semantic features of weather proverbs in english and vietnamese = đặc điểm ngữ nghĩa của các câu tục ngữ chỉ thời tiết trong tiếng anh và tiếng việt

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VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES
  


V TH YN HNG


SEMANTIC FEATURES OF WEATHER PROVERBS IN
ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE
ĐẶC ĐIỂM NGỮ NGHĨA CỦA CÁC CÂU TỤC NGỮ CHỈ THỜI
TIT TRONG TING ANH VÀ TING VIỆT


MA. MINOR THESIS
(A summary)

Field: English Linguistics
Code: 60.22.15



HANOI, 2012


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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP………………………………………………

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………………
ABSTRACT ………………………………………………………………………
TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………….
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS……………………………………………………
LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES………………………………………………
P ART 1: INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………….
1. Rationale for the research…………………………………………………………
2. Research aims and research questions ……………………………………………
2.1. Research aims………………………………………………………………….
2.2. Research questions…………………………………………………………….
3. Scope of the research………………………………………………………………
4. Significance of the research ………………………………………………………
5. Structure of the research ……………………………………………………………
PART 2: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
1.1. Some publications on weather proverbs and some related researches………………
1.2. Proverbs……………………………………………………………………….
1.2.1. Definitions of proverbs…………………………………………………
1.2.2. Semantic features of proverbs……………………………………………
1.3. Weather proverbs………………………………………………………………
1.3.1. Definition of weather proverbs…………………………………………
1.3.2. Semantic fields of weather proverbs………………………………….
CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY…………………………………….
2.1. Sampling…………………………………………………………………………
2.2. Data collection………………………………………………………………………
2.3. Data analysis………………………………………………………………………

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CHAPTER 3: …………………………………………………………………………
3.1. Semantic features of EWP and VWP………………………………………………
3.1.1. Anticipating weather changes…………………………………………………
3.1.1.1. Means of anticipating weather changes…………………………………
3.1.1.2. Weather Conditions………………………………………………………
3.1.2. Representing weather‟s influence on human life…………………………
3.1.2.1. Weather‟s influence on production…………………………………
3.1.2.2. Weather‟s influence on human health………………………………
3.2. Similarities and Differences between EWP and VWP …………………………
3.2.1. Similarities……………………………………………………………………
3.2.2. Differences……………………………………………………………………
3.3. Weather proverbs – A reliable indicator or not?
PART C: CONCLUSIONS …………………………………………………………
1. Recapitulation ………………………………………………………………………
2. Concluding remarks………………………………………………………………….
3. Pedagogical implications…………………………………………………………
4. Limitations of the study……………………………………………………………
5. Suggestions for further study………………………………………………………
REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………
APPENDIX 1
APPENDIX 2

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
EWP: English Weather Proverbs
VWP: Vietnamese Weather Proverbs

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LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES
Figure 1: Percentage of Semantic Fields of EWP and VWP
Figure 2: Means of Anticipating Weather Changes in EWP and VWP
Table 1: Semantic Fields of Weather Conditions in EWP and VWP
Table 2: Weather‟s Influence on Production and Human Health

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PART A: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale for the research
Every language has proverbs. Learning and understanding them is an important aspect of
the mastery of language. English language is no exception as it contains a large number of
proverbs, which are extensively used as the wisdom of people. English language learners,
often struggling with a limited vocabulary, find these memorable proverbs easy to learn
and fun to use. Proverbs add familiarity and comfort to an often strange and stressful
situation for older English learners. Proverbs can capture a point of view in vivid words.
We learn proverbs our entire lives - from our relatives, our teachers, our friends, the

media, and our literature. These classic sayings contain folk wisdom gathered through
time and experience. They often capture a common human experience across cultures and
languages.
Hence, using proverbs in the language teaching not only provides learners with rich
vocabulary but also equips them with a good basis of cultural knowledge reflected in the
proverbs themselves. Through their keen observation of the world, hundreds of human
generations have created proverbs and used them. The condensed nature of proverbs
allows them to be interpreted repeatedly, across time and in different situations. They are
interesting because they not only tap into universal themes in the human condition, such
as the physiological rhythms of the human life cycle, but they also vary in ways that
appear to reflect specific cultural differences. In the home and in other community
settings alike, proverbs are used to pass on rich cultural traditions, to transmit folklore,
and to communicate expected codes of behavior. (Matthew S. Kaplan, PhD, 2002, p.1).
So far, there have been a large number of researches conducted to investigate different
features of proverbs as well as their applicability in language teaching. Yet, most of the
studies deal with proverbs in general. In this paper, the researcher would like to focus
only on the English weather proverbs, put them in the comparison and contrast with
Vietnamese ones in terms of semantic features.

