a study on family-related english and vietnamese proverbs (from a lingual-cultural perspective) = nghiên cứu các tục ngữ liên quan đến mối quan hệ gia đình trong tiếng anh và tiếng việt

Vietnam national university - Hanoi
university of languages and InTERNATIONAL STUDIES
Department of Post-graduate studies







TRẦN THẾ KHOA


A Study on Family-Related English and
Vietnamese Proverbs
(From a Lingual-Cultural Perspective)

NGHIÊN CỨU CÁC TỤC NGỮ LIÊN QUAN ĐẾN MỐI QUAN HỆ
GIA ĐÌNH TRONG TIẾNG ANH VÀ TIẾNG VIỆT
(NHÌN TỪ GÓC ĐỘ NGÔN NGỮ VÀ VĂN HOÁ)

M.A. MINOR THESIS



Major: English Linguistics
Code: 60 22 15

HÀ NỘI, 8/2009



Vietnam national university - Hanoi
university of languages and InTERNATIONAL STUDIES
Department of Post-graduate studies







TRẦN THẾ KHOA


A Study on Family-Related English and
Vietnamese Proverbs
(From a Lingual-Cultural Perspective)

NGHIÊN CỨU CÁC TỤC NGỮ LIÊN QUAN ĐẾN MỐI QUAN HỆ
GIA ĐÌNH TRONG TIẾNG ANH VÀ TIẾNG VIỆT

(NHÌN TỪ GÓC ĐỘ NGÔN NGỮ VÀ VĂN HOÁ)

M.A. MINOR THESIS



Major: English Linguistics
Code: 60 22 15
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Văn Độ



HÀ NỘI, 8/2009


iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION……………………………………………………………………….i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………………….ii
ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………iii
INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale…………………………………………………………………………….1
2. Aims of the Study……………………………………………… ………………….2
3. Scopes of the Study…………………………………………… ……………… 2
4. Methods of the Study…………………………………………….…………………3
5. Design of the Study……………………………………… ……………………… 3

DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
1.1. The Relationship between Language and Culture
1.1.1. Culture……………………………………………………………………………4
1.1.2. Language…………………………………………………………………………4
1.1.3. The Relationship between Language and Culture…………….……………… 5
1.2. Comparison between Two Cultures……………………………………….……….6
1.2.1. Same Form, Different Meaning
1.2.2. Same Meaning, Different Form
1.2.3. Same Form, Same Meaning, Different Distribution
1.3. Definitions of Proverbs and Family Proverbs
1.3.1. Definitions of Proverbs………………………………………………………… 8
1.3.2. Family Proverbs………………………………………………………………….9
1.4. Definitions of Idioms……………………….…………………………………… .10
1.5. Proverbs versus Idioms, Sayings, Conventional Phrases and Phrasal Verbs…… 11
1.6. Main Features of Proverbs from a Language-Cultural Perspective
1.6.1. National Features……………………………………………………………… 12
1.6.2. Meanings of Proverbs………………………………………………….……… 13
1.6.2.1. Synecdoche
1.6.2.2. Metaphor
1.6.3. Rhyming Words in Proverbs……………………………………………………13

v
1.6.4. Contrary Proverbs…………………………………………………………… 13
1.7. Summary……………………………………………………………… ……… 13

CHAPTER 2: TENTATIVE CLASSIFICATION AND COMPARISON OF FAMILY-
RELATED ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE PROVERBS
2.1. Tentative Classification of Family-Related English and Vietnamese Proverbs 14
2.2. Comparison of Family-Related English and Vietnamese Proverbs
2.2.1. Attitudes towards Women………………………………………… …….15

2.2.1.1. Attitudes towards Women in Family-Related Vietnamese Proverbs
2.2.1.2. Attitudes towards Women in Family-Related English Proverbs
2.2.2. Love ……………………………………………………………………….18
2.2.2.1. Love in Family-Related Vietnamese Proverbs……………………… 18
2.2.2.2. Love in Family-Related English Proverbs………………… ……….19
2.2.3. Marriage
2.2.3.1. Marriage in Family-Related Vietnamese Proverbs…………… ……19
2.2.3.2. Marriage in Family-Related English Proverbs……………………… 21
2.2.4. Choosing Mates
2.2.4.1. Choosing Mates in Family-Related Vietnamese Proverbs……………22
2.2.4.2. Choosing Mates in Family-Related English Proverbs……………… 23
2.2.5. Husband-Wife Relationship……………………………………………….24
2.2.5.1. Husband-Wife Relationship in Family-Related Vietnamese Proverbs
2.2.5.2. Husband-Wife Relationship in Family-Related English Proverbs
2.2.6. Divorce, Remarriage and Polygamy……………………………… …….26
2.2.6.1. Divorce, Remarriage and Polygamy in Family-Related Vietnamese
Proverbs
2.2.6.2. Divorce, Remarriage and Polygamy in Family-Related English
Proverbs
2.2.7. Parentage……………………………………………………….………….28
2.2.7.1. Parents-Offspring Relationship in Family-Related Vietnamese Proverbs
2.2.7.2. Parents-Offspring Relationship in Family-Related English Proverbs
2.2.7.3. Parents’ Attitudes towards Offspring
2.2.7.4. Offspring’s Duties towards Parents

vi
2.2.8. Brotherhood and Sisterhood, and the Relationship between Mother-in-law
and Daughter-in-law……………………………………………………….31
2.2.8.1. Brotherhood and Sisterhood
2.2.8.2. Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law Relationship

