ARCHER TAYLOR THE ORIGINS OF THE PROVERB* THE definition of a proverb is too difficult to repay the undertaking; andshould we fortunately combine in a single definition all the essential elements and give each the proper emphasis, we should not even then have a touchstone. An incommunicable quality tells us this sentence is proverbial and that one is not. Hence no definition will enable us to identify positively a sentence as proverbial. Those who do not speak a language can never recognize all its proverbs, and similarly much that is truly proverbial escapes us in Elizabethan and older English. Let us be content with recognizing that a proverb is a saying current among the folk. At least so much of a definition is indisputable, and we shall see and weigh the significance of other elements later. The origins of the proverb have been little studied. We can only rarely see a proverb actually in the making, and any beliefs we have regarding origins must justify themselves as evident or at least plausible. Proverbs are invented in several ways: some are simple apothegms and platitudes elevated to proverbial dignity, others arise from the symbolic or metaphoric use of an incident, still others imitate already existing proverbs, and some owe their existence to the condensing of a story or fable. It is convenient to distinguish as "learned" proverbs those with a long literary history. This literary history may begin in some apt Biblical or classical phrase, or it may go back to a more recent source. Such "learned" proverbs differ, however, in only this regard from other proverbs. Whatever the later history may be, the manner of ultimate invention of all proverbs, "learned" or "popular," falls under one or another of the preceding heads. It is not proper to make any distinction in the treatment of "learned" and "popular" proverbs. The same problems exist for all proverbs with the obvious limitation that, in certain cases, historical studies are greatly restricted by the accidents of preservation. We can ordinarily trace the "learned" proverb down a long line of literary tradition, from the classics or the Bible through the Middle Ages to the present, while we may not be so fortunate with every "popular" proverb. For example, Know thyself may very well have been a proverb long before it was attributed to any of the seven wise men or was inscribed on the walls of the temple of Delphic Apollo. Juvenal was nearer the truth when he said it came from Heaven: "E caelo descendit " (Sat., xi, 27). Yet so far as modern life is concerned, the phrase owes its vitality to centuries of bookish tradition. St. Jerome termed Don't look a gift horse in the mouth a common proverb, when he used it to refer to certain writings which he had regarded as free will offerings and which critics had found fault with: "Noli (ut vulgare est proverbium) equi dentes inspicere donati." We cannot hope to discover whether the modern proverb owes its vitality to St. Jerome or to the vernacular tradition on which he was drawing. St. Jerome also took The wearer best knows where the shoe wrings him from Plutarch, but we may conjecture that this proverb, too, was first current on the lips of the folk. Obviously the distinction between "learned" and "popular" is meaningless and is concerned merely with the accidents of history. PROVERBIAL APOTHEGMS A methodical comparison would probably reveal the proverb which gave the original impulse to the formation of the others. Haste makes waste. . and the corruption Young musicians. old beggars (Junge Soldaten. a by-form for women was invented on the same model: Junge Hure. old beggars (Junge Ritter. Eccles. e. alde Beddellüde).. seventeenth century). sixteenth century). we . No fool like an old fool.Issue 3:1996 & Issue 4:1996. e. on the contrary. i. alt Teufel. and until several proverbs have been minutely examined from this point of view and our methods of study have been improved. in such a proverb as Young saint. The relative age and distribution of the various forms of a proverb will throw much light on the development. it is hard to say which arguments are safe to use and which are unsafe. What's done's done. et suis spatiis transeunt universa sub caelo. for example. Martha Lenschau conceives the development as follows: Young angel. It is not always easy to recognize or identify the earliest form which provided the model for later developments. that There is a time for everything has a long history in English. Mistakes will happen. we may trust to the general principles which have been worked out for märchen. alte Bettler. if not impossible. Enough is enough. alte Bettler. The full text of this article is published in De Proverbio . iii."