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UNIVERSITATEA DUNAREA DE JOS GALATI

FACULTATEA DE LITERE
DEPARTAMENTUL DE LIMBA ENGLEZA

TEMA DE CERCETARE PENTRU


ACTIVITATEA DE SEMINAR / CERC DE CERCETARE STIINTIFICA

MODALITY IN ENGLISH PROVERBS

PROFESOR: FLORIANA POPESCU


STUDENTS: LUNGU OANA - LORELEI EF I
MELEAC ANDREEA

2015

EF I

INTRODUCTION

Nothing defines a culture as distinctly as its language, and the element of language
that best encapsulates a society's values and beliefs is its proverbs.
Proverbs are short and pithy sayings that express some traditionally held truth. They
are usually metaphorical and often, for the sake of memorability, alliterative. And, as so many
proverbs offer advice and uplift, many of them are religious in origin. (Gary Martin - Meanings
and Origins, 1995)
Modality is about a speakers or a writers attitude towards the world. A speaker or
writer can express certainty, possibility, willingness, obligation, necessity and ability by using
modal words and expressions.
Speakers often have different opinions about the same thing. These speakers are looking
at the same thing. Here are the main verbs we use to express modal meanings:

Core modal verbs: can, could, may, might, will, shall, would, should, must

Semi-modals: dare, need, ought to, used to

Other verbs with modal meanings: have (got) to, be going to and be able to

We often use modal verbs or other modal expressions when we want to express an
opinion or attitude about a possible fact or to control a possible action. All modal expressions
are about the speakers or writers view of the world.
Modal verbs are used to express functions such as:
1. Permission
2. Ability
3. Obligation
4. Prohibition
5. Lack of necessity
6. Advice
7. Possibility
8. Probability
(http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-lesson-modals.php)

The Romanian Language Grammars specify as modal verbs to have, to give, to be


able, to stand, to be, to come, to want (Mioara Avram, Grammar for all, Humanitas,
Bucharest, 2001, ISBN 973- 28-0769-5, p. 198), se cade (properly), to seem etc (Gheorghe
Constantinescu-Dobridor, Small dictionary of linguistic terminology, Albatros, Bucharest,
1980, p. 438.)
These verbs are followed by a subjunctive , infinitive, participle or supine according to
some linguists (Constantinescu-Dobridor, loc. Cit.) form one of the verbal predicate sentence
when is in a personal manner, but according to others (Cornel Dimitriu, Treaty of Romanian
grammar. 1. Morphology, European Institute, Iai, 1999, p. 599, quoted by Constantin-Ioan
Mladin, again about predicativitatea modes nepredicative in Romanian grammar. Perspective
monographic and interpretative attitudes, p. 259) form with the verb that follows a copound
verbal predicate
Examples:

am a scrie/de scris = I have to write


d s spun = to be about to
e de fcut = It has to be done
pot face/s fac = I can (am able to) do
st s cad = its going to fall
trebuie s plec = I have to go
trebuie ludat = it must be praised
mi vine s rd = to feel like laughing
vreau s plec = I want go

There are examples of the use of modal verb CAN in proverbs and quotations:
No man can serve two masters = Nu poi fi slug la doi stpni
This proverb origins are in the Bible: "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the
one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot
serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24)

A golden key can open any door (no equivalent found in Romanian)

It means that money opens any door. This notion must be as old as money itself.
The first person who is known to have written it down is the English playwright John Lyly, in
Euphues and his England, 1580: Who is so ignorant that knoweth not, gold be a key for
euery locke, chieflye with his Ladye.
The proverb was the basis of the 1969 British comedy The Magic Christian, in which
characters played by Peter Sellars and Ringo Starr use large amounts of money to bribe
people to humiliate themselves by doing things completely out of character.

Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today =


Nu lsa pe mine ce poi face astzi
Don't procrastinate Procrastination is the thief of your time.
The American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition

Don't try to walk before you can crawl = Nu pune crua naintea boilor;
Nu cumpra potcoavele naintea calului

This proverb means that you have to learn the basics first; you have to start a bit at a time.
You can't get ahead of yourself. It literally means that you must learn to move on your hands
and knees (to go on all fours) before learning to walk.