2.2.9. General Rules on Behaviours in British and Vietnamese Societies……… 33
2.3. Summary………………………………………………………………………….35

CONCLUSION
1. Recapitulation……………………………………………………………………….37
2. Implication of English and Vietnamese Proverbs for English Language Teaching and
Learning………………………………………………………………………….…….38
3. Suggestions for Further Studies…………………………………………… …… 39

REFERENCES………………………………………………………… ……………40
APPENDIX I



1
Introduction

1. Rationale
We are living in an era of globalization and integration. English, an international
language has become a very necessary means of communication and cross-communication
has become a pivotal demand for people the world over. English may be considered to be
the language of dancing since dancing is a language and you can speak with anyone.
Through language, people can express their opinions and exchange their ideas. Moreover,
they can exchange their material and spiritual values making the cultural knowledge of one
another richer and more diversified. Nevertheless, in each language there exist similar and
different cultural concepts on many aspects of life such as customs, traditions, social
conventions, human values, attitudes, behaviours, etc. How can a foreign language learner
communicate successfully with native speakers if they have poor understanding of the
language itself and the language related to culture.
Through proverbs, each person knows the other’s point of view and ways of thinking.

Moreover, we understand one another via customs, traditions, lifestyles, etc. We become
friendly as a result. Dr. Denis Brutus, a Literature professor at the University of
Pittsburgh, the USA, specified and extended the reality of the research of proverbs. He
said, “Through proverbs, I know your points of view, the attitudes of your ancestors. Each
time I know a new Vietnamese proverb, I become Vietnamese a little. I believe when we
know all proverbs of each other, we are brothers.” Somalian people said, “Proverbs put
spice into speech.” Yobura people in South Africa consider the proverb to be an animal
which nods its head when climbing uphill. They said, “The proverb is the horse of
conversation, when the conversation drops, the proverb picks it up”. Vietnamese people
regard the proverb as a pearl of academic thinking or a twinkling mist in literature.
In Vietnam, more and more people are eager to learn English and the need for learning
English is becoming very urgent. Most of the learners complain about the difficulties that
prevent them from succeeding in conversations. One of the main reasons is that they are
not good enough at perceiving and using idioms, especially proverbs.
The usage of proverbs is to express ideas in a figurative way, draw good lessons via
them and bring vividness and richness to the speaker’s conversation. If a speaker uses
proverbs skillfully, he/she can establish a good communicative relationship. In terms of


2
teaching English, lessons will be more interesting and effective if the teacher knows how
to apply proverbs to designing different activities in an English class: quizzes, games, role-
play, etc.
Moreover, family-related English and Vietnamese proverbs interest me most because
via these proverbs, I can draw very good lessons and know how to behave and treat others.
Each family is a social cell. We will have a fair society if all the families are values-
oriented. Moreover, family relationships play a very important role in educating children,
the future generation.
For the above-mentioned reasons, I have decided to choose this theme for my minor
thesis.

2. Aims of the Study
- To find out the cultural features in family relationships in British and Vietnamese
societies via English and Vietnamese proverbs (norms and values of culture, attitudes,
behaviours and ways of denotation or emotional expression, etc.)
- To find out the interesting things and the core, elegance, vividness and meaningfulness of
family-related English and Vietnamese proverbs via which significant educational lessons
will be highlighted and we can absorb the beautiful elegance and keep continuing the
cultural lines
- To apply family-related English and Vietnamese proverbs to teaching and learning both
English and Vietnamese for Vietnamese people and foreigners, to create interesting and
effective lessons and to form moral norms so as to educate students to become good
citizens
- To contrast the beauty, essence and elegance of family-related English and Vietnamese
proverbs and their usage.
3. Scopes of the Study
Proverbs are plentiful in both English and Vietnamese. Therefore, it is impossible
for the author to carry out an all-rounded study on them. Only family-related proverbs are
selected and a comparison between English and Vietnamese is made to distinguish one
from the other.
In this study, only semantic features of family-related English and Vietnamese
proverbs are discussed; cultural features are analyzed, not syntactic ones.


3
All English and Vietnamese proverbs are collected from dictionaries, books and the
Internet. Hence, this research does not cover all family-related English and Vietnamese
proverbs, just those of common use (more than 200 Vietnamese proverbs and about 200
English proverbs).

4. Methods of the Study
Contrastive Analysis is the main research approach used in my M.A. minor thesis.
Quantitative and qualitative methods are used. By virtue of the quantitative method, data
have been collected for the study including both English and Vietnamese proverbs
denoting family relationships. The qualitative method is applied to describe and analyze
the data of the study. Using statistics and deduction can help the author of this minor thesis
to improve his teaching. This can be applied to English teaching and learning at Quang
Ninh Center for Continuing Education and Cadre Training.

5. Design of the Study
This minor thesis consists of three main parts. In addition to the Introduction and
Conclusion, the study is organized around two chapters.
The Introduction raises the issue of English and Vietnamese proverbs in family setting.
Chapter 1 deals with the relationship between language and culture, the comparison
between two cultures, several definitions of proverbs, main features of proverbs, the
differences among proverbs, idioms, sayings, conventional phrases and phrasal verbs.
Chapter 2 is concerned with the classification and comparison between English and
Vietnamese proverbs within family setting.
The Conclusion sums up the main issues discussed in the thesis. The author also raises
his own opinion on the topic and suggests several ideas for further studies.