--and it is even in the Bible: "To every thing there is a season. . as 'players of music' and the later substitution of a synonym. old devil (Jung Engel. Them as has gets. ole Bedler). . old devil yields a model for Junge Bettschwester. Business is business. 2: "There's a time for all things. alt Kupplerin appears to have been the first of such by-forms. and it must not surprise us that one such truth has a long recorded history while another has none. . Thus the contrast in Young . When the substitution of "knight" or "soldier" made the distinction.Often some simple apothegm is repeated so many times that it gains proverbial currency: Live and learn. The first form made no distinction for sex. available from amazon. thirteenth century). those employed in the so-called Finnish or historico-geographical method. i. although Jung Hure. Young soldiers. for example. do it yourself have. no history at all. PROVERBIAL TYPES New proverbs have often been made on old models. It is ordinarily difficult. Characteristic of such proverbs is the absence of metaphor. alt Wettermacherin must also be ancient. alte Betschwester. since the notion involved in "Wettermacherin" reaches far back. but no one has ever undertaken a study of this sort. old beggars (Junge Späler. gamblers). Certain frames lend themselves readily to the insertion of entirely new ideas." 'players' (i. In all probability. It is only chance.com and other leading Internet booksellers.Young knights. In the present instance. I). old . which arises from the misunderstanding of "Späler. The most recent development is probably the Low German Young gamblers. to determine the age of such proverbial truisms. and a time to every purpose under the heaven" (Omnia tempus habent. The simple truths of life have been noted in every age. old beggars (Junge Musikanten. an electronic book. They consist merely of a bald assertion which is recognized as proverbial only because we have heard it often and because it can be applied to many different situations.-Shakespeare used it in the Comedy of Errors. ii. while Mistakes will happen or If you want a thing well done. I am inclined to consider it the parent of all later forms.Issue 3:1996 & Issue 4:1996. alt gereut (' Rejoiced in youth. All is not gold that glitters uses a subordinate clause. Although the evidence is not all in. 'gambrel. one does in old age') as a possible model. an electronic book. A familiar German proverbial type employs the notion that the essential qualities of an object show themselves the very beginning. except in All is not gold that glitters. Matt. e. Possibly one could imagine a class based on simple balance and contrast. the form appears to have had no notable success. Outside of Germany and countries allied culturally. to be sure. Young saint. die hem toelachen). repented in age'). bewailed in old age') can have arisen only in a region where 'geklagt' is pronounced "geklait. They are not all friends who laugh with you (Zijn niet alle vrienden. 16. and. Jung gefreit. furthermore. Usually. which refers to a thing and not a person. of which the young-old type and the called-chosen type might both be derivatives. g. Seiler thinks that" Many are called. old devil is even older and more widely known. alt gereut originated in a region--somewhat larger. brennt beizeiten ('Whatever is to be a nettle. enjoyed a remarkable popularity in mediaeval Germany and gave rise to many new proverbs. A German derivative of the type is Was ein Nessel werden soll. available from amazon. The full text of this article is published in De Proverbio . Was ein Häkchen werden soll. sunt citharoedi'). The form characteristic of Es sind nicht alle Jäger die das Horn blasen ('They are not all hunters who blow horns'). pauci vero electi.com and other leading Internet