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Weather, as we know, has been closely associated with us since we appeared in the world.
Our life, our work, our feelings are often influenced by weather. In the past, before
modern scientific weather forecasts existed, people whose lives and livelihood depended
on the weather relied on weather proverbs to predict weather changes. Nowadays, even
with our access to sophisticated weather prediction techniques (such as satellites, weather
balloons, super computers, Doppler radar, and a complex communications network) for
production of reasonably accurate daily weather forecasts, many people still utilize
common knowledge of the weather through weather proverbs because it is a simple way
for them to predict the weather conditions by themselves.

The reason for the researcher‟s choosing weather proverbs is that more than any other
kind of proverbs, they illustrate the process human beings explore the natural world and
form their world-view as well as gain experience in dealing with nature, serving their
need of economic development. If you know many proverbs, and have a little
understanding of how weather systems work, you may conclude that proverbs tell you
much about the weather. Even if the proverbs are not ideally accurate, they will remind us
about a weather system and help us learn and remember how weather system works.
More importantly, weather proverbs make us much more aware of our environment so we
can observe and appreciate the many wonderful and intricate things going on in our
natural surroundings. Proverbs can help us understand and table out various weather
situations. In addition, studying English weather proverbs (EWP) and Vietnamese
weather proverbs (VWP) plays an important role in interpreting and using this type of
proverbs.
All the points mentioned above are fundamental impetuses that stimulate the researcher to
conduct this study.
2. Research aims and research questions
2.1. Research aims
First of all, through the investigation into the semantic features of weather proverbs, the
researcher aims at discovering linguistic values underlying the literal words.

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Secondly, the study is to compare and contrast semantic features of weather proverbs in
English and in Vietnamese.
Thirdly, the study is to equip learners with rich knowledge on Vietnamese proverbs and
English proverbs in general and on weather proverbs in particular. In addition, some
suggestions for teaching and learning English proverbs are also mentioned.
2.2. Research questions
1. What are the semantic features of EWP and EWP?
2. What are the similarities and differences between EWP and EWP in terms of their

semantic features?
3. Scope of the research
As proverb is a very broad topic, under the constraint of time, experience and shortage of
materials, the researcher cannot cover all kinds of proverbs but focus on weather proverbs
only. In addition, the researcher only concentrates on semantic features although the study
would be of greater success if it deals with other linguistic and non-linguistic features of
weather proverbs such as pragmatics, culture and syntax. However, some aspects of
culture are used to explain some different elements between two languages when it is
necessary.
4. Significance of the research
It is obvious that proverbs occupy a large part in almost every language. It is hoped that
along with the understanding of the semantic features of proverbs in general and those of
weather proverbs in particular, the findings of the study can help learners employ weather
proverbs more regularly, spontaneously and effectively. Language learners can exploit
them as a source of language units to enrich and color their writing and speaking in both
academic and daily settings. As regards the teaching process, this thesis can also provide
such a great reference source in the subject of semantics. It can help to improve teachers‟
awareness of the importance of proverbs as an inseparable unit of the linguistic system
and the need to include them into the curriculum.