Development
Chapter 1: Theoretical background


4
1.1. The Relationship between Language and Culture
1.1.1. Culture

In Goodenough’s definition (1957:167), the term “culture” is used in the sense that a
person must know whatever so as to function in a particular society.
Culture may be described by some people as opera, fine art, and so on, as in the
definition of Oxford Advanced learner’s Dictionary (1992), culture is “refined
understanding and appreciation of art, literature.” Culture, however, in our sense in
relation to language is the way we act, the context in which we exist, think, feel and relate
to others. According to Kottak, C.P. (1979: 40), culture, taken in its widest sense, is “that
complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, law, customs, and any
other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.” In this definition,
culture is taken as socially acquired knowledge in a community and anything like habits.
However, this definition is a rather large one to consider the relationship between language
and culture.
Therefore, culture is the know-how that a person must possess to get through the task
of daily living; only for a few does it require a knowledge of some, or much, music,
literature, and the arts.
1.1.2. Language
The linguistic concept of language is the central focus, not the metaphorical uses of
the language concept that one meets in other cultural and societal studies, not least those
with a semiotic or formal orientation, and in everyday language.
Stuart Hall described language like this:
How does language construct meanings? How does it sustain the dialogue between
participants which enables them to build up a culture of shared understanding and so
interpret the world in roughly the same ways? Language is able to do this because it
operates as a representational system. In language, we use signs and symbols – whether
they are sounds, written words, electronically produced images, musical notes, even
objects – to stand for or represent to other people our concepts, ideas and feelings. (Stuart
Hall, 1997: 1)

1.1.3. The Relationship between Language and Culture

5
According to Kramsch (2000: 3), language is the principle means whereby we
conduct our social lives. When it is used in communication, it is bound up with culture in
multiple and complex ways.
Kramsch, one of the most important recent researchers within the field of language,
culture and learning, says in her book Language and Culture (1998a: 30 that:
+ language expresses cultural reality;
+ language embodies cultural reality;
+ language symbolises cultural reality.
Kramsch’s presentation moves the view of the relationship between language and
culture in a post-structuralist direction, even though she herself does not use this term in
her 1998 book. The first point: “language expresses cultural reality” Kramsch explains in
the following way:
The words people utter refer to common experience. They express facts, ideas or
events that are communicable because they refer to a stock of knowledge about the world
that other people share. Words also reflect their author’s attitudes and beliefs, their point of
view, as well as those of others. In both cases, language expresses cultural reality.
(Kramsch, 1998a: 3)
The second point: “language embodies cultural reality” she explains as follows:
But members of a community or social group … also create experience through
language. They give meaning to it through the medium they choose to communicate with
one another, for example, speaking in the telephone or face to face, writing a letter or
sending an e-mail message, reading the newspaper or interpreting a graph or a chart. The
way in which people use the spoken, written, or visual medium itself creates meanings that
are understandable to the group they belong to, for example, through a speaker’s tone of
voice, accent, conversational style, gestures and facial expressions. Through all its verbal
and non-verbal aspects, language embodies cultural reality. (Kramsch, 1998a: 3)
The third point: “language symbolises cultural reality” is described as follows:
… language is a system of signs that is seen as having itself a cultural value.

Speakers identify themselves and others through their use of language. (Kramsch, 1998a:
3).
J.A. Fishman is probably the sociolinguist who has dealt most and for the longest
time with the relationship between language and culture, especially in connection with the


6
struggle for linguistic diversity as part of ethnic and ethno-cultural diversity (Fishman,
J.A., 1991). He has distinguished three “links” between language and culture:
+ language as a part of culture;
+ language as an index of culture;
+ language as symbolic of culture.
Concerning the first point, Fishman describes language as: “an inevitable part”, “a
major and crucial part” of culture, and “all those who seek fully to enter into and
understand a given culture must, accordingly, master its language”. (e.g. Fishman, 1996:
452, which is an article in an encyclopedia of social science)
The second point: “language as an index of culture “, Fishman describes as follows:
“The role of language as an index of culture is a byproduct (at a more abstract level) of its
role as part of culture. Languages reveal the ways of thinking or of organizing experience
that are common in the associated cultures” – a little further down, he talks about “culture-
bound languages”.
The third point: “language as symbolic of culture”, Fishman explains as follows:
“Language movements and language conflicts utilize languages as symbols to mobilize
populations to defend (or attack) and to foster (or reject) the cultures associated with
them.”
As can be seen, Fishman is talking here about culture-bound language and about
the fact that language and culture are “intimately associated” with each other.
In any culture or religion, language is much more than semantics, much more than
what the written page or the spoken word can contain. Language does not end at the
meaning or the use of words associated with a culture which represents beliefs, history, and

the culture of their origin and they must be used accordingly.
In conclusion, language and culture always exist together and reinforce each other.
The relationship between them is so inextricable that we could not understand and
appreciate the one without the knowledge of the other.
1.2. Comparison between two Cultures
If the native culture habits are transferred when learning a foreign culture, it is obvious
that, by comparing the two culture systems, we can predict what the trouble spots will be.
Obviously this is a huge undertaking, and we will present a few examples that may
facilitate cultural analysis and comparison.


