse-
analytic approach grounded in pragmatic theory, including speech act theory, Grice’s
cooperative principle, and politeness strategies. Findings reveal that proverbs function primarily
as indirect speech acts, often serving to advise, warn, critique, or maintain social harmony. Their
meaning shifts across discourse types, and their effectiveness depends on context, speaker intent,
and listener inference. In many cases, proverbs are employed to mitigate face-threatening acts or
to frame ideological arguments in non-confrontational ways. The study also highlights emerging
patterns of creative proverb use in digital discourse, suggesting their continued evolution and
adaptability. These findings underscore the importance of teaching proverbs not as static phrases
but as dynamic tools of interaction, especially in second language education and intercultural
communication. Understanding how proverbs work pragmatically can enrich learners’
communicative competence and foster deeper cross-cultural sensitivity.
Keywords:
proverbs, pragmatics, speech acts, politeness, discourse analysis, indirectness,
language teaching, intercultural communication
Introduction.
Language is more than a set of rules or a tool for conveying information—it is a
social action embedded in context, culture, and human intention. Within this linguistic landscape,
proverbs occupy a unique space. As compact, metaphorical expressions passed through
generations, proverbs have traditionally been valued for their wisdom, brevity, and rhetorical
power. They are often used to express shared cultural values, advise others indirectly, or soften
criticism in social interaction. Despite their brevity, proverbs are pragmatically rich and nuanced.
Yet, learners and even native speakers often struggle to grasp their true meanings because they
focus solely on the literal interpretation rather than the pragmatic intent behind the expression.
The study of pragmatics, the branch of linguistics concerned with language use in context,
reveals how meaning is shaped not only by words but also by speaker intention, social
relationships, and situational factors (Yule, 2020). In this regard, understanding the pragmatic
dimensions of proverbs is essential to appreciating how they function in real-life communication.
While the literal meaning of a proverb such as “Don’t cry over spilled milk” suggests nothing
more than spilled dairy, its actual communicative purpose—usually to offer consolation or signal
resignation—becomes evident only when the proverb is analyzed in context. Proverbs are thus
often employed as indirect speech acts, performing functions like advising, warning, or
criticizing without explicit articulation (Searle, 1979).
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Despite their frequency and social significance, proverbs are frequently overlooked in pragmatic
analysis. Previous studies have examined the semantic and cultural aspects of proverbs (Mieder,
2004), but relatively few have focused on their use as pragmatic tools in discourse. This gap is
particularly notable in English language education, where proverbs are often introduced as fixed
phrases with one-to-one meanings, without sufficient exploration of their dynamic use across
different social contexts (Norrick, 1985; Taguchi, 2011). This limited view not only undermines
their pedagogical potential but also contributes to misinterpretation and communication
breakdowns, especially in cross-cultural or multilingual settings.
The importance of this research lies in the need to shift focus from merely understanding what
proverbs mean in isolation to how they function within the broader discourse and interpersonal
dynamics. In our increasingly globalized and multilingual world, developing pragmatic
competence—defined as the ability to interpret and use language appropriately in context—has
become just as essential as grammatical competence (Kasper & Rose, 2002). Proverbs, as
carriers of social norms and pragmatic strategies, offer a compelling site for such analysis. They
reflect how speakers navigate politeness, power dynamics, shared knowledge, and emotional
undercurrents through language.
According to a corpus analysis by Norrick (2014), native English speakers use proverbs or
proverbial expressions approximately every 20 minutes in casual conversation, demonstrating
their embeddedness in everyday discourse. In political speeches, media interviews, and online
discussions, proverbs are strategically deployed to invoke shared wisdom, frame arguments, or
distance the speaker from overt criticism (Gibbs & Beitel, 2003). However, their layered
meanings require the listener to consider not just what is said, but how and why it is said—a task
that pragmatics is uniquely equipped to handle.
The aim of this study is to explore how understanding the pragmatic dimensions of proverbs—
such as speaker intention, context, and social function—enhances our appreciation of their
subtlety, richness, and communicative power. Specifically, this paper seeks to:
Analyze the use of English proverbs in natural discourse settings.
