Japanese proverbs

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The Japanese proverbs ( Japanese 諺 Kotowaza , also 俚 諺 Rigen or 俗諺 Zokugen ) are critical and instructive in their statements, a reservoir of often ironic and funny wisdom .

to form

In the literary scientific sense and in contrast to the idiom, the proverb is a syntactically closed saying. It serves to express a generally recognized doctrine, wisdom and experience, which can sometimes be formulated imperatively. In contrast to the aphorism ( Japanese Kakugen , 格言 ), the epigram ( Japanese Epiguramu , エ ピ グ ラ ム , Keiku 警句 , Suntetsu-uta (bon mot) 寸 鉄 詩 ) and the sentence with a strong intellectual character, the proverb is a form rooted in the people, which is handed down from generation to generation. It thus reflects the experience, way of thinking and culture of a people.

The multitude of Japanese proverbs is characterized by a concise and pictorial expression. They are characterized by a rhythmic form and are syntactically often designed as parallelisms or chiasms . Thematically, the doctrinal sayings, which are rooted in the Chinese and Buddhist tradition, represent by far the largest group of the Kotowaza. In addition, proverbs mostly also refer to human behavior and the weaknesses of others, as well as to regional peculiarities.

A distinction is made between the following proverb forms:

  • Speech ( 言 い 習 わ し , Iinarawashi )
  • the idiomatic phrase ( 慣用 句 , Kan'yōku )

The form of the statement is the "four-character" notation, which is only possible in Chinese script:

  • Yojijukugo ( 四字 熟語 )

Strictly speaking, the idiomatic phrase is a phraseologism. Not every idiomatic phrase is a proverb. In addition, the proverb must be distinguished from the winged word that represents a literary quote.

The proverb must also be distinguished from other small forms such as joke ( 軽 口 , Karukuchi ), pun ( 地 口 , Jiguchi ) and twist ( 語 呂 合 わ せ , Goroawase ).

Ways of speaking ( iinarawashi )

出 る 杭 は 打 た れ る.
Deru kui wa utareru.
The protruding nail is hammered in.
知 ら ぬ が 仏.
Shiranu ga hotoke.
Not knowing is Buddha.
急 が ば ま わ れ
Isogaba maware
If you're in a hurry, take a detour
German equivalent: hurry with a while
毒 く わ ば 皿 ま で
Documentary kuwaba, sara made
If you eat poison, it is to your plate
German equivalent: If so, then already

idiomatic phrase ( Kan'yōku )

七 転 び 八 起 き
Nana korobi ya oki
Fall seven times and get up eight times
猫 に 小 判
Neko ni koban
Gold coins for the cat
German equivalent: Pearls before swine
下手 の 長談 義
Heta no nagadangi
The long sermon of the clumsy

Yojijukugo

油 断 大敵
Yudan taiteki
Carelessness is a great enemy
German equivalent: Idleness is the beginning of all vice
馬 耳 東風
Baji tōfū
East wind for horse ears
German equivalent: Throwing pearls in front of the swine
十 人 十 色
Jūnin toiro
Ten people, ten colors
German equivalent: So many heads, so many opinions

Others

To mark its 135th anniversary, the Yomiuri Shimbun started a proverb column in March 2009. The column contains a proverb with explanation and it always appears on Sundays in the evening edition. The column is always placed in a different place in the newspaper. It aims to encourage children and young people in particular to leaf through the newspaper with their parents in search of the column. The aim is to practice dealing with "serious" information media.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Gero von Wilpert : Specialized Dictionary of Literature (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 231). 7th, improved and enlarged edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 1989, ISBN 3-520-23107-7 , p. 879.
  2. ↑ Pokemon action of the Yomiuri Shimbun ( Memento from March 22, 2009 in the Internet Archive )

literature

Collections

  • Jürgen Berndt: Proverbs from Japan. Verlag Volk und Welt, Berlin 1986. (calligraphy by Masatoshi Kawanabe)
  • Eto et al. a .: Kotowaza kojiten . Fukuonkan, Tokyo 1968.
  • Peter Helwig: The monkey raincoat. Japanese proverbs , Munich, Albert Langen - Georg Müller Verlag, 1958 (translation without original text)
  • Tadashi Kamada, Torataro Yoneyama: Koji seigo meigon daijiten . Daishukan, Tokyo 1988, ISBN 4-469-03205-0 .
  • Eiji Orii: Kotowaza jiten . Shueisha, Tokyo 1962, ISBN 4-08-400123-6 .
  • Kenshiro Shinto: Yoji jukugo no jiten . Nihon Jitsugyo shuppansha, Tokyo, ISBN 4-534-01022-2 .
  • Taiji Takashima: Kotowaza no izumi (Fountain of Japanese Proverbs) . Hokuseido, Tokyo 1981, ISBN 4-590-00649-9 . (English, German, French, Chinese, Japanese)
  • Yoshio Uehara: Yoji jukugo jiten . Seito-sha, Tokyo 1990, ISBN 4-7916-0205-6 .

Web links

Wikiquote: Japanese Proverbs  - Quotes