7
1.2.1. Same Form, Different Meaning
We will expect trouble when the same form has different classification or meaning
in the two cultures.
A form in culture B, identified by an observer from culture A as the same form as
one in his own culture, actually has a different meaning.
Example: Drinking milk at meals is a standard practice in the United States. It has a
primary meaning of food and drink, at meal time. It does not have any special connotation
of social class, national group, religious group, age group, or economic stratum. In France,
milk at meals is not the standard drink. Some children may drink milk, some adults may
drink milk for special reasons, some individuals or families or groups may drink milk
because of special cultural contacts.
1.2.2. Same Meaning, Different Form
We can expect another kind of trouble spot when the same meaning in two cultures
is associated with different forms. The alien observer seeking to act in the culture being
learned will select his own form to achieve the meaning, and he may miss altogether the
fact that a different form is required.
Example: When foreign visitors from areas where coffee is served very black and
very strong taste American coffee, they do not say that it is different; they say that

American coffee is bad. Likewise, when Americans go abroad to countries where coffee is
black and strong, they taste the coffee and do not say that it is different; they say that it is
bad.
1.2.3. Same Form, Same Meaning, Different Distribution
There is trouble in learning a foreign culture when a pattern that has the same form
and the same meaning shows different distribution. The observer of a foreign culture
assumes that the distribution of a pattern in the observed culture is the same as in his native
culture, and therefore on noticing more of, less of, or absence of a feature in a single
variant he generalizes his observation as if it applied to all variants and therefore to the
entire culture. Distribution is a source of a great many problems.
Example: For some time it was puzzling that on the one hand Latin American
students complained that North American meals abused the use of sugar, while on the
other hand the dietitians complained that Latin Americans used too much sugar at meals. It
can be observed that the average Latin American student takes more sugar in his coffee


8
than North Americans do. He is not used to drinking milk at meals, but when milk is
served, he sometimes likes to put sugar in it. The dietitian notices this use of sugar in
situations in which North Americans would use less or none at all. The dietitian notices
also that the sugar bowls at tables where Latin Americans sit have to be filled more often
than at other tables. She therefore feels quite confident in making her generalization.
In a nutshell, when comparing two cultures, we pay attention to the form, meaning
and distribution. Via such factors, we can understand more and more about different
cultures in order to avoid culture shocks.

1.3. Definitions of Proverbs and Family Proverbs
1.3.1. Definitions of Proverbs
According to Mieder, 1989a, Seitel, 1981 and Egblewogbe, 1980, “A proverb has
been defined as a short, repeated, witty statement or set of statements of wisdom, truth and

experience which is used to further a social end”. (www.questia.com). In other words, it is
a short well-known expression that states a general truth or advice.
According to Albig (1931: 529), “The proverb is a social definition of a situation.”
(www.questia.com)
Neal R. Norrick (20; 51– 55) defined proverbs in “How Proverbs Mean: Semantic
Studies in English” as follows: “The proverb is typically spoken, conversational form with
didactic function and not associated with any particular source.”
Up till now, there have been lots of definitions of proverbs in the world as well as
in Vietnam. However, no definition has been considered as a standard one which can be
applied to the all-aspect research of proverbs. Western researchers gave out 55 definitions
of proverbs. If the most popular words appearing in these 55 definitions are used and
combined, a proverb can be defined as a short sentence of wisdom. Nevertheless, this
definition has not yet been considered as a standard one.
According to Vu Ngoc Phan, Vietnam, the proverb is a sentence which itself
expresses a complete idea, a remark, an experience, a theory, a truth, maybe a criticism.
(Vu Ngoc Phan, Tuc ngu, Ca dao, Dan ca Viet Nam: 11)
Even though there are different definitions of proverbs, they have something in
common. Accordingly, proverbs are selected with meaningful sentences which play an
important role in building people’s characters as well as educating people, especially


9
children so as to draw useful moral lessons. We come to a conclusion that proverbs are
educational sentences of wisdom.
1.3.2. Family Proverbs
Family proverbs are adages, stories (Stone, 1988; Page & Washington, 1987),
words of wisdom (Pasteur & Toldson, 1982) or religious instruction reflecting a family’s
attitudinal or belief structure. Proverbs provide images of physical, psychological,
emotional and spiritual beliefs. Often poetic, prosaic and emotionally powerful, they allow
for free expression with a natural rhythm. They have a meaning and simplicity that

transcends words, but are understood by the speaker. Proverbs shape lives – consider the
proverb, “An apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.”
Through the sharing of proverbs, family members provide strategies for self-
preservation, influence decisions and judgments (Pasteur & Toldson, 1982), affect
educational, career, or marital pursuits (Stone, 1988; Page and Washington, 1987) and
transmit values from generation to generation (Page & Washington, 1987). Within some
families, proverbs and values are so interrelated that they are considered as one in the same.
This discussion will treat proverbs from the aforementioned perspective, as a value, having
both guiding and directing impacts upon thoughts and behaviors.
Throughout life course, proverbs are differentially reinforced by society, significant
others, and reference groups. Families are most often the conduits or “transmitters” of
proverbs. Family proverbs may either agree or disagree with societal values. Proverbs are
also garnered through relationships in cultural, ethnic, racial, socioeconomic, educational,
and religious groupings.
According to Vera R. Jackson (1994: 7), proverbs are often as diverse as the people
who believe them. They have managed to become a central thread in the fabric that guide
thoughts and behaviours. Proverbs often have a far reaching impact upon the general well-
being and quality of life of those who have been exposed to them.