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5. Structure of the research
The study is composed of three parts:
Part A, Introduction, includes the rationale, aims, research questions, scope of the
research, significance of the research, and structure of the research.
Part B, Development, includes three chapters.
Chapter 1, Literature Review, reviews some publications on weather proverbs and
previous studies as well as establishes the theoretical background for the study as the firm
foundation with definitions of proverbs and weather proverbs. The distinctive and

remarkable characteristics of these phenomena will also be unearthed in order to provide
a clear concept from the beginning.
Chapter 2, Research Methodology, deals with the research design and procedures. In this
chapter, description of the sampling, instruments, the procedure of data collection and
analysis for implementing the thesis are mentioned.
Chapter 3, Major Findings and Discussions, is the main part of the research, which
includes a generalization about the semantic features of weather proverbs in both
languages - English and Vietnamese - and in what ways they are similar to or different
from each other. The latter discusses some weather proverbs that are not reliable in both
languages.
Part C, Conclusions, summarizes the main content of the research and draws out
conclusions. This part also gives implications for teaching and learning PDW. Moreover,
a statement of limitations and suggestions for further research are also indicated in this
chapter. Apart from that, references and appendices are enclosed for those who are
interested in studying the same issues.





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PART B: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
1.1. Some publications on weather proverbs and previous studies
Up to now, there have been many books and dictionaries on proverbs, especially on
weather proverbs, but most of them focus on explaining the meanings as well as the
equivalents in other languages.
The books entitled “Weather Proverbs: How 600 Proverbs, Sayings, and Poems
Accurately Explain Our Weather” written by George Freier was very informative and still

applies. In this book, the author defines and classifies weather proverbs. He also mentions
weather proverbs in terms of semantic fields as well as troubles with some proverbs.
“Weather proverbs” is the book written by H. H. Dunwoody in 1977, including Popular
Weather Prognostics by Ralph Abercrombie & William Marriott and Proverbs Relating to
Animals by Dr. C. C. Abbott. Proverbs are classified into semantic fields relating to birds,
clouds, dew, fish, fog, frost, insects, the moon, plants, rain, rainbows, reptiles, stars, snow,
sun, thunder and lightning, trees, wind, years, seasons, months, weeks and days, and
general prognostics.
The collection “Weather lore; a collection of proverbs, sayings, and rules concerning the
weather" by Richard Inwards comprises only those proverbs, sayings, or rules in some
way descriptive or prophetic of the weather and its changes, and does not for the most
part include those in which the winds, sun, and clouds are only brought in for purposes of
comparison and illustration.
While weather proverb books have been published by foreign grammarians, writers,
dictionary compilers and linguists, there have not been any Vietnamese books focusing on
weather proverbs only. We can find weather proverbs in some Vietnamese books as
“Thành ngữ-tục ngữ Việt Nam” by Thùy Linh, “Ca dao tục ngữ Việt Nam” by Thu
Phuong. Weather proverbs are also collected and explained their meanings in some
dictionaries such as “Từ điển thành ngữ, tục ngữ Việt Nam” (2000) by Vũ Dung, Vũ Thúy
Anh, Vũ Quang Hào, “Từ điển thành ngữ tục ngữ Việt Nam” (2006) by Nguyễn Lân, etc.

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Especially, the two books “Tục ngữ Việt Nam” (2007) compiled by Ngọc Quang and
“Tổng tập văn học dân gian người Việt Tập 1: Tục ngữ” (2002) compiled by Nguyen
Xuan Kinh and Phan Lan Huong are good reference materials to readers. They collect
thousands of proverbs which are arranged in smaller units according to the criteria of
topic, one of which is weather.
Since proverbs are almost the most interesting but difficult part of each language, some
studies have been carried out relating to the various aspects of proverbs. The study

entitled “An overview of English and Vietnamese proverbs: a contrastive analysis” by Bui
Thi Thuy Van, PhD. (2011) investigates some resemblances, differences as well as some
gaps between the proverbs in two languages: English and Vietnamese via explanations
and examples. Đặng Ngọc Cư (2011) with “A Contrastive Analysis on Linguistic Features
of Proverbs through Parallelism (English versus Vietnamese)” investigates some
similarities and differences in English and Vietnamese proverbs which are in the form of
parallelism.
Some studies focus on proverbs denoting different semantic fields and their
characteristics, but there have not been studies on weather proverbs. For example, the
thesis “An investigation into linguistic features of money related proverbs in English and
Vietnamese” by Luu Thi Mai Thanh (2011) or the thesis “An investigation English and
Vietnamese proverbs denoting family relationships” by Tran Thi Thuy Ngan (2011)
investigate the similarities and differences of the proverbs in the both languages in terms
syntactic and semantic features.
Meanwhile, Ngo Thi Quynh Hoa (2011) does not study proverbs denoting weather but
she focuses on idioms in her thesis entitled “An investigation into English and Vietnamese
idioms containing words denoting weather” with the aim at comparing and contrasting the
syntactic and semantic features of this type of . Đỗ Thị Minh Ngọc‟s graduation paper
(2010) studies weather proverbs in English and Vietnamese, but the study limits the
investigation to weather proverbs in English and Vietnamese with the aim of finding out
the cultural similarities and differences between two countries. Obviously, this paper is
the cross-cultural study only.