Identify the primary pragmatic functions these proverbs serve (e.g., advising, warning,
softening criticism).
Discuss the implications of a pragmatic understanding for language learning and
intercultural communication.
Research Question
How does considering the pragmatic use of proverbs contribute to a deeper understanding of
their meaning and communicative value in real-world discourse?
It is hypothesized that proverbs, when examined through a pragmatic lens, reveal communicative
strategies that go beyond their literal meanings—functioning as indirect speech acts that facilitate
social interaction, negotiate politeness, and transmit cultural values.
This study builds on pragmatic theory and real-life examples of proverb use to argue that fully
appreciating proverbs requires moving beyond semantic definitions to consider their
embeddedness in contextualized human interaction.
Literature Review.
Pragmatics is the study of meaning in context—how speakers use language
to achieve communicative goals, how listeners interpret utterances, and how meaning changes
depending on the situation. Unlike semantics, which deals with literal meaning, pragmatics
focuses on speaker intention, listener interpretation, and contextual factors (Yule, 2020). Key
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components of pragmatics include speech acts, implicature, deixis, politeness theory, and
presupposition.
The field was significantly shaped by theorists such as Austin (1962) and Searle (1979), who
introduced Speech Act Theory, proposing that utterances are not just statements but actions. For
example, saying “I’ll keep that in mind” in response to a proverb like Look before you leap may
function not only as acknowledgment but also as a polite refusal or soft criticism—depending on
context. These meanings are rarely captured by literal interpretation alone.
Another pillar of pragmatics is Grice’s (1975) Cooperative Principle, which explains how
meaning is inferred beyond the literal message. Grice proposed that interlocutors generally
cooperate in conversation, following four maxims: Quantity, Quality, Relation, and Manner.
When a speaker deliberately flouts a maxim, listeners search for implied meaning, or
conversational implicature.
Proverbs often rely on such implicature. For example, The squeaky wheel gets the grease may be
used not to praise noisiness but to suggest that someone is being unfairly rewarded for
complaining—thus signaling criticism without saying it outright. Understanding this layered
meaning requires awareness of pragmatic cues, not just knowledge of vocabulary.
Brown and Levinson’s (1987) theory of politeness adds further insight into how proverbs
function pragmatically. According to their framework, speakers use indirectness to preserve each
other’s face—the public self-image individuals want to maintain. Proverbs often act as face-
saving devices, enabling speakers to issue warnings, express disagreement, or give advice
without sounding aggressive or judgmental.
For instance, in a business meeting, someone might say Don’t put all your eggs in one basket to
suggest diversifying strategy. The proverb performs the function of critique, yet softens it by
presenting it as communal wisdom rather than personal judgment. This pragmatic use allows the
speaker to maintain politeness and reduce interpersonal tension.
As indirect speech acts, proverbs convey intentions implicitly. Searle (1979) classified speech
acts into categories such as assertives, directives, commissives, expressives, and declarations.
Proverbs typically perform directives (advising, warning), but they do so without direct
imposition. Research by Gibbs and Beitel (2003) emphasizes that proverb interpretation depends
on inferencing skills and social awareness, both of which are central to pragmatic competence.
Gibbs (1994) argued that understanding proverbs requires more than decoding a fixed
meaning—it involves interpreting figurative language, recognizing speaker goals, and assessing
interpersonal dynamics. This suggests that proverbs serve not only a semantic function but also a
crucial interpersonal and rhetorical role.
Although theoretical frameworks are well-established, empirical research into the pragmatic use
of proverbs in natural discourse is still emerging. Norrick (2006, 2014) examined conversational
uses of proverbs, showing how they are used to manage face, support arguments, and structure
narratives. His analysis of everyday English conversations found that proverbs often appear at
emotionally charged moments or as part of collaborative storytelling, indicating their pragmatic
value in maintaining group cohesion and shared understanding.
Similarly, Mieder (2004) noted that proverbs are frequently employed in political discourse to
legitimize arguments or appeal to national identity. In these contexts, proverbs function
pragmatically by reinforcing solidarity or framing ideological messages in familiar terms. For
instance, American politicians often use United we stand, divided we fall to evoke national unity,
while avoiding direct policy references.