1.4. Definitions of Idioms
Many linguists such as Robins (1989), Palmer (1981), Jackson and Amvela (1998) and
others consider idioms as a special kind of collocation. The meaning of an idiom,
nevertheless, cannot be deduced from the meaning of its constituents. It is also for this


10
reason that Lyons (1985) treats idioms as phrasal lexemes with their peculiar meaning,
formally identical with the lexically composite phrases formed by the grammatical rules of
a language. For example, “To become food for worms” – the collocation “become food for

worms” is an idiom meaning “die’, which is not systematically determinable from the
meanings of “become food” and “for worms”. This idiom or phrasal lexeme is formally
identical with the phrase “To become food for worms” whose meaning is systematically
determinable on the basis of the meaning of the lexemes of which it is composed – “To
stop living and to be buried underground so as to become food for worms which live
underground”.
Besides being colloquial expressions, idioms can appear in a formal style and in slang.
They can appear in poetry or in the language of the journalist, the writer and the Bible.
How can we give a definition to idioms? According to Seidl and McMordie (1988), “an
idiom is a number of words which, taken together, meaning something different from the
individual words of the idiom when they stand alone. The way in which the words are put
together is often odd, illogical or even grammatically incorrect”.
Idioms are composed of more than one word: their constituents show to some extent
the sort of internal cohesion that we expect of single words. An idiom typically resists
interruption and re-ordering of its constituents.
According to Palmer (1990), idioms are consequences of words whose meaning cannot
be predicted from the meaning of the words themselves. Semantically, idioms are single
units, but they are not single grammatical units like words. He also printed out some
restriction in syntactic features and noted that the problem of idioms was involved with the
much wider issue of word formation, by which what would appear to be new and more
complex lexemes can be formed from single ones.



1.5. Proverbs versus Idioms, Sayings, Conventional Phrases and
Phrasal Verbs
Proverbs are short well-known statements that give advice or express something that is
generally true. They have been defined as short, repeated, witty statements or sets of
statements of wisdom, truth and experience which are used to further a social end.

11
Proverbs are universally held in high esteem, whereas idioms have had to struggle for
recognition. Idioms are normally phrases, whereas proverbs are the whole sentences – to
be adapted into proverbial form.
An idiom is an expression that contains more than one word. It is a fixed phrase or
another sequence of words whose meaning is different from the sum of the literal meanings
of its components. That is, it has a meaning beyond or other than the sum of the meaning
of the individual words. For example, “to show off everything one has” (Ruột để ngoài da).
Nevertheless, proverbs, sayings and conventional phrases are excluded. They are multi-
word expressions that often mean something different from the words in them. However,
they each form a category of their own depending on the function they have. Proverbs
often possess some additional meanings, or their purpose is to draw a lesson, and they are
somehow more tightly associated with cultural discourse.
A saying is a well-known short statement, or a remark that expresses an idea most
people believe is true and wise. It can be considered to be close to idioms, but it is usually
not figurative (literal). For instance, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” as the old
saying goes.
A conventional phrase has a special interactional function, and it is often literal rather
than metaphorical, for example “God be with you.”
A phrasal verb is a verb which is a combination of a verb and a particle or two
particles. A particle may be either a preposition or an adverb. The phrasal verb “to put off”
means “to delay” and it is a combination of the verb “put” and the preposition “off”. It has
a non-literal meaning or an idiomatic meaning which cannot be easily recognised by
looking at the words themselves. However, the phrasal verb “to put on” has a literal
meaning that is easy to understand because the meaning is clear from the words that are
used in the phrasal verb itself.
In conclusion, it is useful to distinguish proverbs from idioms, sayings and phrasal
verbs for the purpose of using them correctly so as to develop the conversation naturally
without misunderstanding one another.

1.6. Main Features of Proverbs from a Language-Cultural Perspective
1.6.1. National Features


12
Different natural and social conditions create different properties of nationalism. In
addition, different cultures make different proverbs. However, proverbs are not only
cultural events but also symbolic systems of recording and expressing cultural events.
According to psychologists and anthropologists, proverbs reflect cultural and social reality
of a nation. Edward A. Westermarck confirms that proverbs of a nation are a precious
source of materials associated with characters, personalities, points of view, feelings,
attitudes, customs and traditions of that nation.
1.6.2. Meanings of Proverbs
The meanings of proverbs are all contents which are informed for the speaker and
listener. They contain both literal and non-literal meanings. Literal meanings are also
considered to be pragmatic meanings of the proverb which has only one meaning. This
meaning is expressed directly. E.g. “Like father, like son.”, “One who teaches you for one
day will be your father all your life.”
Proverbs which have lots of meanings (multi-meanings) and whose meanings are
figurative are often expressed via the following five methods: Synecdoche, Metaphor,
Metonymy, Hyperbole and Paradox. The following are two methods which are used in
popularity.
1.6.2.1. Synecdoche
Synecdoche is a type of meaning transformation associated with metonymy and the
meaning can be guessed via the figurative meanings of key words in the proverb.
e.g. “The early bird catches the worm.” means “Arriving early gives one an advantage.” or
“Coming late, one may lose everything.” In Vietnamese, we often say “The late buffalo
drinks dirty water.” which means the same.
1.6.2.2. Metaphor

A figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between two
unlike things that actually have something important in common. A metaphor expresses
the unfamiliar (the tenor) in terms of the familiar (the vehicle). When Neil Young sings
“Love is a rose.”, “rose” is the vehicle for “love”, the tenor.
1.6.3. Rhyming Words in Proverbs
In Vietnamese proverbs, there are rhyming words such as “Người sống, đống vàng.”,
“Đói cho sạch, rách cho thơm.”, “Thuận vợ thuận chồng, tát bể đông cũng cạn.”, etc.