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This is the reason why I choose to investigate weather proverbs in English and
Vietnamese, and more particularly, in terms of semantics to make a contrast and a
comparison between the two languages.
1.2. Proverbs
1.2.1. Definitions of proverbs

There are numerous definitions of proverbs. According to the standard dictionary
definition, a “proverb” is “a short saying in common use that strikingly expresses some
obvious truth or familiar experience” (Guralnik and Solomon 1980, p.1144). The Oxford
Concise Dictionary of Proverbs (1998) postulates in its introductory remarks the
following definition: “A proverb is a traditional saying which offers advice or presents a
moral in a short and pithy manner” (Simpson/Speake 1998).
Meanwhile, Burridge, in 1981, assumed that “a proverb is a wise saying.” In the book
entitled “How Proverbs Mean: Semantic Studies in English Proverbs”, a proverb is
defined as a typical spoken, conversational form with didactic function and not associated
with any particular source (Neal R. Norrick, 1985, p.51-55). In other words, a proverb is a
short traditional saying expressing a truth or moral instruction. (Geddes& Grosset, 1994).
George D. Freier (1992, p.6) defines a weather proverb as a short, sensible, salty
statement about the weather. The study of weather proverbs is known as paroemiology.
Mieder (1993, p.5) defines that “A proverb is a short, generally known sentence of the
folk which contains wisdom, truth, morals, and traditional views in a metaphorical, fixed,
and memorable form and which is handed down from generation to generation.” "A
proverb is a standard statement of moral and colloquial imperatives in fixed metaphorical
paradigmatic form; it deals with fundamental logical relationships" (Barley 1972, p. 741).
As defined in the book "Tục Ngữ, Thành Ngữ Ca Dao và Dân Ca Việt Nam" written by
Trần Ngọc Ngải, Chicago, Illinois, USA 1997, a proverb is a saying giving advice or
satire. According to Lê Gia in his book "Tâm Hồn Mẹ Việt Nam" (1994), a proverb is a
saying based on the customs absorbed in people‟s thought and approved and used through
generations. Vũ Ngọc Phan indicates: “a proverb is a sentence that is complete in

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meaning itself and expresses an idea, a comment, an experience, an ethics, a truth or a
criticism”. (cited in Tổng tập văn học dân gian người Việt Tập 1: Tục ngữ”, 2002, p.46).
He also distinguishes between a proverb and an idiom as follows: grammatically, a
proverb is a complete sentence regardless of how short it is, while an idiom is a phrase or

a word group; semantically, an idiom is a part of a sentence that cannot express a
complete idea by itself; as regards genre, an idiom is a set expression while a proverb
is a kind of folklore; and hierarchically, an idiom is treated as a word while a proverb
is considered to be a sentence.
Most of the above definitions help to make clear the remarkable features of a proverb. In
terms of form, it is short and lapidary. In terms of content, it expresses a truth, moral
instruction, advice and traditional wisdom.
1.2.2. Semantic features of proverbs
Jack Richards, John Platt and Heidi Weber (1985, p.254) say that, semantic features are
the smallest units of meaning in a word. The meanings of words may be described as a
combination of semantic features.
For example, the semantic features (+male) is part of the meaning of father, and so is the
feature (+adult) but other features are needed to give the whole concept or sense of father.
The same feature may be part of the meaning of a number of words. For example,
(+movement) is part of the meaning of a whole group of verbs and nouns, e.g. run, jump,
walk, gallop.
Sometimes, semantic features are established by contrasts and can be stated in terms of
(+) or (-), e.g.
E.g.: Child: [+human], [-adult)
Man: [+human], [+adult] (+male)
The semantic sphere of proverbs is very wide and cannot limit them. The proverbs
describe every branch of people's life. Regarding content, proverbs usually carry advice
and moral lessons which have been drawn from the real experience of life of many