You cant judge a tree by its bark. = Nu judeca o carte dup coperi.

Its mean thaht the "first glance impresses" but if you know to keep a good look, you win by it.
However, do not judge a book by its covers and do not judge people by appearance or
clothes. You must see what is beyond the first impression.

You can't get blood out of a stone = De unde nu e, nici Dumnezeu nu cere

This proveb is about how you cannot extract what isn't there to begin with. First recorded in
Giovanni Torriano's Second Alphabet, 1662: "To go about to fetch bloud out of stones, viz. to
attempt what is impossible."

You cant teach an old dog new tricks = Calul btrn nu mai merge n buestru

Is mean that old dogs (and people) learn less well than the young. This must be one of the
oldest proverbial sayings in the language. There are many early citations of it (in Heywood,
1546 etc.) and many of those refer to it as an 'old saying'. The earliest example of it in print
is in John Fitzherbert's The boke of husbandry, 1534: ...and he [a shepherd] muste teche his
dogge to barke whan he wolde haue hym, to ronne whan he wold haue hym, and to leue
ronning whan he wolde haue hym; or els he is not a cunninge shepeherd. The dogge must
lerne it, whan he is a whelpe, or els it will not be: for it is harde to make an olde dogge to
stoupe. By 'stoop', Fitzherbert meant 'put its nose to the ground to find a scent', as was the
meaning of the verb in the 16th century.

A leopard cannot change its spots = Lupul i schimb prul dar nravul ba.

Things cannot change their innate nature.


From the Bible, Jeremiah 13:23 (King James Version):

"Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good,
that are accustomed to do evil."

He who can, does; he who cannot, teaches. = close to Romanian saying


The failed artist is the best critic

It is Aacriticism of the teaching profession. George Bernard Shaw wrote this in his play Man
and Superman, 1903. It is included as Maxim 36 in the Maxims for Revolutionists that is
included in the work. It's not clear if Shaw was expressing his own opinion of those who Bob
Dylan. in his song My Back Pages. called 'the mongrel dogs who teach', or whether it was
merely the opinion of one of the play's characters. Another Shaw quotation about teaching
gives us a clue: "A fool's brain digests philosophy into folly, science into superstition, and art
into pedantry. Hence University education."

There are examples of the use of modal verb MAY in proverbs and quotations:

Fair face may hide a foul heart =


Pe dinafar e vopsit gardul i nuntru e leopardul

It's difficult to judge a book by its cover. A charming person need not always be a good
human being. With time and experience we realize that looks can be deceptive. We have a
good example from Shakespeare of Lady Macbeth to prove this.

Cowards may die many times before their death.


Shakespeare in Julius Caesar used the metaphor of death to convey how a person feels
inside when he or she runs away from a challenge. That person "dies" a little inside each
time he or she chickens out, meaning that he or she loses a little strength of character each
time he or she refuses to face a challenge of life.
Bitter pills may have blessed effects.
This proverb is about something may be unpleasant or painful but it can help you in the long
run.

Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it


Ai grij ce-i doreti c s-ar putea s se mplineasc
What you wish for may not really be what is good for you. It is said that gods fulfill human
wishes only when they want to punish someone.

A cat may look at a king = close to Romanian saying

(pn) i cei mai umili au unele drepturi


This proverb its refer to what an inferior who isn't completely restricted in what they may do
in the presence of a superior. The origin of this proverb is unknown. What is known is that it
is found first in print in a famous early collection of English proverbs, The Proverbs And
Epigrams Of John Heywood, 1562.
The remedy may be worse than the disease = Leacul e mai ru dect boala
Its saying about measures to deal with the evils of one kind or another often make the
situation worse. For example, calling in the armed forces during a period of public unrest is
liable to make the remedy worse than the disease if it is done too hurriedly.