booksellers. krümmt sich beizeiten (' Whatever is to be a hook. however. xxii. die lange Messer tragen). burns early').might regard the old and widely known Jung gewohnt. xx.' a bent piece of wood used by butchers to hang carcasses on) and It pricketh betimes that shall be a sharp thorn. old devil is an old proverbial form which has no verb. Since. Of course there have been serious accidents occasionally in the passage from Latin into the modern languages. g. but the similarity is one of thought and not of form. repented in age') and as a secondary development: Jung gefreit. but we may cite Timely crooks that tree that will be a cammock (i. e. e. than the one just mentioned--where the dialectal pronounciation of "gereut" made the rhyme tolerable. alt gereut ('Married in youth. The syntactical differences are so great that an influence from one of these types on another does not seem likely. but the fundamental differences in syntactical structure speak strongly against a development of this sort. 14) was the ultimate model for these proverbs. alt getan ('What one is accustomed to in youth. g. This proverb has found rather wide currency. Many are called. Often other arguments than age and wide currency may be brought into court. e. a form which appears to have been first recorded by Varro ('Non omnes. alt geklait ('Wed in youth. too. the type or at least its ready employment in new proverbs is German. but few are chosen" (Multi enim sunt vocati. qui habent citharam. even of the whole group. antithetical sentences. Young saint. a dialectal variation which is essential to a particular form and which limits it to a narrow area is secondary in origin. A few more illustrations of the creation of new proverbs on the model of old ones will suffice. English representatives of this type are rare. but few are chosen consists of balanced. various modern proverbs have been regarded as . bends early'). Certainly it has given us Jung gefreut." So. Jung gefreit. They are not all cooks who carry long knives (Es sind nicht alle Köche. 27. Sprichwörterforschung Band 6. I will not forbid you to smite your breast with your fists.. F. We are told that Louis XII expressed his confidence in his minister. 2. Stoett extracts some curious superstitions and words from this work. I hold my peace. iii. 8. or to pummel your face with open palm. 1. 3-65 1. 1681]). 7. Ecl. I. in these words. A. Virgil's "A chill snake. although the context shows clearly enough that the similarity is merely verbal and does not involve the transmission of ideas. Herausgegeben von Wolfgang Mieder. No. A. 434. be sanitary. 443). XXV (1915). whatever their past history. An old maxim. The traditional explanation in America is based on "George" as a name used in addressing Pullman porters Cf. il est homme d'âge. . It is wisest not to think of any connection between Juvenal and the proverb and to regard the proverb as a peasant's invention and as comparable to such sayings as To cover the well after the child is drowned. our soldiers paraphrased it as If you can't be good. 93) is not the source of the idea in our proverb A snake in the grass. Primitive Culture. and that a household bewails the loss of money with louder lamentations than death" (Sat. George d'Amboise. and particularly Sprenger van Eijk 6. Possibly we can see a connection with Laissez faire à George. Seeman [Leiden. 3791-3797. A.. Zeitschrift des Vereins für Volkskunde. 113. lurks in the grass" (Frigidus. We may observe in passing that the substitutions which occur in the variants are quite in the manner of oral tradition: for "horse" we have "cow" or "cattle" and for "lock" we have "repair. o pueri. No. seeing that after so great a loss you must close your doors. 1. 4. See the bibliography in Bonser. 135-139. 126 ff. Notes *Reprinted from Archer Taylor The Proverb and An Index to "The Proverb". In France. 11o. 1930). Nos. XIII (1919). BernFrankfurt am Main-New York. The saying When the horse is stolen. 97-106. pp. pp. si non caste. Perhaps the first work which makes special mention of such proverbs is a Dutch dictionary of sea terms (W. "Argens fait le jeu" (Baudoin de Sebourc. a historical proverb. see "W.descendants of Latin phrases. Proverb Literature (London. ch. The same. 89-90. Winschoten. The reference concerns the Roman custom of closing doors as a sign of mourning. iii. lads." De Nieuwe Taalgids. p.). Peter Lang. latet anguis in herba. Nederlandsche Muzen-Almanak (1838). For Dutch sea proverbs see van Dam van Isselt. iii. 5. 