Proverbs

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A series of traditional sayings that encapsulate widely accepted truths or moral lessons about human behavior and experiences
2. Brief phrases that provide insights into life’s lessons through metaphorical or practical wisdom, often passed down through generations
3. Short, well-known sayings that express common truths or advice derived from cultural wisdom

Etymology: "Proverbs" is the plural of "proverb", so its history is that of the singular noun. The root is Latin "proverbium", built from "pro-", meaning "forth" or "in public", and "verbum", meaning "word". A proverb, in other words, was a word put forward in public, a saying passed from mouth to mouth until it became common currency. The Latin term reached English by way of Old French "proverbe", which kept much of the original shape. The word has been used in English for centuries to name the short, memorable sayings that carry shared wisdom, and the plural simply refers to a collection of them. The sense of a brief saying remained close to the Latin, so the path from classical usage to English is fairly direct.

Synonyms: adages, maxims, sayings, aphorisms, dictums