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generations. In terms of functions, not only do proverbs have aesthetic function as they
beautify the speech but they perform educational function as well. It is likely that each
proverb contains a piece of advice, an admonishment summarized from experience of life.
They criticize and satirize bad things of society. They teach people what is wrong and

what is right. They show people way to live and to behave in life.
From the semantic point of view, proverbs are classified into noticeable themes, such as
Friendship, Motherland, Family, Knowledge, Beauty, Health, Work, Weather, and a lot
other different subjects. For example:
Friendship: Old friends and old wine are best. (29: p.19)
(Bạn cũ bạn tốt, rượu cũ rượu ngon. - Vietnamese equivalent (V.E))
This proverb means that the things and people that we know well are better than the
unfamiliar.
Family: “Spare the rod, spoil the child” (29: p.216)
(Yêu cho roi cho vọt, ghét cho ngọt cho bùi – V.E)
When raising and educating children, parents should not “wrap their children in cotton
wool”. A pampered child can easily become spoilt. Gentleness is necessary but
seriousness and discipline are important, too. If you are ignorant of your child‟s mistake,
you will fail to fulfill the educating function of a parent and you will indirectly spoil your
child. Therefore, punishment at proper time and proper place is vital for the sake of a
good education.
Behavior: Courtesy costs nothing but gains everything. (29: p.119)
(Lời nói chẳng mất tiền mua, lựa lời mà nói cho vừa lòng nhau. - V.E)
There is nothing to be lost by behaving in a courteous way. A polite and considerate
fellow tends to receive above-average treatment from the others in whatever
circumstances whereas an impolite and inconsiderate bloke usually gets poor treatment
from the others in return.


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1.3. Weather proverbs
In the proverbs stock exist many types of proverbs, ranging from proverbs about
production, proverbs about living customs to proverbs about weather. Weather proverbs
are chosen to be the main topic of this study. Therefore, I hereby would like to make a

brief introduction of what weather proverbs are about.
1.3.1. Definitions of weather proverbs
We have been attempting to forecast the weather since the beginning of recorded history.
Long before the invention of radar and other meteorological tools, people relied upon
"natural" clues to approaching weather. For example, before it rained, some people often
observed that ants moved to higher ground, cows lay down, pine cones opened up, frogs
croaked more frequently, and sheep' wool uncurled. Over the years, people began to
notice other natural clues to upcoming weather, and several weather "sayings" grew up
over the years.
According to Webster Dictionary, weather proverb is empirical forecasting rules, often
expressed in verse and very local in nature; generally traditional in character. The
usefulness of such rules varies very widely. (Source: European Union). For example:
 In English: Red sky in morning, Sailors take warning.
Red sky at night, Sailors' delight. (25: p.270)
 In Vietnamese: Chuồn chuồn bay thấp thì mưa.
Bay cao thì nắng, bay vừa thì râm. (33: p.480)
In other words, weather proverb is the kind of folklore representing human observations
of weather and climatic situations. These observations are gradually refined into a set of
experience on how particular climatic phenomena can indicate the weather situations that
follow.
When looking at weather proverbs, we should bear in mind that they are usually “human
experience”. Many of these have a scientific basis and it can be explained why they
"work," others have no such basis but often prove to be true. Because climates and

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weather patterns differ throughout the world, a weather proverb based on observations in
one location may not be accurate in another location.
1.3.2. Semantic fields of weather proverbs
A semantic field or a field of meaning is a set of words (or lexemes) related in meaning.