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In educational contexts, Taguchi (2011) highlighted the importance of teaching pragmatics
explicitly, noting that learners who struggle with indirectness and figurative language often
misinterpret proverbs. While ESL materials typically introduce proverbs as vocabulary items,
they rarely address how to interpret or use them pragmatically. This limits learners’ ability to
navigate nuanced social interactions, especially in intercultural communication.
Another critical area of research focuses on the cross-cultural variation in the use and
interpretation of proverbs. What counts as polite or indirect in one culture may be interpreted as
vague or evasive in another. Wierzbicka (1991) argued that speech acts and politeness strategies
are culturally constructed, and thus proverbs must be analyzed within their sociocultural context.
A proverb like The nail that sticks out gets hammered down may convey conformity in Japanese
culture but seem authoritarian in Western settings.
This cultural dimension further underscores the importance of a pragmatic approach. Proverbs
are not universally interpreted the same way, and understanding them requires sensitivity to
cultural scripts, social roles, and contextual cues (Ishihara & Cohen, 2010).
Methodology.
This study adopts a qualitative, discourse-analytic methodology grounded in
pragmatic theory, with a focus on how proverbs function in real-life communication. Rather than
relying on contrived or experimental data, the study draws on naturally occurring language from
public discourse sources to ensure contextual richness and authenticity. The goal is to examine
how proverbs are used in actual social interactions, paying particular attention to speaker intent,
listener interpretation, and the sociocultural context of the utterance.
Research Design
A multiple-case qualitative design was employed, using examples of proverb usage from three
discourse domains: political speeches, online public forums (e.g., Reddit, Quora), and televised
interviews or talk shows. These sources were chosen to reflect diverse communication
contexts—formal, informal, and semi-structured—where speakers use proverbs for various
pragmatic purposes such as advising, warning, persuading, or softening critique.
This design allows the study to explore how the same proverb can serve different functions
depending on the context, participants, and communicative goals. It also highlights pragmatic
patterns across different speaker types (e.g., public figures, everyday users) and communication
platforms (face-to-face vs. digital).
Corpus and Data Collection
A corpus of 30 instances of English proverbs was compiled from three main data sources:
1.
Political speeches
: Transcripts from U.S. presidential addresses and debates (e.g., speeches
by Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Joe Biden) were accessed through the American Presidency
Project and YouTube caption archives.
2.
Online forums:
Public posts and responses containing proverbs were selected from Reddit
threads (r/AskReddit, r/Advice), Quora discussions, and open-access Twitter data using keyword
searches (e.g., "proverb," "saying," specific proverbs like "better late than never").
3.
Televised interviews/talk shows:
Segments from shows like The Daily Show, Oprah
Winfrey Show, and BBC HARDtalk were transcribed where proverbs were used by guests or
hosts.
Each proverb instance was selected based on two criteria:
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It was used intentionally within the discourse, rather than as a title, decoration, or motto.
It contained clear surrounding context (at least five utterances before and after) to allow for
meaningful pragmatic analysis.
Sampling Strategy
A purposive sampling approach was used to ensure diversity in speaker backgrounds (gender,
status, setting) and proverb function types. While the total number of examples is limited to 30
for in-depth analysis, they span 15 unique proverbs, each appearing at least twice in different
discourse types. This allowed for comparative analysis of how pragmatic function shifts
depending on the speaker’s goals and the interactional setting.
No demographic data about the speakers was collected unless publicly available (e.g., politicians,
public figures), in line with ethical research standards for using publicly available material.
Data Analysis
The analysis was guided by speech act theory, Grice’s Cooperative Principle, and Brown and
Levinson’s politeness framework. Each proverb instance was coded according to:
1. Illocutionary act type (e.g., directive, expressive, commissive)
2. Function (e.g., giving advice, warning, expressing judgment, creating solidarity)
3. Politeness strategy (e.g., bald on-record, positive politeness, indirectness)
4. Conversational implicature or inferred meaning
5. Contextual factors (setting, speaker role, audience type)
Coding was performed manually by the researcher using a deductive thematic coding approach
based on prior pragmatic theory (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Emergent functions not predicted by
theory were also documented inductively to account for variation in real-life usage.