1985." But further illustration of such substitutions is unnecessary: proverbs live the same sort of life in tradition. Sea proverbs have been collected for their own sake. xxiv. Heusler. 1. 113. No. 3. 4. Winschoten's Seeman. 9. 1. lock the barn door cannot rest on a misunderstanding of Juvenal's words: "If in all the world you cannot show me so abominable a crime. Compare Caute. The same. it is no task for me (Clitellae bovi sunt impositae plane. 1891). 1884]). XIII [1845]) collect French examples. Wander. Pennsylvania. Euling. Prague. for example. as above. v. 12. 17. non est nostrum onus) is an allusion to a fable. 69. xxv. Seiler. and in the anonymous Sea Words and Phrases along the Suffolk Coast (Lowestoft. 10. 19. 1869 and January. 447-448. etc." pp. See the bibliography in Bonser. Das Priamel bis Hans Rosenplüt (Germanistische Abhandlungen. H. Anmerkungun zu den Kinder. 1867-80). i. 11. 75-79. II.. where additional examples are given. 11). pp. van der Meer (Verzameling van Stukken betreffende de Friesche Geschiedenis. 16. 1. D. See K. "Fabel" in Pauly-Wissowa. 1928). Krohn. Wesselski. 1930). I. "Märchen im Sprichwort. van de Scheepvaart en het Scheepsleven Ontleend [Rotterdam 1835-36]).. Apfel. ll. 30a).(Handleiding tot de Kennis van onze Vaderlandsche Spreekwoorden . L." Verhandlungen d. For these and other examples see Voigt. Songs of Connacht (Dublin. p. 365. 13. which is cited in Zeitschrift des Vereins für Volkskunde. I (6th ed. Jente. 116 n. Lehnsprichwort. 287 (No.1888). 179 n.. 1900]). 1869-70). Quitard regards this passage as source. s. 84. Sébillot (Légendes. Bilder aus der Römischen Sittengeschichte. 8). Zeitschrift für Deutsches Altertum. Crusius. 18. Nos.Philologenversammlung zu Görlitz (1890). XXIII (1879). Strack. VI (1889). "Antinomia entre un refran y una copla. 14). Kopp. January. 3. 1899. 121-133) notes some Frisian sea proverbs. 9 n. II (1903). English and German collections have been made by Cowan (A Dictionary of the Proverbs and Proverbial Expressions Relating to the Sea [Greenesburgh." 20. I. 195). Compare Büchmann as above. Die Sprichwörter und Sprichwörtlichen Redensarten der Römer (Leipzig. 317. 12. 301 (No. 305 (No. pp.. 151. 1929). pp. 22 f. Deutsches Sprichwörter-Lexikon (Leipzig. 1920). He also believes that They have put a saddle on the ox. No. 174. 1890). Die Österreich-Ungarische Monarchie in Wort und Bild (Vienna. p. 37. Bolte and Polívka. A. p. Zaragoza.].. a reprinting of articles from the East Anglian Notes and Queries. Estudios sobre Literatura Popular (Biblioteca de las Tradiciones Populares. 1886-87]) and Corbière ("Des Proverbes Nautiques. See also the interesting remarks in the preface to D. Kopp. as above. [Franeker. . 109-112. . 40. 294 (No." Revue de Rouen et de la Normandie. Nahum iii. 71-86. Sprichwörter. 1902). Vol. See Otto. 3914-3927. Hessische Blätter für Volkskunde. The article by Kasumovic (Rad of the Jugoslav Academy. "Coplas sentenciosas. see p. Ein Sträusschen Liebesblüten im Garten Deutscher Volksdichtung Gepflückt (Lelpzig. 25). cf. 1881). V [Sevilla. pp. xxv.d. et Superstitions de la Mer [Paris. "Märchenreminszenzen im Antiken Sprichwort. CXCI.und Hausmärchen. has not been accessible to me. 262 and Archiv für Lateinische Lexikographie. "Die Entwicklung eines Sprichwortes zum Lyrischen Liede. Strack. 67-71. Friedländer. IV (1930) . p.). VIII. 469 ff." Mélanges en l'Honneur de Vaclav Tille (Prague. 174. Hyde. Realencyclopädie. Apparently a literary tradition lies behind the metrical form of certain Irish proverbs. 6. Croyances.d. Erlesenes (Gesellschaft Deutscher Bücherfreunde in Böhmen. 19. n. Büchmann. 58).No. VIII (Kärnten und Krain)." Handbuch des Deutschen Märchens (forthcoming). 83 f. 15. . 1894]). 1870. Lypkes (Seemannssprüche [Berlin. 522 ff. I (5th ed. XXIII (1913). Geflügelte Worte (Berlin. p.. Vol. See. n. 98. p. Proverb Literature (London. 14. 304 (No. 1895). No. Kock and Petersen. coll. Musée de la Conversation (Paris. VIII (1891). 1920). XIX (1921). as above. Nehry. 