13
In English proverbs, there are also rhyming words such as “Once a thief, always a
thief.” (Ăn cắp quen tay, ngủ ngày quen mắt.); “Let bygones, be bygones.” (Con đã mọc
răng, nói năng chi nữa.) One more example of rhyming words is: “Sticks and stones will
break my bones but names will never hurt me.” with “stones” and “bones” rhyming.
1.6.4. Contrary Proverbs
There are several proverbs which are considered to have negative meanings in a
particular culture but possess positive meanings in another culture.
“The early bird catches the worm.” (Trâu chậm uống nước đục.)

1.7. Summary
This chapter has dealt with the theoretical framework for the analysis of the
relationship between language and culture, the comparison between two cultures, the
definition of proverbs, idioms, etc. It is clearly noted that language and culture always exist
together and reinforce each other. We could not understand or appreciate the one without
the knowledge of the other because the relationship between them is so close.
In addition, the distinguishing features among proverbs, idioms, sayings,
conventional phrases and phrasal verbs are also noted. Meanings of proverbs are no less
important so as to use proverbs appropriately in specific contexts. Finally, rhyming words
in proverbs and contrary proverbs add spice to the elegance of proverbs.

chapter 2
tentative Classification and comparison of family-related
English and Vietnamese proverbs
2.1. Tentative Classification of Family-Related English and Vietnamese
Proverbs


14
Based on the family relationships in both Vietnamese and British societies, we can
tentatively classify family-related proverbs into six main types:
+ Attitudes towards women in the family and society
+ Love and marriage
+ Choosing mates and marital relationship
+ Parentage (Parents-offspring relationship)
+ Brotherhood and sisterhood
+ The relationship between the mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law
In terms of attitudes towards women, the author focuses on women’s characters,
behaviours, the quality of women’s souls, their role in the society and family. Through
English and Vietnamese proverbs, we can understand more about women in the previous
days and in modern times. Moreover, we can see clearly the similarities and differences
between the two cultures.
British people regard financial security as an important factor in love and marriage.
Vietnamese young people are too timid to talk about finance when they are in love.
Faithfulness is regarded as a very important factor for Vietnamese people whereas it is not
for British people. Hence, English and Vietnamese proverbs are expressed in different

ways.
Vietnamese people consider choosing mates to be a very important job. Besides the
criteria of race and genes, appearance, voice and age are also the three criteria men take
into account. British women’s criteria to choose husbands are not the same. The most
important criterion is courage. Such opinions are also expressed in English and Vietnamese
proverbs.
The parents-offspring relationship in British families expressed in English proverbs
shows that the father’s role of educating his children is really important. The British
mother doesn’t have as much free time as the father. In Vietnam, the mother’s role is more
highly appreciated than the father’s. Vietnamese children are concerned about filial piety
whereas British children are not.
In terms of brotherhood and sisterhood, the relationship among brothers and sisters
in British families is not so close whereas this relationship in Vietnam is so deep. Brothers
and sisters are more responsible for one another in Vietnamese society.


15
The relationship between the mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law is a big
problem in Vietnam. Meanwhile, it is not so hectic in Britain. In fact, the relationship
between them in British society is not as serious as that in Vietnamese society. Proverbs
denoting this relationship are not plentiful but sound really interesting.
The six types of family-related proverbs show six main features which are
necessary for not only adults but also children. In addition, there are other types which are
not mentioned or little mentioned in this minor thesis.

2.2. Comparison of Family-Related English and Vietnamese Proverbs
2.2.1. Attitudes towards Women
2.2.1.1. Attitudes towards Women in Family-Related Vietnamese Proverbs
Vietnamese proverbs reflect women’s characters in which they are very kind, gentle,
weak in physical fitness, short of courage. They are beautiful not only in appearance but

also in merit and characters, e.g. “Trai thì mạnh, gái thì mềm.” (Boys are heroic; girls are
gentle.)
Vietnamese proverbs also refer to women’s slim figure, their beauty and merit.
Therefore, we have: “Vẻ đẹp đánh vào ánh mắt, phẩm giá chinh phục tâm hồn.” (Beauty
strikes the sight, but merit wins the soul.), “Tốt gỗ hơn tốt nước sơn.”, (“Handsome is that
handsome does.”) “Cái nết đánh chết cái đẹp.” (“Prettiness dies first.”) Moreover,
women’s honour is staying a virgin. “Chữ trinh đáng giá ngàn vàng.”, “Hoa mất nhị lấy gì
làm thơm.”, “Con gái chửa hoang, các vàng không lấy.”
Even though women’s beauty in appearance is paid considerable attention, the quality
of women’s souls is more highly appreciated. Since they were babies, women have been
educated by adults concerned with attitudes, behaviours, morals, virtue and ways of
communicating.
“Con gái cửa cài then đóng.”, “Đi cúi mặt xuống đất, về cất mặt lên trời.”, “Hỏi hãy
nói, gọi hãy thưa.” (Girls must close the door, speak when asked.) Opinions on Vietnamese
women’s behaviours in general are considered to be conservative and quite backward.
However, in modern times, such proverbs do not work very well since the way girls
communicate is quite different. They are more active in daily communication.
The role of Vietnamese women in their family and society in the old days was to look
after their husbands and children, do the housework such as shopping, cooking, cleaning,


