PROVERBS AND ANTI-PROVERBS AS EXEMPLARY INSTANTIATIONS OF FORMULAIC LANGUAGE
Abstract
This research examines whether proverbs and antiproverbs satisfy the definitional criteria often associated with formulaic language, while also demonstrating the linguocultural paradigms of both forms. Formulaic language, defined by its rigidity, conventionality, pragmatic use, and holistic processing, is essential for comprehending the cognitive storage and social transmission of language. This research utilises theoretical frameworks from cognitive linguistics, psycholinguistics, and paremiology to analyse conventional proverbs and their modified versions anti-proverbs based on definitional and analytical criteria related to form, function, storage/retrieval, and meaning. Quantitative analysis and a bar chart indicate that canonical proverbs exhibit significant formulaicity, characterised by a fixed and holistic structure, robust cultural conventionality, and lasting memorability. Their practical and instructional roles facilitate their consistent transmission and recognition across many situations. Conversely, anti-proverbs, while inventive and contextually stimulating, exhibit diminished formal stability and lower conventionality ratings, indicating their playful divergence from established language standards. Nonetheless, they retain specific pragmatic and figurative attributes that correspond with formulaic functions. The findings highlight the fluid boundary between formulaic and inventive (creative, modifiable) language, indicating that anti-proverbs, albeit somewhat formulaic, serve as platforms for linguistic innovation that simultaneously uphold and contest formulaic norms. Furthermore, it has elucidated the formulaic structures of proverbs, sayings, and perverbs using instances from the English language
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