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This is a contrastive semantic study of proverbs in English and Malay (Bahasa Melayu), using the natural semantic metalanguage (NSM) approach. It first discusses linguistic criteria for proverbiality and the ethno-taxonomy of proverbial ways of speaking, advancing semantic explications for the English expressions a saying, an old saying and a proverb. A five-part semantic template for proverb meanings is then proposed and applied to the detailed analysis of proverbs in English and Malay, some metaphorical, e.g. A stitch in time saves nine and Ikut resmi padi 'Follow the way of the rice plant', and others of the plain, maxim variety. The different culture historical positioning of the proverb genre in English speech culture and Malay speech culture is also discussed. |
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