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me
Cinii latr, caravan trece; Nu mor caii cnd vor cinii

It is a response to an insult, implying that "You might be able to hurt me by physical force but
not by insults". 'Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me' is a
stock response to verbal bullying in school playgrounds throughout the English-speaking
world. It sounds a little antiquated these days and has no doubt been superseded by more
streetwise comebacks. The earliest citation of it that I can find is from an American
periodical with a largely black audience, The Christian Recorder, March 1862: Remember
the old adage, 'Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me'. True
courage consists in doing what is right, despite the jeers and sneers of our companions.
That reference to the expression as an 'old adage' in 1862 suggests and earlier coinage.

Between the cup and the lip a morsel may slip =


Nu spune hop pn nu sari; Nu ridica poalele pn nu treci rul
It is an old English proverb. It implies that even when the outcome of an event seems certain,
things can still go wrong. The proverb appears to derive from a Greek legend in
which Ancaeus, one of the Argonauts, returns home to his winery. A local soothsayer had
previously predicted the he would die before he tasted another drop of his wine, thus the
Argonaut calls the soothsayer and toasts him for the Argonaut had survived his journey. The
soothsayer replies to the toast with a phrase corresponding to the English proverb. As he
finishes his toast, the Argonaut raises a cup filled with wine to his lips but is called away to
hunt a wild boar before he could take a sip. The Argonaut is killed hunting the boar.

You may know by a handful the whole sack =


Ziua bun se cunoate de diminea

This proverb is about the quality of the contents of a sack of corn, flour, etc., may be judged
by the quality of a sample. Putting it another way, we do not have to eat the whole egg to
know that it is bad. The proverb means that we can judge a persons character on very small

evidence. For example, a generous action suggests a kindly nature, and a callous remark a
hard, unfeeling heart.

Oaks may fall when reeds stand the storm.


Vntul nu arunc buruieni la pmnt, ci pe cei mai mari copaci.
Trestia care se pleac vntului, niciodat nu se rupe = din Esop :
The Oak tree always thought that he was far stronger than the reeds. He said to itself I stand
upright in storm. I dont bend my head in fear every time the wind blows. But these reeds are
really so weak. That very night blew a storm and the mighty oak tree was uprooted. Thank
god! sighed the reeds, Our way is better. We bend but we dont break.

There are examples of the use of modal verb MUST in proverbs and
quotations:

All good things must come to an end; All things must pass =

Nimic nu e venic, doar moartea i taxele


It means nothing lasts forever. George Harrison used the phrase for the title of his successful
1970 triple album. The graphics from the subsequent CD release convey the phrase's
meaning.

If the mountain won't come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must go to the


mountain = Dac muntele nu vine la Mahomed, se duce Mahomed la munte

This proverb mean: if one's will does not prevail, one must submit to an alternative. The full
phrase 'If the moun tain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the
mountain' arises from the story of Muhammad, as retold by Francis Bacon, in Essays, 1625:
Mahomet called the Hill to come to him. And when the Hill stood still, he was never a whit
abashed, but said; If the Hill will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet will go to the hill. Present
uses of the phrase usually use the word 'mountain' rather than 'hill' and this version
appeared soon after Bacon's Essays, in a work by John Owen, 1643: If the mountain will not
come to Mahomet, Mahomet will go to the mountain.

Needs must = absolut necesar

It refers to ncessity compels. In current usage this phrase is usually used to express
something that is done unwillingly but with an acceptance that it can't be avoided; for
example, I really don't want to cook tonight, but needs must, I suppose.The phrase is old. In
earlier texts it is almost always given in its fuller form - needs must when the devil drives. that
is, if the devil is driving you, you have no choice. This dates back to Middle English texts, for
examp le Assembly of Gods, circa 1500: "He must nedys go that the deuell dryues."
Shakespeare used the phrase several times; for example, in All's Well That Ends Well, 1601:
Countess: Tell me thy reason why thou wilt marry. Clown: My poor body, madam, requires it: I
am driven on by the flesh; and he must needs go that the devil drives.

SHOULD - giving an opinion or a recommendation.

Children should be seen and not heard =


Nevoia nva pe om i nuiaua pe copil.