Linguist Adrienne Lehrer has defined semantic field more specifically as "a set of
lexemes which cover a certain conceptual domain and which bear certain specifiable
relations to one another" (1985, p.283). Brinton (2000, p.112) defines "semantic field" or
"semantic domain" and relates the linguistic concept to hyponymy: "Related to the
concept of hyponymy, but more loosely defined, is the notion of a semantic field or
domain. A semantic field denotes a segment of reality symbolized by a set of related
words. The words in a semantic field share a common semantic property”. Words in a
semantic field are not synonymous, but are all used to talk about the same general
phenomenon. A meaning of a word is dependent partly on its relation to other words in
the same conceptual area.
Most often, fields are defined by subject matter, such as machines, buildings or kinship
relations. If a passage of writing included the words “heart”, “flower”, “chocolate”,
“passion”, the semantic field would most likely be considered “Love”. Semantic field is a
somewhat elastic term. We could group some semantic fields together into a single larger
field, for example, Animals and Plants belong to LIVING THINGS. In some cases,
semantic fields are composed of smaller groupings called lexical sets or sub-fields.
Within EMOTIONS, we can identify lexical sets of words for Love, Fear, Anger, etc.
Based on the above opinions, the data collected in the thesis emphasize some semantic
fields such as means of anticipating weather changes (climatic phenomena, animals‟
behaviors, vegetative reactions and time) and weather conditions (sunny, rainy, windy,
warm, cold, etc.)




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CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
2.1. Sampling
Firstly, 4 criteria to select samples are established: 1- the samples have to be proverbs, 2-

the samples have to contain words denoting weather, 3- the samples have to imply
common weather phenomena, 4- the sources from which the samples are picked up have
to be reliable.
With such set criteria, the process of collecting samples is carried out. Two hundred EWP
and two hundred VWP from English and Vietnamese dictionaries, books and the reliable
websites on the Internet are finally assembled to serve for the corpus.
2.2. Data collection
The data collection procedure is comprised of two steps:
Step 1 is called the collection of weather proverbs in both English and Vietnamese. In this
step, the researcher refers to a number of English and Vietnamese proverbs dictionaries
and linguistic books as well as some linguistic websites which contain a list of proverbs in
order to pick out all the weather proverbs needed for the study. Step 2 is carried out with
the aim of collecting necessary background knowledge for the research. A large amount
of available linguistic books are consulted so that the researcher can obtain a full concept
of all the items she is studying. Last but not least, many of the previously conducted
researches are referred to so that the researcher can find out what has been studied, what
results have been drawn, and what is more and what is new she can contribute in her own
research.
2.3. Data analysis
The thesis design is based on the combination of both qualitative and
quantitative approaches. The quantitative approach with the statistical tables and charts
is applied in order to calculate and compare the number of proverbs that exist in each
proverb stock, and in each category of proverbs. The qualitative approach is applied to
describe
semantic features of EWP and VWP. It also consists of classification,

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comparison, analysis, synthesis and generalization, which help to discover the
similarities and differences between EWP and VWP in terms of

semantics.
Data analysis in qualitative studies is an ongoing process. It does not occur at the end of
the study as in most quantitative studies (Donna M. Mertens, 2005, p.420). Findings are
generated and systematically built as successive pieces of data are gathered.
In order to successfully achieve all the aim of data analysis process, the contrastive
method is carried out with the implementation of the three main stages.
Stage 1: Classification
The researcher reads all the data and then divides them into smaller units. In this stage, an
effort is made to classify the weather proverbs into two categories. The first category is
proverbs anticipating weather changes. The second category is divided into two sub-
categories including proverbs expressing weather‟s influence on production and proverbs
expressing weather‟s influence on human health.
Stage 2: Describing and comparison and contrast
This is the main analytic stage. First, the researcher counts up the total number of
weather proverbs in English and Vietnamese, and then demonstrates it on the graphs to
make a pure comparison on the quantity. Next, the researcher sifts through the materials
to identify the resemblances and distinctions in semantic aspects, which are presented.
Stage 3: Analysis, synthesis and generalization
After analyzing the semantic features of both English and Vietnamese weather proverbs,
the researcher synthesizes all similarities and differences to make a generalization about
EWP and VWP. Finally, the outcomes of the study serve as a basis in offering some
possible suggestions for learning and teaching proverbs.





