Paroemias

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A collection or body of traditional sayings or proverbs that express common truths or practical precepts often used to convey wisdom or moral lessons
2. Traditional maxims or adages commonly used in speech to illustrate general truths or principles based on practical experience
3. Established short expressions or phrases that encapsulate conventional wisdom, moral advice, or popular beliefs passed down through generations

Etymology: "Paroemias" is the plural of "paroemia," a word that came into English from Latin "paroemia," meaning "proverb," which in turn was taken from the Ancient Greek "paroimia." The Greek term was built from "para," meaning "beside" or "alongside," and "oimos," meaning "way" or "path," so a proverb was, in effect, a saying that ran alongside the main road of ordinary speech, a short turn of phrase set beside the path of everyday talk. The Greek word kept that sense of a brief, pointed saying throughout its classical use, and Latin writers adopted it largely to describe the same thing. The English form inherits this meaning directly, which is why the plural now names a whole collection of such sayings rather than a single one.