In the original form of this proverb it was specifically young women who were expected to
keep quiet. This opinion is recorded in the 15th century collections of homilies written by an
Augustinian clergyma called [John] Mirk's Festial, circa 1450: Hyt ys old Englysch sawe: A
mayde schuld be seen, but not herd. A 'sawe', or 'saw' as we would spell it now, was a
mediaeval term for saying or proverb. It has the same root as the words 'say' and 'saga'.
While the expression was aimed at women, the Old English names denoting gender are
now somewhat altered. A 'mayde' was normally a young female, usually unmarried, although
it was also used to denote celibate men. Girls however, could be of either sex, the term
simply meaning young child. The phrase that kids should be seen and not heard infers that
a child's place is to be quiet and well-behaved. This was a widespread sentiment during the
Victorian era of 1837 to 1901 when the typical family raised about a half dozen kids, points
out Asa Briggs in her book "Victorian People: A Reassessment of Persons and Themes,
1851-67."

Beggars should not be choosers = Calul de dar nu se caut la dini


This proverbial phrase has much in common with don't look a gift horse in the mouth both
in meaning and by virtue of having been first recorded in print by John Heywood. Both
phrases were coined well before any form of organized state support for the poor and
express the widely held mediaeval opinion that if you asked for and received a gift you
should be grateful for it. The 'gift horse' proverb was recorded first, in Heywood's 1546
version of A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the Englishe
tongue: Beggars should not be choosers' didn't appear until the 1562 version of 'Proverbs':
Beggers should be no choosers, but yet they will: Who can bryng a begger from choyse to
begge still? The proverb is more commonly expressed these days as 'beggars can't be
choosers'. This leads to an ambiguity in meaning between 'beggars are unable to be
choosers' and 'beggars ought not to be choosers'. Of course, the latter is the original
meaning.

What people think about proverbs and modality in commoun language


<< Proverbs provide perspective
"Well begun is half done," goes the Greek proverb.
Short and memorable, proverbs often capture a point of view in vivid words. We learn
proverbs our entire lives - from our relatives, ourteachers, our friends, the media, and our.

They contain literature folk wisdom gathered through time and experience. They often
capture a common human experience. Yet I like to use proverbs in ESL (English as a Second
Language) classes for three other distinct reasons.
1. Students can share proverbs from their own countries. In ESL classes where you have
students from many different countries and numerous first languages, proverbs allow
students to affirm the insights and experiences of their native culture. "Home is where the
heart is."
2. Students can easily memorize proverbs. Using the right proverb at the right moment gives
students a tremendous sense of competency and fluency in English - something that
immigrants often struggle to achieve. "No pain, no gain."
3. Studying proverbs from around the world helps create a more global education, and
counters the fears of English displacing the insights and words of other tongues and times.
"The sky is blue everywhere" and "birds return to old nests."
4. Sharing proverbs shows a respect for tradition and the past while students expand their
vocabulary in a new, modern language. Many immigrants, particularly older ones, have very
mixed feelings about their new lives in an English speaking nation. "Old habits die hard,
"you're never too old to learn" gives hope.
For instance, an older immigrant from rural Korea learning English in Los Angeles
might find themselves also learning to live in modern, culturally diverse city for the first time.
While the formal subject may be English, immigrants are also discovering new ways of living
and thinking in the school. Proverbs seem to affirm the concept that "the more things change,
the more they remain the same" and "the unexpected always happens."
When I taught an advanced ESL conversation class to immigrants and international
students from many different countries at Santa Monica Community College, I usually
introduced conversation topics with a classic American or English proverb. Students would
soon be paired up to interview each other and share experiences. When we returned
together for a group discussion, I noticed that students often explained their answers using
proverbs. I decided to "go with the flow" and build proverbs into course materials. It works.
After all, "everybody is a student and everybody is a teacher..">> - Eric Roth, the
author of Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics.

I have been teaching English in the USA, Korea and Japan for over 15 years and
have a degree in English Linguistics as well as one in Teaching English as a Second
Language.
In my experience, teaching by proverb, idiom or cliche is dependent on the level of the
learner as well as the current environment of the learner (in an English speaking country or in
their native country).