1926). 1920). Sprenger van Eijk. Crusius. 1896). No. 22. Die Geflügelten Worte bei den Römern (Breslau. Sprichwörter und Sentenzen (Leipzig. Ahnfelt. Nederlandsche Spreekwoorden . Bevingade Ord (Stockholm. 34. Laurillard (Gorinchem. Angelo Polizianos Tagebuch (Leipzig. 1-70. Laurillard. 45. Bartlett. 1929). see some additional material in Stoett. 31. 1920). 35. 15.21. 194. 1923). This may mean a pitchfork or a fork used to punish slaves. Benham. p. pp. Bevingede Ord (Copenhagen. Crusius makes some helpful remarks on this problem in his review of Otto. Bedenkingen op het Prijsschrift van Dr. 1878). Schweizer Geflügelte Worte (Zurich. v."' Publications Modern Language Association. XXX (1909). xviii-xix. Winter. Geflügelte Worte (Leipzig. Rotterdam 1901)." Modern Philology. "The Death of Orvar Oddr. Archiv för Nordisk Filologi. Familiar Quotations (Boston. col. 1864. The more important collections are Arlaud. 1924). Smyth (Biblical Quotations in Old English before 1350 [New York. 1924). 1902). 428-429. "Die Beziehungen zwischen Slaven und Griechen in ihren Sprichwörtern. 1890). Angelo Polizianos Tagebuch (Leipzig. Curti. wlth the comments by Harrebomée.. p. and Household Words (London. See Taylor." Archiv für Slavische Philologie. E. Wesselski. Die Sprichwörter und Sprichwörtlichen Redensarten der Römer (Leipzig. 1835-41). 456. 1889-94). xviii-xix. xxii. Büchmann. Wildpark-Potsdam. Bijbelsche Uitdrukkingen en Spreekwijzen in onze Taal (Zutphen. 29. 33. Handleiding tot de Kennis van onze Vaderlandsche Spreekwoorden (Rotterdam. p. 1877). Geflügelte Worte (Leipzig. 1888). Erasmus is very likely justified in correcting the Latin to read "Let the die be cast" (Alea jacta esto). 93-106. See the bibliography of collections of familiar quotations in Büchmann. 27. Since the Greek proverb employs the imperative. s. 68. Nederlandsche Spreekwoorden (Zutphen. The more important reference works for such proverbs are found in Dutch and German: Kat. Biblical quotations and allusions in Old and Middle English literature are collected by A. Alexandre. 24. 1888). 1911]). 45. Geflügelte Worte (Berlin. p. Bijbel en Volkstaal (Amsterdam. 865-872. Geflügelte Worte (Berlin. Büchmann. Geflügelte Worte. 1875. der Citatenschatz des Deutschen Volkes (Leipzig. 23. 1879). p. 36. 96. of which the most useful and most accurate is Büchmann. See also Otto. Fumagalli. Proverbs. 1920). 1-47. xxvi. 1924-25). See in general Otto. X (1894). Sprichwörter. Morgenstond. 96. Die Biblischen Sprichwörter der Deutschen Sprache (Göttingen. "'Morgenstunde hat Gold im Munde. Citatenschatz. Compare the examples of Latin quotations which verge on proverbs: Otto. Ostnordiska och Latinska Medeltidsordspråk (Copenhagen. 30. 25. Otto. 1929). The special character of Biblical proverbs makes it possible to use collections and studies in any language. XLII (1927). See in general the many handbooks of familiar quotations. 1889). Wesselski. Wochenschrift für Klassische Philologie. Cook (Biblical Quotations in Old English Prose Writers [New York 1898-1903]) and Mary W. . 32. p. Chi l'ha detto? Repertorio Metodico e Ragionato di 1575 Citazioni e Frasi di Origine Letteraria (Milan. II. . Bugge. ¤ 61. S. 1877. Zeeman. 1860). 26. 426. Altgermanische Dichtung (Handbuch der Literaturwissenschaft. Ragnarssaga Lodbroka. 1912). although . p. Geflügelte Worte. pp. 1890). See Otto. Book of Quotations. xxii. 321-364. Büchmann. 28. 2d ed. aan den Bijbel Ontleend (Dordrecht. Otto. and Schulze. 96. pp. Unbeflügelte Worte (Augsburg. . 1912). . C. they give an idea of the way in which the Bible was used and how Biblical proverbs may have arisen. 58. 1916]) gives some miscellaneous and unsystematic notes on English Biblical proverbs. Marvin (Curiosities in Proverbs [New York. Dieb. loquitur. Deutsches Sprichwörter-Lexicon. 49. . 37. und also dolmetzschen: Auss dem überflus des hertzen redet der mund. 637).these books are not primarily concerned wlth proverbial materials. v. p. Wander. Murray. Wenn ich den Eseln sol folgen. 1833). Lawyers' Merriments (Glasgow. Sage mir. Ist das deutsch geredet?"--Vom Dolmetschen (Weimar ed. Cited by D. Die Literatur der Sprichwörter (Nuremberg. C. 38. . die werden mir die buchstaben furlegen. s. 170. Nopitsch. ii. p. "Ex abundantia . XXX.