Sample codes:
"Don’t air your dirty laundry in public"
– Illocution: directive; Function: warning; Strategy:
indirectness; Implicature: avoid conflict or embarrassment.
"A house divided against itself cannot stand"
– Illocution: assertive; Function: persuasion/unity
appeal; Strategy: positive politeness.
To ensure the trustworthiness of the findings, the study followed several strategies:
Triangulation across multiple discourse types enhanced credibility.
Thick contextual description was preserved for each case to allow readers to understand the
meaning in its situational frame.
Coding procedures were documented transparently.
Since all data was drawn from publicly accessible sources (e.g., political transcripts, public
Reddit threads, televised interviews), no informed consent was required. The study adhered to
ethical guidelines for the use of publicly available online discourse (Townsend & Wallace, 2016),
and all usernames and personal identifiers from online data were removed or anonymized.
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Results.
This section presents the key findings from the pragmatic analysis of 30 instances of
proverb use across political speeches, online public forums, and televised interviews. Each
instance was examined for its illocutionary force, pragmatic function, politeness strategy, and
conversational implicature. The analysis revealed a consistent pattern: while proverbs appear
semantically fixed, their communicative function is highly dependent on speaker intent,
discourse setting, and interpersonal context.
1. Pragmatic Functions of Proverbs
The proverbs in the data-set served a range of pragmatic functions, grouped into five broad
categories:
Pragmatic Function
Example Proverb
Frequency
(n=30)
Context Type
Advising
“Look before you leap”
8
Forums,
interviews
Warning
“Don’t bite the hand that feeds
you”
6
Political,
forums
Criticizing
“Too many cooks spoil the broth” 5
Forums,
interviews
Soften
disagreement
/
Face-saving
“To each his own”
6
Forums
Emphasizing
unity
/
Morality
“A house divided against itself
cannot stand”
5
Political
speeches
This table highlights how the same proverb may shift functions depending on the context. For
instance,
“Don’t bite the hand that feeds you”
was used in a Reddit discussion to caution
someone against criticizing their employer, but in a televised debate it functioned as a subtle
critique of political disloyalty.
2. Proverbs as Indirect Speech Acts
A major finding was that proverbs most frequently operated as indirect directives, allowing
speakers to express criticism, advice, or warning without overt imposition. For example:
Reddit user in a financial advice thread:
“Sure, take risks—but don’t forget, ‘Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.’ That’s how people
end up broke.”
—Illocution: Directive; Function: Advice; Strategy: Mitigated with metaphor.
Here, the proverb provides guidance, but frames it as shared cultural knowledge, not personal
command—thus reducing face threat and increasing social acceptability.
3. Politeness Strategies and Face Management
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In line with Brown and Levinson’s (1987) framework, many proverbs served positive politeness
functions, especially when mitigating disagreement. For instance:
TV guest on a discussion about parenting styles:
“Well, you know, ‘To each his own.’ We all have different ways of raising kids.”
—Function: Soften disagreement; Strategy: Positive politeness.
This usage avoids direct contradiction, instead appealing to tolerance and individual choice.
Similar examples occurred in online debates about lifestyle and cultural norms, where users
invoked proverbs to acknowledge diversity without confrontation.
4. Conversational Implicature and Context-Dependent Meaning
Proverbs often generated conversational implicatures, requiring the listener to infer meaning
based on the situation. Consider the following:
Barack Obama, 2004 DNC speech:
“There is not a liberal America and a conservative America—there is the United States of
America. A house divided against itself cannot stand.”
—Function: Moral appeal; Implicature: National unity overrides partisanship.
While the proverb originated in biblical language and was famously reused by Abraham Lincoln,
Obama repurposed it as a rhetorical device, infusing it with moral authority and a call for
national cohesion. The implicature relies on shared historical and cultural knowledge, enhancing
its persuasive power.