The primary reason is the cultural references that surround these sayings are
generally accessible to the senses of sight and sound (sometimes taste and feel) in an
English speaking country, which positively reinforces memory retention enabling the speaker
to use the saying more naturally.
A few problems I have seen are overuse, misuse in the English speaking country and
complete lack of comprehension when taught in a foreign country.
Personally, I cannot stand to listen to my students recite these silly phrases when they
can just as easily use common terms.
Finally, these people learning English as a second language are depending on us to
assist them in communicating ideas effectively to improve their lifestyle. Thus, I do not think
idioms are an essential part of the spoken vocabulary, though they certainly are necessary at
times for understanding in conversations. Mr. K. a English teacher

<<
While too many English teachers fail to consider context in teaching idioms and
proverbs, this misunderstanding should not preclude one from intelligently deploying
proverbs in the classroom. You note, correctly, that many times students are taught "silly
phrases when they can just as easily use common terms." True, and again, context matters.
Students might prefer the more poetic expression because it displays their knowledge or
appreciate its appearance on a popular television or film. Clarity and brevity, virtues among
business writers and journalists, can be found in many practical proverbs too. Your critique
seems more focused on the teaching of rare or "silly" idioms than proverbs.
Finally, it's important to distinguish between proverbs and idioms. Proverbs are
traditional, pithy expressions of folk wisdom that can be applied in a wide range of common
situation. Some expressions, like the "customer is king" might be considered both an idiom
and a proverb, but those terms also tend to be very useful for English language learners.
You will, I suspect, agree that students
"experience is the best teacher". >> - A mother of a student

"learn

by

doing"

and

(http://alt.languages.english.narkive.com/oT1w2q47/why-do-english-teacher-use-proverbs-in-class)

Question
What's the difference between idioms and proverbs?
Answer

An idiom is a phrase that has a meaning of its own that cannot be understood from the
meanings of its individual words.

Here are some examples of idioms:

to be fed up with means to be tired and annoyed with something that has been
happening for too long

to rub someone the wrong way means to irritate someone

by the skin of your teeth means that something was successful, but only just barely.
She passed the test by the skin of her teeth means she almost didnt pass.

A proverb is a short popular saying that gives advice about how people should behave or
that expresses a belief that is generally thought to be true. Here are some examples:

Dont cry over spilled milk.

Those who live in glass houses shouldnt throw stones.

A stitch in time saves nine.

Like idioms, proverbs often have a meaning that is greater than the meaning of the
individual words put together, but in a different way than idioms. The literal meaning of an
idiom usually doesnt make sense, and idioms can be almost impossible to understand
unless you have learned or heard them before.
The literal meaning of a proverb such as Dont cry over spilled milk does makes sense
on its own, but its not until you apply this meaning to a broader set of situations that you
understand the real point of the proverb. For example, Dont cry over spilled milk means
Dont get upset over something that has already been done. Its too late to worry about it
now, just get on with your life.

(http://www.learnersdictionary.com/qa/what-s-the-difference-between-idioms-and-proverbs)
Translating proverbs, the translator should know linguistic and non-linguistic features
of both languages. By linguistic features we mean those elements which are not conveyed
only through words, what is important here is culture.
Each proverb conveys specific meaning in a specific context of situation. Therefore, a
proverb should be rendered with care to carry the same cultural conventions in the original
proverb. It is not reasonable to translate a proverb while just looking at the first meaning of its
words in a dictionary.
Proverbs are interesting, important, and complex. That is why so many different views
have evolved to analyze them: the personal, formal, religious, literary, practical, cultural and
cognitive views. These views have different goals that have been persuaded with different
techniques, so they provide us with different information.
Proverbs have been and remain most powerful and effective instrument for the
transmission of culture, social morality, manners and ideas of a people from one generation

to another. The reason behind the efficacy of them has been and remains a most powerful
and effective instrument for the transmission of culture, social morality, manners and ideas of
a people from one generation to another.
The reason behind the efficacy of the proverb is that it is an aphorism, a wise saying
based upon people's experience, and is a reflection of the social values and sensibility of the
people.
(Journal of Language Teaching and Research, Vol. 1, No. 6, pp. 807-814, November 2010 2010 ACADEMY
PUBLISHER Manufactured in Finland.)

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