Paremiological Analysis of Proverbs in Pashto and English: A Cross-cultural Pragmatic Study

Abstract

This comparative paremiological analysis is an attempt to study proverbs in Pashto and English, related to bravery and honor in the light of pragmatic tools of inquiry; for instance, the version of speech acts as proposed by Roberts (2018), and explicature and implicature as proposed by Sperber and Wilson (1996). This analysis is based on a total of 179 proverbs collected from books and dictionaries, but based on purposive sampling, 55 proverbs are taken for analysis. The selected proverbs are categorized via their associates, animated proverbs, and gendered proverbs. Using a qualitative approach for analyzing collected proverbs, it is argued that proverbs in this study alter their literal meaning after being analyzed in light of the aforementioned pragmatic tools of inquiry. By discussing the characteristics of a brave and cowardly person and an honored and dishonored person in Pashto and British cultures, the study also brings into our consideration the symbolic representation of bravery and honor in both cultures. It is found that speech act patterns in these proverbs are mostly different but rarely similar. This study has implications for the general public, teachers, and the research community. However, there is a need to conduct further proverbial studies to explore other themes for better cultural understanding.