GENDER ISSUES IN GEORGIAN AND ENGLISH PROVERBS

Abstract

A proverb is a short, concise expression that conveys folk wisdom. It is universal and its roots must be sought in different cultures. The most important characteristic for them is that it belongs to the oral tradition. The general theme of the proverb relates to human experience and activities (Schiffer, 2010; Rusieshvili 2005;). Moreover, in almost all cultures, proverbs are general-referential expressions, the wisdom of which society must take into account (Rong, 2013). Proverbs are carriers of shared cultural values and can even be called a symbolic expression of culture. Therefore, reflecting the social and culturally specific features of society, the proverb can be classed as a sociolinguistic phenomenon. As well as this, through the proverb, we can explore the cultural worldview of the nation. Based on contrastive and comparative analysis, this article examines gender-marked Georgian and English proverbs. More specifically, it discusses (1) key themes revealed in the relevant groups of proverbs in both cultures, (2) similarities and differences between the gender stereotypes emerging in the proverbs of both cultures, and (3) reasons behind these similarities and differences.

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