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CHAPTER 3: MAJOR FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS

3.1. Semantic features of EWP and VWP
Man's concern with weather has been well-documented throughout history. Humans have
sought to understand, predict and control the weather. In this study, the researcher would
like to discover the purposes that man uses weather proverbs which are to anticipate
weather changes and to show the weather‟s influence on human life.
 In English
“Red sky in morning, Sailors take warning.
Red sky at night, Sailors' delight. (25: p.270)
 In Vietnamese
“Vồng rạp mưa rào, vồng cao gió táp” (27: p.184)
(When the rainbow is low, there will be a shower; when the rainbow is high, there will be
a strong wind)
Weather proverbs representing the weather‟s influence on human life including
production and health are introduced in the following examples:
 In English
“When rheumatic people complain of more than ordinary pains in the joints, it will
rain.” (24: p.86)
 In Vietnamese
“Tháng Ba bà già chết rét” (33: p.502)
(Cold weather in March is dangerous to old people)

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Based on the statistics, we can demonstrate the percentage of English weather proverbs
and Vietnamese weather proverbs in the following figure:

Figure 1 reveals the percentages of EWP and VWP falling into two categories, namely
weather proverbs that merely express weather changes and weather proverbs representing
weather‟s influence on human life. This figure shows a similarity between EWP and
VWP that the percentage of proverbs anticipating weather changes is greater than that
showing the weather‟s influence on human life. However, there are more VWP than EWP
which are used to anticipate weather changes (90,5% versus 81,5%), while the percentage
of proverbs showing the weather‟s influence on human life in Vietnamese is lower than
that of in English (9,5% versus 18,5%).
3.1.1. Anticipating weather changes
3.1.1.1. Means of anticipating weather changes
Various means of anticipating weather changes can be categorized into the following
main ones: climatic phenomena, animals‟ behaviors, vegetative reactions and time.
Demonstrated on the graph, the percentage of weather proverbs in the subgroups is shown
as following:

Figure 1: Percentage of Semantic Fields of EWP and VWP
81.5
90.5
18.5
9.5
0
20
40
60
80
100

120
EWP VWP
%
Weather's influence on
human life
Anticipating weather
changes

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Figure 2: Means of anticipating weather changes
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
EWP
VWP
Climatic phenomena
Animals' behaviors
Vegetative reactions
Time
Other fields
Other fields
1.80%
2.70%
Time
15%
22.10%
Vegetative reactions
4.90%
6.10%
Animals' behaviors
17%

22.70%
Climatic phenomena
61.30%
46.40%
EWP
VWP

Taking an overall look at the whole figure, it can be realized that the majority of weather
proverbs, in both English and Vietnamese, are created based on the observation on
climatic phenomena with more than a half of all in English (61,3%) and nearly a half of
all in Vietnamese (46,4%). The sub-group of proverbs pertaining to climatic phenomena
is followed by the sub-group with proverbs developed thanks to the observation on
animals‟ behaviors with 17% in English and 22,7% in Vietnamese. Weather proverbs
based on the observation on time rank the third, with 15% in English and 22,1% in
Vietnamese. Vegetative reactions rank the fourth with 4,9% in English and 6,1% in
Vietnamese. The last group with the smallest number of weather proverbs is the one
holding the weather proverbs built based on the experience in observing others‟ reactions.
a. Climatic Phenomena
Both English people and Vietnamese people often refer to climatic phenomena such as
the clouds, winds, sun-moon, stars, sky and precipitation in order to anticipate a climatic
change. Therefore, the proverbs built from the observations of such things are included in
both languages.


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+ Moon-Sun
It is clear that the moon and the sun were often observed for weather prognostication.
The color of the Moon or the Sun seems to affect the weather. The red Sun or Moon
announces the coming. This is illustrated in the following examples:

 In English
“Pale moon doth rain; Red moon doth blow; White moon doth neither rain nor
snow.” (16: p.392)
“If red the Sun begin his race, be sure the rain will fall apace.” (24: p.39)
 In Vietnamese
“Không mưa thì gió, khi mặt trời đỏ như son.” (33: p.489)
(When the sun is red, either rain or wind may be expected)
In EWP, a corona or a halo around the moon indicates rainy or cold weather. Meanwhile,
in VWP, the drought is predicted by a corona and the rain is predicted by a halo. It proves
the difference in regional climate between the two countries. Below are some examples:
 In English
“When round the moon there is a burr, the weather will be cold and rough.” (16:
p.93)
 In Vietnamese
“Trăng quầng thì hạn, trăng tán thì mưa.” (33: p.508)
(When the moon is surrounded by a corona, it will be sunny; when the moon is
surrounded by a halo, it will be rainy.)
In addition, it is believed that on special days, the appearance of the sun concerns the
weather in the future coming days.