16
etc. Nevertheless, in modern times, their husbands also sometimes help them with the
domestic work. “Xem trong bếp biết nết đàn bà.”; “Vắng đàn ông quạnh nhà, vắng đàn bà
quạnh bếp.” (Judge a woman by looking at the kitchen; It is quiet and lonely when the man
is absent from home, the kitchen is quiet and cold when the woman is not present.)
Vietnamese women were not encouraged to take part in social activities, except for war
times. Then they needed to defend the country and their homeland. Women were taught to
become good wives and kind mothers. Women who had two husbands or more than two
boyfriends were very bad ones. The woman must love her husband even though he was not

handsome or rich or intelligent. Her duty was to take great care of her husband and
children. “Gái chính chuyên chẳng lấy hai chồng.”; “Ngu si cũng thể chồng ta, dẫu rằng
khôn khéo cũng ra chồng người.”; “Có chồng chẳng được đi đâu, có con chẳng được đứng
lâu một giờ.” (A serious woman cannot have two husbands; it is difficult for a married
woman to stay away from her husband and children.)
Moreover, Vietnamese women also have the decisive role in several important tasks
such as buying a house, having a baby, farming, children’s marriage, etc. If the woman is
wise and dynamic, this will help her husband a lot in his career, especially if he is “a big
potato”. Therefore runs several Vietnamese proverbs: “Làm ruộng phải có trâu, làm giầu
phải có vợ.”; (To do farming, one must have a buffalo, to become wealthy, one must get
married.); “Nhà khó cậy vợ hiền, nước loạn nhờ tướng giỏi.”; “Lệnh ông không bằng cộng
bà.”; “Vợ khôn ngoan làm quan cho chồng.” (“A good wife makes a good husband.”)
2.2.1.2. Attitudes towards Women in Family-Related English Proverbs
In English proverbs women’s beauty is not highly appreciated, nor is women’s merit.
Moreover, a comparison between women’s beauty and merit is not made. British people,
with the development of commerce from an early age, always highly appreciate the value
of materials, staying virgin is not important. E.g. “Beauty is only skin deep.”, “A fair wife
without fortune is like a house without furniture.” “Beauty is potent, but money is
omnipotent.” (Sắc đẹp có sức thuyết phục, nhưng tiền có quyền lực tuyệt đối.” More
humorously, British people consider beef to be important food. Hence, runs an English
proverb “Beauty will buy no beef.” (Sắc đẹp không mua được thịt bò.)
There are not many English proverbs on judging a woman. There are only some on
judging a person in general: “A bird may be known by its song.”; “A good workman is


17
known by his chips.”; “Such carpenters, such chips.”; “The tilling shows the tiller.”; “The
work shows the workman.” (Xem việc, biết người.)
The role of women is sometimes considered to be more important than the role of men
in the family to some extent, especially in ensuring a cosy family. Both English and

Vietnamese proverbs reflect this. There goes a proverb: “Men make houses; women make
homes”. (Đàn ông xây nhà, đàn bà xây tổ ấm.”
The role of British women in their family and society formerly was not clearly
reflected and expressed in proverbs. Although their role was highly appreciated in their
family, there are no proverbs referring to specific functions and duties in the family as
shown in Vietnamese proverbs due to the difference between the two cultures. There are
some English proverbs referring to the important role of British women in their family:
“Men make houses, women make homes.” (“Đàn ông xây nhà, đàn bà xây tổ ấm.”)
“Women must have the last word.” (Phụ nữ phải có tiếng nói quyết định.)
“Women see deep, men see far.” (Đàn bà thấy sâu, đàn ông thấy xa.)
However, British women are also criticized and sneered at for their weak points:
“All women are good, either good for something, or good for nothing.” (Tất cả phụ nữ
đều hay, hay về một điều gì đó, hoặc chẳng hay về việc gì cả.)
“Women in state affairs are like monkeys in glass shops.” (Nữ quan chức thì giống như
khỉ trong tủ kính cửa hiệu.)
“Women can conceal all what they know not.” (Phụ nữ có thể giữ bí mật tất cả những
gì mà họ không biết.) (Phụ nữ ruột để ngoài da.)
“Three women and a goose make a market.” (Ba người phụ nữ và một con ngỗng hợp
thành một cái chợ.)
“Two women in one house will not agree long.” (Hai phụ nữ chung một nhà không hoà
thuận với nhau lâu.)
The role of women in having a happy family is also expressed in both Vietnamese and
English proverbs. However, there is a big difference between them. The role of
Vietnamese women in their family is more important and more highly appreciated in
comparison with British women.
2.2.2. Love
2.2.2.1. Love in Family-Related Vietnamese Proverbs


