What is a proverb?

Question

Im doing a report and one of the topics are proverbs. This is what i need to know
~What is a proverb
~When were they written
~Why were they written
~Are there differnet types of proverbs

Answer 1

A proverb is " A usually pithy and familiar statement expressing an observation or principle generally accepted as wise or true: adage, aphorism, byword, maxim, motto, saw, saying" (http://www.answers.com/)

Your second question about when they were written must refer o Proverbs, one of the Books of the Bible. The authorship and time of writing of this Book is not certain. Most likely estimate would be third century B.C.E.

The main purpose of Proverbs is "to define clearly what it means to be fully devoted to God’s will and seeing his will accomplished in this world." (Wikipedia).

Based on the definition above, there are different types of proverbs.

Answer 2

A proverb is a "truism", that is a wise saying that is generally but not always true.

For instance there is a proverb in the Bible that says "When words are many, sin is not absent." Usually when people get together and shoot off their mouths sooner or later someone will say something that isn't nice but a Preacher can give a long sermon and not sin in what he says.

There have been proverbs around for a long time. There are not only the proverbs that are contained in the Bible but proverbs from countries like China and other eastern lands. They were written because people wanted to pass along wisdom for life to their children and to other people. We even have modern day proverbs like "Idle hands do the Devil's work" or "You only get one chance to make a first impression". There are different types of proverbs. Some are short stories. Others are comparisons of two types. If you are doing a report why don't you google proverbs and get all of the specific names and details about the dates and stuff like that?

Answer 3

you already have some good answers but let me add this:

if you are talking about the book of proverbs in the bible:

most were written by Solomon, son of David, around 950 bc.

Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline.

god bless

Answer 4

7 results for: proverb
View results from: Dictionary | Thesaurus | Encyclopedia | All Reference | the Web

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1) - Cite This Source
pro-verb /ˈproʊˌvɜrb/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[proh-vurb] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun Grammar. a word that can substitute for a verb or verb phrase, as do in They never attend board meetings, but we do regularly.


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[Origin: 1905–10; by analogy with pronoun]
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1) - Cite This Source
prov·erb /ˈprɒvərb/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[prov-erb] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun 1. a short popular saying, usually of unknown and ancient origin, that expresses effectively some commonplace truth or useful thought; adage; saw.
2. a wise saying or precept; a didactic sentence.
3. a person or thing that is commonly regarded as an embodiment or representation of some quality; byword.
4. Bible. a profound saying, maxim, or oracular utterance requiring interpretation.
–verb (used with object) 5. to utter in the form of a proverb.
6. to make (something) the subject of a proverb.
7. to make a byword of.


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[Origin: 1275–1325; ME proverbe < MF < L prōverbium adage, equiv. to prō- pro-1 + verb(um) word + -ium -ium]

—Related forms
prov·erb·like, adjective


—Synonyms 1. aphorism, apothegm. Proverb, maxim are terms for short, pithy sayings. A proverb is such a saying popularly known and repeated, usually expressing simply and concretely, though often metaphorically, a truth based on common sense or the practical experience of humankind: “A stitch in time saves nine.” A maxim is a brief statement of a general and practical truth, esp. one that serves as a rule of conduct or a precept: “It is wise to risk no more than one can afford to lose.”
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source prov·erb (prŏv'ûrb') Pronunciation Key
n.
A short pithy saying in frequent and widespread use that expresses a basic truth or practical precept. See Synonyms at saying.
Proverbs (used with a sing. verb) Abbr. Prov. or Prv or Pr See Table at Bible.


[Middle English proverbe, from Old French, from Latin prōverbium : prō-, forth; see pro-1 + verbum, word; see wer-5 in Indo-European roots.]


(Download Now or Buy the Book) The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition - Cite This Source
proverb


A brief, memorable saying that expresses a truth or belief, such as “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” (See examples under “Proverbs.”)


[Chapter:] Conventions of Written English


The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
WordNet - Cite This Source proverb

noun
a condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many people

WordNet® 2.1, © 2005 Princeton University
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary - Cite This Source
Proverb

a trite maxim; a similitude; a parable. The Hebrew word thus rendered (mashal) has a wide signification. It comes from a root meaning "to be like," "parable." Rendered "proverb" in Isa. 14:4; Hab. 2:6; "dark saying" in Ps. 49:4, Num. 12:8. Ahab's defiant words in answer to the insolent demands of Benhadad, "Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off," is a well known instance of a proverbial saying (1 Kings 20:11).

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version) - Cite This Source
proverb [ˈprovəːb] noun

a well-known saying that gives good advice or expresses a supposed truth
Example: Two common proverbs are `Many hands make light work' and `Don't count your chickens before they're hatched!' Arabic: مَثَل، قَوْل مأثور
Chinese (Simplified): 谚语，格言
Chinese (Traditional): 諺語，格言
Czech: přísloví
Danish: ordsprog
Dutch: spreekwoord
Estonian: vanasõna
Finnish: sananlasku
French: proverbe
German: das Sprichwort
Greek: παροιμία
Hungarian: közmondás
Icelandic: málsháttur
Indonesian: pepatah
Italian: proverbio
Japanese: ことわざ
Korean: 속담, 격언
Latvian: paruna; sakāmvārds
Lithuanian: patarlė
Norwegian: ordtak, *-språk
Polish: przysłowie
Portuguese (Brazil): provérbio
Portuguese (Portugal): provérbio
Romanian: proverb
Russian: пословица
Slovak: príslovie
Slovenian: pregovor
Spanish: proverbio
Swedish: ordspråk
Turkish: atasözü



See also: "proverb" in any language

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version), © 2000-2006 K Dictionaries Ltd.

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Answer 5

a short saying stating a general truth or piece of advice.