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 In English
“If the sun shines bright on Christmas day, the half of the winter‟s not yet away.”
(16: p.82)
“In January if the sun appears, March and April pay full clear.” (16: p.307)
+ Precipitation
Precipitation such as lightning, thunder, rainbows, snow, frost, fog, mist, and dew, so on

contribute to predict weather changes.
Lightning and thunder are also signs of weather. When the lightning appears, it indicates
a coming rain. In addition, the appearance of thunders sometimes foretells good or bad
weather.
 In English
“Thunder in December presages fine weather.” (16: p.135)
 In Vietnamese
“Chớp đằng Đông, mua dây mà tát.” (33: p.478)
(The flashes of chain lightning in the west announce a coming rain)
“Sấm trước cơm sấm no, sấm sau cơm sấm đói.” (34.673)
(Thunder in the morning announces a rain, which is good for ploughing. Thunder in the
afternoon announces no rain or little rain, which causes a shortage of water. Thus, it is not
good for the rice field.)
Rainbows play an essential part in weather predictions. A rainbow is an obvious indicator
of rain as it refracts the light and breaks it down into colors. Rainbows in the morning to
the west usually indicate approaching rain. Nevertheless, a rainbow at sunset usually
means the rain is about to depart and fair weather is on the way. In Vietnamese, to call a
rainbow, for example, we have various names such as “cầu vồng”, “mống” (partial
rainbow) or “vồng”.


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● In English
“If two rainbows appear at one time, they presage rain to come.” (16: p.482)
 In Vietnamese
“Cầu vồng móng cụt, không lụt thì bão.” (33: p.476)
(If the rainbow appears short in two ends, there will be either a flood or a storm.)
In English, hoar frost or white frost occurs in the morning, it will rain in the next three
days. However, in Vietnamese, the appearance of white frost indicates sunny weather. For

example:
 In English
“Three white frosts bring rain.” (16: p.224)
 In Vietnamese
“Sương muối là mặt đất, ai có thóc đem phơi.” (27: p.183)
(When white frost skims the ground, it will be sunny.)
These above examples indicate that white frost is used in both EWP and VWP.
Meanwhile, snow, which is also one of the indicators of weather, is rarely used in EWP
and it cannot be found in VWP in the collected data.
 In English
“If February gives much snow, a fine summer it doth foreshow.” (16: p.196)
By observing the kinds of rain and its appearance, our ancestors could predict whether in
the future. Here are some examples.
 In English
“A sunshiny shower won't last half an hour.” (16: p.480)
 In Vietnamese
“Cơn đằng đông vừa trông vừa chạy.

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Cơn đằng nam vừa làm vừa chơi.” (33: p.483)
(The wind from the East often comes with a sudden heavy rain, so people need to run to
avoid rain. Meanwhile, the wind from the South often comes with no rain or little rain, so
people can amuse themselves at their work.)
+ Winds
Based on the direction and force of the winds, people can predict the change of the
weather.
According to EWP, winds from the south may carry gentle rains and winds from the north
or the east often bring bad weather. The following instances will shed the light on this
point.

● In English
“The north wind doth blow and we shall have snow.” (24: p.78)
This proverb means that winds that blow from the north often bring cold weather with
them.
“When the wind is in the East, „tis neither good for man nor beast.” (36)
Conversely, a westerly wind is the opposite of an easterly wind; it indicates fair or clear
weather. For instance:
“The wind in the west, is always best.” (24: p.83)
However, according to VWP, winds from the east often precede rainy or stormy weather.
The following examples illustrate this point.
● In Vietnamese
“Mùa nực gió Đông thì đồng đầy nước.” (33: p.493)
(If the east wind blows in the hot season, the fields will be full of rainwater.)