18

Vietnamese women are considered to be more faithful than British women, which
is also reflected in Vietnamese proverbs. English people regard financial security as an
important factor in love and marriage.
Common people in the old days lived in harmony with not only neighbours but also
nature. They thought that they were never lonely when nature was with them. Nor were
they when they lived in a friendly community. Accordingly, love is indispensable.
Moreover, they were not favoured anything as kings, queens, or aristocrats. Therefore,
their emotion was for themselves – they took love as a source of living.
Their love was instinctive but very fantastic and true. It included benevolence and
righteousness. It meant charity and justice. In addition, faithfulness was also mentioned. If
a woman or a girl was not faithful to her husband or boyfriend, she would be regarded as a
promiscuous woman, which couldn’t be accepted or forgiven. Their love was something
which was associated with morals such as sacrifice, endurance, responsibility, benevolence
and righteousness. They were sometimes reckless of their life as well as wealth and money
so as to guarantee everlasting love. For them, love always went with benevolence which
should be worshiped. Their love was not expressed as modern love. However, it was
powerful love which couldn’t be prevented by any agent. “Yêu nhau mấy núi cũng trèo;
mây sông cũng lội , mấy đèo cũng qua.” runs a Vietnamese proverb. (They can
overcome hardships if they love each other.) Today, due to the influence of modern culture
and integrating trend, love seems to be more romantic and more practical. Most girls take
love seriously. Nevertheless, some of them consider love to be a joke and make fun of it.
They pay attention to money when falling in love. Consequently, they may be tricked and
regret it when it is too late.
Vietnamese people’s love is generous. They are not afraid of poverty and
hardships:
“Yêu nhau mọi việc chẳng nề, một trăm chỗ lệch cũng kê cho bằng.” or “Yêu nhau
chín bỏ làm mười.” (“Love sees no faults.”) or “Yêu nhau củ ấu cũng tròn, ghét nhau bồ
hòn cũng méo.” (“Faults are thick where love is thin.”)
Generally speaking, Vietnamese young people are too timid to talk about finance
when they are in love. They are willing to lead a simple life provided that they live

happily. “Râu tôm nấu với ruột bầu, chồng chan vợ húp gật đầu khen ngon.” (Although the
food is not good, the husband and the wife nod their heads and say that it is delicious.)


19
2.2.2.2. Love in Family-Related English Proverbs
British people think that love is power. “Love conquers all.” goes an English
proverb. They regard financial security as an important factor in love. In British culture,
young people often raise questions such as “Is he a wealthy man?”; “Can he support
himself and his own family?” They are courageous enough to talk about finance when they
propose their love.
Love expressed by British people is more commercial and financial. They know
“The love of money is the root of all evil.” However, they consider money to be an
important factor in ensuring love and happiness.
“When poverty comes in at the door, love flies out of the window.”
(Khi cái nghèo đi vào cửa chính thì tình yêu bay ra khỏi cửa sổ.)
“Love lasts as long as the money endures.” (Còn tiền còn bạc còn tình yêu.)
“Love does much but money does all.”
(Tình yêu giải quyết được nhiều việc, nhưng tiền làm nên tất cả.)
We are living in modern times and the integration process is inevitable.
Accordingly, young Vietnamese people’s lifestyle is greatly influenced by Western culture
in general and British culture in particular. That explains why some of them are leading a
modern life in which money is highly appreciated. Therefore, their love seems more and
more practical. Apparently, money is a means of living, but it is not everything. So we,
teachers and researchers, must do something to make young people aware of the value of
money as well as the value of morals in love.
2.2.3. Marriage
2.2.3.1. Marriage in Family-Related Vietnamese Proverbs
Common people’s opinion on marriage in the old days was something quite sacred
and lofty. The relationship and harmony between the boy and the girl were not in the sense

that they highly valued money or wealth but their emotion, feelings and mutual
understanding. Most importantly, they could live in harmony and happiness. Marriage had
a great positive impact on men and women, helping them successfully carry out their
family duty of giving birth to babies so as to maintain race and develop their personalities.
The husband’s duty was to deal with important things associated with farming and earning
money whereas women were supposed to give birth to babies until they had a son. Not
having a son was considered to be evil in society. There are several Vietnamese proverbs


20
associated with this aspect: “Gái có con như bồ hòn có rễ; Gái không con như bè gỗ trôi
sông.” (Girls who have no children are like wooden rafts floating on the river.)
Moreover, they were born to do the housework (cleaning, cooking, washing up,
looking after children, etc.). In comparison with women in the present time, today’s
Vietnamese women are supposed to do the housework, of course. Nevertheless, they can
take part in social activities, going to work to earn money in order not to depend so much
on their husbands. To some extent, they are more equal to men.
The structure of Vietnamese society in former times was mainly based on family.
Therefore, getting married was considered most important.
Most common people thought that getting married was one of the three important
things a man had to do. The first thing was getting married. The second one was buying a
buffalo. The third one was building a house. For women, getting married was even more
important since they were not active in doing that, and they were regarded as “a slowly-
exploding bomb” which could badly influence the whole family. Happiness, wealth and
longevity are the three indispensable demands in each Vietnamese family. If happiness is
not maintained, wealth and longevity mean nothing.
Most common people in the old days considered marriage very important. Only a
small number of them were against it because they were afraid of losing freedom and
taking a lot of responsibilities.
“Gái có chồng như gông đeo cổ.” (She that has a husband has a cuff tied round her

neck.)
“Trai có vợ như rợ buộc chân.” (He that has a wife has a rope tied round his leg.)
“Chồng con là cái nợ nần; Thà rằng ở vậy nuôi thân béo mầm.”
“Có con phải khổ về con; Có chồng phải gánh giang sơn nhà chồng.”
Such proverbs prove that getting married is hard work which causes lots of trouble.
However, most people preferred getting married to staying single. They were aware that
even though they had to cope with lots of difficulties, it was certainly a great honour to get
married. They also found this very interesting.
“Tình thương quán cũng như nhà; Lều tranh có nghĩa hơn toà ngói xây.” (A
thatched house is cosier than a brick house with a tiled roof if the husband and the wife
love each other.)