5. Variation by Discourse Type
Patterns emerged across the three discourse settings:
Political speeches: Proverbs were used to frame ideology, evoke shared values, or critique
opposition indirectly.
Online forums: Users employed proverbs to advise, defend opinions, or de-escalate conflict.
Televised interviews: Guests used proverbs to deflect criticism, establish credibility, or
relate personal values.
This variation reinforces the importance of context in determining what a proverb does in
conversation—not just what it means semantically.
6. Emergent Observations
While most proverbs fit neatly into expected categories, several uses were ambiguous or playful,
particularly in digital discourse. For example, a Reddit user modified the proverb “You can lead
a horse to water…” by adding:
“…but you can’t make him stop binge-watching conspiracy videos.”
This hybrid use preserved the original skeptical tone while adapting it to a contemporary context,
demonstrating how proverbs evolve pragmatically over time.
Discussion.
The findings of this study reinforce the central argument that proverbs are
pragmatically rich expressions that serve crucial communicative functions well beyond their
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literal meanings. They act as indirect speech acts, face-saving devices, and rhetorical strategies
that shape social interaction in meaningful ways. By applying pragmatic theory to naturally
occurring instances of proverb use, this study provides empirical evidence that supports—and
extends—the theoretical claims made by scholars such as Searle (1979), Brown and Levinson
(1987), and Gibbs and Beitel (2003).
A key insight emerging from the data is that proverbs are not primarily used for their surface
meanings. Instead, they are mobilized by speakers to express implicit intentions such as advice,
criticism, or persuasion, depending on the social situation. This finding is consistent with
Searle’s (1979) concept of indirect speech acts, in which the speaker’s intended meaning
diverges from the literal utterance. For example, when a speaker uses “Don’t bite the hand that
feeds you” in a political context, they are not simply repeating a moral cliché—they are warning,
criticizing, or threatening, depending on the speaker's role and the audience.
This confirms that any analysis of proverbs that relies solely on semantic or lexical interpretation
is insufficient. As Grice (1975) argued, language users often exploit conversational maxims to
convey more than they explicitly state, and proverbs are a key site for such implicature. In the
data analyzed, this was evident in all three discourse types: political speeches, online forums, and
televised interviews.
Brown and Levinson’s (1987) politeness theory also provided a robust framework for explaining
why speakers turn to proverbs. In contexts of disagreement, correction, or evaluation—especially
in public or semi-public forums—proverbs allow speakers to soften their stance, preserve face,
and maintain politeness. This was especially apparent in online interactions, where anonymous
users employed expressions like “To each his own” to diffuse tension or avoid confrontation
while still signaling disagreement.
These findings align with Norrick’s (2014) observation that proverbs are often deployed in
emotionally or socially delicate moments. By appealing to culturally shared wisdom, speakers
deflect personal responsibility for the critique or advice they are delivering, thereby reducing the
likelihood of offense. This strategic indirection underscores the social utility of proverbs and
further highlights their pragmatic depth.
Another significant finding is the contextual flexibility of proverbs. The same expression can
serve different functions depending on discourse setting, speaker status, and interactional goals.
For instance, the proverb “A house divided against itself cannot stand” was used both to
emphasize political unity and to warn against internal party conflict. This functional shift
supports the claim that the illocutionary force of a proverb is determined less by the proverb
itself and more by the speaker’s rhetorical strategy and the listener’s inference.
This finding also echoes the work of Taguchi (2011), who emphasized that pragmatic
competence involves the ability to recognize and interpret such variation. For language learners
and researchers alike, this suggests that learning a proverb's literal meaning is only the beginning;
true understanding depends on mastering its discourse-level use.
One surprising pattern was the creative adaptation of proverbs in online discourse. Users
frequently modified or recontextualized traditional sayings to reflect modern concerns or
humorous commentary. These hybrid forms, such as
“You can lead a horse to water, but you
can’t make him stop binge-watching conspiracy videos,”
demonstrate how proverbs evolve
through usage and reflect contemporary social dynamics.
This evolution raises important questions for future research: How are new proverb-like
expressions formed in digital cultures? Are these altered forms still interpreted through the same
pragmatic lens as traditional proverbs? While these questions are beyond the current study’s
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scope, they point to the continued relevance and adaptability of proverbial expressions as living
elements of discourse, not frozen idioms.
These findings have clear implications for language teaching, intercultural communication, and
the development of pragmatic competence. In many ESL/EFL classrooms, proverbs are taught as
isolated vocabulary items with fixed definitions, often disconnected from authentic usage. This
study shows that such instruction overlooks the pragmatic fluidity of proverbs and the need for
learners to understand context, tone, and speaker intent.
As Kasper and Rose (2002) and Ishihara and Cohen (2010) argue, teaching pragmatics
explicitly—especially through discourse examples—can help learners navigate figurative and
indirect language. For proverbs, this means moving beyond matching exercises or translations
and instead engaging learners with real examples, including varied settings, functions, and
possible listener interpretations.
Furthermore, given the cross-cultural variability in proverb usage (Wierzbicka, 1991), a
pragmatic approach can also aid in intercultural understanding. Learners may encounter familiar
proverbs used in unfamiliar ways, or unfamiliar proverbs used in high-stakes social situations.
Pragmatic awareness helps them interpret meaning appropriately and respond effectively.
While the study sheds light on the pragmatic richness of proverbs, it is limited by the sample size
(30 instances) and the focus on English-language discourse. A larger corpus might yield broader
generalizations or uncover less common functions. Additionally, incorporating spoken
conversational data from private or multilingual contexts (e.g., family discussions, intercultural
interviews) could reveal further nuance.
Future studies might also examine how non-native speakers interpret or misuse proverbs
pragmatically, or how new technologies (e.g., AI chatbots) process and respond to proverbial
language. Cross-linguistic comparisons could also deepen our understanding of how proverbs
function similarly or differently across cultures.
Recommendations
1. Integrate Pragmatic Instruction into Proverb Teaching.
Traditional methods of teaching
proverbs often treat them as fixed expressions with single, literal meanings. This study
recommends shifting toward a pragmatic approach in language classrooms. Teachers should
include real-life examples from authentic discourse—such as media clips, social media posts, or
interviews—to demonstrate how the same proverb can serve different functions depending on
context, speaker intent, and relational dynamics. This shift will help learners develop both
pragmatic competence and communicative sensitivity.
2. Use Discourse-Based Activities in ESL/EFL Settings.
To better equip learners to use and
interpret proverbs appropriately, classroom activities should go beyond translation or
memorization. Tasks such as role-plays, discourse completion exercises, and critical analysis of
dialogues can help learners practice choosing suitable proverbs, identifying illocutionary force,
and understanding indirectness in speech. These activities can improve learners’ ability to
engage in nuanced communication across cultural contexts.
3. Expand Textbook Content on Pragmatics and Proverbs.
Textbook writers and curriculum
designers should update materials to reflect the pragmatic nature of proverbs. Rather than listing
proverbs as standalone idioms, textbooks should embed them in meaningful contexts with notes
on usage, tone, appropriateness, and sociocultural dimensions. Such revisions can bridge the gap
between passive knowledge and active, context-sensitive usage.
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4. Raise Awareness of Cultural and Contextual Variation.
Teachers and learners should be
made aware that proverbs vary across cultures not only in form and content but also in function
and acceptability. Encouraging discussions on how similar messages are conveyed in different
cultures, or how the same proverb might be interpreted differently across settings, can promote
intercultural awareness and prevent misunderstandings in global communication.
5. Encourage Research on Digital and Hybrid Proverb Usage.
As this study noted, digital
discourse often includes creative or adapted forms of traditional proverbs. Future researchers
should explore how these forms evolve, what pragmatic functions they serve, and how they
reflect changes in cultural norms and communication styles. This includes examining AI use of
proverbs, meme culture, and the role of irony or humor in modified sayings.
6. Support Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration.
Finally, scholars from linguistics, education,
sociology, and media studies are encouraged to collaborate on research exploring the pragmatic
richness of proverbial language. This would allow for broader datasets, deeper cultural insights,
and more interdisciplinary applications of findings.
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